NEW DRAFT - Testosterone is the most important sex hormone in men

Testosterone is the most important sex hormone in a man, the amount of which affects health and well-being holistically.

In this article, we’ll talk about the importance of testosterone to the body, measuring testosterone levels, and ways to raise testosterone levels.

Testosterone in brief

What is testosterone?

Testosterone is a hormone that allows male characteristics to develop; for example, testosterone affects beard and muscle growth. Decreased testosterone secretion causes decreased cravings and impotence.

If testosterone levels are low, they can be affected by lifestyle.

Function of testosterone in the body

Testosterone is a sex hormone secreted by both men and women. Men produce significantly more testosterone compared to women. Testosterone is called male sex hormone.

How does testosterone work?

Testosterone production occurs in the testes in men and in the ovaries and adrenal cortex in women. Testosterone production is regulated by pituitary luteinizing hormone (LH) .

Before puberty, boys have as little testosterone as girls. During adolescence, male testosterone secretion increases significantly, and testosterone is excreted from the testicles throughout a man’s life.

What does testosterone affect?

Testosterone has an effect on the development of male sexual characteristics , sperm production, and sexual drive during adolescence . It also affects bone and muscle mass , male fat storage and red blood cell production . Testosterone levels also affect mood .

Low testosterone levels can cause, among other things, sexual disorders such as erectile dysfunction and sexual reluctance. Many other factors also affect sexual desire or reluctance.

What affects testosterone production?

he most common cause of low testosterone is overweight . Testosterone levels are lowered by general waist obesity, especially in men . Testosterone deficiency can occur in men of all ages.

Other causes of testosterone deficiency may include congenital causes, diseases, or the use of anabolic steroids. Excessive alcohol consumption also reduces testosterone levels.

Aging is normally associated with a decrease in testosterone production.

Decreased testosterone with age

As a man ages, testosterone secretion slowly decreases. The decrease in concentration begins from the age of about 45 years.

Many long-term illnesses also lower the amount of testosterone in the blood. Treatment of diseases often restores testosterone levels.

Low testosterone in a young man

Low testosterone is possible even in a younger man, especially if you are overweight. In this case, testosterone levels can best be influenced by lifestyle. Low levels of testosterone occur in men regardless of age.

Low testosterone can also be associated with the disease. Especially in younger men, the causes of low testosterone need to be mapped at a doctor’s office.

Testosterone measurement

Testosterone levels are measured in a laboratory test (blood test).

Interpreting the result of a laboratory test is not always straightforward. Potential testosterone deficiency is assessed based on symptoms and measured testosterone levels.

A single low testosterone level alone is not enough to tell if it is a testosterone deficiency that requires treatment other than lifestyle changes.

Other laboratory tests are also needed to determine the cause and significance of testosterone deficiency.

How is testosterone measured?

Testosterone is measured by a blood test . In particular, testosterone measurement is considered when determining the cause of sexual dysfunction, such as erectile dysfunction and sexual reluctance.

In addition, the measurement can be used to examine male infertility , puberty disorders and gonadal insufficiency, i.e. hypogonadism.

Based on the symptoms alone, a diagnosis of testosterone deficiency cannot be made.

Variation in testosterone value with time of day

Men's testosterone production varies with the time of day. Testosterone test (S-Testo) reference values ​​are based on morning values , with blood testosterone levels at their highest. The sample is taken between 7 and 10 am.

Total testosterone S-test and free testosterone measurement

Most blood testosterone is bound to plasma proteins. Only 1 to 3% of testosterone is free in aqueous plasma. The S-Testo study measures the amount of total testosterone in the blood.

If the levels of testosterone-binding proteins in the blood change, the S-Testo value changes with them, even if testosterone production is normal. Therefore, the S-Testo-VL assay for free testosterone can be used to assess testosterone levels .

Testosterone measurement in a woman

In a woman, the need for testosterone measurement is always assessed by a doctor. In women, testosterone levels can be measured when testosterone overproduction is suspected, for example, to study hirsutism, or virilism, or female masculinity, and to examine polycystic ovary syndrome. In addition, testosterone measurement can be used to examine adrenal hormone production deficiencies and hormonally active tumors.

Testosterone (S-Testo) reference values

Testosterone reference values ​​are different for men and women.

Reference values ​​vary by laboratory and depending on the method of analysis of the studies.

What are the reference values ​​for testosterone S-Testo in men?

The reference value for testosterone (S-Testo) in men is 10-38 nmol / l.

What are the testosterone S-Testo reference values ​​for a woman?

The reference value for testosterone (S-Testo) in women is 0.4-2.0 nmol / l.

Low testosterone levels in a man

Decreased testosterone levels are most often associated with overweight and lifestyle, but there may be other causes as well.

