Low testosterone, or low-T clinics, are beginning to pop up all over the United States. Yet no one is asking, why all of a sudden? The most obvious and simple answer would be to address low testosterone levels. But, for some people—such as myself—that just isn’t good enough. Because, testosterone naturally declines with age. This has been the case since the beginning of time. So, it is normal for elderly men to have low testosterone. But, with some basic economic skills, one can easily deduce that the supply of restless senior citizens isn’t enough to demand a thriving new market. So, it is apparent that low testosterone is beginning to affect a demographic that it hasn’t affected before. Those who are still within their sexual and reproductive window, or prime aged males.

Where did this begin? Well, no one can say for certain. But, history always leaves breadcrumbs, and this trail leads to the late 90’s and early 2000’s. This marks a time that I’ve personally dubbed the metabolic downshift era. It is when obesity and other metabolic disorders began to soar amongst children due to the introduction of high fructose corn syrups, dyes, preservatives, and a myriad of other additives into their food. This caused multiple generations—from millennials onward—to essentially grow up with perpetually high blood sugar.

Now, it’s hard to talk about the effects of perpetually high blood sugar without obesity and diabetes dominating the topic. But, this particular disposition has a lesser known side effect that can occur independent of the other two metabolic disorders. That is sexual impotence. You see, perpetually high blood sugar makes the blood vessels hard and stiff. This damages the entire vascular chain, which generally includes the heart, kidneys, and liver. Yet, for males this also includes the phallic member.

The phallic member leans heavily on these three components to achieve an erection: hormones, blood flow, and nerve signals. If one of these three components are slightly hindered, the other two are likely to pickup the slack. But, if two or more are hindered, it could lead to erectile dysfunction. Those who grew up during the metabolic downshift era are now entering into their thirties: a time in which most men’s testosterone naturally begins its gradual decline. This should not pose much of an issue, but if it is combined with decades of perpetually high blood sugar, two of the three components that support erections—hormones, and blood flow—could become compromised.

So, the sudden influx of low-T clinics across the United States is apparent. Men are notorious for dismissing health issues until they become too serious to ignore. Yet, a phallic member that loses function well before its time would cause any man to frantically seek out solutions and professional help. Then, in comes the pharmaceutical industry to do what it does best—mask the symptoms with drugs while ignoring what actually caused the symptoms. 

Now, it is imperative to understand that the solution to this problem is far from easy. Drastic lifestyle changes are required in order to break habits that were likely formed during childhood. This will take time, focus, and trial and error. However, the body can heal if given a healing environment. At any point in this journey a man can introduce some of the following herbs into his diet in order to repair his vascular chain. Moreover, this is preventative maintenance for men whose vascular chain are still intact.

• Garlic – its active compounds, allicin, and sulphur are known to increase nitric oxide, widen blood vessels, and restore elasticity.
•    Clove – not necessarily a vasodilator, but a potent anti-inflammatory agent. It helps to clear plaque and bad cholesterol from the arterial walls, thus promoting uninhibited blood flow. 
• Cayenne pepper – its active ingredient is capsaicin. It triggers the release of nitric oxide, which dilates blood vessels, making them wider and more flexible.