What Can Testosterone Do for Me?
So What is Testosterone?
Testosterone is a hormone produced by the body. It is predominantly a male reproductive hormone, but it is also present in women in much smaller amounts. Testosterone has many roles in the body, including:
- Maintain reproductive tissues
- Maintaining and stimulating sexual function
- Maintaining bone strength
- Stimulating the production of sperm
- Increasing muscle strength and mass
What Are Normal Testosterone Levels?
Testosterone levels vary by age and it is important for men to know what their levels are, especially if they are experiencing symptoms of
low testosterone. The average adult male should have a level between 270 and 1,070 ng/dL. Once a man is 30 years of age, the levels naturally decrease by about one percent per year.
What Happens when Testosterone Levels Are Low?
When testosterone levels are low, this can lead to a number of unpleasant symptoms, including:
- Increased body fat and a decrease in muscle mass
- Fragile bones
- Fatigue
- Emotional changes and sleep disturbances
- Breast tissue swelling
- Problems with cholesterol
What Are the Treatments for Low Testosterone?
The reason many men avoid traditional medical treatments is because of the concern of side effects and general testosterone therapy may also increase the risk of heart attack and sleep apnea. Symptoms like a reduced sperm count, infertility and breast and prostate growth are all possible with this type of treatment.
An emerging option men can look into is bio-identical hormone therapy. This therapy works to balance testosterone levels in the body, but unlike traditional testosterone therapy, it is derived from plant compounds. This makes the hormones used far more similar to the testosterone that the body produces naturally. This alleviates all of the risks that come with synthetic testosterone therapy, making bio-identical hormone therapy a much more effective and safe option.
To learn more about testosterone, and how testosterone levels can be naturally increased in men during Andropause, download this free eBook: Man♂pause: The Complete Man’s Guide to Andropause.
