Science-Based Principles to Protect and Restore Men’s Health

Since the age of 30 testosterone levels in men are gradually decreasing. Testosterone — one of the main male hormones responsible for sexual activity — affects a number of other bodily functions as well. Problems ranging from erectile dysfunction to depression and lack of motivation can be associated with testosterone deficiency. Scientific research helps us understand whether maintaining good testosterone levels can actually help to protect men’s health from deterioration or even restore sexual function.

It would be fair to say that our whole life is dependent on hormones — not only sexual function but the feeling of well-being and all the different systems of our body. There is a large number of hormones act inside us as chemical messengers, regulating numerous functions such as metabolism, blood pressure, and fluid balance. Male hormones are necessarily present in the female body and vice versa, however, all this diversity should exist in a balance.

There is a number of male hormones associated with sexual function, such as luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and inhibin, which are required for sperm production. The well-known hormones are testosterone and DHT, which are responsible for sexual desire and sexual behavior. Muscle growth, bone strength, general health, and even such features as intelligence and vitality are also affected by the level of these hormones.

What impairs hormone production?

Trouble sleeping. The production of hormones is influenced by circadian rhythms. Therefore, with continuous sleep disruption, when the circadian rhythms get messed up, hormonal violations are likely to occur.
Stress is a classic negative factor. Evolutionary sexual function is needed to produce offspring, and a favorable environment is needed for its survival. When we live in stressful conditions, our body perceives the environment as unfavorable and suppresses sexual function.
Obesity is a risk factor for many diseases and is also related to low testosterone. It has been conclusively proven that fat tissue acts as a separate hormonal organ. It causes a pathological production of steroid hormones that displace the necessary testosterone.
Steroid drugs. It is a known fact that bodybuilders who develop powerful muscles with steroid supplements are often not able to perform basic male functions. Anabolic steroids used by athletes are very similar to natural steroid hormones. Accordingly, our pituitary gland mistakenly takes them as its own hormones. But when there is an excess, the production of own testosterone gets inhibited.
Alcohol and intoxication of any origin impairs reproductive activity. Hormones are negatively affected by any harmful chemicals that enter the body.
Lack of exercise. Long motionless sitting is especially harmful because lack of movement decreases the circulation of blood. Blood stagnation in the pelvic organs negatively affects sexual function.
Regular genital overheating. The testicles are not accidentally located outside and not inside the body. They need a temperature of 2–3 degrees below body temperature for their normal functioning. Therefore, tight underwear and heated car seats can have a negative effect.
Age. Testosterone levels in men begin to decline after the age of 30. Total testosterone is reduced by an average of 1 percent per year.

How to protect men’s health from decline?

What determines the age when men begin to experience sexual problems? Firstly, the maximum level of testosterone at the end of puberty, that is at the peak. Secondly, its decline rate. We cannot influence the first factor, but we can successfully work with the second one. As testosterone levels naturally decrease with age, the above factors can accelerate or slow down this process.

The basic method to preserve men’s health is to remove the effects of all negative factors. No matter how trivial, but in most cases — as long as there are no irreversible changes, such as a testicular injury — the main line of action consists of efforts to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Among middle-aged men without concomitant diseases, about 6 percent have testosterone deficiency. But if we single out a group of people suffering from obesity or diabetes, every second person will have a problem. If several negative factors are combined at once, such as stress, lack of exercise, and unhealthy habits, sexual dysfunction can occur quite early.

Half of the patients with a potentially reversible testosterone deficiency manage to normalize its level and restore sexual function due to weight loss, increased physical activity, and discarding of unhealthy habits. Unfortunately, not everyone is easily motivated to lead a healthier lifestyle, although it is the best way to maintain men’s health for many years to come.

What symptoms indicate a deficiency of male hormones?

The main symptoms of male hormone deficiency are decreased libido and erectile dysfunction. Additional symptoms include such vegetovascular disorders as hot flushes, excessive sweating, palpitations, cardialgia;

Psychological symptoms: fatigue, mood swings, depression, decrease in creative productivity, sleep disorders;
Endocrine symptoms: obesity, breast enlargement, reduction of facial hair;
Muscular and skeletal symptoms: inadequate decrease or increase in muscle mass, bone pain;
Trophic disorders: dry skin, wrinkles;
Genital and urinary disorders: frequent urination, infertility.

Can hormonal deficiency be treated with drugs?

Pharmacological assistance is possible in case of hormonal disorders. However, testosterone replacement therapy should be prescribed after careful consideration only. Hormonal drugs are prescription drugs and self-medication is unacceptable. There are contraindications such as high hemoglobin levels and some tumors. An absolute contraindication is prostate cancer (however, treatment is possible with prostate adenoma). There are no special restrictions associated with age. The therapy can be started at any time and maintained for life if there are no contradictions as mentioned above. Alongside this, there are testosterone boosters or health supplements available including Cialis Super Active. You may notice that many online drugstores distribute them to enlarge the targeted audience for their products and profit.

Can testosterone replacement therapy and other drugs help maintain sexual function?

This question concerns many men, and fortunately, testosterone replacement therapy can cause improvements in sexual life as well. Many men aim for quick results and often try erectile dysfunction pills in the first place. However, few people know that they do not work very well with hormonal disorders, so this approach often causes disappointment. But first of all, maintaining testosterone levels preserves muscle strength, prevents secondary obesity, and improves metabolism. It helps to avoid serious negative effects on the body caused by a lack of testosterone. Low testosterone was even linked to higher mortality in older men.

However, testosterone therapy itself does not come without risks and may cause mild and more severe side effects. In addition, as soon as you start taking testosterone, your body will stop producing it on its own. This means that it will be difficult to stop, and people end up taking it constantly. The risks of long-term testosterone therapy are not entirely clear, but some studies show that men 65 years of age and older who took testosterone doubled the risk of a heart attack in the first three months, even if they did not have heart disease before starting therapy. Pharmaceutical giants are aggressively building low-T marketing companies, which probably explains why testosterone prescriptions are so popular. Therefore, a healthy lifestyle with adequate physical activity remains the most preferred method for both treating sexual dysfunction and restoring men’s health at large.