FOR MEN ONLY!

Hormonal Imbalance in Men

By Dr. Greg Fors, DC / Board-certified Neurologist

As men pass the age of 40 they can experience hormonal changes that inhibit their physical, sexual, and cognitive function. This process begins to accelerate after the age of 50 and notable symptoms can begin to manifest such as increased abdominal fat, decreased muscle mass, loss of libido, irritability, depression, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, decreased facial and leg hair.

The underlying metabolic cause of this disorder is too little free testosterone and too much estrogen. Until recently these changes were greeted by a slap on the back and a statement that you were just growing older and not to worry. This left men facing a hormonal imbalance causing a slow degenerative process eventually resulting in premature death.

Recent research has amassed data indicating that many of the diseases the aging male experiences, from hypertension to prostate and heart disease are directly related to hormonal imbalances. Research is also showing that proper diet and nutraceutical intervention can correct these hormonal imbalances and reduce the occurrences of these health problems. To men’s detriment conventional doctors are increasingly prescribing multiple drugs to treat the depression, elevated cholesterol, hypertension and many other diseases that may be caused by this underlying hormonal imbalance. It is made worse for the middle-aged male by the fact that very few doctors know what hormonal blood test to order, how to interpret them and what nutraceutical approach to take to reverse imbalances found.

It’s Not Enough to Raise Testosterone- You Have to Set It Free!
Everyone is talking about low testosterone, but it is only testosterone not bound by proteins, called free testosterone that is available to stimulate cell function. It is free testosterone that makes the real difference between abdominal weight gain, decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction and optimal health. Free testosterone is much more than a sex hormone, it assists in controlling blood glucose levels, cholesterol regulation, optimizing cardiac output, improving tissue oxygenation and immune system function and mood regulation. Recent multiple studies have shown that men who suffer with depression have lower levels of free testosterone.. Many of these studies have also shown that elevating free testosterone levels can be an effective antidepressant therapy.

Actually Too Much Estrogen
The primary hormonal imbalance in the aging male is not just decreased total and free testosterone but also increased estrogens. Small amounts of estrogen are necessary but as estrogen levels increase they block free testosterone which leads to decreased libido, arousal, and increased abdominal weight gain. One of the primary causes of excess estrogen in the aging male is the action of an enzyme called aromatase. This enzyme primarily found in abdominal fat converts available testosterone into estrogen. Increasing abdominal fat amplifies aromatase activity further depleting available testosterone by converting it into ever higher levels of estrogen, thus creating a feed forward cycle.

This imbalance of estrogen to free testosterone has been shown to increase the risk of heart attack, benign prostatic hypertrophy along with erectile dysfunction. Research has shown that the inhibition of the aromatase enzyme does result in a significant decline in estrogen levels while often increasing free testosterone to youthful levels. Therefore, natural aromatase inhibition and the lowering of available estrogen is a primary goal in any Andropause therapy program.

Multiple studies have shown that the decline in testosterone levels in males is an escalating problem in todays society. This phenomena is taking place within our modern life not only because of drastic dietary changes but also because of increased exposure to chemical toxins and pesticides in our environment.

Maintaining a proper free testosterone to estrogen ratio is essential for men to maintain optimal health and vitality. By combining specific standardized extracts of the botanical Tribulus Terrestris plus pharmaceutical grade DHEA, you can improve testosterone production to enhance vitality, libido and sexual function. Specific Stinging Nettle root extract with Zinc can help to reduce the conversion of testosterone to estrogen and enhance ‘free’ Testosterone levels.