Category: Men’s Health

The patient population that the Naturopathic doctor is most likely to encounter is that of the man with late onset hypogonadism (LOH). Male menopause, low T and testicular hypofunction all refer to the fact that male total testosterone (TT) or free testosterone (FT) levels are low. Often the treatment is the same regardless of cause. Causes include testicular injury, obesity, hypopituitarism, head injury, opioid use, age, primary testicular failure, and congenital causes such as Klinfelter’s syndrome. Obesity decreases TT due to an insulin resistance-associated feedback loop mediated by reductions in sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and FT will go up marginally. Obesity can also suppress the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPGA) leading to lowered TT and FT[1]. Poor diet and lifestyle choices including high stress and lack of sleep also contribute to low testosterone. TBI can disturb the communication between the hypothalamus and the pituitary. Male T levels normally fluctuate with a natural diurnal rhythm and are highest in the early morning and lowest right before bed. It is agreed that the diagnosis of low T can be made when TT is below 300 ng/dL on two separate morning blood draws. The production of T is driven by the HPGA. Gonadotropin releasing...

How Testosterone Replacement Therapy Has Evolved Over Time Male menopause, low testosterone (low t) and testicular hypofunction all refer to the fact that male testosterone levels are low. The cause may be different, but the treatment is the same. Bioidentical testosterone replacement therapy (BHRT) and testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) also mean the same thing, at least in the United States because synthetic testosterone drugs can damage the liver. This makes them a poor choice for long term use. On your next trip down to Mexico you will see some of these behind the counter. The synthetic testosterone imitators are illegal in most first world countries. Examples are: methyltestosterone, fluoxymesterone, oxymetholone, oxandrolone, ethylestrenol, stanozolol, danazol, methandrostenolone, and norethandrolone. Much has changed in 20 years since I graduated from naturopathic medical school. Back in the day, regular insurance-based doctors were very reluctant to prescribe testosterone. They would usually refer patients to an endocrinologist. To qualify for testosterone the patient would have to have very low levels, below 250 typically. Back then, after seeing the specialist, the patient would have to come in every two weeks, or perhaps once a month, and receive a shot at the doctor’s office. The problem with this is that for days following the...

I have been practicing preventive, integrative and naturopathic medicine for over 20 years. I currently specialize in men’s health and preventive cardiology including all aspects of blood pressure control, cholesterol management as well as aggressive early detection and treatment of cardiovascular disease. I also work with athletes, both old and young, and as a competitive endurance athlete myself, I have a lot of personal experience. How do Nutrients Affect Exercise Performance? For optimal performance, we need our system to be firing on all 8 cylinders. To do this we need adequate vitamins, minerals and amino acids for biochemical reactions to take place. For example, macro and micro nutrients such as fat, amino acids, carbohydrates, CoQ10, lipoic acid, selenium, glutathione and carnitine are needed for the Krebs cycle. The Krebs cycle makes ATP, which is critical for muscle contraction and cellular function, within the mitochondria. Think of mitochondria as the powerhouse of the cell and ATP as the energy currency. A nutrient deficiency may affect ATP production or cause a decoupling reaction. The Importance of Nutritional Testing Do you follow a vegetarian or plant-based diet? Is your conventional diet well balanced? Are you getting all the blood work needed for optimum...