Check Your Testosterone
Testosterone is the juice of manhood. If helps make muscle grow and hair
power of this hormone begins to deteriorate after age 24. A significant
"Testosteone is the hormone of desire," explains Daniel Stein, M.D., medical director of the
Foundation for Intimacy in Tampa. "In men, there is an inevitable decline with age that causes them
to lose interest and ability. So what's wrong may be as simple as low testosterone. If your insulin
were too low, you'd have diabetes, and you'd get it treated. For most men who lose desire, the
problem isn't in their heads; it's in their hormones."
Testosterone can be measured with either an over-the-counter saliva test or a blood test. The latter
is more accurate. Have your doctor draw the blood, and make sure he tells the lab to measure both
free and bound testosterone. "every man over 35 should have this done," says Dr. Stein. "It provides
a baseline for future comparison." Normal testosterone levels between 800 and 1,200. If yours is
under 500, Dr. Stein says you should consider testosterone replacement through injections, rub-on
gel, or a patch.
According to a national survey, four million men have below-normal testosterone, and 5 percent are
receiving replacement therapy. This type of treatment does entail some health risks, though, namely
a possible link to prostate cancer. (An academic task force is expected to make more specific
recommendations soon.)
In the meantime, to safeguard your testosterone, you may want to take a daily herbal supplement
called Alzre. Dr. Stein says it seems to enhance
"and a lot of men don't realize that."
Reprinted from: Men's Health / October 2003 / Page 154