testosterone Best answer on the web
lowering of libido by INCREASING male levels of ESTROGEN". I got my
levels today...
they are normal-but to mind a bit on thew low end..which begs the correlary
question: DOES OBEISITY or a HIGH FAT diet LOWER TESTOSTERONE and thus
a reduction in libido????
If you feel that your testosterone is lower than your liking, you can always find testosterone therapy.
I hope that I answered your question, fredboy.
Have a good one.
IK.
I was hoping it would be you to grab this one !
This pieces well together with last weeks reasearch
and of course what my docs are saying ( It doesnt help that my state is ranked 5 in obesity !) I do take comfort that I can change this WITHOUT gels creams and patches
or..... monastaries !
Also see zinc as a def. stopper of testosterone to estrogen conversion!
I guess there goes the all you can eat buffets and here comes the zinc
and the gym !!
Good stuff and my thanks
again glad YOU snagged this one !
Im ON IT doing well w/diet changes and excersise !
Im sick of all of it:from airplane seats too small too libido
fredboy
Since no one else has stepped up to answer your question, you are stuck with me again!!
I have compiled some excerpts from both scientific abstracts and laymen's articles which link obesity and lowered testosterone. These links provide further reason for you to be encouraged in your attempts to slim down.
As for dietary fat and testosterone, the amount of fat injested does play a role in testosterone levels. I have not run across any articles that provide definitive dietary guidelines. All I can determine is that dietary fat should be kept in the moderate range (neither too high or too low) so that testosterone levels are kept in a normal range.
I hope the following articles are helpful.
OBESITY AND TESTOSTERONE LEVELS
================================
From "Prevalence of Androgen Deficiency in the Ageing Male." Medscape.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/479523_4
"The MMAS identified obesity as the most important determinant of total testosterone over time, with levels 25% lower in obese men when compared to their nonobese counterparts (Gray et al., 1991b). In this cohort, controlling for age, there was a 33% reduction in testosterone levels in the highest quintile BMI group when compared to the lowest (Field et al., 1994). Over 9 years of follow-up in these men obesity predicted a greater decline in total testosterone and SHBG with ageing (Derby et al., 2002). Whilst the lower SHBG levels associated with obesity contribute to low total testosterone levels, free testosterone levels may also be lower in obese as compared to nonobese men (Vermeulen et al., 1996).
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From "The "Skinny" on Obesity and Prostate Cancer Prognosis." Alfred I. Neugut, Allen C. Chen, Daniel P. Petrylak. Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol 22, No 3 (February 1), 2004: pp. 395-398 http://www.jco.org/cgi/content/full/22/3/395
"Obesity is associated with lower testosterone levels, which have been associated with higher grade and more advanced pathologic stage in men with prostate cancer. Obesity is also associated with higher insulin and free insulin-like growth factor 1 levels, both of which are mitogenic. These obesity-induced hormonal changes may mediate the progression of subclinical tumors to more aggressive disease."
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From "When Does Andropause Occur?" Andropause Canada
http://www.andropausecanada.com/when.php
"Studies indicate that obesity is directly related to over-estrogenization in both sexes. All fat cells contain aromatase, so an increase in fat cell population will cause an increase in the conversion of testosterone into estrogen. This will alter the testosterone: estrogen ratios. Obesity is also known to lower testosterone levels at all ages. This may be an excellent reason to trim down and tone up!"
==
From "Does Male Menopause Exist?" by Neil Sherman. healthAtoZ
http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/hc/men/life/alert12132001.jsp
"The problem is that declining testosterone levels can't be linked to a biological clock as lowered estrogen levels can be in women.
"There are a lot of things that can lower testosterone levels aside from aging," Sternbach explains. "You can lower it from drug and alcohol abuse or from stress or medications. Depression lowers testosterone,
** as does obesity. **
"So the timetable for lower levels of the hormone can be variable in men. What we do know is that every woman will go through menopause and not all men will go through what's called andropause, and we just don't know why."
