A surplus of estrogen and deficiency of testosterone are two of the most common hormone imbalances in men. It is important to identify and address these imbalances because they can sabotage your health, cause stubborn weight gain, and a myriad of sexual, physical, mental and emotional consequences. Fortunately, there are two safe, clinically proven supplements available that can help you reverse these imbalances and restore your virility and vitality. Before revealing what these supplements are, lets first explore estrogen and testosterone imbalances a bit further.
Estrogen Dominance Basics
Estrogen dominance occurs in men when estrogen levels climb too high, or when testosterone levels are too low to balance out the effects of estrogen. This health condition is rarely diagnosed, it effects males and females equally, and it has reached epidemic proportions in Western countries. Estrogen dominance can make a man feel ‘less manly’ and increase his risk for prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia, diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease.
Estrogen Dominance Symptoms
Estrogen dominance can cause a wide-range of problematic symptoms including fatigue, difficult urination, irritability, mood swings, emotional sensitivity, loss of motivation, forgetfulness, increased weeping, and depression. Most men with estrogen dominance experience sexual side-effects as well, which can include a loss of libido, reduced sense of virility, lowered sperm count, inability to orgasm, and erectile dysfunction (ED). If all that weren’t bad enough, estrogen dominance negatively influences a man’s appearance and can lead to man boobs, hair loss, muscle loss, bloating, and excess body fat (especially in the midsection).
The Ideal Estrogen Levels
Estrogen isn’t all bad– men require it in small amounts for brain, heart and bone health. For optimal health and virility however, it is essential that men keep estrogen within a tight range of normal between 20 pg/ml and 40 pg/ml. Anything beyond 40 pg/ml and estrogen dominance symptoms will start to appear. Unfortunately, because modern day living, and the Western diet provide the perfect breeding ground for estrogen dominance, it’s not all that uncommon for men over 50 to have 5 times the upper limit of estrogen.
What Causes Estrogen Dominance
Animal products are the most concentrated source of estrogen and their consumption is a major cause of estrogen dominance. Another leading cause is an overexposure to xenoestrogens, which are environmental estrogen-like compounds that mimic estrogen in the body. Common sources of xenoestrogens include plastic food containers, cosmetics, personal care products, cleaning products, furniture, paint, and polluted air…to name a few. Xenoestrogens are also found in most processed foods thanks to packaging and chemical additives and non-organic produce because they’re sprayed with herbicides and pesticides. Other contributors to estrogen dominance include ongoing stress, excess body weight, heavy metal exposure, lack of exercise, a poorly functioning liver and hormone therapy.
The Weight Gain-Estrogen Dominance Link
There is a cyclical link where weight gain leads to estrogen dominance and estrogen dominance leads to weight gain. This is fueled by aromatase which is an enzyme that converts testosterone into a potent type of estrogen called estradiol. Aromatase is stored in fat cells, and an increase in fat cells leads to higher aromatase and thus higher estrogen levels. Unfortunately, an increase in estrogen also causes an increase in weight gain because it leads to a loss of muscle mass, and consequently a lowered metabolism. Estrogen dominance also reduces insulin sensitivity. This is problematic because an insensitivity to insulin reduces the ability of the cells to usher glucose to the liver and muscles. This results in higher blood glucose levels and the excess glucose is stored as fat.
Testosterone Deficiency
Testosterone levels begin to decline after 20, and by the time a man reaches 50, he will often have half as much testosterone as he did when he was 20. The ‘normal’ range of testosterone for men is between 280 to 1,100 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL), however, most men function best when their levels are in the high end of normal. In addition to aging, other possible causes of low testosterone include trauma, steroid use, genetic disorders, radiation, and illnesses such as diabetes, liver disease, COPD, HIV, pituitary gland disorders, and kidney disease. The symptoms of low testosterone are the same as the symptoms mentioned in the ‘Estrogen Dominance Symptoms’ section, and if you have sexual side-effects you should definitely have your testosterone levels measured.
*You can purchase a hormone testing kit here: http://www.delgadonaturals.com/hormone-testing-kits/
How Testosterone Therapy Can Cause Estrogen Dominance
Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) is a common solution for low testosterone levels. However, TRT often worsens estrogen dominance because as mentioned above, the aromatase enzyme converts testosterone into estrogen. Unfortunately, most men aren’t aware of this, and some attempt to fix their estrogen dominance symptoms by taking more testosterone, which worsens their condition. This doesn’t mean you should avoid TRT — it’s possible to boost testosterone without causing estrogen dominance, you just need to observe the following.
How to Increase Testosterone Without Increasing Estrogen
Firstly, you should avoid injectable testosterone because this TRT method causes a rapid upsurge of testosterone in the blood, which increases its conversion to estrogen. If you insist on injectables in spite of this knowledge, you can decrease its conversion to estrogen by reducing the dose and increasing the frequency. Testosterone pellets which are implanted under the skin are the ideal delivery method because they are bioidentical (which means they mimic the body exactly) and they release testosterone in much smaller amounts throughout the day, which reduces its conversion. Certain high-quality supplements can also boost testosterone without raising estrogen. They are often powerful enough on their own, but they can also be used concurrently with TRT to reduce estrogen conversion.
Supplements For Male Hormone Optimization
For optimal male hormone levels we recommend EstroBlock along with TestroVida Pro. Both products are physician formulated and all-natural, and produced with strict manufacturing practices in a pharmaceutical grade laboratory. EstroBlock Pro contains concentrated doses of DIM, I3C and chrysin which are natural compounds that are scientifically proven to metabolize toxic estrogens and clear them from the body. EstroBlock Pro helps both prevent and reverse estrogen dominance and is essential for anyone who is currently on TRT. If you’re overweight or your estradiol levels are notably elevated you may also want to take Liv D-Tox because a healthy liver dramatically increases the metabolism and elimination of toxic estrogens.
When it comes to boosting testosterone, Tongkat Ali is particularly beneficial and clinically proven to increase testosterone levels and reduce sex-hormone-binding-globulin (SHBG). Other beneficial herbs include Maca, Tribulus terrestris, Avena sativa, and stinging nettles. These herbs increase free testosterone levels by preventing SHBG from binding to it. TestroVida Pro contains Tongkat Ali in a concentrated dose of 200:1, which makes it much more effective than other supplements that provide it in lower concentrations. It also contains all the above-mentioned testosterone boosting herbs, plus adaptogens (which indirectly boost testosterone by helping to reduce stress), and zinc which is essential for the production of testosterone.
