Men’ Health

Andropause

What is it?
Treatment
Nutritional Recommendations
Other Reasons Men Age
Suggested Reading

Male Menopause? YES!

Unfortunately by the time men are between the ages of 40 and 55, they can experience a phenomenon similar to the female menopause, called andropause. Men develop a more gradual decrease in hormones such as testosterone, thyroid, human growth hormone and DHEA. Hormones start to decline in the mid to late 20's and that is when the aging process sets in. We maintain fairly healthy hormone levels until age 35-40 and that is about how long we could be expected to live until 100 years ago.

Symptoms of Male Menopause

  • Decreased mental sharpness
  • Decreased erectile function
  • Decreased energy and strength
  • Decreased muscle and increased fat
  • Decreased sex drive
  • Decreased strength of orgasm
  • Memory impairment
  • Disturbed sleep
  • Anxiety

Questions to Ask Yourself

  1. Have you noticed a decrease in your sex drive?
  2. Do you have less energy than you used to?
  3. Have you noticed a decrease in strength and/or endurance?
  4. Have you lost height?
  5. Do you seem to have less enjoyment of life?
  6. Are you sad and /or grumpy?
  7. Are your erections less strong?
  8. Have you noticed that your ability to play in sports is decreased?
  9. Do you fall asleep soon after dinner?
  10. Has your performance at work decreased?

Men answering yes to problem 1-7 or a combination of any 4 or more might be candidates for testosterone replacement therapy. This symptom score is only a rough set of guidelines and is not absolute. A qualified healthcare practitioner should be consulted for further information.

Treatment for Andropause

Treatment for Andropause consists of replacing lost hormones with natural hormones that are molecularly identical to what the body produces.

Injection:
one disadvantage to testosterone enanthate and testosterone cypionate injections is that they are injected every 2-3 weeks. The blood profiles are high after the injection, followed by a slow decline over the time interval until the next injection.

Implants/Pellets:
Subdermal testosterone implants produce a similar pattern to the injection. Testosterone undecanoate administered orally gives a rapid onset of action but a short duration of action, consequently it may be administered several times daily.

Transdermal:
In transdermal testosterone, the hormone is released slowly through the hormone is released slowly through the skin to deliver a constant level in the blood, very convenient.

Oral:
Testosterone is not very dissolvable in oral-swallow preparation Bucally or Sublingually - well absorbed under the tongue or in the cheek area.

Nutritional Recomendations

All of these products are available through the Pine Pharmacy Store:

  • Prostate health support
  • Zinc
  • Flax-liquid
  • Flax-capsules
  • Selenium
  • Vitamin E
  • Lipoic Acid
  • Men’s Extra
  • Siberian ginseng

Other Reasons Men Age

Oxidative Stress
Second only to declining hormones, oxidative stress is the leading cause of aging in men. It is caused by our everyday lifestyle. Our bodies are designed for simple foods, active lifestyle and moderate stress - the hunter-gatherer. However, in modern times we feed our bodies complex foods and subject ourselves to inactivity and high stress. The result is excess free radical production (oxidative stress).

Free radicals attack cells. The result is cellular destruction, which cuts years off each cell's life and consequently, our life. For example, you have heard of studies that show low calorie intake dramatically slows the aging process. It is a simple fact that calories cause excess free radicals. Hence, if there are fewer calories, there are fewer free radicals.

For those who like the technical facts: As the body burns calories it produces atoms missing one electron -- oxidation. Those atoms speed around trying to replace that electron. In doing so they bombard cells causing cell damage and turnover. The DNA in cells will only permit cells to replicate themselves a certain number of times before they die.

That is why you hear and see so many adds for “Antioxidants”. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals. The question is, what works? We have found a product we like. It is called “antioxidant essentials w/ C & E” and can be ordered through our wellness center. (Link to matching product under wellness center) It has been scientifically determined that the body is capable of living a healthy life of 120 years. To give you a mental picture of how that might be possible imagine the lifestyle of a hunter-gatherer coupled with the miracles of modern medicine. To the degree our lifestyle differs from the hunter-gatherer is directly proportional to the damage being done to our body by free radicals, pollution, etc., and is reflected in life out of our years and years out of our lives.

Diet, Exercise and Stress

As a client of Renew Youth, we look to aiding you in your total health efforts to fight the aging process. As we have shared with you, you can significantly increase the effect of your hormone replacement program by giving attention to three lifestyle issues: consuming a healthy diet, maintaining a moderate exercise program and controlling stress.

Our bodies are designed for a simple diet, active lifestyle and moderate stress (the hunter-gatherer). What modern society has is processed foods, inactive lives and multiple sources of daily stress. It is generally accepted that we have the ability to live healthy lives to more than 120 years. If we can give you a mental picture of how that might be, picture yourself as a hunter-gatherer with the medical miracles of today.

A Good Diet is Important

Diet
is a challenge because our bodies are designed for simple basic foods. With processed and bio-engineered food, leached soils etc., our diets are anything but simple. Here are some basic guidelines that can aid in your efforts:

  • Maintain a balanced diet - approximately
    • 30% Protein
    • 40% Carbohydrate
    • 30% Fat
  • It is important to minimize refined carbohydrates and limit the amount of saturated fat
  • Read “A Week In the Zone” by Dr. Barry Sears.
  • Don't try to make a major change all at once.
    Know where you are going and do it in small steps.
  • Take a sensible regimen of vitamins -
    This is the best chance of leveling out and balancing the body's needs as it gets older.
    We often know what is bad for the body;
    we seldom know what the body is missing.

Exercise
should be done with consistency and moderation. Like diet, determine where you are and where you want to go. If you are a "couch potato", find ways to put activity back in your day - take the stairs, park in the space farthest from the store or go for a walk with your spouse or dog just as examples. Work up to a level of at least 30 minutes 4 to 5 times per week. Remember there was a time when a machine did not wash clothes; open the garage door or change channels on the TV - USE IT OR LOOSE IT!

In addition to 30 minutes of aerobic activity do:

  • 15 minutes of resistance i.e. weight
  • 15 minutes of stretching

Stress
is sometimes called a “killer”. It has an element of real truth. Stress causes the body to produce a hormone called Cortisol. “Killer Cortisol”, as it is sometimes called, is very catabolic; it destroys body tissues. It is destructive to the entire body but principally to the brain. Cortisol is also the nemesis of growth hormone. Reducing or eliminating the sources of stress can help control Cortisol in the body. Learning basic relaxing techniques such as simple breathing can minimize the effects of stress. Most importantly, take 7-keto DHEA. DHEA is the most plentiful hormone in the human body. Like other hormones, it declines with age. One of its principle functions is as a counter balance to Cortisol. 7- Keto DHEA is much safe than regular DHEA.

Remember...

Lifestyle issues are critical and cannot be ignored.
In addition to replacing hormones:

  • Eat a balanced diet
  • Stay active
  • Control stress
  • Take a good multiple vitamin and antioxidant
    (See Wellness Center "Antioxidant Essentials" w/ C& E)

Articles on Male Andropause

Maximize Your Vitality and Potency for men over 40;
Jonathan V. Wright, M.D.

Male Menopause;
Jed Diamond

  • 5110 Main Street, Williamsville, NY (In the Walker Center)
  • Toll-Free: 800-355-1112
  • Phone: 716-332-2288
  • Fax: 716-332-2287