What affects testosterone levels in men. How testosterone affects a person's life. Pathological reasons for the decline

Testosterone has a huge impact on life strong half humanity.

The amount of this androgen in the blood intensively affects man's health, appearance and even character. Therefore, it is important to know whether there is enough of it in the body, and how, if necessary, to increase or decrease the levels.

Later in the article we will look in more detail at the following questions: what happens if testosterone levels are too low? What if it’s overpriced? How to measure male hormone levels? What does this androgen do? How to increase testosterone levels?

Effect of testosterone

Testosterone affects both the physiological side of a man and the mental side. The low timbre of the voice, rich hair on the body and face, the shape of the head, broad shoulders - all these peculiar features of the strong half of humanity are formed by testosterone. Also, high testosterone levels directly affect sexual desire opposite sex.

Men are more likely to have such character traits as courage, fighting spirit, confidence and determination. Of course, we can say that culture and upbringing cultivate these traits, but this statement is controversial. The fact is that culture cultivates and maintains character, but testosterone itself generates the mentioned traits. Therefore, we can safely assume that men with high level testosterone levels are more successful in achieving certain heights in business, politics, sports and in other areas where competitiveness and competition are important.

On the other hand, when a man suffers from a lack of this hormone, he becomes depressed, lacking initiative and depression. And this will certainly affect both his career and the quality of his personal life.

The male hormone is important. Its blood level certainly needs to be monitored.

How to measure male hormone levels?

The amount of testosterone in the blood can be easily measured using special tests. If a man feels a decline in sexual desire, depression, and other troubles, then he should seriously think about turning to a specialist.

How to increase testosterone levels?

Let's start with the fact that the level of the male hormone itself changes over time. After the age of 20, testosterone levels in men begin to decline. But tangible problems begin to appear on average after 40-45 years. In this regard, in some European countries Regular testosterone injections for men over 40 years of age are considered normal practice.

The level of male hormone varies even throughout the day. In the morning at 4 o'clock it is highest, but by 5 o'clock in the evening its level decreases.

Medicines

As we mentioned above, the level of male hormone can be increased by using medical supplies. But this is only recommended in extreme cases, since an overdose of this androgen is just as harmful as its deficiency. Sometimes athletes allow themselves to take doses of the male hormone in order to quickly build muscle mass and develop an athletic figure, but many of them experience serious problems with health after 40 years: infertility, impotence, heart disease, etc.

Of course, there are alternatives to medications - these are the right way human life, which includes improving the quality of the diet, as well as some physical exercise.

A few words about diet

Vitamins A, B, and E play an important role in the production of testosterone. Vitamin C prevents the conversion of the male hormone into the female hormone (estrogen). You can help yourself with a course of vitamins, but it is best to eat as many fruits, vegetables and nuts as possible.

Zinc, like vitamin C, prevents the conversion of testosterone to estrogen. Furthermore, it helps the female hormone turn into a male one. A lot of zinc is found in seafood, eggs, dairy products, seeds and nuts.

Physical exercise

Moderate, regular strength exercise helps increase testosterone levels. Should be used first during exercise heavy weights so that you do approximately 4 sets of 5 times. It must be remembered that vigorous physical activity for more than 50 minutes leads to an increase in cortisol and a decrease in testosterone.

Physical activity for men is also important because it helps reduce fat. After all, the more fat in the body, the more often the male hormone turns into a female one. But there is no need to torture yourself with grueling diets, as the body will think that you are starving and will lower your low level testosterone. The above-mentioned strength exercises and also running in the morning will be quite enough.

Dream

The male hormone is produced at night, so it is important to have sound and long sleep (7-8 hours). In the morning, men often feel increased sexual desire. This is because testosterone levels are 30% higher after sleep. daily value. Loss of morning erection indicates a decrease in hormones.

Good mood and calmness

Inner peace and good mood - best prevention stress. And stress, in turn, is directly related to the production of cortisol. We already know the consequences of this.

What not to do

Alcohol is very disruptive endocrine system humans, and also contributes to the destruction of zinc. Both the first and the other are just additional problems that do not contribute in any way to the production of the male hormone. The same applies to cigarettes.

