How Metabolism Changes With Age:
When it comes to nutrition it is important that men eat a healthy diet with the right amount of carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats.. Without a proper diet men will develop low energy levels, have little interest in sex, and have trouble maintaining an energy level that is needed to function normally and in optimal mental health.
As men age, they have specific nutritional and supplement needs that need to be addressed. This is because as they age they become less active and their metabolic rate starts in decrease. This means that men need to concentrate on specific areas as they age that include:
- The amount and type of protein that they eat.
- The amount and type of Vitamins that they eat or get in a supplement form
- The amount and types of Minerals that they eat or get in a supplement form.
- Precisely balanced hormones
Estrogen Balance Is Critical To Aging Men
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association measured blood estradiol in 501 men with chronic heart failure. Compared to men in the balanced estrogen quintile, men in the highest quintile were significantly more likely to die. Those in the lowest estradiol quintile had a 317% increased death rate compared to the balanced group. The men in the balanced quintileâwith the fewest deathsâhad serum estradiol levels between 21.80 and 30.11 pg/mL.56 This is the ideal range that Life Extension has long recommended male customers strive for.
An epidemic problem we at Life Extension observe in aging male customers is insufficient free testosterone, that is less than 20â25 pg/mL of serum. When accompanied by excess estradiol , this can signal excess aromatase enzyme activity.
How To Balance Hormones Naturally
1. Swap Carbs for Healthy Fats
Foods that balance hormones include a variety of fat-containing foods that provide short, medium and long-chain fatty acids. Your body needs various types of fats to create hormones, including saturated fat and cholesterol.
Not only are these essential fats fundamental building blocks for hormone production, but they keep inflammation levels low, boost your metabolism and promote weight loss.
Healthy fats have the opposite effect of refined carbohydrates, which lead to inflammation and can mess with the balance of your hormones.
My four favorite sources of anti-inflammatory, healthy fats include:
- coconut oil, avocados, grass-fed butter and wild-caught salmon.
- Coconut oil uses are plentiful for example, coconut oil has natural anti-bacterial and fat-burning effects.
- Avocado benefits include improving heart health, lowering inflammation, controlling your appetite and contributing to your daily intake of fiber and nutrients such as potassium.
- Salmon nutrition is also impressive: its one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to lower inflammation and help with cognitive functions. Omega-3 fatty acids are a large component of brain-cell membranes and are important for cell-to-cell communication in the brain. Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids help protect against hippocampal neuronal loss and reduce pro-inflammatory responses.
2. Supplement to Fill Nutritional Voids
3. Address Emotional Imbalances
6. Get More Sleep
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Exercise Especially Strength Training
Moderate exercise stimulates libido and encourages normal testosterone. Plus, lean muscle mass promotes healthy testosterone production as well.
Moderate exercise is usually defined as anything that brings your heart rate to 50-70% of your maximum. An easy way to calculate your max heart rate is about 180 minus your age, plus or minus 5 for varying fitness levels.
Exercise alone wont balance hormones, but it will help to improve other markers of hormone balance, including body fat & weight, insulin, and stress. Regular exercise is one of the most influential ways you can improve your health and promote better fertility.
Emotional Symptoms Of Hormonal Imbalance In Men
Hormones control most bodily processes and functions, so when just one of them becomes out of balance, it can affect our entire body, as well as our mood and emotional state. Keep reading to learn more about how a hormonal imbalance can affect mens emotional state and how the Biote Method of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy may help.
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Final Thoughts On Hormonal Imbalances
- Some of the most common symptoms of hormone imbalances include unexplained weight gain, fatigue, insomnia, and changes in hair, skin, and nails.
- Root causes of hormonal imbalances include compromised gut health, elevated inflammation, and high stress levels.
- Natural ways to balance your hormones include eating anti-inflammatory polyunsaturated fats, reducing your exposure to endocrine disruptors, getting adequate sleep, and using supplements to fill in any nutritional gaps related to gut health and vitamin D levels.
Get Your Diet In Check
How important is a healthy diet for mens hormone balance and fertility? Very! Several dietary factors play a pivotal role in providing nutrients and biological factors for healthy sperm, testosterone, and hormone function.
Whole, real foods are the best choice for both men and women looking to balance their hormones. Nutrient- and fiber-dense fruits and veggies, quality protein sources, nuts & seeds, and minimally processed fats like olive, coconut, avocado, and grass-fed butter are the best way to get the nutrients you need for hormone balance.
Zinc is an essential mineral for mens fertility. Zinc enables the body to produce testosterone and promotes healthy sperm quality .
B Vitamins are essential for sperm health, and they promote the normal function of DNA in sperm. Increase greens, and vegetables like broccoli, or opt for a high-quality, fully methylated supplement.
