Signs of hormonal imbalance in men

In the natural health space, women’s hormones get a lot more attention than men’s. But guess what? Men can struggle with hormonal imbalances, too!

Here are some signs that a man’s hormones may need a little TLC:

• Abdominal weight gain
• Sugar cravings
• Lack of motivation
• Tiredness
• Low libido
• Infertility
• Moodiness
• Irritability
• Brain fog

Even though men don’t have periods or go through menopause, their hormones DO change over time, respond to lifestyle, and play a huge role in health and well-being.

June is Men’s Health Month, so follow along because I’m going to break down everything from estrogen dominance in men to supplements, foods, and exercises that keep men’s hormones healthy .

Stress

Why men should not ignore stress. It’s a vicious cycle:

• Stress triggers the adrenal glands to produce more cortisol
• Cortisol suppresses testosterone production
• Tanked testosterone contributes to estrogen dominance
• Estrogen dominance leads to weight gain, low libido, fatigue, irritability, anxiety, sleeplessness and (you got it) More STRESS.

Lots of men get interested in prescriptions for testosterone or supplements that support testosterone levels, but even these “natural” approaches are only a band-aid solution unless we…also address stress and the stress hormone cascade.

Some ways to reduce stress right away:

• Write down 3 things you feel grateful for every morning
• Go for a short walk at lunchtime
• Block time on your calendar to exercise
• When you notice yourself getting stressed, pause for a moment and breath

These are simple things, but if done repeatedly, add up to big gains over time.

Blood Sugar

When labs show elevated blood sugar in a man, one thing I think of is:

Hormones.

Here’s why:

1. Insulin is the hormone needed to allow sugar to enter our cells.
2. When cells stop responding to insulin (insulin resistance), blood sugar rises.
3. Insulin resistance is worsened by low testosterone in men.

Also, according to the American Diabetes Association, men with diabetes are twice as likely to have low testosterone levels.

Here are some things anyone can do right now to support blood sugar balance:

• Choose water over sugary drinks
• Eat protein and vegetables with every meal
• Go for a short walk after eating

In functional medicine, we connect the dots to see the body as a whole. If you or somebody you love has been told your blood sugar levels are borderline or high, we’ll help you get to the root of the problem.

EDCs

Why are testosterone levels tanking?

Low testosterone levels in men correlate with:

• Low energy
• Weight gain
• Low libido
• Moodiness
• And more.

We know that testosterone levels decline with age, but there’s also evidence that testosterone levels have declined over the years—meaning that a 60-year old man today is likely to have lower testosterone levels than a 60-year old man did 20 years ago.

Levels have even declined in teens and young adult men. Why?

Nobody knows for sure, but hormone-disrupting chemicals could be to blame. Many chemicals that men are exposed to every day are “xenoestrogens,” meaning they mimic estrogen and disrupt hormonal balance. For example:

• BPA in plastics
• parabens in lotions
• phthalates in shampoos

If men only focus on testosterone, they could miss the most important piece of the puzzle for lifelong health.

Here are some ways to minimize exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals:

• Store food in glass instead of plastic
• Drink out of glass or stainless steel instead of plastic
• Cook in stainless steel rather than non-stick pans
• Avoid air fresheners and artificial fragrances
• Read ingredients on personal care products to avoid anything that resembles “-paraben,” or “-phthalate,” or “fragrance”

All of these variables must be taken into account when working with men to achieve hormonal balance, weight loss, healthy aging and energy, and well being.

Holistic Health Tips

Omega-3s

Should men take fish oils? Hormonal imbalances in men can cause problems that range from infertility to low libido to weight gain or mood changes. So, can fish oils help?

Fish oils provide omega-3 fatty acids, including DHA and EPA. Here are some ways they interact with men’s health and hormones:

• Fish oils support testicular health (including sperm count and free testosterone levels) in young healthy men.
• Fish oils increase testosterone levels and improve insulin resistance in overweight and obese men.
• Fish oils help to lower triglyceride levels, which are commonly elevated in metabolic syndrome and pre-diabetes.

Foods for Hormonal Health in Men

A common hormonal pattern that emerges in men as they age is a decline in testosterone, accompanied by an increase in estrogen. While this is a normal part of aging to some extent, this pattern can contribute to weight gain, fatigue, and worse.

Diet and lifestyle can optimize men’s hormonal health by reducing stress, triggering hormone production, and providing nutrients as essential building blocks.

Like these foods:

• Fatty fish contain omega-3 fats that support testosterone levels in men.
• Oysters and shellfish are rich in zinc, a mineral needed for testosterone production.
• Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, which is key in protecting prostate health.
• Green leafy vegetables provide antioxidants to fight free radicals and magnesium to support testosterone levels.
• Pomegranates and pomegranate juice are rich in antioxidants and have been shown to support testosterone levels.

