Hormones are the chemicals that are responsible for regulating and controlling the activities of cells and organs, which are produced and synthesized by certain specialized organs. Each hormone has different functions that are targeted at different cells, with different aims so that the body’s systems are able to function properly even while adapting to changes. Serotonin, dopamine, insulin, progesterone, melatonin, epinephrine, and estrogen are some of the most common hormones.
One such hormone is called testosterone, which is found in most mammals and is produced by a man’s testicles. It is a vital male sexual hormone. Although in much smaller amounts, testosterone is produced by women’s ovaries as well.
Effects On Men
Testosterone is responsible for the development of male genital organs and maintaining their function in adulthood as well. During puberty, the production of testosterone significantly increases, but after the age of 30 begins to decline. In sperm production, testosterone plays a key role and is often associated with sex drive in men. Red blood cell production, the way the body stores fat, and even the bone and muscle mass is highly affected by testosterone. Testosterone levels can also affect a man’s mood and mental health. The amount of testosterone influences the behavioral traits of a man. Testosterone also highly influences the proper setting of the vocal cords in men and influences the change in voice during puberty as well.
Testosterone levels gradually decline with the increasing age of a man. But alcohol abuse, obesity, and long-time stress may also lead to a decline in testosterone levels even before reaching a certain age. Unreasonable feelings of fatigue, hair loss, and depression are some of the issues that men face with low levels of testosterone. You can learn more about hair loss in men from https://www.numan.com/hair-loss/minoxidil.
Low production may also lead to a man’s frame taking the feminine shape which can include the breasts and belly being outlined and hips becoming rounder. Low levels of testosterone may lead to erectile dysfunction (ED) in men. Studies show that one in every four men face testosterone deficiency. The interest in engaging in sexual intercourse may decrease or sometimes completely disappear due to testosterone deficiency, as it is the hormone affecting sexual desire in a man. It can also lead to low self-esteem, low self-confidence, depression, and mental health issues.
While a drop in testosterone production is common in men after a certain age, it can even happen prematurely because of bad lifestyle choices and dietary habits. For testosterone production and good metabolism, some key nutrients like Zinc, Vitamin A, and D are needed. Lack of these nutrients or the absence of these nutrients from the diet can majorly affect testosterone production in the human body.
Effects On Women
In women, testosterone majorly affects libido, mood, and bone metabolism. Along with the course of the menstrual cycle, the amount of testosterone also changes in women, in the early follicular phase, it reaches the lowest. In comparison to a male body’s testosterone production of 4-7 mg every day, the female body produces 1-4 mg of testosterone on a daily basis. Between the age of 20 and 40-45, a woman’s body sees a 50% decline in blood testosterone concentration, this can lead to a reduction in sex drive and mood.
Effects Of Testosterone On Mood
Low testosterone level can magnify the issue of lack of focus and concentration in a person, as it plays a major part in organizational and cognitive tasks. Low levels of testosterone production in your body can make it difficult for your mind to be focused and concentrated.
Significant mood swings can be observed in men with a low testosterone level. Behavioral traits like anxiety, anger, hostility, irritation are likely to be seen more in men with low levels of testosterone.
Hormonal imbalance often leads to irritability and mood swings. Testosterone deficiency can lead to an increase in stress. ED (erectile dysfunction) and low sex drive are the adverse effects of both high-stress level and low level of testosterone production. Both are sometimes co-related and affect the sex drive in adverse ways in a man.
People generally do not connect depression with testosterone or hormones. But low testosterone often leads to depression in men that arises from the drop in sex drive leading to low self-esteem and poor performance during sexual intercourse. Studies have shown that the prevalence of depression increases with age in men. And drop in the production of testosterone in the body can be a cause of it.
Conclusion
Science has answers to almost every question, and solutions to every problem humans have faced.
Although reduced testosterone production may not always require treatment, if symptoms are severe it is always advised to visit a TRT (Testosterone Replacement Therapy) specialist or a TRT clinic. Some, such as the highly-rated Optimale Clinic in the UK, also provide online services which means one can consult with a doctor online without having to meet face to face.