Beer deserves special attention. A popular “male” brand today directly contributes to the transformation of men into women. The fact is that when hops are boiled, the substance tarragon is released from it. It's almost identical female hormone estrogen. Respectively regular use beer contributes to a shift in hormonal balance.

There is no need to overheat the testicles. Their temperature should always be lower than the average body temperature. Therefore it is better to avoid sedentary image life, tight-fitting underwear and jeans, no need to put a laptop on your knees, etc. If a robot is forced to sit at a computer for a long time (programmer, accountant, banker, etc.), then try to stand and walk as much as possible: give up your seats more often transport, take the stairs rather than the elevator, walk and move more during breaks between work.

Konstantin Mokanov

Among all the hormones that are produced in human body, it is testosterone that is often given greatest attention. And this is not surprising, because it is primarily customary to associate courageous appearance and typical behavior of representatives of the stronger half of humanity.

Sergey Viktorovich Dubravin, head of the Institute of Urology of the Russian Federation:
I have been treating prostatitis for many years. I can say with confidence that prostatitis is almost always treatable, even in very old age! However, many people neglect their health and consult a doctor only when pain and discomfort prevent them from living normally. In order not to lead to prostate cancer, at the first symptoms and especially with chronic prostatitis, use a simple method.

And women often have to deal with this issue, for example, when planning a pregnancy or when trying to adjust their weight. So how exactly does testosterone level affect different areas human life, and what consequences can its deficiency or, conversely, excess lead to? Let's try to figure it out.

Testosterone and sex

It is no secret that testosterone and potency in men are very closely related - it is this hormone that plays the most important role in the emergence of sexual desire and the regulation of sexual behavior in general. To maintain its sufficient level, two levels are responsible for the production of testosterone in men: internal organ- it is produced in the testes and.

Normally its amount in male body almost 12 times higher than that of women, providing representatives of the stronger half of humanity with interest in the opposite sex, high sexual activity and physical ability realizing your instincts. The lack of the hormone is fraught with a decrease or complete absence sexual desire, as well as erectile dysfunction.

Even in ideal conditions- if you have an attractive partner, a conducive environment, good physical health and a suitable psychological mood- low testosterone levels can jeopardize the very fact of having an erection.

Of course, it cannot be said that every man who faces the problem of impotence suffers from hormonal imbalance. But erection and testosterone are inextricably linked, so if problems arise in your sexual life, first of all you should find out whether the level of male hormones in the body has decreased and, accordingly, whether the number of female hormones has increased.

In addition, testosterone deficiency provokes other diseases, which can ultimately lead to erectile dysfunction, such as metabolic disorders or obesity.

But hormones determine the quality of sexual life not only in men - in female body The function of testosterone production is assigned to the adrenal glands, and any problems in their functioning affect interest in the opposite sex and the pleasure received during sex.

This means that sex drive in women is also largely determined by testosterone - libido decreases significantly when it is deficient and returns to normal if the balance of hormones is restored.

And although representatives of the fair half of humanity, unlike men, need a relatively small level of testosterone in the blood to maintain sexual interest and libido, its role in women’s lives does not become less important.

Testosterone during pregnancy

When considering the issue of hormones and pregnancy, the first thing to mention is how important the balance of these substances in a woman’s body is in order for her to conceive a child. And male hormones play a significant role in this.

Their deficiency can pose a serious threat to women's health, becoming a symptom of uterine fibroids, endometriosis and even breast cancer. An excess of these substances has a negative effect on hormonal balance in general, causing disturbances menstrual cycle up to the complete absence of ovulation. Thus, a large number of male hormones in a woman’s body significantly complicate conception itself - testosterone, contained in excess in the blood, can even cause infertility.

Male sex hormones are no less important during pregnancy. In blood expectant mother not only the concentration of and increases, but also testosterone - during this period it is produced by the adrenal cortex, ovarian follicles, placenta and fetal body. Accordingly, those who are expecting the birth of a boy should have more male hormones in their bodies - starting from a certain period, they are actively produced by the child’s testicles.

In addition, testosterone in pregnant women is involved in preparing the mammary glands for lactation, regulates mood, behavior and activity. sebaceous glands, ensures phosphorus-nitrogen metabolism and plays an important role in maintaining the health of the musculoskeletal system.