Essential fatty acids found in foods like fatty fish, walnuts, ground flax, chia, and avocado reduce the viscosity of semen . Basically, the stickier it is, the less likely it will be able to travel the distance to reach its targetthe egg. EFAs also support healthy motility and maturation of sperm .
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This Is What You Can Do Next
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Consider Supplements And Alternative Medicines
There is some evidence that alternative therapies or supplements may address some hormonal issues.
For instance, a found that a Chinese herbal therapy routine resulted in doubled pregnancy rates among female participants with infertility when compared to Western, drug-based treatment.
A reports that Nigella sativa, known as black seeds or fennel flower seeds, helped raise estrogen levels in an animal model.
If studies in humans confirm these findings, the supplement may be beneficial for people going through menopause.
The following tip may benefit males:
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Male Hormonal Imbalance Treatment You Can Try
Before looking at the medication route, you should try rooting out the other causes of your male hormonal imbalance.
1. Manage Stress
Take stress off the table. The rise of the stress hormones cortisol and prolactin may cause a decrease in testosterone.
2. Eat Healthily
The next thing you should look at is your diet. Certain foods, like soy, contain estrogen and will hike up your supply if you eat too much of them.
3. Get Good and Enough Sleep
Sleep helps maintain your hormones at an even keel so if youre having sleep issues, you will need to find a way back to good sleep. You should also talk to your doctor about this if its starting to become a daily problem.
4. Exercise Regularly
You should include exercising in your schedule. Some forms of exercise can raise your testosterone levels and help you manage stress at the same time.
5. Try Hormone Replacement Therapy
When lifestyle change doesnt work, thats when you turn to medical assistance.
A doctor can offer you a treatment called hormone replacement therapy or testosterone replacement therapy.
Hormone Replacement Therapy Definition: This form of treatment revolves around supplying the body with low or lacking hormones through oral medications or injectables.
Male hormonal imbalance symptoms will crop up from time to time since dips and rises in hormones happen as we age. With the right information and management, you can minimize these symptoms and your seasons ahead.
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Hormones And Your Weight
Hormones are chemical molecules that act as messengers, responsible for communicating between the different systems of the body. They are secreted into the bloodstream and transported towards the areas of the body where they perform their work.
Among the many functions of hormones are regulating physiological activities like digestion, metabolism, respiration, tissue function, sleep, stress, development, and reproduction. Hormones also impact your body weight and fat distribution.
A study published in the Journal of Women’s Health explains that women have a higher risk of obesity than men due to hormonal fluctuations throughout their lives. This hormone-weight link also affects men to a lesser degree. Fortunately, both women and men can minimize this risk with proper prevention and early intervention.
Many complain that when they lose weight, they tend to gain it all back quickly. Others observe that their weight creeps up as they age. Finally, some follow a perfect diet with a consistent exercise routine, but nothing seems to work.
These situations may be the direct result of hormonal imbalances. With age, both men and women undergo changes in their hormone levels. As long as they remain off-balance, weight loss may seem impossible. While women largely deal with progesterone and estrogen imbalances, men have testosterone to blame.
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Natural Remedies And Supplements
There are many nutritional supplements on the market that claim to treat menopause and hormone imbalance. However, few of them are backed up by scientific evidence.
Many of these supplements contain plant-derived hormones. These are sometimes called bioidentical hormones because they chemically resemble the bodys natural hormones. Theres no evidence to suggest that they work better than regular hormone therapy, though.
Some people find that yoga helps treat symptoms of hormonal imbalance. Yoga is excellent for your strength, flexibility, and balance. It may also aid in weight loss, which can help regulate your hormones.
You can also make the following lifestyle changes:
- Lose weight. A
The primary cause of acne is excess oil production, which leads to clogged pores. Acne is most common in areas with many oil glands, including the:
- face
- upper back
- shoulders
Acne is often associated with pubescent hormonal changes, but theres actually a lifelong relationship between acne and hormones.
Possible Physical Symptom Relief With Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, also known as BHRT, may help restore the bodys hormones to their proper levels. Using grain of rice-sized pellets that are compounded according to each patients needs. Pellets are inserted subcutaneously during an office visit. The pellets then dissolve and are absorbed into the body, providing dosages of hormones for up to six months. BHRT may help address the causes of hormone imbalance, rather than just the physical symptoms of hormonal imbalance.
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The Best Treatment For Balancing Male Hormones
Treatment for balancing male hormones begins with detailed diagnostics. A diagnosis of low testosterone will depend on both the presence of clinical symptoms and confirmation by laboratory testing. This will start with an in-depth history and physical to assess overall health and note specific symptoms that point to hormone imbalance. This will be followed by a comprehensive hormone balance test to determine circulating hormone levels.
The most effective way of balancing male hormones is through the use of testosterone replacement therapy . By supplementing your bodys natural hormones with exogenous testosterone, you can bring your testosterone levels back into a healthy range. Once levels are restored, the symptoms related to low testosterone typically begin to resolve rapidly, enhancing both immediate quality of life and long-term health. While hormone therapy must be approached with caution for men with some types of cancer and should be avoided by those who are planning to father biological children due to its impact on sperm count, TRT is generally considered to be the best treatment for low testosterone.