Sometimes health improvement is as simple as making one small change.

Exercises for Men’s Hormones

Before asking about testosterone prescriptions or supplements, consider this: Exercise is one of the best ways to support men’s hormone health. Any exercise helps, but especially resistance training and high-intensity interval training:

• 4 weeks of strength training (3 days a week) has been shown to boost testosterone levels in men—both in the short term AND over time.
• Interval training that alternates between intense running and recovery periods for 90-second bursts for 45 minutes is more effective at boosting testosterone than just running straight for the same amount of time.

Everyone is different, and if you absolutely hate lifting weight or doing interval training, that’s okay! Being creative can help you determine what exercises you enjoy so the benefit is sustainable.

Sleep

Any night-owl guys out there? If you think you don’t need sleep, you’re fooling yourself.

Here’s a partial list of ways that sleep affects men’s health & hormones:

• Good sleep is needed for the release of growth hormone, which is needed to build muscle, decrease body fat, and maintain brain health.
• A study of more than 2000 men in the United States found impaired sleep to be linked to lower testosterone levels.
• Sleeping less than 5 hours per night has been linked to a 10% - 15% decrease in testosterone levels.
• Sleep is essential for maintaining healthy blood sugar levels and maintaining a healthy weight.

I know that sleep is a real challenge for some people, but if cutting your sleep short is a conscious choice you are making, you might want to reconsider.

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent Fasting vs. Calorie Restriction ….Which works better for blood sugar control?

Lots of studies have shown intermittent fasting to be effective for weight loss, but only a few have looked at what happens to blood sugar.

Most people who want to lose weight are also teetering on the verge of prediabetes or diabetes, so it’s important that we know how blood sugar will respond. Here’s a new study that compared intermittent fasting to calorie restriction in adults who were at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Results after 6 months showed that intermittent fasting was more effective at improving glucose tolerance after meals than calorie restriction.

The intermittent fasting protocol went like this:

• 3 days per week of “fasting”
• “Fasting” days allowed for 800-1200 calories to be consumed between 8am and noon
• 4 days per week of unrestricted eating

This was compared to caloric restriction on 7 days per week.

Intermittent fasting is one tool to support balancing blood sugar, hormones, and overall health.

Sugar

8,601 Studies on SUGAR!! That’s how many articles were rounded up in the latest compilation of sugar studies, and even though we all *know* sugar is bad for us…

The average person in the US consumes 17 teaspoons of sugar per day anyway.

This latest analysis shows that sugar is generally harmful – in relation to hormonal health, metabolism, heart health, dental health, allergies, and more.

Even though US guidelines allow for 12 teaspoons of added sugar per day (10% of calories), this latest analysis recommends to:

• Limit added sugars to 25 grams per day (about 6 teaspoons)
• Limit sweetened beverages to less than 1 serving per week

Keep in mind there are 9 teaspoons of sugar in a can of Coca-cola.

Visualization

One step in the right direction is to stop negative thoughts.

• “Change your thoughts, change your life!”
• “What you think, you become!”
• “Positive vibes only!!”

While all these affirmations are true, and positivity does attract good things into your life ... if you’ve ever been in a spiral of negative thinking, you know that breaking the cycle is easier said than done.

Here’s something that might help:

A newly published study showed mental imagery to be an effective distraction from negative thoughts.

The study involved 145 teenagers who were triggered into negative thinking and then guided to break that cycle with either verbal or visual mental imagery.

The visual imagery exercise was as simple as imagining what a lemon looked like in different conditions. While both verbal & visual distraction improved the teenagers’ moods, the visual imagery also lit up the brain in ways that showed it helped to regulate the nervous system.

That’s a big win!

Everyone will have negative thoughts sometimes. But the skills we have to stop them will determine whether it becomes a lifelong pattern or a mere fleeting moment.

Microbiome

Here’s a nerdy word for you: Metabolomics

Metabolomics studies a large number of small molecules and chemical messengers (metabolites) in the body. It’s a comprehensive way to understand the combined effect of genetic & environmental influences on health.

A new study used metabolomics to discover 2 key patterns associated with depression.

• Energy metabolism was disturbed in depression.
• The gut microbiome was altered in depression.

Even though this was a scientifically complicated study, the results support the way we work with clients in real life every day because mental health is not separate from physical health.

Whenever somebody struggles on an emotional level, one piece of the puzzle to be considered is their physical health – including gut health, mitochondrial function, metabolism, and more.