It is known that at the end of the 1st and during the 2nd trimester, the level of male hormones in the body of the expectant mother reaches its peak, 3-4 times higher than the same indicators in women who are not pregnant. But if the amount of testosterone continues to increase, there is a threat to the life of the unborn baby - at 4-8 and 13-20 weeks of pregnancy, its excess can lead to spontaneous abortion or fetal death due to impaired uterine growth.

Less common is testosterone deficiency during pregnancy, for example in expectant mothers with kidney or heart failure, diabetes mellitus, breast tumors or overweight. In this case, the risk of delay increases intrauterine development fetus

And although the expectant mother’s body has special protective mechanisms that protect the baby from negative influence hormonal substances, throughout pregnancy it is extremely important to monitor their level and, if necessary, carry out its therapeutic correction in a timely manner.

The connection between testosterone levels and weight

Contrary to popular belief, the role of male sex hormones in the human body goes far beyond the limits of his sexual life.

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Thus, testosterone, among its other functions, is responsible for building muscle mass, which means it does not allow the deposition of excess fat.

That is, fat and testosterone are incompatible in principle, especially for men - overweight in representatives of the stronger half of humanity, in the vast majority of cases it indicates a hormonal imbalance.

With normal or high levels of this hormone nutrients contained in the food consumed are used for construction muscle tissue, when low, they quickly turn into body fat.

If a man’s waist circumference exceeds the critical mark of 94 cm, he should seriously think about the state of his body, or rather, about his hormonal background. In addition, belly fat itself produces substances that further reduce testosterone production.

And if they form a double chin and continue to accumulate on the thighs and legs, we can say that the man begins to become obese - testosterone in this case is suppressed by the increased amount of female sex hormones that form the corresponding body type.

Accordingly, wanting to get themselves in order, men can successfully use testosterone for weight loss - if excess weight appeared as a result of serious hormonal disorders, correctly selected replacement therapy can solve this problem and make the body slimmer and fit.

Testosterone has a similar effect on the physique of women. Its deficiency makes the muscles flabby and less elastic, fat metabolism in the body is disrupted, which is why excess weight quickly accumulates. Testosterone deficiency may be associated with hormonal imbalances or due to natural causes- the beginning of menopause. During this period, ovarian activity decreases, so the level of male sex hormones deviates more and more from the norm. As a result, there appear overweight, and the typical “pear-shaped” figure type for a woman gradually changes to an “apple-shaped” one.

With normal testosterone levels, problems with overweight becomes much smaller - this hormone prevents the formation of fat deposits and helps maintain a toned, athletic figure without significant effort.

Testosterone and hair on the head and body

The thickness of hair in men directly depends on the amount of testosterone and its derivatives in the body. A high concentration of the hormone in the blood ensures hair growth on the face, chest, legs and arms, but as soon as the indicators deviate from the norm, the changes become visible to the naked eye.

Hair loss is often a consequence of hormonal disorders - testosterone, contained in insufficient quantities in the blood, makes the hair on the chest, legs and groin area thin and fluff-like. Testosterone and beard are also connected - normal amount hormone provides dense facial hair, with high rates men even have to shave every day, and its deficiency, on the contrary, provokes the appearance of hair-free areas.

Bald patches on the head in men can be a sign of not only low, but also higher level testosterone. In the first case, its deficiency makes hair follicles non-viable and gradually leads to their death. In the second, testosterone begins to be distributed unevenly, providing abundant vegetation on the chest and back, for example, and “exposing” the crown, forehead and temples.

For women, the main problems in this regard are associated with an excess of this hormone in the body - hair begins to actively grow where it should not exist in principle, for example, on the face in the form of individual black hairs on the chin or a fuzz on the upper lip, on the back, chest, etc. And in places where hair should be moderate, for example, on the legs, arms and groin area, their number increases significantly. At the same time, women's thick hair noticeably thins, in some cases even leading to baldness. male type.

Thus, the role of testosterone in a person’s life is difficult to overestimate - the normal functioning of not only the male, but also the female body largely depends on its level. That's why the slightest signs Deficiency or excess of this hormone is a good reason to consult a specialist who can accurately determine the cause of the problem and eliminate it in time, preventing serious complications.

Testosterone is one of the key male sex hormones, although small quantity it is also present in the female body. This hormone in men is synthesized by the testes and adrenal cortex. Low testosterone in men, like high, indicates a hormonal imbalance, which is important to identify and eliminate its cause in time. affects not only the sexual sphere of a person’s life, but also normal functioning in general.