"One of the reasons scientists cannot make up their minds about male menopause is "there's no agreed-upon definition of the cut-off point for low testosterone," Sternbach explains. "See, there are different types of testosterone you can measure. So you really don't know what level the person started from, and you really don't know how much has been lost." Testosterone is present in the circulation both in protein-bound forms and in non-protein-bound formats."
"Not all men lose testosterone, Sternbach adds. "Some men, as we all know, don't get depressed and remain virile and sexually active to the end of their days. And we really don't know why."
Read further...
==
From "Sex Differences in Obesity." Society for Women's Health Research.
http://www.womenshealthresearch.org/hs/facts_obesity.htm
"Leptin, a molecule produced by fat cells, is an important signal in the regulation of appetite and energy expenditure, and is thought to play a key role in the control of body weight. The level of leptin in the blood is correlated with BMI, and is far higher in women than men at every BMI level. This may be part of the reason why women are more likely than men to become overweight." 9-18
"Testosterone appears to play a large role in the regulation of leptin levels in the blood; men with higher testosterone levels have lower leptin levels." 19, 20
==
From "Health Topic of the Week: Testosterone Link with Diabetes Studied." UAB Health System. August 26, 2005. http://www.health.uab.edu/show.asp?durki=83188
"Men with chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, asthma, and hyperlipidemia (elevated levels of lipids, or fats, in the blood) are more likely to have low testosterone than other men, the researchers say."
"Another expert notes that lowered testosterone is a normal function of age, and debate continues within the field as to whether most older men will benefit from hormone replacement therapies which can be associated with increased risk for prostate cancer."
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From "Chapter 7: Testosterone, The Male Hormone Connection: Treating Diabetes and Heart Disease." Michael Klentze, M.D., Ph.D. Medical Director, Klentze Institute of Anti-Aging, Munich, Germany; Member, A4M Advisory Board - Europe." http://www.worldhealth.net/pdf/bookstore/thera6_ch7.pdf
"Testosterone deficiency in men is manifested typically by symptoms of hypogonadism, including decreases in erectile function and libido. One quarter of men over 65 have subnormal testosterone levels. Testosterone also has an important role in the regulation of normal growth, bone metabolism, and body composition.....
** "Men with testosterone deficiency also have alterations in body composition, which includes an increase in body fat. Quantitative CT scans that assess fat distribution have shown that testosterone deficiency is associated with an alteration in site-specific adipose deposition with increased deposits in all areas particularly in the subcutaneous and muscle areas." ..
"Low testosterone levels are correlated with type II diabetes and carbohydrate metabolism disorders, and low levels of free testosterone are correlated with obesity, which is the origin of insulin resistance and type II diabetes."
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From "YOUR HUSBAND?S HEALTH: SIMPLIFY YOUR WORRY LIST," BY KATHLEEN W. WILSON M.D. http://www.boomermedicine.com/books/yhh/vign/vignbk.asp
"Men also have a gradual reduction in testosterone levels as they age. Whether or not such a condition as "andropause" occurs is still debated. In the past, borderline levels of low testosterone were not treated and were felt to be expected as a man aged. Doctors are now reconsidering treatment of this condition if it presents with fatigue or other symptoms of low testosterone."
"A more common, less known cause of lowered testosterone efficacy will not be apparent from a blood test. When men acquire abdominal obesity, even ten or twenty extra pounds, that metabolically active fat in the abdomen converts some testosterone to the female hormone, estrogen. I explain this to my male patients who have noticed a decrease in erectile function and need to lose weight. It seems that nothing motivates them quite as quickly to lose the extra pounds than the thought of becoming less potent."
==
From "Serum Androgen Concentrations in Young Men: A Longitudinal Analysis of Associations with Age, Obesity, and Race." The CARDIA Male Hormone Study. Susan M. Gapstur1, Peter H. Gann, Peter Kopp, Laura Colangelo, Christopher Longcope and Kiang Liu Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention Vol. 11, 1041-1047, October 2002 http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/11/10/1041
These results indicate that the age-associated decrease in circulating testosterone and increase in SHBG begin during the 3rd decade of life, and that increasing obesity, particularly central obesity, is associated with decreasing total testosterone and SHBG.
