When people hear about testosterone, most people think only of men’s sexual health, but in truth, testosterone affects nearly all aspects of men’s health, from muscle development, mood, focus, and even heart and bone health. After doing some research on men’s health, I’ve come to discover an interesting thing about testosterone, that there are two main kinds in the body- total testosterone levels and then what’s known as “free testosterone”. It seems that men’s overall levels of testosterone are less important than the amount of free testosterone in the body. It’s estimated that 98% of testosterone in men’s bodies is bound to proteins, making it unavailable to perform its necessary role in the body, but there are also levels of “free” or bioavaliable testosterone which are able to be used for the effects of we’re most familiar with- sexual health, vitality, endurance, energy and metabolic levels, and more.
With age, men’s levels of free testosterone decrease, often leading to symptoms like muscle weakness, bone loss, problems concentrating, low energy, and reduced sexual function. Even men with healthy overall levels of testosterone can have lower levels of free testosterone, which impacts health and vitality. Research has found that after age 30, men’s levels of testosterone drop by roughly 1% per year, but the drop in free (or useable) testosterone can decline faster- by 2% to 3% per year.
Some men who have experienced significant drops in testosterone levels have tried hormone replacement therapy, though those synthetic hormones carry a variety of health risks. Many men, however, have had success with using natural products which unlike hormone replacement therapy can actually help their bodies to produce higher levels of testosterone naturally.
There is also newer supplement research on natural ingredients that have been found to not only increase overall testosterone, but more importantly, to improve the levels of free testosterone in the body.
Increasing free testosterone levels can benefit men of all ages, even men in their middle ages and younger. There is a new product by Life Extention called Testosterone Elite that has a blend of natural ingredients that has been specifically shown in research to increase levels of free testosterone, even in younger men. In a double blind, placebo controlled study, that unique herbal blend was able to increase free testosterone by 48%, bringing levels back to optimal, youthful ranges, which also corresponded to a reduction in depressive symptoms and an increase in strength.
Men’s testosterone levels can vary, though many men’s experiences with aging: lower energy and vitality, increases in weight (especially around the midsection), and others can be significantly affected by dropping hormone levels. Using natural products can encourage the body to enhance its own hormone levels vs. using hormone replacements, and can be a safer alternative to feel a bit more vitality.
The product I mentioned above, called Testosterone Elite, has been in clinical trials showing its ability to increase free testosterone levels in eight weeks in a one-a-day supplement. Supplement research and dosages are important, because you want to be using the same amounts shown to be effective in the studies; otherwise you’re wasting your time. Stop by Pass Health Foods for more information and so we can help you further. Aging is not a bad thing, but we don’t necessarily have to feel our age, particularly when it comes to the negative effects of aging.
In addition to natural products, exercise, particularly weight training, can make a big difference in men’s health and healthy hormone levels. You don’t need to be a bodybuilder to feel the benefits, and starting slow with simple free weights can be beneficial. Exercising with weights also helps with bone strength and reducing bone loss, and it’s something simple that can be done from the comfort of your own home.
