Introduction: Who In Your Life Has Irritable Male Syndrome?Chapter One: Start With This Andropause Assessment Which of these ''cluster'' of 12 symptoms describe you? Bone Brittleness. Brain ''Fog''. Breast Growth. Fatigue. Hair Thinning. Mood Changes. Muscle Mass Deteriorates. Prostate Enlarges.
Sexual Dysfunction. Sleep Quality Declines. Stress Overwhelms. Weight Gain. Chapter Two: How Andropause Impacts Long Term Male Health Chapter Summary: A brief explainer on the role that hormones play in life quality, the stages of life (age ranges) during which hormones develop and decline, the body organs involved, how male hormones have daily and monthly cycles, and a short history of endocrinology research findings and evolving theories about aging and the relative impact of individual genetics and lifestyle decisions. An overview of science evidence showing that lower circulating testosterone predicts the development of cardiovascular disease and increases the risk for strokes. Metabolic Syndrome (obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol) is another consequence of low T, as is the undermining of cognition and memory, increasing the risk for dementia and Alzheimer''s disease. Chapter Three: Lifestyle Factors & Toxins Accelerate AgingChapter Summary: Andropause can be accelerated, or even triggered, by exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals in our food supply and from using certain personal care products.
We give the latest science findings on the synthetic chemicals to avoid. For example, exposure to a range of pesticides can block male hormones, but so can drinking cow''s milk, which contains residues of 20 or more chemicals, including hormone disruptive chemicals used to treat diseases in both humans and animals. Personal care products for men contain dozens of disrupters, which we will identify. Statins and other drugs magnify Andropause symptoms, which can be a problem because almost a quarter of all men over 40 years of age are on statin drugs to lower their cholesterol. Cholesterol is one of the building blocks of testosterone, so if you lower your cholesterol too much, you limit the chemical building blocks available for testosterone production. More testosterone theft from the body occurs from eating too much sugar. Hops used in beer contains estradiol, which interferes with testosterone production. Grapefruit consumption increases estrogen levels and undermine testosterone.
Low Vitamin D levels undermine testosterone, as well as other hormones. And don''t overlook the role of nutrient deficiencies, having too little zinc, etc. in your diet. Many more examples will be included and explained as a foundation for understanding treatment options.Chapter Four: Combating Bone Brittleness Problem Summary: When bone fractures occur more easily and you are experiencing chronic bone and joint weakness, it may be due to low testosterone levels. This condition could lead to osteoporosis. Solutions Summary: We present abundant science evidence for the effectiveness of a range of botanicals (plant extracts) and key nutrients that reduce inflammation in the joints, increase bone density, and even repair damage. These range from the botanicals white mulberry, cutch tree, and Chinese skullcap, to the nutrients vitamin D, calcium, zinc, magnesium, and boron.
We show how to create a bone disease modifying therapy from combinations of these healing agents.Chapter Five: Lifting Brain ''Fog'' Problem Summary: You no longer feel mental sharpness and you display memory lapses. Fuzziness in thinking may be a result of low testosterone during Andropause. Solutions Summary: Scientists at MIT, in a 2016 clinical trial with older adults showing cognitive impairment, found that magnesium L-threonate supplementation can reverse the symptoms of brain aging and the mental fog caused by andropause. We feature other science evidence for natural solutions to cognitive decline, including the 2016 favorable results of a clinical trial showing the positive effects of testosterone supplementation on men with impaired cognitive functioning. Chapter Six: Stopping Breast Growth Problem Summary: A man notices he is growing larger breasts, chest flab from weight gain which may be a consequence of the low testosterone production caused by the Andropause process of aging.Solutions Summary: High fiber vegetable consumption helps to remove excess estrogen, which is a contributor to breast growth. We identify the highest fiber vegetables.
