testosterone

Gentlemen, let's face it: Growing older can be a little tough on the ego.

Your hair thins... your muscle strength isn't what it used to be... and your "steam" in the sack may even wane.

For all of these insults to your manhood, you can blame plunging levels of testosterone.

This "manly" hormone peaks when you're about 20 years old, and it only goes downhill from there.

And according to a new study, more than just your ego suffers when testosterone plummets -- because having a deficiency of this hormone can raise your risk of a laundry list of chronic diseases!

In the study, published in Scientific Reports, researchers compared the testosterone levels and medical histories of over 2,000 men of all ages.

After crunching the numbers, they found that both young and older men with low total testosterone had a GREATER chance of having multiple chronic health conditions (a.k.a. "multimorbidity") than those whose testosterone levels were normal.

We're talking about everything from cardiometabolic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke... to pain conditions like arthritis... to mood disorders like depression… and more.

Now, I should note that packing on a few too many extra pounds can drive down your testosterone levels AND up your risk of these chronic conditions. So, it's reasonable to wonder if obesity was actually causing both low testosterone AND the chronic conditions seen in the study, especially among the younger guys.

But even AFTER the researchers controlled for obesity, the link between low testosterone and multimorbidity still held true.

Now, we know that testosterone plays a key role in many of your body's functions, including building muscle, forming bones, and ferrying sugar into your tissues in response to insulin .

So, it stands to reason that when T takes a nosedive, everything from your heart muscle to your skeleton to your blood sugar can suffer.

Translation: It's a good idea to have your testosterone levels checked out by your doc -- no matter what your age -- especially if you're on the heavy side.

And if they're too low, you may want to consider replacing some of what’s missing.

Just make sure it’s the bioidentical kind -- because it’s the closest thing to what your body would produce on its own. It's also safer and more effective than the synthetic versions.

But even if your testosterone hasn't yet declined far enough to meet the criteria for testosterone deficiency, that doesn't mean that you're in the clear -- because in the study, men whose testosterone levels were "moderate" ALSO had a higher likelihood of multimorbidity!

As is often the case, I’d prefer to get my patients to optimal levels, rather than settle for “good enough.”

Besides hormone replacement therapy, there’s something else you can do: drop some pounds.

Previous studies have shown that cardio exercise can not only help you lose weight… but also boost your stores of this manly hormone, too.

For more on what can make your testosterone levels drop and your machismo disappear, see the March 2018 issue of my Nutrition & Healing newsletter.

Is THIS making you less of a man?

This is the one time of year when we really don't like to think about weight loss.

Can't it wait until January?

But if you're carrying around more extra weight than a sack full of toys, you're not doing yourself any favors by procrastinating.

Because the longer you put off doing something about it, the worse it's going to be.

Now, however, is not the best time to go on a diet. Enjoy your holiday treats. Feast in the flavors of the season -- especially those recipes that don't get made any other time of year.

But according to a recent study, there is one thing that you should do right now that will make yourself feel better, especially if you're an overweight or obese man: exercise.

As it turns out, cardio does double duty when it comes to your health!

Before you roll your eyes and groan, listen to this: Japanese researchers have found that a 12-week cardio regimen helped spike T levels in guys on the bigger side, as well as the MUCH bigger side.

Interestingly, the workouts didn't affect testosterone levels of men who didn't have a little "more to love."

You see, all that extra weight can cause your testosterone levels to bottom out -- which can zap your energy, mess with your performance in the bedroom, and leave you more vulnerable to heart attack.

Not only that, but your body NEEDS testosterone to build muscle mass, which helps keep your engine running efficiently. And the more muscle you have, the more fat you're burning around the clock -- even while sitting, and even while sleeping.

And that means you can burn off those Christmas cookies you had for breakfast while you're watching the holiday specials on TV at night.

The men in the study weren't athletes or even regular exercisers, and they walked or jogged for 40 to 60 minutes, up to three times a week. That's not exactly training for a triathlon, but if you haven't moved around in a while, start out slow. Do as much as you can while getting only slightly out of breath.

Keep the workout moderate, and work your way up to something more vigorous, if you can handle it. A good measure of that is whether or not you can still carry on a conversation while you're doing it.

The more vigorous you can make your workout, the more you'll increase your testosterone.

You may lose some weight, even if you're eating the same -- and you may lose some inches. But that's not really the point right now, in December.

We'll deal with that in January.

P.S. One of the most popular spices used in holiday treats this time of year is cinnamon -- but this spice rack staple doesn't just taste great. If you're getting the right kind of cinnamon, its unique compounds can actually stoke the "metabolic fire" that helps your blood sugar levels stay nice and healthy. That means you have plenty of energy for all the things you love to do. Now, there's a new breed of cinnamon extract that works astonishingly FAST -- and that's why I've included the "cinnamon secret weapon" in my breakthrough formula from Real Advantage Nutrients, the most advanced natural blood sugar support out there.

If you'd like to take a powerful step toward maintaining healthy blood sugar, you can now try my breakthrough at a special holiday discount of 30 percent off the regular price. And your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed, or your money back. Find out more right here.

Sources:
12-Week Exercise Program Significantly Improved Testosterone Levels in Overweight, Obese Men
(www.stonehearthnewsletters.com)