.webp)
Dr. Stengler: There's been a lot of studies on mercury inhibiting the production of testosterone. You get mercury from foods such as tuna, large fish like halibut, and swordfish, and you get it from shellfish as well.
Hey everybody, it's Dr. Mark Stengler. In this video, I'm going to cover surprising causes of testosterone deficiency — causes you're probably not aware of, and that your doctor is not testing you for. Let's face it, testosterone deficiency is a major problem in men. If you have low testosterone, it can cause fatigue, low libido, sexual dysfunction, loss of muscle mass, loss of bone mass, and can even affect your cardiovascular health and your cognitive and brain health. Across the world, testosterone deficiency is becoming much more common.
One of the main, surprising causes for testosterone deficiency are endocrine-disrupting chemicals, known as EDCs. These are chemicals in the environment found in common substances such as water bottles, plastics, cosmetics, canned foods, fertilizers, and even toothpaste. You get them in soaps, textiles, carpets, utensils, deodorants, and other man-made products. These endocrine-disrupting chemicals interfere with the production of testosterone in the testicles. You have specialized cells called Leydig cells, and research has found that these EDCs disrupt the ability of these specialized cells to produce testosterone. This is a major problem.
Let me go into more detail about these chemicals. Phthalates are used in plastics and have been found in 75% of Americans on urine testing; they disrupt testosterone production and interfere with the metabolism of cholesterol in the cells of the testicles — and cholesterol is actually the building block for testosterone. Another common chemical is BPA, bisphenol A, a plasticizer found in the urine of most Americans. There are also dioxins and PCBs, which disrupt the messaging system from your brain to your testicles that's important for making testosterone; you find these in chlorine, the bleaching of paper pulp, and the manufacturing of pesticides and herbicides, and they get into us through the food chain via meat, dairy, fish, and shellfish, accumulating in animals and then in the human body.
How about insecticides? Studies show they're found in the urine of men too, and certain pesticides are associated with reduced testosterone levels. For example, a study in the International Journal of Reproduction, Contraception, Obstetrics and Gynecology revealed that pesticides and insecticides significantly decrease testosterone and sperm levels. Then there are the toxic metals, also known as heavy metals. There have been a lot of studies on mercury inhibiting the production of testosterone — mercury interferes with the synthesis of testosterone in the testicles. You get mercury from foods such as tuna, large fish like halibut, and swordfish, and from shellfish. You can also get a different type of mercury from amalgam fillings, which unfortunately do have mercury as part of the amalgam mixture.
It's important that we avoid these toxins, these endocrine-disrupting chemicals, as much as possible. There are tests your doctor can do — and we run them with patients — to measure the levels of these chemicals. If they're elevated, we want to do specific things to detoxify them out of the body so we can free up testosterone production. And it goes beyond testosterone: these chemicals can interfere with all sorts of hormone production in the body, which I'll review in future videos. I hope you learned a lot in this video, and now you know one of the major surprising causes of testosterone deficiency.
In this video, Dr. Mark Stengler discusses the rates of low testosterone in men, symptoms arising from this condition, and some ways to naturally increase testosterone levels.
Dr. Angela Stengler: Hi, welcome the Natural Healing. We're first going to start talking about men and testosterone. Is it the new fountain of youth? It seems like mainstream medicine television commercials is talking about testosterone replacement. Is it really that common in men? Women have been treated for low hormones for quite a while now especially with the menopause coming on and you know Dr. Mark how common is low testosterone in men? Dr. Mark Stengler: Well it's interesting researchers have looked at this question in recent years and one study picked fifteen hundred men checked their testosterone levels and they found 24 percent of the men actually had low testosterone levels. And after age 40, your testosterone levels in men dropped between 0.4 to 2.6 percent a year. So for some men it drops quite quickly. Dr. Angela Stengler: Well I have to ask you know seriously, are there actual signs and symptoms of low testosterone or is this kind of a media thing where oh men over 40 everyone must get tested and be treated for low testosterone? Dr. Mark Stengler: Well certainly low testosterone is much more common than we ever thought. That's what mainstream research has shown. But you're seeing the classic symptoms of low testosterone: fatigue, lower libido, or sexual dysfunction in men, depression is a common symptom. Men can even get things like anxiety, night sweats; actually, men come in they get night sweats - it can be a very serious problem that can be a symptom of low testosterone - insomnia and not being able to maintain bone density or muscle mass. Almost all classic symptoms of low testosterone. Dr. Angela Stengler: So, the average male 40 or over that comes in for a physical, would you just naturally test for low testosterone or is that only something you would do if they're complaining about some of the symptoms? Dr. Mark Stengler: Normally, if they're 40 years, 40 years of age and they don't have low testosterone; not necessarily, but by age 45 we do routinely test their testosterone level once a year along the regular blood work. Dr. Angela Stengler: Okay, so you're doing it along with their blood work - their testosterone comes a little bit low - is your first line of defense testosterone replacement or is there something else we can do, naturally? Dr. Mark Stengler: Oh, we always try for a testosterone that's low in men we always try to get their level up naturally; if at all, possible. There are natural things that will increase their testosterone level. So, for example, if a man has zinc deficiency they cannot produce the testosterone in their testicles so we screen for zinc deficiency get them on zinc and that can increase their testosterone. Some studies have shown that magnesium increasing magnesium in their diet and supplement form can help increase their testosterone level. For other men, there are other treatments we can use their herbs like Maca, for example, that may help to increase your testosterone level. Fenugreek extract has been shown in some studies to increase testosterone levels. Another nutrient an amino acid like substance called Acetyl-L-Carnitine it's been shown in studies once you take it, about 3000 milligrams a day for two to three months, that can increase a man's testosterone level to then we've got some very basic things: exercise, especially anaerobic exercise like weightlifting, that increases testosterone and men have to get enough protein and diet. If you don't get enough protein testosterone levels do drop. The Stengler Center for Integrative Medicine tests for testosterone levels and provides treatments and hormone replacement therapy in San Diego. Call today for a consultation! (760) 274-2377
