More than 80% of men in America have below normal levels of testosterone. The real issue with low testosterone is losing skeletal muscle mass integrity, increase body fat and a fatigue that just won’t go away!
Based on the newest literature published in the journal of American college of Cardiology it was shown that testosterone levels above 550ng/dL is the minimal baseline where total testosterone was shown to guard against heart attack and stroke.
There are 4 common factors that directly impact testosterone production:
- The stress hormone Cortisol directly inhibits testosterone production in the leydig cells of testicles. If you tend to be stress and anxious, you may expreince lower testosterone levels and higher levels of fatigue.
- High insulin levels is inversely proportional to serum testosterone concentration. Thus if you are eating too much carbs and your HA1C levels are higher than optimal, this could be the case for you!
- Cortisol also activate aromatase complex which increases estrogen production and then inhibits testosterone production.
- Insomnia and lack of sleep also inhibit testosterone production.
How can we combat these factors ?
1. Supplementation with nutrients that decrease cortisol levels & increase antioxidant activities. This depends on your history, blood chemistry, medications and other factors that I need know before I recommend suppliments. However I generally recommend phosphotidyl serine for people with high cortisol levels, and axanthine for increasing their antioxidants levels in the leydig cells.
2. Low glycemic diet that is high in antioxidants rich foods.
3. High intensity exercise for at least 10_15 min/day
4. Pomegranate juice or extract which greatly impacts the ratio of testosterone and estradiol levels.
In order for us to recommend you the correct supplements we would need to understand your blood chemistry and hormone levels. If you are curious about your levels, make an appointment and let us help you get to the root cause of your issues and help you have better levels of hormones using food as medicine and integration of healthy habits that will help you become the best version of yourself.