Testosterone Replacement Therapy – Does it do More Harm Than Good?

The number of testosterone prescriptions have tripled over the past decade, raising red flags to researchers that men may be abusing the hormone.  Men struggling with decreased libido, loss of muscle mass and lack of motivation often jump to testosterone replacement therapy for a “quick fix”.  What they may not be aware of is that it may increase their risk for blood clots and heart disease, and prostate cancer.  Some other side effects may include acne, reduced sperm count, male infertility, liver problems, baldness, and breast growth.  According to a study published in the journal PLoS ONE, men aged 65 and older who took testosterone doubled their risk of having a heart attack within the first three months of use, even if they did not have heart disease prior to starting the therapy.  The result was similar tin younger men diagnosed with heart disease.

Besides these potential side effects, treating testosterone by itself may be unwise for other reasons. Additional downsides include its effects on other hormones and precursors, such as DHEA and its metabolites, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and cortisol. DHEA is one of the most abundant precursor hormones in your body. It is crucial for the creation of vital hormones, including testosterone and other sex hormones. (Mercola)

Your adrenals produce both DHEA and cortisol, which is in direct competition with DHEA for production. In other words, when cortisol production is high, especially for prolonged periods of time, your adrenals can become impaired, and your DHEA production will suffer as a result. Chronic stress basically causes excessive cortisol levels and impairs DHEA production, which is why stress is another factor for low testosterone levels.

Now, if your adrenal function is off and you fail to address that first, before you start testosterone replacement therapy, it could cause loads of problems... Another problem with testosterone therapy is that your body could metabolize it to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which can lead to an acceleration of male pattern baldness and prostatic hypertrophy. (Mercola)

Some ways to raise testosterone levels naturally include incorporating high intensity exercise into your workout regimen.  Both human growth hormone and testosterone are boosted in response to short intense exercise.  Also, losing weight by optimizing your diet can increase testosterone levels.  Testosterone levels tend to decrease after you eat sugar, which is likely because the sugar leads to a high insulin level, which also contributes to low testosterone levels.  Ensuring that you are getting enough zinc in your diet, as zinc is important for testosterone production.  Foods high in zinc include protein-rich foods like meat, fish, beans and yogurt or kefir made from raw milk. (Mercola)

Works Cited

Mercola, Dr. Mercola.com. 8 August 2014. 28 August 2015 <http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2014/08/08/testosterone-replacement-therapy.aspx>.