Have you noticed a decreased enjoyment in life? Do you feel down or depressed more than normal? Are you feeling weaker physically and emotionally? Is you sex drive fading? Do you feel too stiff, achy and tired to do the things you used to love to do? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should check your Testosterone level.
Most people think of Testosterone only as a male hormone and associate it only with sex drive; however, it also affects many other important functions in both men and women. According to a recent report in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine, “Testosterone is [also] an important component of female sexuality, enhancing interest in initiating sexual activity and response to sexual stimulation. Testosterone is also associated with greater well-being and with reduced anxiety and depression.” Testosterone deficiency in women is “characterized by blunted or diminished motivation; persistent fatigue; decreased sense of personal well-being and low libido.” (Davis, S.; Testosterone Deficiency in Women; J Reprod Med 2001 Mar;46(3 Suppl):291-6.)
Testosterone: Sex Drive and Your Heart
If your sex drive is fading, it affects more than just your love-life. Low Testosterone can literally break your heart and a whole lot more. Did you know that there are more Testosterone receptors in the heart than anywhere else in the body?
Testosterone has been shown to protect the heart, reduce plaque buildup in the arteries and prevent heart attacks. It also reduces Total Cholesterol, raises good HDL Cholesterol and lowers Blood Pressure. Testosterone also builds lean muscle mass and decreases abdominal fat, reducing the waist-to-hip ratio, and prevents osteoporosis by stimulating bone rebuilding.
To see how you score, take the following Testosterone Symptom Test:
Both men and women lose approximately 1-2% total Testosterone per year after age twenty five. The average male in his late 40’s has lost as much 50% of the Testosterone he had in his twenties. Women are losing Testosterone at about the same rate.
What Causes Testosterone Decline?
The causes of declining Testosterone in men and women include the following:
- Oxidative damage to Testicular tissue in men and Ovarian tissue in women that leads to a decreased response of Lutenizing Hormone (LH) and GnRH the pituitary hormones that stimulate the release of Testosterone.
- Environmental Factors: Polyethylene terephthalate (PETE), the main ingredient in the plastic bottles have now been linked to the disruption of both male and female hormones and may be a significant reason for the dramatic decrease in Testosterone. These chemicals stimulate estrogen receptors and deplete optimal levels of the opposing hormones progesterone and testosterone.
- Elevated Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG): Synthetic Estradiol in Birth Control Pills and Hormone Replacement Therapy raise SHBG an average of 1.6% per year, making Testosterone unavailable.
- Chronic illness, prescription medication, obesity or excessive alcohol has been associated with a substantial reduction in testosterone levels.
- Untreated diabetic men aged 50 years and over have also been found to have 15% lower testosterone levels than their body mass index (BMI)-matched, non-diabetic counterparts.
Supplementing Testosterone
A deficiency of Testosterone can leads to significant symptoms of ill health that are often thought of as normal signs of aging. However, mounting research is showing that supplementing Testosterone to more youthful levels can reverse many of the signs of aging and restore strength, energy, flexibility, vitality, mood and the healthy sexual function.
The good news is that you can change the course of your own aging process. You can now test your hormones and do something about them if they are out of balance. You can take natural Testosterone supplements to repair and rebuild your glands and restore the hormone levels back to that of a balanced 30-35 year old.
Dr. Hansen prescribes natural powdered Testosterone that is dissolved under the tongue for rapid and direct absorption into the blood stream. He also prescribes short term intramuscular injections of Testosterone cypionate in sesame oil to jump start patients that are significantly low in Testosterone. With testosterone therapy, most men and women feel happier, more energetic, and more positive, have a healthier sex drive and a greater overall sense of well-being with 2 to 4 weeks of starting supplementation.
What should you expect from Testosterone therapy?
In various clinical studies, very good responses to Testosterone have been reported for men and women with low-testosterone, including the following:
- Improvement in mood and sense of well-being
- Increased mental and physical energy
- Decreased irritability and depression
- Improved quality of sleep
- Enhanced libido and sexual performance
- An increase in lean body mass, a decline in fat mass
- An increase in muscle strength (hand grip, upper and lower extremities)
- Decreased risk of cardiovascular disease