The health effects of testosterone

Many people think that testosterone is only a hormone for men. In fact, it is actually important for both men and women. Men produce higher levels of testosterone in their bodies than women, but women need this hormone as well. That’s why it’s important to understand more about testosterone.

Healthy levels of testosterone for both men and women are important

What is testosterone?
Testosterone is typically recognized as the predominant “male hormone,” and estrogen is the primary “female hormone.” However, they’re both found in both men and women. Men produce this hormones in their testes, while women produce testosterone in their ovaries and adrenal glands.

Testosterone in men
Testosterone is the major sex hormone in males and plays a number of important roles. Those roles include the development of the penis and testicles, deepening of the voice and appearance of facial hair at puberty, muscle and bone strength, sex drive and sperm production.

Testosterone in women
During puberty, females experience an increase in estrogen, the hormone primarily responsible for bodily changes. Women do not produce testosterone at the same levels as men. But just as with men, women need testosterone to develop and function normally.¹  

Hormone levels rise and fall naturally. This includes testosterone. Blood levels vary from day to day, throughout life, and even during a single day. Maintaining good overall health can help both men and women maintain healthy testosterone levels.

Healthy strategies for healthy hormones

• Maintain healthy weight
  This is an important thing you can do for overall health. Balance your energy intake and output with healthy eating and activity habits.
• Exercise regularly
  Include a combination of stretching, aerobic activity and resistance training (like bands, weights or body weight). Try to keep sedentary time, like time spent sitting or lying while awake, to a minimum.
• Sleep well
  Work toward getting good quality and quantity of sleep on a regular basis.
• Limit alcohol and tobacco
  Skip or reduce tobacco and alcohol use for a variety of health benefits. Doing so can help can eliminate calories from alcohol, improve sleep and increase mental clarity. 
• Stress less
  Stress triggers your body to release many hormones. Managing stress can reduce the unhealthy effects of this physical and mental response. 
• Eat well
  Poor nutrition can also create an imbalance of hormones. Try to eat well-balanced meals. You can do so by having healthy whole grains, lean proteins and colorful fruits and vegetables every day. This will help you get the right amount of vitamins, fiber and essential nutrients.
• Manage chronic conditions
  Optimize your overall health to help keep your hormones in the right balance.

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Published June 1, 2023