How to Increase Your Testosterone: Advanced Urology Medical Offices: Urologists

Testosterone: What It Is, Function & Levels

Sleep deprivation throws off your entire body’s hormonal balance and lowers testosterone. Sleep loss also increases your stress level and cortisol production to inhibit testosterone. Men who get only five hours of sleep per night are shown to suffer a 15 percent reduction in this male hormone, but getting at least seven hours of sleep per night can help you balance your hormones.

[9] They also had higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol and low energy and libido. A healthy level of testosterone can lead to higher energy levels as well as an increase in strength and virility. On this Health Minute, Dr. James Hotaling, urologist and men’s health expert, shares four ways you can increase your testosterone levels without turning to hormone injections. Testosterone drives libido, production of sperm, distribution of body fat, muscle strength, and creation of red blood cells in males. Women also produce testosterone in their ovaries and adrenal glands, but they produce significantly lower levels than men. Many vitamins are important for optimum health and testosterone levels, such as vitamin D. Getting at least 15 minutes of direct sunshine each day can also keep vitamin D levels managed.

Put it this way; if you have a natural level of 400 ng/dL and are sleep-deprived, it may help. However, if you are well-rested, it will make very little difference. Sedentary men are way more likely to become overweight and develop type 2 diabetes, both of which crush testosterone production.

Besides supplements, you can get vitamin D from sunlight or by eating foods like fatty fish and mushrooms. Hone is an online clinic that helps men and women manage their health. As part of your subscription and as medically indicated, physicians prescribe medications, and recommend supplements that are delivered to you from the comfort of your home.

The testes produces less testosterone, there what are the effects of low testosterone (http://revista.med.unlp.edu.ar) fewer signals from the pituitary telling the testes to make testosterone. Also, as men get older, their livers make more sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), which binds to testosterone circulating in the bloodstream. Sorry but increasing testosterone naturally with your diet is not a long-term solution.

And there is a real need for TRT, especially among transgender men and cisgender men with a clinical diagnosis of low testosterone (hypogonadism). A diagnosis of hypogonadism is made when validated lab tests, from samples measured on at least two separate mornings, confirm low testosterone. Online health platforms increase access for men who may not be comfortable seeking care in person, says Ramasamy. A 2020 survey by the Center for American Progress found that nearly one in two transgender patients reported being discriminated against or mistreated by healthcare providers in the prior year. Testosterone plummets in the face of obesity — and more than a third of American men have obesity. A recent meta-analysis, in which researchers crunched data from 68 studies that included nearly 20,000 obese men, found that 43 percent of participants had low testosterone. Most adult men have lower testosterone (T) levels than their fathers and grandfathers did at their age.

Also, some research shows that testosterone therapy can increase your risk of heart disease. According to researchers at Penn University (U.S), men who consume monounsaturated fats found in avocados, nuts, and vegetable oils experience lower LDL cholesterol and improved testosterone levels. Some men and women experience immediate side effects of testosterone treatment, such as acne, disturbed breathing while sleeping, breast swelling or tenderness, or swelling in the ankles. Doctors also watch out for high red blood cell counts, which could increase the risk of clotting.

Dandona et al, “A practical guide to male hypogonadism in the primary care setting.” 2010. More research is needed on diet and testosterone, but the two appear to be linked. Hone-affiliated medical practices are independently owned and operated by licensed physicians who provide services using the Hone telehealth platform.