What are the symptoms of low testosterone?

Testosterone deficiency can be associated with a variety of general symptoms such as fatigue , sleep disturbances, depression, depressive symptoms, and decreased libido.

The symptoms of low testosterone in a man depend on age

• A disorder of testosterone production that occurred before puberty prevents the development of male-specific sexual characteristics (such as beard growth, vocalization, and sexual function). Nor does sperm production begin without testosterone.
• After puberty, testosterone deficiency manifests as sexual reluctance and impotence. Breasts may also grow, muscles weaken and mood deteriorate.

What does low testosterone mean?

Who have passed the adolescent, a mere decrease in testosterone does not mean that it is harmful.

However, if symptoms of decreased testosterone are associated with erectile dysfunction, depression, loss of life, depression, fatigue, and decreased sexual desire, treatment should be considered. Being overweight should be shed and, if necessary, testosterone replacement therapy should be considered.

What can be the causes of low testosterone?

Male hormone deficiencies can occur as a result of certain inherited disorders or diseases. However, the most common cause of deficiency is lifestyle and overweight.

Decreased testosterone can be caused by:

• Overweight
• Male hypogonadism, ie failure or underdevelopment of the gonads. The most common causes of hypogonadism are Klinefelter's syndrome, untreated hidden testicular or other testicular disorder, and pituitary dysfunction.
• down syndrome
• Late puberty
• Prolonged heavy alcohol consumption
• Use of anabolic steroids
• Estrogen therapy

How to raise testosterone levels?

Testosterone is a hormone whose production you can effectively influence in your own lifestyle. The following ways will help raise testosterone levels:

Aiming for normal weight . The most common reason for low testosterone levels is being overweight. Waist obesity, which is typical of men in particular, lowers testosterone levels. Even a few pounds of weight loss can help raise testosterone levels! The goal is to maintain a normal weight and strive for permanent weight management.

• Exercise . Training is beneficial for weight management, but it is also worthwhile for other reasons.
• Use alcohol in moderation . Low amounts of alcohol do not yet impair testosterone production, but testosterone levels in high-alcohol drinkers are clearly reduced.
• Avoid stress. Stress causes the body to secrete cortisol , which in turn interferes with testosterone production. Consider whether you could reduce the stressors in your life. Reduce too much exercise and also remember to relax.
• Smoking can damage the testicles and impair testosterone production.

Drug treatment of testosterone deficiency

If lifestyle changes do not help, testosterone deficiency can be treated with testosterone treatments. The treatments use either long-acting intramuscular injections or a gel that is applied to the skin daily.

Testosterone treatment reduces the body's own production of testosterone. This is especially taken into account if the dreams are to have a family.

Testosterone treatments can only be obtained with a doctor's prescription. The effect of treatment is monitored by testosterone measurements.

Testosterone therapy should not be used if a person is diagnosed with prostate cancer or severe benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Testosterone treatment can also adversely affect cholesterol levels and increase hematocrit undesirably.

How common is testosterone deficiency?

The incidence of testosterone deficiency is very difficult to estimate and there are no statistics. It is also not clear how common testosterone deficiency is in different age groups.

Hypogonadism or testosterone deficiency

Hypogonadism refers to a condition of testosterone deficiency. Testosterone secretion is tightly regulated, and disruption can occur at many points in the regulatory chain. It can lead to testosterone deficiency.

• A disorder in the regulation of testosterone can occur before puberty , in which case testosterone production does not start at all.
• If a disorder in testosterone regulation begins in adulthood , testicular hormone production is impaired.

Testosterone deficiency can be caused by any disease that damages the testicles, such as hidden testicles, testicular inflammation, and testicular cancer.

Decreased testosterone production may be associated with a congenital sex chromosome disorder in Klinefelter's syndrome.

Testicular dysfunction may also be related to pituitary dysfunction. The pituitary gland can be damaged by its tumors, other diseases of the area, or pituitary surgery. This can cause the production of LH to cease, disrupting testosterone production in the testes.

• Lack of testosterone at a young age can lead to no male changes in adolescence.
• If testosterone deficiency occurs in adulthood , the situation causes decreased libido and impotence. Prolonged testosterone deficiency leads to hair loss, muscle weakness, and predisposition to osteoporosis . Significant testosterone deficiency also leads to decreased sperm production and infertility .

What causes a man's sexual reluctance?

A man's sexual reluctance can be caused by many reasons that affect testosterone production, such as:

• overweight, stress , fatigue
• depression 
• antidepressants
• relationship problems
• anxiety 
• diseases such as heart disease, stroke, epilepsy, kidney or liver disease
•  aging 
•  bodybuilding
• eating disorder.

The cause of sexual reluctance is first determined, and treated accordingly.

