healing edge
boosting male testosterone levels naturally If you’re feeling like half the man you used to be, low T could be the problem.
T
estosterone deficiency, or low T, negatively affects a man’s quality of life and is a known risk factor for early death. Testosterone levels are at their highest by early adulthood, and then decrease by 1–2 percent each year beginning around age 40. Deficient levels of testosterone have wide-ranging effects since this hormone acts on almost every tissue in the body. Testosterone has effects on the brain, skin, bones, and heart and impacts erectile function, fat metabolism, muscle growth, bone density, energy production, lipid
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levels, insulin balance, and much more. The most common cause of low T is known as primary hypogonadism, which occurs when the testicles don’t produce sufficient testosterone. This may be spurred by endocrine-disrupting chemicals that find their way into the body through water bottles, plastics, cosmetics, canned food, fertilizers, toothpastes, clothes, soaps, paper, textiles, carpets, utensils, deodorants, bedding, and other commonly used products. The primary test for testosterone deficiency is total testosterone. Unfortu-
nately, there isn’t a consensus as to what precise range indicates a deficient blood level of total testosterone. Laboratories differ in their testosterone reference ranges, although they normally range from 250 ng/dL to 400 ng/dL and up to 1000 to 1100 ng/dL. The American Urological Association states that a total testosterone level below 300 ng/dL is a reasonable cutoff for healthy testosterone. Testosterone deficiency should be diagnosed with two separate total testosterone measurements in the early morning. This is because testosterone
June 2021
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4/26/21 10:27 AM