Testosterone is one of the key male sex hormones, although it is also present in small amounts in the female body

High and low testosterone in men: symptoms, causes and effects on health

Testosterone influences the formation of sperm, regulates the development of secondary sexual characteristics and promotes normal operation skeletal muscles. The amount of this sex hormone in the blood increases as a man gets older. In children, this indicator is insignificant; it increases maximum in adolescence and middle age, and after 50 years it decreases again. The average norms for hormone levels in the blood are shown in the table.

Symptoms of Imbalance

If the hormone level is different from physiological norm, a man appears certain symptoms, which are difficult not to notice. The hormone is responsible for the functioning of the reproductive sphere, affects the oiliness of the skin and the condition of the hair, and a person’s mood.

Testosterone comes in three forms in the body:

  • free;
  • associated with sex hormone binding globulin;
  • connected to albumin.

Free form and associated with albumin, exhibit biological activity, and the globulin-associated variety is considered inactive and its level depends on fluctuations in the content of the protein fraction. Therefore, often instead general level hormone, the doctor prescribes an analysis for the free fraction of the hormone. This analysis is more informative and its result does not depend on the concentration of globulin (which can be increased or decreased due to concomitant diseases).

Symptoms of deficiency

Signs reduced level of this hormone in men:

  • decreased libido, potency;
  • weakness of muscle tissue;
  • penchant for speed dial excess body weight (increase in body fat);
  • lethargy and increased fatigue;
  • psycho-emotional instability;
  • sleep problems;
  • weak expression of secondary sexual characteristics (insufficient hair growth on the face and body, formation of a figure according to female type, in adolescents – the absence of signs of puberty characteristic of men).

Testosterone gives a man specific characteristics that distinguish the stronger sex from the weaker.

Testosterone gives a man specific characteristics that distinguish the stronger sex from the weaker. If the patient for a long time ignores the symptoms and lets the pathology take its course, his mammary glands and female-type obesity develops. With a lack of this hormone, not only the body, but also the psyche suffers. Due to prolonged low levels of this substance in the body, depression develops. However, an excess of the hormone also does not bode well - ideally this substance should be enough to maintain important functions body.

Symptoms of excess testosterone

An excess of this hormone in the male body is manifested by the following symptoms:

  • intensive growth of muscle mass, which ultimately leads to excess weight gain;
  • rapid pulse and pain in the heart area;
  • increased hair growth on the body, but problems with hair on the scalp;
  • insomnia;
  • frequent headaches;
  • high blood pressure;
  • emotional instability (irritability, aggressiveness, which is replaced by indifference and depression).

If this sex hormone is elevated during long period time, this leads to diseases of cardio-vascular system and work disturbances reproductive organs

If this sex hormone is elevated for a long period of time, this leads to diseases of the cardiovascular system and disturbances in the functioning of the reproductive organs. Sperm lose the ability to fertilize an egg, making conception impossible. The prostate increases in size, an adenoma develops and the risk of cancer increases. The skin becomes too oily and acne appears on it.

At timely diagnosis hormonal imbalance can be treated with diet and lifestyle, while serious violations corrected with medications.

Causes of high and low testosterone

Low levels of this compound in the blood are caused by the following reasons:

  • dysfunction of the testicles (due to congenital pathology or previous inflammatory and infectious diseases);
  • pituitary tumor;
  • genetic diseases;
  • taking medications that block the production of androgens;
  • stress;
  • mental disorders;
  • radiation exposure;
  • alcohol, smoking and drugs.

An excess of this substance is provoked by the following factors:

  • Itsenko-Cushing syndrome;
  • abnormalities in the development of the genitals;
  • tumors of the testicles and adrenal glands, causing increased secretion;
  • early sexual development.
  • Effect on conception

    Testosterone in men is lower than normal and negatively affects the process of conceiving an unborn child. If the level of this substance is very low, experts recommend taking it synthetic analogues. It is important to choose the right dosage so that the use of medications does not affect the quality of sperm, and the man retains the ability to fertilize. If the level of testosterone in the blood is higher than normal, the brain stops sending a signal to the gonads to produce sperm, which makes conception difficult.

