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"Sex Hormones" by Dr. Abraham
Kryger
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| Testosterone |
Important for normal muscle development,
general health and libido |
| Estrogen |
Important for normal brain function
and libido. Increased levels are related to enlarged prostate, obesity
and heart disease. |
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| Testosterone |
| Suppose someone told you there was
a magical substance that could increase your sex drive, strengthen your
bone and muscle tissue, reduce your body's fat production, deepen the tone
and thickness of your skin, improve your thinking ability, boost your energy
levels, and guard against the onset of depression and heart disease as
you age. You might be skeptical-or you might be tempted to go out and buy
a whole truckload of it. But in reality, these are all clinical effects
of a substance produced naturally in your own body-the male sex hormone
testosterone. |
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| What is testosterone? |
| Testosterone is a powerful anabolic
hormone. That means it stimulates the body's development of muscle, bone,
skin, and sex organs, along with masculine physical features, such as hair
growth. Recently, scientists have discovered that testosterone also improves
mental power, by enhancing visual and perceptual skills. In men, testosterone
is produced in the testes, by a group of cells known as Leydig cells. These
cells begin secreting high doses of testosterone during puberty to trigger
increased lean muscle mass, sex organ growth, bone formation, deeper voice,
and higher energy levels. Peak testosterone levels are reached in a man's
early to mid- 20s. |
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| What happens to testosterone levels
over the course of a man's lifetime? |
| As a man ages, the Leydig cells that
secrete testosterone begin to wear away. Because of this, between the ages
of 40 and 70, the average man loses nearly 60% of the testosterone inside
his body! Other lifestyle factors, such as overtraining, stress and alcohol,
can also hasten the deterioration of Leydig cells, and cause testosterone
levels to drastically decline. |
| Although there's growing awareness
of the vital role testosterone plays in health, the vast majority of men
still don't recognize the key symptoms of testosterone deficiency. These
include: depression, fatigue, low sex drive, irritability, loss of facial/body
hair, thinning and wrinkling of skin, weight gain, and weakening of bone
and muscle tissue. In some cases, there may also be a gradual decrease
in the size of the sex organ. Eventually, imbalances of testosterone can
set the stage for the development of even more serious diseases. Low levels
can disrupt the body's blood sugar metabolism, leading to obesity and diabetes.
Chronic deficiencies may also promote the early onset of osteoporosis and
heart disease. |
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How
does testosterone affect my sex life?
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Since ancient times men have searched
for ways to increase their virility. Today, there are
many popular medications that improve
the physical factors (such as circulation) needed to sustain an erection.
Yet many men do not realize that none of these medicines can work effectively
without adequate testosterone in the body. That's because testosterone
is, in a sense, your body's natural aphrodisiac. Only when there are sufficient
levels are you able to feel and sustain sexual arousal. |
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| Why is it important to get tested? |
| Although low testosterone can have
damaging effects on health, just taking supplements isn't the answer. That's
because extremely high testosterone levels can trigger unpleasant side
effects and potentially increase the risk of developing prostate cancer.
With testosterone, balance is the key-and this can only be achieved with
accurate baseline testing of your hormone levels. |
| Serum levels |
Lab Reference Range |
Optimal Range |
| Total Testosterone |
200-825 ng/dl |
600-750 ng/dl |
| Free Testosterone |
35-195 pg/ml |
140-175 pg/ml |
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| Saliva Levels |
Lab Reference Range |
Optimal Range |
| Bioavailable Testosterone |
100-475 pmol/l |
350-400pmol/l |
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|
Alexandersen P, Haarbo J, Christiansen
C. The relationship of natural androgens to coronary heart disease in males:
a review. Atherosclerosis 1996; Aug 23 125(1): 1-13.
Bhasin S, et al. Testosterone Replacement
Increases Fat-Free Mass and Muscle Size in Hypogonadal Men. J Clin Endocrinol
Metab 1997; Feb 82(2): 407-413.
Bhasin S, et a!. Therapeutic Perspective:
Issues in Testosterone Replacement in Older Men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab
1998; Oct 83(10): 3435-3448 |
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| Estrogen |
| Just as many woman are not aware that
their body produces and relies on a small amount of testosterone for healthy
function, most men are not aware that their body produces and depends on
small amounts of estrogen as well. Estrogen is important in men for healthy
function of the brain and libido. |
| Unlike woman where estrogen is primarily
produced in the ovaries, in men it is produced directly from testosterone
by the enzyme aromatase. This enzyme is present in all fat cells, the liver
and even the muscles. There are three main forms of estrogen in the body,
estradiol, estrone, and estriol. Estradiol is the most potent and biologically
active form and alcohol can all cause excessive levels of estrogen to accumulate
either by enhancing conversion of testosterone to estrogen or reducing
the ability of the liver to eliminate excess levels of estrogen. High levels
of estrogen can result in increases and difficulty losing body fat, diabetes,
cardiovascular disease, cancer, prostate enlargement and reduced levels
of testosterone by directly inhibiting it's production. A healthy young
man in his 20's may have 50 times as much testosterone as estrogen while
I have encountered older men where testosterone has dropped so low and
estrogen risen so high that the ratio has declined as low as 3 to 1. Needless
to say these men do not feel all that well. |
| Oddly enough the brain's thermostat
(the hypothalamus) decides if enough testosterone is present in the blood
based on how much estrogen is present. It knows that estrogen is made from
testosterone and has evolved to believe that if estrogen is high, testosterone
must be as well. Unfortunately, this was only a valid assumption when nutritional
deficiencies, obesity, foreign drugs and chemicals that caused abnormal
increases in estrogen weren't around. So high estrogen is a double edge
sword. It is not only harmful in itself, but it actually causes a further
decrease in testosterone. |
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| Causes of increased production
of estrogen are: |
| Increased activity of the aromotase
enzyme.- This enzyme increases with age and body fat while high level of
zinc and vitamin C decrease it. |
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Age- over 50 years old the body increases
it's conversion to estrogen.
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Obesity - the fat cells contain a high
amount of the aromatase enzyme which converts testosterone to estrogen.
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Zinc - the most important mineral for
testosterone/estrogen balance.
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Cigarette Smoking - nicotine and the cadmium
interfere with zinc
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| The ability of the liver's P450 system
to convert the more active estradiol into weaker forms. |
Excessive Alcohol intake. I recommend
less than 5 drinks weekly
Drugs or Medications
Anti-inflammatory medications - Aspirin,
Tylenol, NSAIDS (Motrin etc.)
Antibiotics
Anti-fungal medications
Cholesterol-lowering medications
Antidepressants (Prozac, Zoloft)
Heart medications - beta-blockers, calcium
channel blockers
Recreational Drugs - Marijuana, Amphetamines,
Cocaine
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| Prolonged exposure to pesticides or
chemicals. These contain xeno-estrogens (synthetic compounds that act like
estrogen in the body) |
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| Estradiol Levels |
Lab Reference Range |
Optimal Range |
| Serum |
0-50 pg/mi |
20-30 pg/mi |
| Saliva |
2.8-8.0 pmol/l |
12.8-6.0 pmol/l |
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