What is testosterone?
Testosterone (aka androgen), is a sex hormone produced by the testes in the male body. Women also produce testosterone, though in a lesser amount in the ovaries. For both males and females testosterone is regulated by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus.
The hormones testosterone, estrogen and progesterone are essential for women´s health. If one of these hormones fails to produce sufficient levels, an imbalance occurs and can affect a person´s temperament, memory, body temperature, sex drive, and overall fertility.
Because women often experience hormonal imbalance during menopause, it is recommended to take precautions to minimize some of its symptoms. Testosterone supplements are one such option, and the following paragraphs provide information on maintaining good hormonal balance along with the pros and cons of testosterone supplements.
Who should take testosterone supplements?
Quick Fact:
For the average person, doing the necessary research on what kind (and dosage) of testosterone supplements is vital. Otherwise, you may be at risk of some irreversible side effects due to an excess of testosterone. It is recommended that you consult your doctor on how to use them.
The most common users for testosterone supplements are bodybuilders and athletes. Because testosterone is used for muscle growth and repair, testosterone supplements allow the body to recover faster. Aside from body builders, testosterone supplements can be useful for men who suffer from a lack of sexual desire. Increasing the amount of testosterone usually increases a male´s sexual appetite. Indeed studies have indicated that men who take testosterone supplements suffer less from depression, have greater sexual desire, and feel less tired. Also many men often lose weight and gain muscle mass.
Testosterone supplements often have similar results for women as for men. They can alleviate depression, and increase energy levels and sex drive and restore depleted testosterone levels as a result of menopause.
This is because as women get older their testosterone levels fall. This is totally natural and simply part of the aging process. Despite this, women still need a certain amount of testosterone in order for their bodies to function healthily. Indeed, many women suffer from a low sex drive after menopause - often as a direct result of low testosterone. This can sometimes be addressed through testosterone supplements.
Are there any side effects of testosterone supplements?
The short answer is, unfortunately yes. Even a small dose of incorrectly administered testosterone supplements can have de-feminizing side effects on women, leading to a lowering of the voice, growing facial hair and shrinking of the breasts. For men, side effects include shrinking of testicles, breast growth in men, and a number of less serious side effects such as acne, and decreased sperm production.
It should be noted that testosterone supplements taken under correct medical supervision are unlikely to produce the range or severity of these symptoms. With that, there are other treatments for women with low testosterone which target the core problem of hormonal imbalance.
Testosterone supplements - can they really help?
Whilst drug companies tend to push testosterone supplements and testosterone inducing drugs as the best solution, this isn´t necessarily always the case. Before taking any decision about supplements, it is important to explore healthy lifestyle changes and natural remedies as the primary solution towards the problems associated with testosterone deficiency.
Before supplements can even take effect, it is necessary that the body is supported with everything it needs to maintain stable testosterone (and overall hormonal) levels. This means a good diet and regular exercise routine is crucial. On top of that, the issue of testosterone deficiency can be addressed through the use of alternative medicines, which are in many cases a less costly solution than pharmaceutical supplements. In general the most effective method of dealing with low testosterone tends to be a combination of the healthy lifestyle approach and alternative medicine supplements. Click the following link in order to find the best alternative treatments currently available.
Sources: Testosterone Supplements Reviewed by Natural-Hormones.net
