Male Hormone Imbalance
Males and females have the same collection of circulating hormones in their bodies. The balance of the various hormones in males and females is the only differentiating factor. Males have higher circulating levels of testosterone compared to estrogen, while in women the ratio is reversed.
Many factors may cause the balance of hormones in males to get out of balance. When imbalance occurs, a wide variety of symptoms may occur including:
· Prostate problems
· Loss of muscle mass and replacement with body fat
· Loss of energy and strength
· Declining interest in things that used to be enjoyable
· Loss of libido
· Sexual dysfunction
The balance of male hormones is a little complex. Generally, males make 3 types of anabolic hormones; andro, testosterone and DHT. Andro is made in various tissues and then converted to testosterone which can subsequently be converted to DHT. Each has different strengths and thus the balance of the three is critical to how men feel. Problems can arise from either to little anabolic hormone, or from an imbalance of the 3 types. Each imbalance comes from different factors and thus requires a different correction.Estrogen in males is made from the conversion of andro and testosterone to estrogen. This of course needs to be in balance to not raise estrogen levels excessively or lower testosterone levels excessively. The most common male hormone imbalance is a lower level of testosterone and higher level of estrogen, or “estrogen dominance”.
Hormone balance can be influenced by many things including:
· Dietary content
· Body weight
· Body composition (Lean muscle mass versus fat mass)
· Vitamin and mineral levels in the diet and in the body
· Chemical exposures (pesticides, plastics, and from many other sources)
It is not unusual for males with problems from the above factors to actually have greater levels of estrogen than testosterone. This imbalance may contribute to the symptoms discussed in the beginning of the article.
Another common problem that may cause male hormone imbalance is abnormal function of the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands make steroid hormones including cortisol and DHEA. DHEA is subsequently converted to testosterone supplying a significant portion of the total testosterone pool. Cortisol is our stress handling hormone controlling blood sugar to supply energy during any “stress”. A common adrenal imbalance is the excessive production of stress handling hormone at the expense of DHEA production and subsequent conversion to testosterone. This imbalance is yet another cause of male hormone imbalance leading to the symptoms discussed in the beginning of the article.
The good news is that male hormone imbalance can be accurately determined leading to an appropriate treatment program of correction. Once the imbalanced steps between the hormone conversions are indentified, a program of diet, herbs and nutrients can be formulated. The program specifically targets the hormone productions that are too low with specific herbs and nutrients that encourage the conversion, and with different herbs and nutrients that down-regulate the production of hormones that are overactive.
Hormone imbalance and its common symptoms are not a natural part of transitioning from a young adult to middle and upper ages. It is most often simply the result of metabolic imbalance that can be effectively corrected. The answer may be as easy as getting tested and coming up with a plan.