What Every Dad Should Know About Andropause

Testosterone is the hormone responsible for the maintenance and development of male characteristics and attributes like a broad shoulder and chest, deep voice, facial and body hair patterns, muscle mass, aggressiveness, and many more. For most men, testosterone levels begin to drop starting at age 30 and when a man’s bioavailable testosterone levels decrease and his estrogen level rises, it leads to andropause which is often referred to as “male menopause.” This can affect a man’s mental and physical well-being, as well as their virility.

A man who is experiencing andropause may have a number of symptoms which include:
• Erectile dysfunction
• Thinning bones
• Insomnia
• Sudden mood changes
• Muscle atrophy
• Decrease in energy
• Infertility
• Muscle weakness and aches
• Depression and irritability
• Low libido

Here are a few ways to combat andropause naturally.

Physical Exercise
Regular, high-intensity exercise could boost a man’s testosterone to optimal levels. One study shows men who are between the age of twenty-three and thirty-five and also those who are between fifty-eight and sixty-five years old and engaged in heavy resistance training, experienced a significant increase in their testosterone levels after exercise.

Brain Workout
The brain controls all the systems in the body and needs a workout too in order to stay healthy and functioning well. Staying mentally active helps ward off early senility, infertility, and even Alzheimer’s disease.

Supplementation
Selenium methionine is a powerful antioxidant and micronutrient which plays an essential role in the formation of important proteins in sperm. Selenium can be found in fruits, vegetables, seafood, and both red and white meat as well as pharmaceutical grade supplements.  Zinc is a micro-mineral considered to be absolutely essential for maintaining a man’s testosterone level and helps with reproductive processes including sperm formation, metabolism of testosterone, and sperm motility.

BHRT for Men
Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy offers many benefits for men with low to normal testosterone levels including decrease in body fat, increase in muscle strength, better cognitive function, increased libido, increased memory, decrease in heart disease and improved sense of well being.