Men’s Hormonal Health 🦐🍅🥬

✨Foods for Hormonal Health in Men✨

A common hormonal pattern that emerges in men as they age is a decline in testosterone, accompanied by an increase in estrogen. While this is a normal part of aging to some extent, this pattern can contribute to weight gain, fatigue, and worse.

Diet and lifestyle can optimize men’s hormonal health by reducing stress, triggering hormone production, and providing nutrients as essential building blocks.

Like these foods:

🐠 Fatty fish contain omega-3 fats that support testosterone levels in men.

🦐 Oysters and shellfish are rich in zinc, a mineral needed for testosterone production.

🍅 Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, which is key in protecting prostate health.

🥬 Green leafy vegetables provide antioxidants to fight free radicals and magnesium to support testosterone levels.

🥤 Pomegranates and pomegranate juice are rich in antioxidants and have been shown to support testosterone levels.

Sometimes health improvement is as simple as making one small change.

Fish Oil for Men...

Should men take fish oils?

Hormonal imbalances in men can cause problems that range from infertility to low libido to weight gain or mood changes. So, can fish oils help?

Fish oils provide omega-3 fatty acids, including DHA and EPA. Here are some ways they interact with men’s health and hormones:

🐠 Fish oils support testicular health (including sperm count and free testosterone levels) in young healthy men.

🐠 Fish oils increase testosterone levels and improve insulin resistance in overweight and obese men.

🐠 Fish oils help to lower triglyceride levels, which are commonly elevated in metabolic syndrome and pre-diabetes.

We always take into consideration individual differences when recommending supplements to our patients. We’re here to help you make sense of your natural healthcare options—including the wild world of supplements.

References

Abbott K, Burrows TL, Acharya S, Thota RN, Garg ML. Dietary supplementation with docosahexaenoic acid rich fish oil increases circulating levels of testosterone in overweight and obese men. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2020;163:102204. [link]

Jensen TK, Priskorn L, Holmboe SA, et al. Associations of Fish Oil Supplement Use With Testicular Function in Young Men. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(1):e1919462. [link]

Testosterone & Toxins: What’s the Deal?

Why are testosterone levels tanking?

Low testosterone levels in men correlate with:

▪️Low energy

▪️Weight gain

▪️Low libido

▪️Moodiness

▪️And more.

We know that testosterone levels decline with age, but there’s also evidence that testosterone levels have declined over the years—meaning that a 60-year old man today is likely to have lower testosterone levels than a 60-year old man did 20 years ago. 

Levels have even declined in teens and young adult men 😬

Why?

Nobody knows for sure, but hormone-disrupting chemicals could be to blame ☠️

Many chemicals that men are exposed to every day are “xenoestrogens,” meaning they mimic estrogen and disrupt hormonal balance. For example: 

🔹 BPA in plastics 🔹 parabens in lotions 🔹 phthalates in shampoos

If men only focus on testosterone, they could miss the most important piece of the puzzle for lifelong health. 

Here are some ways to minimize exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals:

✔️ Store food in glass instead of plastic 

✔️ Drink out of glass or stainless steel instead of plastic

✔️ Cook in stainless steel rather than non-stick pans

✔️ Avoid air fresheners and artificial fragrances

✔️ Read ingredients on personal care products to avoid anything that resembles “-paraben,” or “-phthalate,” or “fragrance”

We take all of these variables into account when working with men to achieve hormonal balance, weight loss, healthy aging, and energy, and well-being. 

Want to feel better? 

References

Cariati F, D'Uonno N, Borrillo F, Iervolino S, Galdiero G, Tomaiuolo R. "Bisphenol a: an emerging threat to male fertility". Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2019;17(1):6. [link]

Lokeshwar SD, Patel P, Fantus RJ, et al. Decline in Serum Testosterone Levels Among Adolescent and Young Adult Men in the USA. Eur Urol Focus. 2021;7(4):886-889. [link]

Travison TG, Araujo AB, O'Donnell AB, Kupelian V, McKinlay JB. A population-level decline in serum testosterone levels in American men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007;92(1):196-202. [link]

Woodward MJ, Obsekov V, Jacobson MH, Kahn LG, Trasande L. Phthalates and Sex Steroid Hormones Among Men From NHANES, 2013-2016. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2020;105(4):e1225-e1234. [link]

The Blood Sugar-Hormone Connection

When labs show elevated blood sugar in a man, one thing I think of is: 

👉 Hormones. 

Here’s why: 

1️⃣Insulin is the hormone needed to allow sugar to enter our cells.

2️⃣When cells stop responding to insulin (insulin resistance), blood sugar rises.

3️⃣Insulin resistance is worsened by low testosterone in men.

Also, according to the American Diabetes Association, men with diabetes are twice as likely to have low testosterone levels.

Here are some things anyone can do right now to support blood sugar balance:

✔️ Choose water over sugary drinks

✔️ Eat protein and vegetables with every meal

✔️ Go for a short walk after eating

In functional medicine, we connect the dots to see the body as a whole. If you or somebody you love has been told your blood sugar levels are borderline or high, we’ll help you get to the root of the problem. 

Reference

Ottarsdottir K, Nilsson AG, Hellgren M, Lindblad U, Daka B. The association between serum testosterone and insulin resistance: a longitudinal study. Endocr Connect. 2018;7(12):1491-1500. [link] 

Also American Diabetes Association.

The Stress-Hormone Cycle in Men

Why men should not ignore stress‼️ 

It’s a vicious cycle:

Stress triggers the adrenal glands to produce more cortisol  ➡️ 

Cortisol suppresses testosterone production ➡️

Tanked testosterone contributes to estrogen dominance  ➡️ 

Estrogen dominance leads to weight gain, low libido, fatigue, irritability, anxiety, sleeplessness and (you got it) ➡️

More STRESS ➡️

Lots of men get interested in prescriptions for testosterone or supplements that support testosterone levels, but even these “natural” approaches are only a band-aid solution unless we…

👉also address stress and the stress hormone cascade👈 

Some ways to reduce stress right away:

✔️ Write down 3 things you feel grateful for every morning

✔️ Go for a short walk at lunchtime

✔️ Block time on your calendar to exercise

✔️ When you notice yourself getting stressed, pause for a moment and breath

These are simple things, but if done repeatedly, add up to big gains over time.

Like if you found this helpful ❤️ and follow for more on men’s health this month!