    Testosterone in men is lower than normal and negatively affects the process of conceiving an unborn child.

    Due to the fact that the body is working almost to the limit of its capabilities, sperm are first produced in a huge number, and then this function decreases sharply. Sperm loses its properties and without treatment the patient faces infertility. Therefore, timely detection and correction of testosterone levels in men is the key to preserving the ability to conceive a child and the chance to live a normal, fulfilling life.

    About high testosterone levels in women, by Westin Childs, a practicing physician and functional medicine specialist. Childs maintains a blog for patients, writes as clearly as possible, shows printouts of the tests he relies on, and makes specific recommendations. For women suffering from hirsutism, this article is useful both in terms of content and as an illustration of the approach.

    Weight gain, acne, hair loss (and hirsutism - approx. website) - do you have any of these? This is far from full list symptoms of high testosterone levels in the blood in women. Why are testosterone levels rising and what needs to be done to reduce them?

    Any doctor can say that the concentration of testosterone is higher than normal, but few are ready to voice recommendations for solving the problem. To move towards normal life, you need to understand what exactly is happening to your body.

    IN in this case The problem is that in 95% of cases, high testosterone is not a syndrome, but a symptom of another hormonal imbalance. Therefore, the main task is to find this imbalance and solve the problem associated with it - then the concentration of testosterone in the blood will decrease.

    Symptoms of High Testosterone Levels

    Before we move on to discussing the causes of high testosterone levels in the blood and how to correct it, we need to list the symptoms of this condition.

    Symptoms are of key importance because each person’s body has its own normal limits. I have seen plenty of women with all the symptoms of elevated testosterone levels, while their tests were only at the upper limit of normal. (Read how the concept of “norm” differs greatly for individuals, populations limited geographically, and humanity in general - approx. website)

    So, the main symptoms of high testosterone:

    • Weight gain (especially rapid) or inability to lose it.
    • Hair loss, especially in male pattern and with normal hormone levels thyroid gland.
    • Acne, changes in oily skin and hair; Cystic acne is common, especially on the chin.
    • Mood changes: depression, irritability, anxiety, frequent change moods.
    • Other hormone imbalances: estrogen to progesterone ratio imbalance, thyroid hormone deficiency (Childs doesn't go into detail about this, so read my article on how - approx. website), excess adrenal androgens (eg, DHAE-S).

    As you can see, these are nonspecific, very vague symptoms, which are also characteristic of other hormonal abnormalities. For example, a lack of thyroid hormones can lead to weight gain and hair loss, but in this case the hair will fall out evenly, without the bald patches seen in men. Excess thyroid hormones can lead to acne, but it is rarely cystic and does not tend to occur on the chin. Thus, these symptoms will help determine where exactly the problem occurred. hormonal disbalance. The hypotheses then need to be tested in the laboratory.

    Laboratory testing of testosterone levels in the blood

    So let's talk about what abnormal testosterone levels look like. Let's look at a few examples. In the first example, the woman has a high level of free testosterone and the upper limit of normal total testosterone.

    You see that only free testosterone is labeled as high, but in reality the patient has excess testosterone altogether. How do I know? The thing is, I see facial hair, acne and excess weight. See: free testosterone is physiological active form testosterone, high concentrations of which are responsible for the symptoms listed above. (Total testosterone has virtually no diagnostic value - approx. website.)

    In this patient's case, the cause was insulin resistance. Working in this direction, she and I managed to reduce the level of free testosterone in the blood, and the symptoms disappeared.

    Second example.

    Again we see a high level of free testosterone and completely normal level total testosterone. Family doctor I didn't notice any problems because overgrowth hair was weak, weight was at the upper limit of normal, but the girl suffered from sharp changes mood and irritability.

    That's why it's important to look at symptoms along with lab tests to see and diagnose the problem.

    I also want to show you an example of low testosterone levels in the blood.

    The patient’s main problem was insulin resistance, which is why I gave the value of glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (HbA1c is a specific marker that helps estimate the average blood glucose level over the past 2-3 months - approx. website). Remember: high insulin levels can cause both high and low testosterone levels, depending on the individual patient. And both of these conditions are equally bad.

    Now you know how to identify elevated testosterone levels and what symptoms to monitor.