==
From "The male menopause - back in fashion?" Summarized by Robert W. Griffith, MD. April 27, 2000 (Reviewed: November 11, 2002) Health and Age. http://www.healthandage.com/PHome/gm=0!gc=28!l=2!gid2=662
An excerpt:
"Heredity plays a role in the development of hypotestosteronemia, as it has been shown that most of the variability in testosterone concentrations and a third of the sex hormone-binding globulin decline depend on genetic factors.
Other risk factors for early or exaggerated falls in testosterone are a history of orchitis, trauma to the testes,
* obesity,
and impaired insulin utilization. Excess alcohol intake is often associated with lowered testosterone levels, whereas the influence of physical and psychological stress is still debatable.
"The fact that both a decline in sexual interest and potency and a fall in testosterone levels occur with aging obviously suggests that sexual behavior is largely dependent on testosterone levels. This is not however not necessarily the case - there are many other causes of impotence in elderly man, e.g. vascular changes, pharmaceutical drug effects, neuropathies, etc."
==
From "Banish the beer belly," by Roger Dobson, Daily Mail. 11 February 2003
http://www.thisislondon.com/lifeandstyle/health/articles/3329645?source=Daily%20Mail
"Many men develop abdominal fat, especially in middle age. That is also the time when natural testosterone levels begin to decline, and the falling levels have been linked to the andropause (male menopause). But younger men have problems, too, and the conference was given the results of a new Russian study into the link between testosterone and abdominal (visceral) obesity in men aged between 18 and 46."
"Doctors gave patients two testosterone tablets a day for six months. The body mass index of the men - a measure of obesity which takes both weight and height into account - ranged from 30 to 34, with an average of around 31. All the patients had low levels of testosterone at the start of the treatment. After one month of taking the tablets, the levels of the male hormone had doubled, and a positive link was found between body mass index and levels of testosterone."
==
From "Is your sex drive in Neutral," by Natasha Turner. Truestar Health.
http://www.truestarhealth.com/members/cm_archives14ML3P1A32.html
"Abdominal fat in men increases the conversion of testosterone into estrogen. As estrogen levels rise, so does the tendency to accumulate more abdominal fat, fueling the situation. The risk of prostate cancer also increases with higher estrogen levels. A blood or saliva test can assess your levels; if levels are high, consider a product called indol-3-carbinol which may help to correct the balance of estrogen to testosterone."
"Testosterone levels decrease as abdominal fat coverts it to estrogen, and also with increasing stress. While you are under stress your body will tend to make more stress hormone (cortisol) than testosterone. Furthermore, researchers from the University of Washington found that men with low testosterone are more likely to develop a potbelly and other body fat. The researchers also found that testosterone may actually prompt the loss of body fat when deficient levels are replaced."
==
From "Extra Weight Skews PSA Scores. High BMI means prostate cancer screen can miss early stages of disease, new research reports," by Serena Gordon. HealthDay Reporter http://www.healthfinder.gov/news/newsstory.asp?docID=523560
"The authors said they don't know exactly why higher BMIs would affect PSA scores, but they suspect that PSA is suppressed in heavier men because obese men have lower levels of testosterone."
DIET AND TESTOSTERONE LEVELS
=============================
From "The Male Biological Clock: A man's genes, coupled with the facts of his life, set the limits of his sexual biological clock. But men can still do a lot to improve their fertility and their sexual performance," by Harry Fisch, MD. http://www.bestlifeonline.com/cda/article/printer_friendly/0,5508,s1-2-0-0-1736,00.html
"The old cliche "You are what you eat" contains a fair amount of truth. A man's body, including his sex organs, is made from the food he eats, the beverages he drinks, and the air he breathes. Eat right, and everything improves - including sexual health. As with most things in life, an appropriate guide for eating to promote sexual health is "All things in moderation, including excess." The idea is to avoid extremes in any direction and yet preserve the pleasure of eating."
