After talking about zinc and it’s role in our health, I thought about educating on an area very dear to men’s hearts. Many men are facing issues of lower testosterone levels. Using prescription testosterone can cause testicular atrophy. Not what men want to hear.
Besides low zinc levels, primary causes of declining testosterone include poor circulation to the testes, pituitary gland deficiencies, and liver disease.
When testosterone levels drop, the normal response of the body is for the hypothalamus to stimulate the pituitary gland by releasing gonadal releasing hormone which then instructs the pituitary to signal the testes to produce more testosterone.
When the signal is received by the pituitary, it produces and releases luteinizing hormone into the bloodstream which then affects the Leydig cell receptors located in the testes.
When stimulated, Leydig cells are responsible for the production of testosterone, provided raw materials are available for the testes to do their job.
When the pituitary fails to perform properly, we have to assume there’s some kind of blockage or deficiency. This can be due to a tumor in the gland or anxiety and stress resulting in elevated cortisol. Cortisol suppresses gonadal releasing hormone which in turn directly lowers the pituitary’s ability to produce luteinizing hormone
Remember that luteinizing hormone is required for both male and female hormone regulation. It’s instrumental in the female hormone regulation, and because of that, stress is equally crippling for women and their hormone balance, just as it is with men.
The liver is equally important in maintaining healthy testosterone levels. The liver produces healthy cholesterol, which is the backbone of all hormones. It’s also important in the manufacture of sex hormone binding globulin. You can’t produce testosterone without it’s skeleton, which is cholesterol. Without the sex binding hormone, your testosterone goes unbound, being useless in the bloodstream. Once the testosterone is bound, it becomes biologically active.
There are many potential diseases and drugs that can cripple the body’s ability to function to it’s full extent. Not surprisingly, reproduction is lowest on the totem pole of function in the body. First is survival. Our bodies will sacrifice one area to insure other areas, and testosterone isn’t the highest on the list of priorities which means we need to support optimal health.
Common ailments which can create a liver deficiency include diabetes, alcoholism, obesity, and cirrhosis. A not on cirrhosis, we often think of this as the end result of alcohol indulgence. The truth is that alcohol is a sugar, and it’s that sugar aspect that damages the liver. By the same token, abuse of sugar in the diet can create cirrhosis in a person who’s never consumed alcohol.
There’s a direct correlation between decreased insulin sensitivity and low levels of free testosterone. As blood sugar remains increased, there is a suppression of the pituitary’s production of luteinizing hormone. Cirrhosis of the liver creates an increase in sex hormone binding globulin, leading to a decrease in free testosterone in the bloodstream.
Finally, we need to look at circulation. The health of any organ is totally dependent on healthy blood flow. All of the elements previously touched on must be made available to the testicles in order for proper production of testosterone. The use of various cardiovascular drugs can limit blood flow to tissues throughout the body. If we lower blood pressure with a drug when the delivery apparatus is plugged (creating the high blood pressure in the first place), it’s easy to understand reduced delivery of critical nutrients.
To summarize, Quit stressing out. focus on restoring health, not just masking the conditions. Get sugar and alcohol out of your diet. Eat a diet which nourishes the entire system. If there’s loss of taste or smell, you’re probably low in zinc. If your pituitary is weak and not functioning properly, you may need manganese. Don’t lower your cholesterol below 180. Your body needs this to run properly. Statins aren’t a safe answer.
Consume a good whole food multivitamin like Catalyn (https://drjohnabriggs.standardprocess.com/products) If you are low on trace minerals, Trace minerals B12 brings in the zinc, manganese, copper, and iodine. This should be specific for anyone dealing with low testosterone.
Besides low zinc levels, primary causes of declining testosterone include poor circulation to the testes, pituitary gland deficiencies, and liver disease.
When testosterone levels drop, the normal response of the body is for the hypothalamus to stimulate the pituitary gland by releasing gonadal releasing hormone which then instructs the pituitary to signal the testes to produce more testosterone.
When the signal is received by the pituitary, it produces and releases luteinizing hormone into the bloodstream which then affects the Leydig cell receptors located in the testes.
When stimulated, Leydig cells are responsible for the production of testosterone, provided raw materials are available for the testes to do their job.
When the pituitary fails to perform properly, we have to assume there’s some kind of blockage or deficiency. This can be due to a tumor in the gland or anxiety and stress resulting in elevated cortisol. Cortisol suppresses gonadal releasing hormone which in turn directly lowers the pituitary’s ability to produce luteinizing hormone
Remember that luteinizing hormone is required for both male and female hormone regulation. It’s instrumental in the female hormone regulation, and because of that, stress is equally crippling for women and their hormone balance, just as it is with men.
The liver is equally important in maintaining healthy testosterone levels. The liver produces healthy cholesterol, which is the backbone of all hormones. It’s also important in the manufacture of sex hormone binding globulin. You can’t produce testosterone without it’s skeleton, which is cholesterol. Without the sex binding hormone, your testosterone goes unbound, being useless in the bloodstream. Once the testosterone is bound, it becomes biologically active.
There are many potential diseases and drugs that can cripple the body’s ability to function to it’s full extent. Not surprisingly, reproduction is lowest on the totem pole of function in the body. First is survival. Our bodies will sacrifice one area to insure other areas, and testosterone isn’t the highest on the list of priorities which means we need to support optimal health.
Common ailments which can create a liver deficiency include diabetes, alcoholism, obesity, and cirrhosis. A not on cirrhosis, we often think of this as the end result of alcohol indulgence. The truth is that alcohol is a sugar, and it’s that sugar aspect that damages the liver. By the same token, abuse of sugar in the diet can create cirrhosis in a person who’s never consumed alcohol.
There’s a direct correlation between decreased insulin sensitivity and low levels of free testosterone. As blood sugar remains increased, there is a suppression of the pituitary’s production of luteinizing hormone. Cirrhosis of the liver creates an increase in sex hormone binding globulin, leading to a decrease in free testosterone in the bloodstream.
Finally, we need to look at circulation. The health of any organ is totally dependent on healthy blood flow. All of the elements previously touched on must be made available to the testicles in order for proper production of testosterone. The use of various cardiovascular drugs can limit blood flow to tissues throughout the body. If we lower blood pressure with a drug when the delivery apparatus is plugged (creating the high blood pressure in the first place), it’s easy to understand reduced delivery of critical nutrients.
To summarize, Quit stressing out. focus on restoring health, not just masking the conditions. Get sugar and alcohol out of your diet. Eat a diet which nourishes the entire system. If there’s loss of taste or smell, you’re probably low in zinc. If your pituitary is weak and not functioning properly, you may need manganese. Don’t lower your cholesterol below 180. Your body needs this to run properly. Statins aren’t a safe answer.
Consume a good whole food multivitamin like Catalyn (https://drjohnabriggs.standardprocess.com/products) If you are low on trace minerals, Trace minerals B12 brings in the zinc, manganese, copper, and iodine. This should be specific for anyone dealing with low testosterone.
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