Testosterone Isn’t Just a Male Hormone for Libido. Discover the Benefits and How Testosterone Replacement Therapy Restores Vitality and More.
Testosterone gets a reputation for building muscle and controlling libido in men. While these hold true, this hormone is so much more. It’s responsible for vitality, motivation, and mood. Women even produce it, just not at a high level as men do.
With so much relying on this hormone, as it decreases, you may need to increase your levels with testosterone replacement therapy to feel normal and more like yourself as you age.
Testosterone is a hormone that doesn’t receive enough recognition for all that it does.
Benefits of Testosterone Explained
Testosterone is a hormone that serves many purposes. It plays a role in libido, motivation, mental ability, and building and maintaining muscle. These all help a person to live a happy and fulfilling life, but testosterone has impacts on the body that you might not be aware of.
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Women Produce Testosterone, Too.
Everything that makes a man a man requires testosterone, right? From muscles to libido to facial hair to erectile function, testosterone plays a part in it. It’s no wonder many view it as a male hormone.
However, women also need it for hormonal balance, though it’s only produced at an amount that’s about 10 percent of what men produce. Women produce it in their ovaries and adrenal glands, and it helps with the following:
- Energy
- Strength/muscle mass
- Libido
- Bone health
While all the focus is on an estrogen decrease throughout menopause, testosterone levels also drop at this time, too.
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Your Waistline May Feel the Effects of Low Testosterone.
Studies indicate that obese men tend to have lower testosterone levels. And as men lose testosterone, they tend to gain weight. This is because testosterone does all the following:
- It regulates how the body stores and uses fat.
- It supports insulin sensitivity.
- It affects muscle mass, which has an impact on metabolism (often, more testosterone = a higher metabolism).
- It impacts motivation and energy levels.
- It indirectly plays a role in hunger and satiety.
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You Might Not Sleep as Well with Low Levels.
Sleep doesn’t always come as easily if your levels are low because it can lead to mood changes and stress. As your levels decline, you might also experience problems with your circadian rhythm, which is your body’s internal clock.
Testosterone also indirectly influences melatonin, a hormone your body produces that regulates sleep. All of this can cause you to have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, and entering a deep sleep.
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Your Heart Receives Protection when Levels Are Within Range.
When testosterone is at normal levels, studies show it may keep inflammation throughout the body low. Your heart particularly experiences the benefit. Normal levels also aid in keeping the blood vessels relaxed and open, so circulation happens effectively.
Testosterone is associated with higher nitric oxide activity, which helps the blood vessels to widen. Plus, testosterone has an impact on your blood pressure and cholesterol.
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Depression Could Set in with Low Levels and Vice Versa.
Depression fuels depression by altering the neurotransmitters (chemicals) in the brain, specifically serotonin and dopamine. When these neurotransmitters are imbalanced, symptoms of depression may arise.
On the other hand, depression can lower testosterone, possibly causing a vicious cycle.
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Testosterone Helps Strengthen Your Bones
As you age, maintaining strong bones becomes increasingly important, and testosterone plays a key role in that process. Healthy testosterone levels support bone rebuilding and density, helping reduce the risk of conditions like osteoporosis or osteopenia over time.
When testosterone levels decline, the body’s ability to regenerate bone weakens, which can lead to fragile bones and a higher risk of fractures. Restoring testosterone to optimal levels may help improve bone density and support long-term skeletal health.
Ways to Boost Your Testosterone Naturally
With all that testosterone does, you can see why elevating your levels when they’re low is important. Fortunately, you can take steps to boost your testosterone with simple lifestyle changes.
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Eliminate Sugar
Processed sugar, especially in high amounts, is associated with an array of health problems. It contributes to high cholesterol and blood pressure. The sugar crashes can leave you feeling fatigued, as your levels increase and rapidly decrease, potentially leading to weight gain, which can hinder your body’s ability to produce testosterone.
In addition, you’ll want to limit white bread and rice that convert to sugar. When you want sugar, choose fruits and vegetables.
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Increase Vitamin D and Zinc
Start eating more pork, lean cuts of beef, the dark meat of chicken, lentils, Greek yogurt, salmon, and eggs. These foods are rich in nutrients that help to regulate your testosterone levels. If you’re not obtaining enough, consider taking a supplement.
You’ll want to limit your zinc chelate supplement dosage to between 60 and 100 mg daily because too much of a good thing can be harmful. Excessive zinc intake is linked to low copper, a weakened immune system, and lower good cholesterol levels.
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Eat More Healthy Fats
No need to go into too much detail here: nuts, nut butter, olive oil, coconut oil, and avocados contain good-for-you fats that support testosterone production.
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Lower Your Stress
Lowering stress seems nearly impossible if you’re a parent and hold a full-time job. That doesn’t even consider all the other stressors in life.
However, try to walk away from stressful situations whenever you can and try to redirect your focus whenever possible. Scheduling time to take care of yourself and do activities you enjoy also helps. So does exercising, getting enough sleep, and meditating.
There’s a reason behind this. Stress causes your body to produce cortisol. While cortisol is beneficial for you in moderation, too much of it can reduce testosterone production in the testes.
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Lose Weight
This is another lifestyle change that doesn’t need much explanation. If you’re overweight, your testosterone levels are lower. By losing weight, you can raise them.
Why Testosterone Replacement Therapy Might Be Necessary
Because of how this hormone affects the bones, chemical messengers in the brain, cardiovascular system, sleep, and more, testosterone replacement therapy helps clients with a wide variety of issues they may be experiencing. It’s often prescribed to women during menopause at a low dosage.
Ultimately, replacing this hormone as it decreases improves the quality of life in a number of ways.
Sometimes, even taking steps to naturally boost testosterone isn’t enough. The body produces less testosterone with age for a few reasons, and that doesn’t change even with lifestyle changes.
Get Your Levels Checked and See if Testosterone Replacement Therapy Is Right for You
At Dr. Shel Wellness & Aesthetic Center, serving Sugarland, TX, and the surrounding areas, we can test your testosterone levels so you know for sure where you stand.
If necessary, we can prescribe bioidentical testosterone replacement therapy to raise your levels back to normal and help you feel more like yourself again. It’s sometimes an option for women with low libidos, too.
We also offer IV therapy that can assist with raising your levels if you’re not quite ready for hormone replacement therapy. Peptide therapy is another option that can help with maintaining muscle mass, elevating your sex drive, and more.
To see how our practice rates in the eyes of our patients, check out our reviews.
Book an appointment today to get your testosterone evaluated. Call us at (281) 313-7435.