"For example, much research shows that a high-fat diet, high cholesterol levels, and obesity lower testosterone levels and increase the risk of erection problems. That's because excess fat is converted to estrogenlike compounds that curtail the production of testosterone, and fat in the blood can clog the small arteries that feed the penis. Remember, what is bad for the heart is bad for the penis. A recent study, in fact, found that, conversely, improving cardiac health improves erections, a fact recently illustrated by a study showing improved erectile function in a group of men treated with a cholesterol-lowering medication. "
"On the other hand, studies also show that very lean men - for example, marathon runners - have lower-than-average testosterone levels. That's because the compound used to build testosterone molecules in the body is cholesterol, and extreme exercise lowers cholesterol levels to abnormal levels. A man needs enough cholesterol in his diet to maintain testosterone production, but not so much that it produces body fat or clogged arteries." ...
"Optimal sexual health is also promoted by moderate, regular exercise. Again, the key is avoiding extremes. Studies show that men who exercise strenuously (i.e., men who run more than 100 miles a week or who bicycle more than 50 miles a week) usually have a lower testosterone level than men who exercise more moderately. Given that most men do not, in fact, exercise even moderately, this is not exactly a huge public health problem."
==
From "Do low-fat diets lower testosterone levels?" Christian Finn's Facts about Ftness. http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/2005/03/do-low-fat-diets-lower-testosterone.htm
Q. Is there any truth that a low fat diet will lower testosterone levels?
A. Yes, there is research to show that both the amount and type of fat in your diet will affect testosterone levels.
"Some of the early studies linking fat and testosterone in humans were published in the 1980's. Subjects cutting their fat intake in half experienced a 13% drop in free testosterone. When they resumed their normal diet, testosterone levels returned to normal.
"The most recent trial I've seen was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. A group of 39 middle-aged men (50 to 60 years of age) were studied while they were consuming a high-fat (33% of total calories) low fiber diet and after eight weeks on a low-fat (14% of total calories), high fiber diet. Both total and free testosterone levels fell by 10-12% after the low-fat diet. The clearance rates of testosterone were not changed, suggesting that the drop in testosterone was because of a decrease in production." (Abstract:http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/jc.2004-1530v1 )
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From "Decrease of serum total and free testosterone during a low-fat high-fibre diet." Hamalainen EK, Adlercreutz H, Puska P, Pietinen P. Steroid Biochem. 1983 Mar;18(3):369-70. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=6298507&dopt=Abstract
"The concentrations of serum total and free testosterone were studied in 30 healthy, middle-aged men during a dietary intervention program. When men were transferred from their customary diet to an experimental diet, which contained less fat with a higher polyunsaturated/saturated ratio (P/S-ratio) and more fibre, there was a significant decrease in serum total testosterone concentrations (22.7 +/- 1.2 vs 19.3 +/- 1.1 nmol/l SEM, P less than 0.001). Furthermore, serum free, unbound testosterone fell from 0.23 +/- 0.01 to 0.20 +/- 0.01 nmol/l SEM (P less than 0.01). The hormonal changes were reversible. This observation suggests that testosterone activity in plasma can at least partly be modified by changing the composition of the diet."
