Wonders of Testosterone

Young Again.org

The Wonders of Testosterone

- Roger Mason

You have surely seen all the press on testosterone lately including magazine covers. Both men and women have testosterone in their bodies although women have about one tenth the amount men do. In women this can be too high or too low. In men it can only be too low if not normal and there is no such condition as "hypergonadism". Taking androstenedione or testosterone supplements can cause it to artificially go too high but this has happened only with young, foolish weightlifters that are already up to their ears in testosterone. Did you notice with all that publicity that no one was advocating TESTING your testosterone level? For God's sake do not fool around with hormones, even over the counter hormones, without testing your levels.

You can go to your physician and have blood drawn and pay about $200 for a test. This test will give you a useless "bound" result as well as the critical "free" result. About 98% of our testosterone is bound to a protein making it unavailable for us. Only the 2% free testosterone level is what you are concerned with. You can also buy a saliva hormone test kit from three different labs in the U.S. and test your levels for $30-$50 apiece. This gives you only the free unbound, bioavailable level you want. In life extension one looks for youthful- not high- levels of hormones reflecting our health in our younger days.

If you level is low and only if it is low you can easily raise it. If you are elderly and have a low level and want a more youthful level you can do the same. You can go to the doctor and take patches or gels (forget the pills as they are outdated) but this is very costly. Of course the pharmaceutical companies make this stuff for almost nothing and mark it up literally 50 times ($1 to $50). Your other alternative is to run down to the health food store and buy 50 mg tablets of androstenedione for $10. Try taking one tablet a day for, say, 3 months and retest your levels. Test your levels every six months. You may be able to drop to a lower maintenance dose after you get a healthful level.

A popular longevity magazine (really a catalog posing as a magazine) offers an overpriced supplement that claims to raise testosterone levels. It contains an inexpensive South American herb called muira puama and a turnip called "maca" which is completely useless. No herb on the face of the earth contains hormones or will change hormone levels. Another fraud is Chinese puncture vine or Tribulus terrestis. The weight lifter magazines have promoted this fraud for raising testosterone levels but it has no benefit here at all. If your levels are low and you raise them what can you expect? It differs completely in all men so do NOT believe this is some kind of magical cure-all. It is critical and can do wonders however. Better heart health definitely. Better cognition and mental clarity. Less moodiness and irritability. More confidence and less passivity. Physical strength especially if you work out along with better muscle to fat ratio. More energy generally. This will not cure an ailing sex life especially if the real problem is psychological but better sexual ability is common. Stronger bones for both men and women is another benefit.

You also can consider DHEA, pregnenolone, melatonin and progesterone cream (to counteract the excess estrogen men over 50 have). Taking androstenedione will also, of course, raise your androstenedione levels.