    6 Reasons for High Testosterone Levels in Women

    When hormone levels rise high enough, it becomes more difficult to figure out what exactly triggered the process. This situation is completely different from low levels, where it is enough to “add what is missing” to reduce symptoms. Therefore, most doctors general practice confused when faced with rising hormone levels.

    1. Insulin resistance

    The connection between insulin resistance (or, to put it simply, high blood sugar) and testosterone is HUGE (more on this connection - approx. website). Insulin can lower and raise testosterone levels. In men, the hormone usually lowers testosterone levels, but in women both occur. To determine the connection in your body, you need to donate blood for glycosylated hemoglobin A1c, fasting insulin along with total and free testosterone. If high levels of insulin are found along with high levels of free testosterone, insulin is the cause of hormonal imbalance.

    Women with high testosterone levels combined with insulin resistance acquire (polycystic ovary syndrome). These patients have high levels of insulin, testosterone and estrogen and low levels of progesterone. This leads to moderate facial hair growth, but in some cases, hormonal imbalance also leads to darkening of the skin, belly fat and extreme mood swings. Usually than worse performance insulin on an empty stomach, the more severe the symptoms.

    2. Estrogen dominance over progesterone

    All hormones in our body interact with each other. Think of them as a web: you can't touch one thread without disturbing the others, and to change the entire web you only need to break one thread. This principle also applies to hormonal system. Hormones play together, so if one gets out of the program, it will lead to a failure in the others.

    The female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone are particularly closely related. The exact mechanism of the connection between them is unknown, but they definitely affect testosterone levels. Take, for example, women with premenstrual syndrome or premenstrual dysphoric disorder (severe form premenstrual syndrome - approx. website). These conditions are associated with estrogen dominance, and these same women have been found to have elevated levels of testosterone and DHEA. Compare them with women during menopause, when low estrogen levels are combined with a complete absence of progesterone, and later testosterone levels in the blood decrease (but the mustache still begins to grow, again due to the mutual concentration of sex hormones - approx. website). One thing is clear: changes in the concentration of estrogen and progesterone affect the concentration of testosterone.

    3. Low physical activity

    Training is additional help your body to utilize excess testosterone. Although there is no direct link between physical activity and testosterone levels, exercise helps with excess insulin levels, which in turn lowers high testosterone levels. The mechanism is simple: low insulin is normal testosterone, high insulin is high testosterone. Physical activity lowers insulin levels, making your body's cells more sensitive to it.

    In addition, physical activity helps to overcome the eternal companion abnormal level testosterone - overweight.

    4. Adrenal diseases (high DHEA levels)

    Adrenal gland diseases are less common. Anything that causes the adrenal glands to overwork can lead to an increase in testosterone levels. To understand this, look at this diagram of how your body secretes testosterone:

    It can be seen that the precursors of testosterone are DHAE, pregnenolone, progesterone and androstenedione. If there are more of them, then testosterone levels may also increase.

    There are also a number of conditions that lead to increased production of DHEA and testosterone: severe stress and associated adrenal fatigue, excessive use of DHAE/pregnenolone/progesterone supplements and, again, insulin resistance. Therefore, checking the levels of DHAE in the blood and cortisol in 24-hour urine is good test when looking for causes of elevated testosterone levels. Remember that hormones do not work independently of each other.

    5. High levels of the hormone leptin (leptin resistance)

    Leptin creates conditions that make it difficult to lose weight. If you don't know what leptin resistance is, please read up on English language about how exactly it disables the utilization of excess weight.

    In short, leptin resistance is a condition where you have too much leptin in your body and you gain weight, but your brain doesn't see it. Hunger reigns in the head, and the body swells with fat. Leptin not only regulates satiety, but is also part of the reward system.

    Leptin, produced by fat cells, is involved in the regulation of appetite, metabolism, and tells the brain when fat needs to be stored and when it’s time to burn it. Guess what happens when leptin sensitivity decreases. Your brain stops receiving leptin's messages about satiety and begins to give the exact opposite commands: your metabolism slows down, you think you're hungry, and your body stops consuming stored calories.

    And not only that: leptin controls the secretion of testosterone. The more leptin, the more it stimulates endocrine glands secrete testosterone. (This is where it is somewhat opaque; I could not find a single article confirming that leptin stimulates the secretion of steroids, rather the opposite; however, there is definitely a connection between leptin and testosterone, see my article - approx. website.)