High testosterone

Testosterone levels can be high and women sometimes experience overproduction of testosterone. In men, there is usually some obvious cause for high testosterone (such as hyperthyroidism).

What causes high testosterone in men?

In men, high testosterone levels can be caused by hyperthyroidism , an adrenal tumor, or in younger boys, early puberty.

What causes high testosterone in women?

Women sometimes have an overproduction of testosterone, which can lead to menstrual irregularities and increased hair growth.

Reasons for high testosterone production may include polycystic ovaries, tumors that produce male hormones in the ovaries and adrenal glands, and some medications such as anabolic steroids .Through the cleaner, you will receive examinations without a doctor's referral, and you can order a remote doctor's consultation directly from the results report, if necessary.

Potency-enhancing foods and garlic: testosterone on the rise

Would you like, but not just take it forward? Do you feel like the trouble started too early for your age? Would the wife on the bedroom side wish for fond common moments that had already ended some days ago? The answer might be found in herbs or prescriptions written by a doctor, but many also believe that diet has a big impact on how potency can.

We will soon be introduced to foods that have now and throughout history been promised to help the sex life, then focusing on one well-known ingredient that has been said to bring fiery moments to the sausage side. Next, we’ll take a look at foods that affect testosterone and estrogen production and learn what foods could be pruned out of the diet and what other steps to take if you hope your impotence problems are history.

What are potency-enhancing foods?

A study of older men in Massachusetts revealed that a diet rich in clean foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fish reduced the risk of erectile dysfunction. According to a more than 30-year study commissioned by the University of East Anglia and Harvard, men who regularly ate one glass of red wine and ate plenty of citrus and other fruits, as well as various antioxidant-rich berries, were less likely to experience erectile dysfunction.

The third study says that the Mediterranean diet elevates male fitness. It includes olive oil, seafood, vegetables and fruits. Next, we present a few different types of food that you can easily add to your food circle.

• Coffee: metabolism on the move
• Oysters: rich in zinc and vitamin B6
• Chili: blood flow
• Banana: Potassium is great for the heart and blood circulation
• Salmon: thiamine or vitamin B1 for nervous system function
• Cherries: Anthocyanins protect arterial walls
• Onion: a phytochemical Allicin thins the blood and improves blood circulation
• Porridge: fiber expels cholesterol

The effect of garlic on potency is a fact

In addition to the foods mentioned above, one ingredient is constantly raised above the others: Allium sativum. Garlic is said to help blood circulation and therefore improve erections. However, the way it is eaten and prepared matters: it should be eaten raw and not crushed. Garlic cloves can be eaten for about three a day, one in the morning, another in the day, and the last in the evening, chopping it and stirring with a small amount of cold water.

Garlic releases nitric oxide into the blood and so does a familiar friend, Viagra . The ingredient relaxes the muscle tissue in the vein walls of the penis, causing the veins to dilate and blood flow to them to increase. However, the gimmick doesn’t work in an instant, it needs to be continued for longer to get results.

Garlic also has other health effects. One of its compounds is a sulfur-containing allin amino acid that, when crushed, is converted to allicin, which prevents bacteria, fungi, viruses and yeasts from multiplying.

All of this sounds great, but there is one downside to garlic that can prevent you from getting to the horizontal mambo stage despite a strong erection. It is a pungent odor caused by the sulfur contained in the plant.

Testosterone rise through food

The body needs plenty of zinc to produce testosterone, which in turn takes care of hard erections. Zinc-rich meat, fish, dairy products and beans. Magnesium and vitamin D are also important for testosterone levels, as they help maintain them.

Spinach worked for Kippari-Kalle, so why not for you too? It is a folate-rich food and is known as a circulatory booster. Lack of folic acids has also been linked to impotence problems in studies.

If the male hormone testosterone is important to male fitness, then does the female hormone have the opposite effect? It is now known that soy can increase estrogen levels in the body, making the composition of the male body more feminine. Soy obtained from normal food is unlikely to have a significant effect on a man’s body, but the consumption of soy isolates used as a supplement is recommended to be avoided.

Types of foods that prune as well as improve downtime through other means

Fitness flippers can lower test levels for up to three days and generally more than 24 doses a week are at risk for health and erectile dysfunction. Testosterone levels have also been found to decrease after each sugar intake, as sweet fever raises insulin levels by interfering with male hormone production.

According to the previously mentioned men’s aging study, avoiding red and processed meat and reducing processed cereal products from the diet will reduce the number of erectile dysfunctions .

In addition to dietary changes, walking, activity, paying attention to vascular health, and staying at a normal weight also help keep downtime strong. A strong pelvic floor has also been studied to strengthen erections and prevent blood from flowing out of the penis. Nicotine, in turn, reduces peripheral blood flow, and smoking has been found to double the risk of the disorder.