5 Crazy Things That Are Dropping Your Testosterone

It has been shown that aging could negatively impact a man’s testosterone levels.

However, there is new information that shows that free testosterone levels may not decline with age, but there may be an increase in sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG) levels present in your blood.

SHBG is a transport molecule that binds free testosterone that is produced in your testes and then transports it throughout your body.

The problem with testosterone that is bound to SHBG: testosterone is unable to be used by the cells of your body. 

It has been shown that aging could increase SHBG levels in your blood, which could result in lower FREE testosterone levels.

However, aging and SHBG levels are not the only things that can lower testosterone levels or give you low testosterone-like symptoms.

Let me explain…

Low Testosterone Symptoms

Low testosterone symptoms is a situation where your body may have adequate levels of testosterone.

However, due to many different things that may be occurring in your body (without your knowledge), you could exhibit the same signs and symptoms as someone with lower testosterone levels – even if your testosterone levels are high.

Here are five of the most common conditions that are associated with low testosterone or low testosterone symptoms:

1. Increased Cortisol Levels

Cortisol, which is considered by many to be the main stress hormone, may cause you to exhibit low testosterone levels or low testosterone symptoms.

When your cortisol levels are elevated, it causes a suppression of your pituitary gland.

As a review, clinical studies show that your hypothalamus releases a hormone (GNRH) which then stimulates your pituitary gland to produce luteinizing hormone (LH).

LH then travels through your body and enters into your testes, where it stimulates the synthesis and release of testosterone.

Increased cortisol levels could cause a decrease in the production of LH, which could lead to a decrease in your production of testosterone.

Plus, cortisol could also increase blood sugar levels, creating an imbalance which could alter your testosterone levels.

2. Blood Sugar Imbalances

Blood sugar imbalances could be the most common symptom associated with low testosterone or low testosterone symptoms.

There are many conditions that can lead to altered blood sugar levels.  They include: undiagnosed diabetes, elevated cortisol levels, and poor diet.

Altered blood sugar levels also act on one of the main pathways for testosterone production.

First, altered blood glucose could increase the production of androstenedione, which is a precursor to testosterone.

However, androstenedione is much weaker than testosterone (about five times weaker), and competes with testosterone for the same receptors on your cells.

If androstenedione attaches to the receptor site, then there could be a weaker response from your cells, leading to low testosterone-like symptoms.

Altered blood glucose levels may also result in an altered testosterone to estrogen ratio.

If there is more estrogen than testosterone, this may cause low testosterone symptoms.

Plus, estrogen increases SHBG levels, which means there could be less free testosterone in your blood to bind to your cells.

3. Impaired Liver Function

Impaired liver function could be another major problem facing men (women and children too) today.

Exposure to harmful environmental chemicals and toxins may cause a decline in your liver function, which could decrease your testosterone levels.

Biologically, testosterone has a very short half-life, where estrogen has a much longer half-life.

Your liver’s job is to filter out toxins and hormones, like estrogen, from your body.

However, if your liver is not functioning correctly, then your body has a harder time processing and eliminating estrogen from your body.

This alters your testosterone to estrogen ratio which could lead cause low testosterone-like symptoms or low testosterone levels in general.

4. DHT

Testosterone can be converted into DHT, a much stronger form of testosterone, which has been shown to be 10 times stronger than testosterone.

If you have increased DHT levels, your testosterone receptors become resistant to regular testosterone.

This results in the inability of testosterone to bind and enter your cells, leading to low testosterone symptoms.

Your testosterone levels may be increased, but due to too much DHT, your testosterone may not function correctly and may even be converted into even more DHT.

5. Dietary Food Choices

Diet plays an integral role in your testosterone levels.

Without adequate dietary fats, essential fats, and cholesterol, your body may not be able to produce enough testosterone in your testes.

Deficiencies in zinc may also lower your testosterone levels or lead to low-testosterone symptoms.

It has been shown that a person deficient in zinc, who then received zinc supplementation showed an increase in testosterone levels.

Also, your stomach acids do their part to absorb zinc from your diet.  If you are lacking in stomach acid levels, then you may find a poor absorption for zinc, even when you include adequate zinc in your diet.

Vitamins, such as vitamin B6, may not directly impact your testosterone levels.

However, it has been shown that vitamin B6 can metabolize estrogen, therefore potentially lowering your production of SHBG.