Mens Hormones
What hormones will I be testing?
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Estrogen - Men produce estrogen in much lower quantities than women. Sometimes men can have an overabundance of estrogen leading to imbalance of the prostate, hair loss, irritability, and the development of breasts.
Progesterone - Men produce about half the amount of progesterone than women. Progesterone is an antagonist to estrogen.
Testosterone - primary male hormone. Helps to maintain metabolism, sex drive, mental clarity and overall vigor.
DHEA - This hormone is a precursor to testesterone and estrogen. DHEA is made primarily in the adrenal glands and is essential for protein building and repair. DHEA levels decline dramatically as we age, making it a primary biomarker of aging.
Cortisol - is needed for nearly all dynamic processes in the body, from blood pressure regulation and kidney function, to glucose levels and fat building, muscle building, protein synthesis, thyroid function, and immune function.
Testosterone Deficiency and Estrogen
Testosterone deficiency in men is inevitable. Testosterone production slowly decreases with age, so if your breathing - you can count on it happening to you. Testosterone influences your energy levels, your muscle tone and strength, your brain function, your bone density, your heart (metabolic syndrome), your blood sugar, the performance of your man bits, your prostate and so much more, so it's definitely something worth paying attention too.
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Usually when men think about testosterone, they likely don't relate it to estrogen, however, it is something that you should consider as testosterone is an antagonist to estrogen so if your testosterone is going down, it's likely your estrogen is going up.​Estrogen is no longer a women's only issue. The truth is, it effects men just as often as women. Estrogens found outside the body, known as xeno-estrogens, can also contribute to your overall estrogen load. These environmental compounds do not discriminate between the male and female sex and can be found in plastics, pesticides, chemicals, drinking water, self-care products such as shampoo and lotions, and even in some foods. Often these are items we all use on a daily basis. Another cause of estrogen production is weight. Obesity promotes estrogen dominance by allowing increased conversion of androgen to estrogen in fatty tissue.
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Excess estrogen is the primary cause of prostate enlargement and prostate cancer in men which is now ranked as the number two cancer killer in males. I'd say it's something worth paying attention too.
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Common signs of lowered testosterone and/or estrogen dominance in men are:
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Lower stamina
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Enlarged breasts
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Loss of muscle tone/strength
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Lowered sex drive
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Fatigue
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Carry weight around the middle or a "beer belly"
Commonly asked questions:
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Is this the same test my Doctor would order?
No. Your GP would order a blood panel to measure your hormones. The difference between saliva and blood testing is that a saliva test will measure the "free" or "unbound" hormone levels while the blood serum measures the "protein bound" hormone levels. Free hormone levels are bio-available, which means they can be delivered to the receptors in the tissues of the body - where they are needed. Protein bound means that these hormones have been bound to circulating proteins and therefore can not fit into the receptors in the body and will not be delivered to the tissues of the body. Basically blood serum will measure all of the hormones available, regardless if they are useful or not, while saliva testing only captures the levels of useful hormones that your body will actually use to stay in balance.
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How do I get my test results?
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The test results will be sent to Regenesis Wellness first and I will forward a copy to you through your client portal on Practice Better. We will then set up a meeting to discuss the results together so you have a full understanding of what your results mean and what to do moving forward. This is included in the cost of your test kit.