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From "Effects of dietary fat and fiber on plasma and urine androgens and estrogens in men: a controlled feeding study." Dorgan JF, Judd JT, Longcope C, Brown C, Schatzkin A, Clevidence BA, Campbell WS, Nair PP, Franz C, Kahle L, Taylor PR. Am J Clin Nutr. 1996 Dec;64(6):850-5. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=8942407&query_hl=5
"We conducted a controlled feeding study to evaluate the effects of fat and fiber consumption on plasma and urine sex hormones in men. The study had a crossover design and included 43 healthy men aged 19-56 y. Men were initially randomly assigned to either a low-fat, high-fiber or high-fat, low-fiber diet for 10 wk and after a 2-wk washout period crossed over to the other diet. The energy content of diets was varied to maintain constant body weight but averaged approximately 13.3 MJ (3170 kcal)/d on both diets. The low-fat diet provided 18.8% of energy from fat with a ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fat (P:S) of 1.3, whereas the high-fat diet provided 41.0% of energy from fat with a P:S of 0.6. Total dietary fiber consumption from the low- and high-fat diets averaged 4.6 and 2.0 g.MJ-1.d-1, respectively. Mean plasma concentrations of total and sex-hormone-binding-globulin (SHBG)-bound testosterone were 13% and 15% higher, respectively, on the high-fat, low-fiber diet and the difference from the low-fat, high-fiber diet was significant for the SHBG-bound fraction (P = 0.04). Men's daily urinary excretion of testosterone also was 13% higher with the high-fat, low-fiber diet than with the low-fat, high-fiber diet (P = 0.01). Conversely, their urinary excretion of estradiol and estrone and their 2-hydroxy metabolites were 12-28% lower with the high-fat, low-fiber diet (P < or = 0.01). Results of this study suggest that diet may alter endogenous sex hormone metabolism in men."
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
=======================
The pros and cons of testosterone therapy - is it really necessary?
From "Testosterone therapy: The answer for aging men?" By Mayo Clinic staff
http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=MC00030
"Testosterone therapy has been used successfully for years to treat men with abnormally low testosterone levels - a medical condition called male hypogonadism. More recently, healthy, aging men have taken the hormone to boost waning testosterone levels. But not enough is known about the effects of testosterone therapy for this purpose. No long-term studies have weighed the potential benefits against the possible risks, including infertility and prostate problems."
"At the core of the controversy is whether gradually declining testosterone levels are a natural phenomenon or a health condition. And the practical question for men and their doctors is whether to treat it, particularly in the absence of scientific evidence. Before you buy into the tempting claims, find out what's known - and not known - about testosterone therapy so that you can make the best decision for you and your long-term health."
"Starting around age 40, a man's body produces about 1 percent less testosterone each year. Testosterone is the main male hormone that maintains muscle mass and strength, fat distribution, bone mass, sperm production, sex drive, and potency....
"For most men, testosterone levels naturally decline but still remain within the normal range throughout their lifetime, causing no significant problems. But about two in 10 men age 60 and older have testosterone levels below the normal range (testosterone deficiency)."
"Testosterone deficiency can have several effects on the body, including:
Decreased energy
Reduced muscle mass and strength
Decreased cognitive function
Less sexual interest or potency
Depressed mood
"If you experience these signs or symptoms, you may or may not have testosterone deficiency. Other medical conditions - such as liver disease, hypothyroidism and depression - can cause these effects as can certain medications, including beta blockers, pain killers and certain drugs for depression or anxiety. In addition, some healthy men encounter these changes as a part of the natural aging process, possibly because of declining hormones other than testosterone."
Read further...
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From "MALE MENOPAUSE - a patient's guide."
http://www.medic8.com/healthguide/articles/malemenopause.html
"Male menopause is a term to describe a drop in male hormone levels after middle age leading to depression, anxiety and ** low libido. **
"The term has also been used to describe a mid-life crisis that happens to some men during their late thirties and early forties. However, this is outside the scope of this article which deals with physical symptoms caused by low testosterone levels. There is controversy about whether male menopause actually exists because it is not associated with a sharp drop in hormones and the cessation of a bodily function like in the case of female menopause when women's periods stop. However, testosterone is produced at smaller amounts by the testicles and in pituitary gonadotrophin secretion in middle aged and elderly men which is believed to lead to the symptoms of male menopause."
Read further..
==
Take care, and keep exercising! Give it a while and see what happens!
Sincerely,
umiat
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obesity AND lowered testosterone
relation of obesity and lowered testosterone
does obesity affect testosterone levels?
diet AND testosterone levels
effects of dietary fat on testosterone levels
do high fat diets lower testosterone levels in men?
ow testosterone in males AND libido
and that if thats the case...
LOSING the weight....
reverses the two situations???
#If you have any other info about this subject , Please add it free.# |
July 30th, 2010 edit