    High levels of leptin are also found in women suffering from insulin resistance (which in itself increases testosterone).

    6. Obesity

    Excess weight can increase testosterone levels on its own. Fat cells increase testosterone secretion by enhancing the activity of the enzyme 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (type 5). Forget this long name: the main thing here is that fat increases testosterone on its own, and also by reducing the sensitivity of other tissues to insulin.

    The moral of the story is that you need to lose weight in addition to all other treatments.

    How to lower testosterone levels in women?

    First you need to decide why your testosterone level in the blood is elevated. The goal is to cure the root cause. Below I will talk about ways to treat the six causes that I talked about earlier.

    High insulin levels:

    1. Add high-intensity exercise: increasing muscle mass increases tissue sensitivity to insulin.
    2. Reduce your carbohydrate intake (especially refined carbohydrates - sugar, bread, pasta, etc.), for example, as in the Nutritional Ketosis diet.
    3. Consider taking T3 thyroid hormone to speed up metabolism and increase cell sensitivity to insulin (note that we are talking about T3, not T4, but only T4 is sold in Russia - approx. website).
    4. Consider taking special medications that increase insulin sensitivity: SGLT-2 inhibitors, Metformin, GLP-1 agonists, alpha-amylase inhibitors.
    5. Consider taking supplements: Berberine (1000-2000 mg/day), alpha lipoic acid (600-1200 mg/day), magnesium, chromium, PolyGlycopleX - all of these supplements can help lower blood sugar and insulin levels.

    Imbalance of estrogen and progesterone:

    1. Make sure your thyroid functions normally: hypothyroidism causes estrogen to dominate over progesterone.
    2. Make sure that the metabolism of estrogen in your body is optimal, liver function and proper nutrition are important for this.
    3. During menopause, consider taking bioidentical hormones (a mixture of progesterone and estradiol/estriol).
    4. Consider supplements to support estrogen metabolism: vitamin B12 (sublingual 5000 mcg/day), 5-MTHF, DIM or Indole-3-carbinol, milk thistle, sulfur in the form of MSM (methylsulfonylmethane), bio-identical progesterone (20-40 mg transdermally on days 14-28 of the cycle).

    Adrenal problems:

    1. Increase your salt intake (Himalayan pink salt or Celtic sea salt).
    2. Learn to work with stress and switch from negativity (yoga, meditation, walking, etc.)
    3. Reduce caffeine and alcohol consumption.
    4. Reduce consumption of amphetamine-based stimulant medications (adderall, concerta, phentermine, etc.)
    5. Sleep at least 8 hours a day; exclude nap to avoid problems falling asleep at night; Do not overeat at night, so that excess energy does not occur at the time before bed.
    6. Consider taking the following dietary supplements: adrenal adaptogens, adrenal hormones, vitamins B6 and C. If you have problems falling asleep, use melatonin.

    Excess leptin:

    1. Consider the possibility of therapeutic intermittent fasting(meaning skipping some scheduled meals every few days and fasting days - approx. website)
    2. Reduce carbohydrate intake, including fructose.
    3. Compensate for hypothyroidism and treat insulin resistance, against which restoration of sensitivity to leptin is unlikely.
    4. Add high-intensity loads.
    5. Consider Admission special drugs to increase sensitivity to lepin: Byetta, Victoza, Bydureon or Symlin. In my experience, overcoming leptin resistance without medication is very difficult. At correct use they can significantly adjust weight and hormones in the blood.
    6. Consider taking dietary supplements: fish fat, zinc, leucine and supplements recommended for insulin resistance. There are no specialized supplements that help with excess leptin.

    Conclusion

    Decrease high concentration testosterone in the blood is possible, but to do this you need to find the root cause of the failure. If this cause can be correctly diagnosed and treated, the symptoms will decrease rapidly.

    Typically, high testosterone levels are associated with one or more of the following reasons: insulin or leptin resistance, problems in the mutual concentration of estrogen and progesterone, adrenal disease, unhealthy diet and lifestyle.

    If you're serious about addressing your high testosterone problem, find a doctor who understands how the hormones relate to each other and is willing to devote the time to get to the bottom of the cause.