When discussing male health, it is immensely important to develop a lucid and comprehensive perspicacity of how testosterone influences male health. While most adults understand that testosterone impacts the male libido and serves to increase strength and muscle mass, it does significantly more. Testosterone is often referred to as the male sex hormone, and while it plays a substantial role is supporting a healthy sex life, this hormone has a more complex list of responsibilities in supporting male health.
Men’s Health And Testosterone
Men naturally produce testosterone, but the natural ability to produce this hormone peaks between the ages of 17 and 30. After a man turns 30, he will experience a consistent decline in the natural production of testosterone as he ages. Because testosterone helps to regulate so many different functions in the body, including bone density, strength, muscle mass, fat distribution, the production of red blood cells, and sperm production, the ability to find natural modalities to help boost testosterone production is essential to long-term health for men.
As the science associated with understanding testosterone and it biological influence advances, the medical world is becoming better equipped to diagnose testosterone-related medical conditions. For instance, a small amount of circulating testosterone in the male body will be converted to a form of estrogen called estradiol, and certain conditions that have traditionally been attributed to the decline in testosterone may be due to the decline in estradiol that is inevitable as testosterone levels drop.
While a decline in testosterone can have negative health implications, including a disrupted metabolic process, an inability to build and sustain muscle mass, a diminished libido, and even prostate cancer, the level at which testosterone declines becomes a health issue and is still up for debate.
What makes developing a clear understanding of how much testosterone should be considered a required minimum is because men develop the hormone at varying levels and the diminishment of testosterone impacts each person differently. What is clear is that prostate cancer is directly related to a reduction in the production of testosterone. In fact, the disease is immensely common in elderly men, but because it normally progresses at such a slow rate, the individual normally dies from something other than prostate cancer.
The inability to effectively regulate fat distribution is also a potential health concern. The more fat that the body retains, especially visceral fat, the higher the risk of coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes. There is a growing body of empirical and pragmatic evidence that provides clear indicators that testosterone production does impact male health, but the variation of impact from person to person still creates some unique challenges in determining a universal standard for testosterone levels in men.
Because testosterone does have the capacity to increase natural aggression, having too much testosterone in the body can also produce unwanted results. There is still work that must be done in developing a comprehensive understanding of testosterone and its many functions, but in the meantime, it will be important for men to take steps to naturally boost their testosterone production. Testosterone impacts the digestive system, hair growth, the circulatory system, the reproductive system, the endocrine system, sexuality, and the central nervous system — all in varying degrees. By boosting testosterone production to offset its natural decline, men can reduce their risk of experiencing negative conditions associated with the disruption of its production.
Natural Ways To Increase Testosterone Production
Fortunately, there are some natural ways to increase testosterone production without undergoing testosterone therapy, which has been proven to produce several positive side effects.
Lose Weight
For individuals who are overweight, especially those who are obese, losing the excess weight can assist the body in producing more testosterone. Ironically, testosterone normally assists in weight loss efforts by driving the metabolic process and increasing muscle mass.
High-Intensity Workouts
Peak Fitness, High-Intensity Interval Training, and heavy lifting are ways to shock the body into producing more testosterone. When a higher physical demand is placed on the body, especially as far as strength is concerned, the body will respond by producing more testosterone.
Consume High Amounts Of Zinc
Zinc plays an important role in the production of testosterone and studies have shown that in as little as six weeks of zinc supplementation has resulted in marked improvements in testosterone production.
Stress Reduction
Reducing stress lowers the level of the hormone cortisol, which works against testosterone production and the effects of existing testosterone.
Limit Sugar
After consuming sugar, testosterone levels in the body decrease. This decrease is directly related to the release of insulin, which, like cortisol, works against the production and effectiveness of testosterone.
Additionally, the type of diet a person is committed to will impact their testosterone production. A diet that incorporates healthy fats, such as olive oil, coconuts and coconut oils, organic pasteurized eggs, raw nuts and grass-fed meats are essential to testosterone production.
Men’s Health And Testosterone Conclusion
There is still a lot to learn about how testosterone works in the body, but it is clear that it has a major influence on sustaining male health, subsequently creating the need to find ways to boost the body’s ability to generate it.
