Testosterone Hormones

Testosterone Hormones
If you are a man, you probably know a little something about testosterone. But what you don’t know could be hurting you.

Testosterone is the hormone that stimulates protein building in males. Produced in the testes of males, testosterone is the prime male sex hormone and is responsible for driving sexual appetite, erections and stamina. Beyond sex, testosterone also is vital to a man’s well-being, contributing to metabolic functions such as blood cell production in bone marrow, liver function, muscle strength, and muscle and bone formation.

When testosterone levels decline, it can lead to male menopause, also called andropause. By the age of 50, 10 percent of men are deficient in testosterone, according to a study by Harman, and by 60 more than one third of men are testosterone deficient. Another report from the World Health Organization reveals that testosterone levels in most 70-year-old men are a mere 10 percent of the levels of 25-year-old men.

Testing testosterone levels is not only for older men. Current research suggests that maintaining a healthy level of testosterone and returning the cortisol and the estrogens to normal are the best prevention against the diseases associated with aging and prostate cancer.