| Ways to Increase Testosterone Naturally
Many women are still leery
of hormonal supplements such as testosterone. Others do not have
the luxury of having a physician who is well versed in integrative
therapies. Most mainstream physicians still cling to the idea that
testosterone is a man’s hormone and
supplementing with it has no place in women’s health, even
with the abundance of scientific evidence showing otherwise. The
good news is that there are some proven, natural ways a woman can
safely increase her testosterone levels to maintain optimal health
into her forties, fifties, sixties, and beyond.
Multiple studies have shown that resistance exercise can increase
men’s testosterone levels. Some lesser-known but equally
impressive studies show that exercise likewise can increase women’s
testosterone levels, whether they are 20 or 60 years old. A study
in 2001 examined the acute effects of resistance exercise in 47
women aged 19 to 25.10 After just six sets of repetitive motion
squat exercises, significant increases were noted in both free
and total testosterone levels. A study in 2002 examined the effects
of endurance and resistance exercise on hormonal levels, including
testosterone, in women 19-69 years of age.11 As in the previous
study, testosterone levels increased significantly in women who
did either endurance or resistance exercises, regardless of their
age. Another study conducted in 2003, which examined the hormonal
effects of high-impact physical exercise in 25 early postmenopausal
women aged 53-59, showed a significant and acute rise in testosterone
levels following exercise.12
Like testosterone, DHEA is a hormone that has long been recognized
by holistic practitioners as essential for optimal health in women
and men. DHEA is secreted into the bloodstream by the adrenals
in humans and other primates, and then converted into DHEA sulfate
(DHEA-S). Since DHEA’s discovery, hundreds of scientific
articles have been published on its wide-ranging effects.
DHEA is a precursor to testosterone and estrogen. As with testosterone,
DHEA levels peak in women in their twenties and then slowly but
steadily decline, dropping by about 10% every decade of life. Some
intriguing early studies have correlated the decline in DHEA production
with many of the degenerative changes seen in aging in women and
men, such as heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis.13
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While it is considered physiologically “normal” for
DHEA to decline during aging, under certain conditions DHEA levels
plummet early in life. Addison’s disease, or primary adrenal
failure, occurs in about 1 in every 25,000 people. Without functioning
adrenal glands, the body cannot produce many important steroid
hormones, including DHEA. Standard treatment for this condition
has been to replace the missing hormones. Until very recently,
however, most mainstream physicians did not replace DHEA. Furthermore,
patients with Addison’s disease, even those who received
standard hormone replacement therapy, consistently report a reduced
quality of life with symptoms such as persistent fatigue and depression.
A recent study looked at the effects of DHEA supplementation
in patients with Addison’s disease.13 In this randomized,
double-blind trial, 39 patients (24 women and 15 men, aged 25-69)
were given either 50 mg of DHEA daily for 12 weeks, followed by
a four-week washout period, then 12 weeks of placebo, or vice versa.
After DHEA supplementation, blood levels of DHEA rose from subnormal
(as would be expected in Addison’s disease) to the normal
range for young adults. More important, both the women and men
taking DHEA showed significant positive psychological changes,
including enhancements in self-esteem and mood and a decrease in
fatigue.
Besides Addison’s disease, other conditions cause a significant
decrease in DHEA levels. Adrenal insufficiency is a condition in
which the adrenal glands secrete some hormones, but not at normal
levels. In a double-blind study of 24 women with adrenal insufficiency,
DHEA supplementation (50 mg daily for four months) raised DHEA-S
levels to normal.14 It also increased the women’s sense of
well being and frequency of sexual thoughts and interest, as well
as decreased depression and anxiety.
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DHEA Delays Aging’s Physical
Effects
Because DHEA is at
high levels in young adults and then declines precipitously thereafter,
there has been great interest in using DHEA as an anti-aging hormone.
One of the most widely touted studies that examine DHEA supplementation
to counteract the effects of aging was done by researchers at the
University of California School of Medicine.15 This randomized,
double-blind, placebo-controlled trial followed 17 women and 13
men, aged 40-70 years, over a six-month period. For three months,
they were given 50 mg per day of DHEA, then three months of placebo
at bedtime in random order. Within two weeks of starting DHEA,
the patients had attained DHEA blood levels of young adults. After
three months on DHEA, 82% of the women and 67% of the men reported
an increased sense of well being, which included improved quality
of sleep, less anxiety, increased energy, and improved ability
to handle stress.
DHEA and Optimizing Testosterone
Because DHEA is a precursor hormone
for testosterone, it makes sense to think that DHEA supplementation
could safely and effectively raise testosterone to optimal levels
in women of all ages. A 1998 study examined the effects of short-term
treatment of 100 mg per day of DHEA on postmenopausal women aged
52-56.16 This study showed that after only seven days of supplementation,
testosterone levels were significantly increased. Another study,
this one a randomized, placebo-controlled trial on
60 perimenopausal women aged 45-55, also examined the effects
of DHEA supplementation (50 mg per day) on testosterone and other
hormone levels over a three-month period.17 Again, women who took
DHEA supplements had significantly higher testosterone levels than
women who were in the placebo group. Finally, a study was done
that examined the hormonal effects of DHEA (50 mg per day) on 31
women, aged 50-65 years, over a six-month period.18 Like the previously
cited studies, women who took DHEA had higher levels of testosterone
as well as other “beneficial” hormones such as growth
hormone, which led the authors of the study to conclude that “DHEA
is more than a simple diet supplement or anti-aging product; rather,
it should be considered an effective hormonal replacement treatment.”
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DHEA and Sexual Function
In both pre- and postmenopausal women,
DHEA supplementation has been shown in multiple studies to have
a positive effect on sexual functioning. A randomized, double-blind,
placebo-controlled study published in 1999 examined the effects
of 50 mg per day of DHEA in 280 women and men aged 60-79 years.19 When compared to women taking placebo, the women taking DHEA reported
statistically significant improvements in libido, sexual activity,
and overall sexual satisfaction. A more recent study published
in 2002 in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy examined the
effects of 50 mg per day of DHEA on 111 pre-menopausal women aged
35-55 years over a period of two to six months.20 As in previous
studies, in this study women taking DHEA supplements reported significant
improvements in sexual function in terms of desire, arousal, lubrication,
satisfaction, and orgasm.
Slowly and begrudgingly, mainstream medicine is beginning to realize
that those who believe in the power of integrative medicine may
be on to something very important. As more studies show that supplements
like DHEA and hormones such as testosterone can help women maintain
their zest for life (and for sex) throughout their lives, it is
only a matter of time until all women, whether or not they have
a physician who is well versed in integrative medicine, will be
able to receive the medical care and guidance they deserve to live
long and healthy lives. |