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Why Didn't The Doctor Offer It To Me?
When I went to my doctor to ask about testosterone, he was very ready to listen and told me about how I could boost testosterone
with a gel called Testim. But I am sure that if I had not asked him, he would not have offered it to me.
My doctor is a very fine one and very open-minded to new ideas, but he has been trained in allopathic medicine. He treats
symptoms and does not necessarily try to find the root cause of the illness. And, as I was beginning to realize, lack of testosterone
is at the root of many illnesses.
The fact that I had only found out about testosterone through chance, that I had had to take the initiative to get it,
and yet that it had such a life-transforming effect on my mind and body led me to think about why it is not more widely used.
One reason seems to be that it has a bad public image.
Negative Image Of Testosterone
Testosterone seems to be associated with negative stereotypes of male behavior, namely male aggression, violence and abuse.
For example, young men use variants of testosterone known as anabolic steroids to enhance their weight-lifting and make their
muscles bigger and then, so the publicity goes, commit suicide or have 'roid rage'.
I have personally come across examples of this fearsome image. For example, I saw a man in his forties on television who
was trying out growth hormone and testosterone to boost his energy and regain lost youth. He certainly boosted his energy
but the program added some drama by showing scenes of him punching holes in a wall because he was so overcome with male aggression.
Muscle & Fitness magazine (September 2007 p.154) in a paragraph about tribulus terrestris, a herb that is supposed
to boost testosterone, states that,
"Higher testosterone levels also increase aggression which may not be great outside the gym"
This impression is not helped by some bodybuilding magazines that run advertisements for supplements featuring huge, over-muscled
men with bulging muscles and veins, gritting their teeth as if they have constipation.
My doctor asked me if I had become more aggressive and had I lost my temper since starting testosterone supplementation!
Well, I have not kicked or punched anyone or any walls since starting testosterone supplementation.
If men increase their testosterone levels through taking natural testosterone transdermally or sublingually (by rubbing
a gel on the skin or taking some under the tongue) rather than through injecting synthetic anabolic steroids, they do not
show increased aggression or 'roid rage'.
Testosterone In Sport
Apart from being associated with irrational aggression, testosterone through anabolic steroids is also associated with
cheating in sports, and anabolic steroids have been used to gain an unfair advantage by athletes.
Strength trainers and athletes have used testosterone in different forms of anabolic steroids for nearly 50 years. This
has caused public controversy when key celebrity athletes have been exposed as users. The most famous example is Ben Johnson
at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.
All major sporting bodies ban their use by their athletes and they are a controlled substance in many countries. The Anabolic
Steroid Control Acts of 1990 and 2004 prohibit physicians from prescribing testosterone or other anabolic steroids for the
purpose of cosmetic or performance enhancement.
You can still see commercials on ESPN (the sports cable channel) warning against steroids.
The Paradox Of Testosterone
What a pity that such a good and natural substance can have such a bad image. It is an even greater pity because lack
of testosterone is deadly for men.
Low Testosterone Levels
Testosterone levels decline as we age and cause problems for both sexes, but they are more recognized in men. Testosterone
levels drop between 1 and 2 per cent per year after the age of 30. I do not know what percentage of men over 40 suffer from
low testosterone as it is typically not tested for.
Low testosterone levels have recently become associated with poor health and early death. Low testosterone levels cause:
* Decreased libido
* Irritability
* Depression
* Poor concentration
* Decreased sense of well-being
* Prostate disease
* Diabetes and other blood sugar problems
* Obesity
* High body mass index
* Decreased muscle mass
* Gynecomastia and smaller penis size in men
* Osteoporosis
* Coronary
Higher Mortality With Low Testosterone
Physicians at the University of Washington and VA Puget Sound Health Care System reported the findings of a large retrospective
study in a paper published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine. A study of 858 male veterans correlated lab data
on testosterone levels with health and death rates. It was found that the mortality risk for men with low testosterone was
88 per cent greater than their normal testosterone peers. The low testosterone group also had a higher BMI (body mass index)
and a greater prevalence of diabetes. Furthermore, men with borderline testosterone also had an elevated mortality risk (38
per cent greater) but the number did not reach statistical significance.