If it is determined that TRT is appropriate, your hormone health practitioner will calculate the dosage and, with your input, decide upon a mode of administration. These are some of the most popular hormone replacement therapy treatment options:
Ashwagandha + Rhodiola Rosea
Ashwagandha boasts the ability to combat chronic stress levels while restoring proper reproductive function, especially where sexy time is concerned. Other benefits include supporting memory and cognition as well as alleviating symptoms associated with depression and anxiety without side effects. Rhodiola rosea also helps to fight those stressors that plague the body to revitalize overall wellness as an adaptogenic herb. The body-mind connection greatly benefits from its rejuvenating properties to balance your mood and fight symptoms of fatigue or distress. Combining the two creates an amazing blend to sustain your energy and revitalize your mind, with overall body support..
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Possible Emotional Symptom Relief With Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, also known as BHRT, may help restore the bodys hormones to their proper levels. Using grain of rice-sized pellets that are dosed for each patients needs, these pellets are inserted subcutaneously in a quick, in-office insertion. The pellets then dissolve and are absorbed into the body, providing dosages of hormones for three to six months. BHRT may help to improve hormone imbalance, as well as the accompanying emotional symptoms.
Treating Male Hormone Imbalance
Fortunately, male hormone imbalance can be successfully treated. The treatment of choice is typically Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy . This natural solution uses biologically identical replacement hormones, available in pill, cream, gel, and skin patch forms, to gently rebalance your hormone levels.
The hormones are derived from natural sources and have virtually no side effects when properly used. We will prescribe and adjust them based on your unique needs. We may also recommend changes in diet, exercise, and overall lifestyle to support your hormone replacement therapy and maximize the benefits.
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Estrogen Dominance & Toxins
Wait a minutemen have estrogen, too? Yes, men definitely have estrogen too, albeit less than their female counterparts, but its just as important that estrogen levels remain at a healthy balance for mens hormone health. Symptoms of hormonal imbalance in men can have a lot to do with estrogen imbalance as well.
In males, the testes and adrenals glands naturally produce small amounts of estrogen. It helps modulate libido and plays a role in producing sperm. However, environmental factors can throw this delicate system out of balance.
Excess Estrogen from Environmental Toxins
In our food, water, air, and body care products there are man-made compounds that mimic our bodys own estrogen. Once these estrogenic compounds make it into your body, they take up a receptor site on a cell which would normally be available for your bodys natural estrogen.
The bad news is that exogenous estrogenic compounds dont perform the same functions as real estrogen, so they can trick the endocrine system and contribute to hormone imbalance.
You can reduce your outside toxin exposure by filtering your water and air, eating a whole-food diet, and swapping your personal care products for more hormone-friendly options.
You Could Have Chronic Inflammation
Estrogens exhibit both pro- and anti-inflammatory properties, depending on what triggers the bodys immune response, the organ or organ systems involved, and other health factors. Estrogens suppress inflammation in many animal models of chronic diseases, but they can also be pro-inflammatory in chronic autoimmune diseases.
Inflammation itself is not a bad thing. As part of the bodys immune response, it initiates healing after a harmful stimulus. Chronic inflammation, on the other hand, causes damage over time. Its an underlying cause for some of the most prevalent chronic diseases, including:
- Heart disease
- Alzheimers disease
In a study of men over age 50, researchers tested participants for high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in the blood, a reliable marker for inflammation. Serum hs-CRP correlated with estrogen levels, suggesting that inflammation and excess estrogen go hand in hand. Other research has confirmed associations between estrogen and inflammatory pathways.
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Developing Healthy Sleep Habits
Decreased quality of sleep may also cause hormonal imbalances. Hormones such as cortisol, leptin, and ghrelin are been shown to be highly correlated with our sleep and circadian rhythm.
Here are a few tips to try to increase your quality of sleep as a way to help balance hormones:
- Limit blue light exposure at night. Blue light has been shown to suppress melatonin up to 2x that of non-blue light. Avoid your phone ideally 2 hours before bed, wear blue light blocking glasses, and you can also increase your light exposure to bright lights during the day to help you sleep at night.
- Get enough vitamin D. There may be an association between low vitamin D levels and poor quality of sleep. You can get vitamin D from the sunlight, vitamin D can be increase through intake of foods such as salmon, eggs or fortified foods, it can also be taken in supplement form if needed.
- Create an exercise routine for better sleep. There is really a bi-directional relationship here, meaning one will help the other and vice versa. Exercise has a long standing of being tied to improved sleep, specifically moderate intensity exercise. On the flip side, when you’re rested you’re more likely to exercise because..well… you have energy! Win-win.