Coupled with dietary intervention, chest tightening exercises will be recommended as part of a resistance training routine for optimal testosterone production.Chapter Seven: Overcoming Fatigue Problem Summary: Being tired all the time, no matter how much caffeine is ingested, may signal low testosterone caused by Andropause. As low testosterone affects sleep quality, lethargy and tiredness can be intensified. Solutions Summary: To rejuvenate energy, not only does testosterone need to be stimulated back to normal levels again, other dietary and supplementation steps need to be taken. Proven natural remedies we discuss to promote testosterone production include Avena sativa, Tribulus terrestris, Fennugreek, and Tongkat Ali. Other treatment steps involve the cessation of consuming foods that cause fatigue, such as abandoning animal protein for plant proteins, cutting out unhealthy fats, and avoid sugars. Chronic stress and lack of quality sleep also depletes energy and must be addressed, as we do in this book, by a holistic program. Chapter Eight: Slowing Hair Thinning Problem Summary: A lowering of a man''s testosterone production, beginning about 40 years of age, can produce hair loss that has a visible impact on the head, chest, legs, under the arms, even in the thickness of pubic hair.
Simultaneously, he may be growing unwanted hair in the ears and nose.Solutions Summary: De-stressing and testosterone replacement provide a first line of defense against hair thinning and hair loss, but these steps we detail also help. Low iron and vitamin D levels contribute to hair thinning and should be remedied with supplements. Herbs that help include saw palmetto and ginkgo biloba. Eat foods rich in iron (kale, spinach) and vitamin C (red pepper, broccoli) and vitamin A (sweet potato, kale) and zinc (chickpeas.) Use essential oils like rosemary, spikenard, and peppermint, mixed together and applied to the scalp. Acupuncture has been shown to have positive effects in stimulating blood flow to the scalp.Chapter Nine: Handling Mood Changes Problem Summary: If a man becomes irritable for no apparent reason, or releases anger at the slightest provocation, or develops depressive moods, he may be suffering from the hormonal imbalances caused by age-triggered Andropause.
Solutions Summary: When a man comes to a physician complaining of depression, the physician will usually prescribe an anti-depressant, rather than check for low testosterone, which is also a trigger for depression. Readers of this book gain information to help educate their own physicians about proper diagnostic testing to identify and treat andropause symptoms. Chapter Ten: Rebuilding Muscle Mass Problem Summary: An average man''s lean body mass decreases by about 10 percent every decade due to aging and lower testosterone production. As a man loses muscle mass, he gains even more body fat, resulting in less circulating testosterone. Solutions Summary: Doing weight training, and doing it consistently, can increase testosterone production, which builds lean muscle and depletes fat. We provide the science evidence showing which resistance exercises are most effective, how often they need to be done for best results, and what dietary changes need to be made to supplement these results. Chapter Eleven: Treating Prostate Enlargement Problem Summary: Andropause contributes to prostate enlargement, which in turn produces an increased urge and frequency to urinate, particularly at night, disrupting sleep quality. As testosterone levels are declining, men''s estrogen hormones are increasing, by as much as 50%, and that in turn, helps the prostate gland to enlarge and trigger benign prostatic hyperplasia.
As a man gains weight, particularly in his mid-section, having more fat means testosterone is more quickly converted to estrogen, and a negative cycle ensues. Solutions Summary: Most studies have found no prostate gland growth after long-term testosterone replacement. As a result, some men with enlarged prostates can qualify for testosterone therapy. Only a physician can make the final decision. It''s also advisable for a physician to monitor prostate health with regular PSA blood tests.Chapter Twelve: Restoring Male Sexual FunctionProblem Summary: Sexual Dysfunction becomes the norm in andropause. A man whose testosterone levels are declining no longer wakes up in the morning with an erection. He will also find that erections take longer and he may no longer feel sexual desire.
A man''s penis and scrotum may also undergo shrinkage from testosterone deprivation. Solutions Summary: For men, sexual health begins with prostate health, but beyond that, in this chapter we will identify the nutrients essential to prostate and sexual health and where to find them in foods and supplements. Zinc is an important one, along with Saw palmetto, pygeum, nettle, and lycopene from red and orange fruits and vegetables. We will also use the latest science evidence to address the controversy about whether testosterone replacement therapy is safe and effective for sexual rejuvenation. Additionally we examine the latest research on natural, more effective alternatives to Viagra and Cialis, one being a ginger-like root from South Asia that, in two human clinical trials in aging men, has been shown to be a safer and faster way to achieve not only erections, but the stimulation of sexual interest and desire. Ironically, having sex increases a man''s testosterone production. While men with low tes.