Male order health
We all have male and female qualities within us, but men and women do have physical differences that mean differences in how their health plays out over a lifetime. The days of men refusing to talk about their health are, hopefully, behind us but some men can still be less than enthusiastic about supporting their own health. It’s worthwhile bringing together in one spot all that we know about male health and how that health can be supported with natural measures. It all begins, of course, with the fundamental nature of the male anatomy.
MALE BASICS
Anatomically, the male reproductive system comprises the testes and the penis with a system of ducts and glands, including the prostate. The testes are a pair of egg-shaped glands that sit in the scrotum on the outside of the body next to the penis and it’s these (stimulated by the action of pituitary hormones) that produce both sperm and the male hormone, testosterone. The brain, through hormone regulation by the pituitary and hypothalamus, plays a critical role in the control of the male reproductive system.
In young men, the prostate is about 20g (the size of a walnut) but it becomes enlarged as men age. The prostate doubles in size between the ages of 21 and 50, then doubles again from 50 to 80 years old, although it’s not fully understood why this happens. The growth of the prostate relies on testosterone and, if it grows too large, it can slow or stop the flow of urine.
Testosterone
Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone (androgen) synthesised from cholesterol. Its synthesis and secretion occur mainly in the testes; its production is stimulated by the hormone from the pituitary gland, in turn stimulated by the hypothalamus. Once it’s released into the general circulation, about 7 per cent is tightly bound to the storage form — sex-hormone-binding-globulin (SHBG) — and unavailable for biological activity. Forty-eight per cent is bound to albumin, serving as a buffer to protect it from rapid metabolism, and about 2 per cent is free testosterone — the bioavailable and active form.
Testosterone’s metabolism is regulated by feedback mechanisms and by the liver, which breaks down the hormone to its inactive metabolites after use. Testosterone is also secreted by the adrenal glands, which is why stress can impact on its levels.
In the Massachusetts Male Aging Study it was shown that the levels of testosterone fell by 2 per cent per year and the levels of DHT (its metabolite, dihydrotestosterone) rose from the ages of 40 to 70. This was much less marked in men who had a good diet and healthy lifestyle, which reduced this age-related decline by 10–15 per cent.
Testosterone and oestrogen interact in complex ways and liver congestion can seriously affect the balance. The pathways in the liver that detoxify environmental chemicals also break down hormones such as oestrogen so, with the high chemical exposure of today, these pathways are overloaded and hormone breakdown and secretion are reduced. This is particularly a problem with oestrogen. Over-oestrogenisation plays a large role in adverse health conditions today, including those associated with deficiencies of testosterone.
Testosterone regulation determines male health. It plays a key role in the development and function of the male reproductive system. Testosterone has major anabolic effects, is responsible