Got Low Testosterone? Why It Matters & What You Can Do Now
by Dr. Ginger Garner PT, DPT, ATC-Ret
Low testosterone. How can you tell if it’s low, and why does it matter? This short read will go over why it matters and what you can do now.
Well for men and people who identify as male, testosterone’s benefits are plainly seen. But did you also know you can influence your testosterone levels without visiting a doctor?
But testosterone is not just for men (just like estrogen isn’t only for women). Testosterone matters for women too, and all the people out there that identify as women. Basically, testosterone is essential for everyone’s health – and not just hormonal or sexual health either, but also cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health.
Why is knowing if you have low testosterone important?
Signs of low testosterone in women can include:
- Dry skin
- Hair loss or hair thinning
- Low libido
- Loss of muscle tone, strength, and over time, bone loss
- Low energy
- Vaginal dryness, infertility, irregular menstrual cycles
- Brain fog
- Difficulty with orgasming
Sources:
Reader friendly version – low testosterone in women
Signs of low testosterone in men can include:
- Low libido
- Erectile dysfunction
- Shrinking testicles
- Hot flashes
- Infertility
- Depression
- Brain fog
- Increased body fat
- Enlarged male breast tissue
- Decrease in muscle strength and bone mass
- Poor endurance
Source: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15603-low-testosterone-male-hypogonadism
It is important to have your testosterone levels checked if you feel like you do have many of the symptoms. Your doctor can order a test, but you can also access testing on your own. We cannot prescribe or endorse any particular self-test or self-treatment, but a reliable start is learning about the DUTCH test, which many of the providers in our network use. If you have questions about testing, don’t hesitate to reach out to us or a knowledgeable functional medicine provider.
What can cause low testosterone?
- Autoimmune disorders
- High glucose
- Chemotherapy
- Chronic inflammation
- High cortisol
- Low DHEA (creates testosterone)
- Anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use, like Advil or ibuprofen
- Opioid use
- Steroid use
- Alcohol due to blood sugar increase, sleep issues, inflammation, increases cortisol
- Poor sleep – 7-9 hours is required or you growth, healing, and repair cannot occur
- Low Vitamin D3
- Lack of strength training
- Gut or emotional stress
- Low B vitamins, zinc, vitamin C, boron (building blocks of testosterone), magnesium
Read more on how magnesium rescues hormones here
What can you do to increase low testosterone levels without spending a fortune or visiting a doctor’s office?
It’s not uncommon for low testosterone to be overlooked when seeking biomedical healthcare, or healthcare under your insurance plan. Oftentimes, low testosterone is generally looked at as a side effect of age, but, it doesn’t have to be. There are many reasons for low testosterone in people of all ages. So it’s an important hormone to keep tabs on in order to support your whole health, not just sexual health. Here are a few ways to consider if you want to boost your testosterone levels, naturally and inexpensively.
Treatment considerations for improving low testosterone levels can include:
- Lose weight – specifically – decrease body fat around your middle – lower waist to hip ratio which reduces inflammation
- Calculate your Hip to Waist Ratio instantly
- Decrease endocrine disrupters (things that disrupt your hormone balance)
- NIH on Endocrine Disruptors and your Health – 4 page downloadable PDF
- EWG Guide to Endocrine Disruptors – sign up for free and get The Guide
- Decrease alcohol.
- Get 2 hours of REM sleep and 1-2 hours of deep sleep nightly
- Plus address all of the things in the above lists
- Cholesterol is a precursor to creating testosterone but it doesn’t mean loading up on meat. There are plenty of plant-based saturated fats to help balance testosterone levels, like coconut oil for example. If you are going to consume meet, stick to grass fed or wild game to improve healthy saturated fat levels.
- Increase healthy fats (olive oil, avocados, walnuts, almonds, macadamia)
- Avoid sugar and processed food like the plague. They lower testosterone by increasing inflammation and spiking your blood sugar.
- Treat any existing autoimmune disorders
- Improve blood sugar management
- Address high hsCRP levels (a blood test indicative of low levels of chronic inflammation in the body)
- Lower high cortisol(the DUTCH test also screens for this as well)
- Address low DHEA (creates testosterone; the DUTCH test will also show if this level is low)
- Decrease anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use, like Advil or ibuprofen
- Avoid opioid use
- Avoid steroid use
- Avoid alcohol due to its negative impacts on blood sugar management, sleep issues, inflammation, and the fact that it increases cortisol levels
- Address poor sleep – 7-9 hours is required or you growth, healing, and repair cannot occur
- Address vitamin D3 levels
- Add strength training to your fitness regimen
- Address gut problems and/or emotional stress that could drive it
- Address potential low B vitamins, zinc, vitamin C, boron (building blocks of testosterone), and magnesium
Read more on how magnesium rescues hormones here
Finally, these are just a few of the ways to naturally regulate testosterone production. Want to learn more or need help implementing this big list of integrative and lifestyle medicine changes? We can help. Reach out here for a first free consult. Also, visit our blog for more information on pelvic health.