(Dan Gwartney - Fitness RX January 2007 page 124)
Studies have shown that patients suffering from a stroke have a greater risk of dying within the next six months if they
have low testosterone. Another study involving patients in an intensive care unit reported that survivors' testosterone levels
increased during their stay while non-survivors remained persistently low.
Prostate Cancer - Testosterone Not The Cause
It is amazing that testosterone is perceived to be the cause of prostate cancer in men, when in fact it is more likely
a benefit.
When metastic prostate cancer is diagnosed, men are often placed on androgen deprivation therapy. Here is how it is described
on the site www.prostate-cancer.com:
Androgen ablation is a type of prostate cancer hormone therapy that specifically removes testosterone from the body or
suppresses the body to use testosterone in hopes of controlling the prostate cancer. Surgical castration and medical castration
are common types of androgen ablation and fall under the treatment category of prostate cancer hormone therapy.
Other techniques are radiation, chemotherapy and surgery.
This shuts down the production of testosterone and is associated with bone density loss, increase in body fat, decrease
in muscle mass, sexual problems and a worse quality of life. Abdominal obesity and insulin resistance and Metabolic Syndrome
are common. Cholesterol and fats in the blood increase the risk of heart attacks and death.
There are many studies that demonstrate that doctors should increase testosterone in men with prostate cancer instead
of reducing it.
Testosterone Is Good For Your Prostate
In his book The Natural Prostate Cure, Roger Mason lists seventy-two (72) published clinical studies proving that testosterone
is good for your prostate, that youthful testosterone levels help prevent:
* Prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate)
* BPH (Benign prostatic hypertrophy refers to the increase in size of the prostate in middle-aged and elderly men)
* Outright prostate cancer.
He has many more published studies in his files. Another book that he has published Testosterone Is Your Friend also cites
a multitude of studies which point to the fact that youthful testosterone levels are necessary for a healthy prostate.
Prostate Cancer - Raise Testosterone, Do Not Lower It
There are now about 100 (one hundred) published studies from around the world proving beyond any doubt that men with prostate
disease should get testosterone supplements instead of having their testosterone destroyed.
If a man wants to maintain a healthy prostate, he should consider having his testosterone level tested and raise it to
the same level as a man of thirty years old.
Roger Mason describes prostate cancer victims who test their testosterone levels and find them to be low.
Many of them do not undergo conventional treatment but instead choose to raise their testosterone levels and allow their
bodies to cure themselves. They apparently cure their cancer usually within a year by eating a low fat, whole grain based
diet, and taking at least a dozen of the twenty recommended supplements. They also take at least a few of the natural hormones
they need such as melatonin, DHEA (if they test low) and progesterone.
Neglected But Key To Health For Older Men
You can find out what your hormone levels are by asking your doctor for blood tests. Doctors do not seem to consider testosterone
levels as a factor in health. They typically do not order testosterone blood tests so you may have to take the initiative
to ask.
When doctors do order blood tests, they may not regard a low testosterone level as needing treatment unless it is extremely
low. The alternative is to get an inexpensive saliva hormone kit (link). This suggests that many men have undiagnosed low
testosterone.
Cannot Boost Except Through Supplementation
Bodybuilding supplement companies sell herb products they say will enhance testosterone levels but Roger Mason states
that he cannot find any science to back up these claims. Examples of these herbs are tribulus terrestis, muira punama, yohimbe,
and tongkat ali. This may be a good thing since it is mostly young men who are interested in bodybuilding who take them, and
they already have high levels of testosterone and any more would be converted to estrogen.
I tried tribulus terrestis once but noticed no difference, and this was from Biotest whose products are usually very good
quality and very effective, so my experience is consistent with Roger Mason's statement. The only way to boost testosterone
is by supplementation.
These pages are for information only and are not medical advice. They do not purport to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent
any disease. Always consult a physician before taking any supplement or undergoing any procedure described here.
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