An Unlikely Addition to Male Health

Imagine a man in his thirties who has begun to experience muscle loss, chronic fatigue, lack of motivation, and low libido. Suspecting that his testosterone is low, he goes to his physician, who then confirms the prognosis through a blood test. The physician then recommends testosterone replacement therapy, or the intravenous administration of exogenous hormones (testosterone injections); by which the man agrees.

Now, at face value nothing seems wrong with this scenario. The physician followed proper protocol by performing tests, and then offering a viable solution. The problem does not lie with the physician, however; but with the patient. You see, this patient—like most individuals—do not understand that pharmaceutical care are for emergencies rather than chronic conditions. So, a pharmaceutical approach to low testosterone within a prime-aged male is—in most cases—overkill, as long term use of exogenous hormones can permanently shut down the body’s ability to naturally produce said hormones. This is, effectively, pharmaceutical castration.

So, are there natural ways to address this problem? Yes, but it requires a more in depth understanding of the male hormonal profile.

You see, Testosterone doesn’t act alone. It has a supporting cast of secondary hormones and enzymes, such as estrogen and aromatase. Yes, like women, men also produce estrogen—at small percentages—as it sustains and maintains a myriad of bodily functions. But, due to the fact that men do not have estrogen producing organs such as ovaries, the body uses an enzyme called aromatase to convert a percentage of its testosterone into estrogen. Therefore, aromatase is necessary and essential in order to maintain hormonal homeostasis.

The caveat to this, however; is that the aromatase enzyme is sensitive to chronic inflammation, stress, high insulin, and environmental toxins such as microplastics. These things are common within the standard American diet and lifestyle, and is likely the reason why low-T plagues the United States. All in all, low-T clinics and TRT do not properly address this lifestyle induced condition. Like most pharmaceutical care, it merely masks the issue until the body finds a way to adapt to the medication(s) or treatments, which then calls for a stronger prescription, a bigger dose, and or a lifetime of dependency.