Male Hypogonadism 101

Male hypogonadism is often referred to as testosterone deficiency. This is a condition, in which the testes do not produce enough of the male sex hormone testosterone, sperm or both.

Male hypogonadism can be the result of a disease or underlying health condition relating to the testicles, or a disease or underlying health condition relating to the pituitary gland. It an also be a result of the normal ageing process (referred to as andropause). From around 40 years old, testosterone starts to decline in men. This is sometimes known as the male menopause.

Symptoms:

Male hypogonadism can happen either before puberty or after, and the symptoms will vary depending on when this occurs.

For the purposes of this blog post, we are going to focus on post puberty.

Symptoms can include:

• Erectile dysfunction
• Mood swings / depression
• Low libido
• Fatigue / sleep disruption
• Loss of body hair
• Increase in body fat
• Hot flushes
• Joint pain

Male hypogonadism has also been linked with type 2 diabetes. It is estimated that around 17% of men with type 2 diabetes have low testosterone.

What can we do about it:

Testosterone replacement treatment (TRT)

Testosterone replacement treatments can help ease symptoms of male hypogonadism, such as low libido, fatigue, loss of hair and loss of muscle.

Vitamins and Supplements:

Vitamin D

A vitamin D deficiency has been linked to infertility in men and lower testosterone levels. Supplementing with vitamin D could help support the balance of testosterone.

Zinc

Zinc deficiency has also been linked with low testosterone levels. Zinc is important for male reproductive health, as it is involved in the production of testosterone and maintaining sperm health. Zinc can be found in red meat, seafood and nuts. It can also be taken as a supplement.

Product recommendation: