Showing posts with label hormones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hormones. Show all posts

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Benefits of Progesterone for Men

Progesterone is one of the main hormones that impacts a woman's menstrual cycle. This hormone also plays a smaller, yet important role in men's health, particularly during the ageing process. Though the subject is controversial and not all doctors believe in hormone replacement therapy for men, other doctors note benefits ranging from blood sugar regulation to cancer risk reduction. Be sure to see a healthcare professional if you believe your progesterone levels are low.

Helps Ease Depression
Supplementing with progesterone may help with easing depression in men, according to Dr. Michael E. Platt, in his book, "The Miracle of Bio-Identical Hormones." This is because progesterone impacts neurotransmitters in the brain, particularly mood-enhancing dopamine. It also helps with the production of serotonin, which helps in regulating mood and relieving anxiety. Platt recommends using the cream form instead of oral progesterone so it is able to bypass the liver.

Reduce Symptoms of Andropause
Men experience a similar hormonal change later in life called "andropause," less discussed than menopause. Lowered progesterone and testosterone levels are related to andropause, which includes side effects such as irritability, fatigue, anxiety, insomnia and an enlarged prostate, according to Dr. Michelle Tonkin and nutritionist Melissa Tonkin in their book, "That's the Key: Unlocking the Door to Health and Freedom in Every Area of Your Life." Increasing progesterone and testosterone and reducing estrogen levels can help ease these symptoms.

Regulates Blood Sugar
Another benefit of progesterone for men is that it helps regulate blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of diabetes. Dr. Platt notes in his book, "Natural Hormone Therapy for Men, Women and Children," that low progesterone can contribute to hyperinsulinemia, an excessive level of insulin circulating through the bloodstream. This can lead to obesity and obesity-related complications. Testosterone is often low, along with progesterone, in this situation; thus, make sure your doctor tests all hormone levels.

May Prevent Prostate Cancer
Dr. Platt believes that taking progesterone after age 50 may help men prevent prostate cancer, though this is unproven. He notes that as men get older, their progesterone levels decrease while their estrogen levels increase, which coincides with the time in life that prostate cancer becomes a risk. Also, lowered progesterone levels in women are linked to increased risks of several cancers, including breast cancer. This may be the same case for cancers specific to men.

Monday, December 2, 2013

How to Keep Your Balls in Order

A common problem amongst bodybuilders and other strength athletes is that of testicular shrinkage during the prolonged use of androgens / anabolic steroids.

This can be thought of in the following way: the hypothalamus in the human brain has a detection mechanism which regulates the release of many hormones which control the production of androgens by the testes and the adrenal glands. If this detection mechanism detects an abnormally high amount of androgen / anabolic steroids, which it recognises primarily as testosterone, then the hormones responsible for testosterone release will have their production decreased, and so the testes etc. will no longer be stimulated by these hormones, and so will cease, or decrease, production of natural testosterone, and so cause testicular shrinkage.

 Oestrogen (androgens can aromatise in the body into oestrogens) have even more of a shut-off effect upon the release of androgens via the hypothalamus, and so we have a "double-edged" problem, with both androgens / anabolic steroids (which are all basically androgens) and oestrogens causing shut-down of hormonal stimulation of the testes, and thus testicular shrinkage.

One of the best ways to avoid this is to take some Tamoxifen (perhaps 20mg per day) in order to stop the oestrogen, from the aromatisation of androgens, acting upon receptors in the hypothalamus. Therefore, even though the oestrogens are still there, their effect is blocked by the Tamoxifen. This is also very useful to prevent gynaecomastia (bitch tits), i.e. formation of breast tissue in the male, caused by aromatisation of the androgens to oestrogens in the body.

Another very good idea is to use chrysin (an isoflavone compound, derived from plants), which prevents the formation of oestrogen in the first place, by inhibiting the enzymes which perform aromatisation on the androgens, and so very much reduce the production of oestrogens from the steroids, hence reducing the effect upon the hypothalamus, and so upon the testes. Therefore, testicular shrinkage can be very much reduced, and so you are likely to be preserving that part of the function of your endocrine hormonal system.

 What if you say you don't care about it? Well, you can probably say goodbye to getting an erection if your own endocrine system is messed up, and you may also risk life-long infertility. Look after your health, and you will have a longer and happier life, and in this case, a more active sex life.

In general, if natural testosterone production shuts-down, then men experience problems in getting erections, or even become impotent, whilst wanting more sex! VERY frustrating, as you can imagine. Alternatively, sex drive may disappear completely, or be very much reduced.

 Therefore, the message from this article is to use Tamoxifen AND chrysin DURING, and for four or five weeks AFTER a steroid cycle. It is then advisable to be off steroids for as long a period of time as you were on them, before you begin your next cycle. It is also advisable to use HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin) both during, and for four or five weeks after a steroid cycle. This acts directly upon the testes themselves, and helps to keep natural testosterone production going along.

If your testes do shrink slightly, then don't panic, as they will return to normal upon cessation of steroid use, as long as shrinkage is not severe: if so, stop the steroid cycle immediately by slowly tapering down the dosages (stop injectables first, followed by reducing oral steroid dosages).

Enjoy your bodybuilding, but remember, nobody should consider taking anabolic steroids until they have gained everything they can by using hard training, enough rest, a lot of protein, and everything else from the health food store i.e. by training naturally. This can take anything up to eight or ten years of consistent training, i.e. you have to make bodybuilding part of your life-style.

You are living dangerously if you don't follow this advice, and once you are so fit, you will experience far fewer, or no, side effects from steroids after all these years of natural training, i.e. you have 'prepared' your body for them.

Monday, September 23, 2013

Male breast cancer

Male breast cancer is cancer that forms in the breast tissue of men. Though breast cancer is most commonly thought of as a woman's disease, male breast cancer does occur.

Male breast cancer is most common in older men, though male breast cancer can occur at any age.

Men diagnosed with male breast cancer at an early stage have a good chance for a cure. Still, many men delay seeing their doctors if they notice unusual signs or symptoms, such as a breast lump. For this reason, many male breast cancers are diagnosed when the disease is more advanced.

Causes
It's not clear what causes male breast cancer. Doctors know that male breast cancer occurs when some breast cells begin growing abnormally. These cells divide more rapidly than healthy cells do. The accumulating cells form a tumor that may spread (metastasize) to nearby tissue, to the lymph nodes or to other parts of the body.

Where breast cancer begins in men
Everyone is born with a small amount of breast tissue. Breast tissue is made up of milk-producing glands (lobules), ducts that carry milk to the nipples and fat. Women begin developing more breast tissue during puberty and men do not. Because men are born with a small amount of breast tissue, they can develop breast cancer.

Types of breast cancer diagnosed in men include:

    Cancer that begins in the milk ducts. Ductal carcinoma is the most common type of male breast cancer. Nearly all male breast cancers begin in the milk ducts.
    Cancer that begins in the milk-producing glands. Lobular carcinoma is rare in men because men have few lobules in their breast tissue.
    Cancer that spreads to the nipple. In some cases, breast cancer can form in the milk ducts and spread to the nipple, causing crusty, scaly skin around the nipple. This is called Paget's disease of the nipple.

Inherited genes that increase breast cancer risk
Some men inherit mutated genes from their parents that increase the risk of breast cancer. Mutations in one of several genes, especially a gene called BRCA2, put you at greater risk of developing breast and prostate cancers. The normal function of these genes is to help prevent cancer by making proteins that keep cells from growing abnormally. But if they have a mutation, the genes aren't as effective at protecting you from cancer.

Meeting with a genetic counselor and undergoing genetic testing can determine whether you carry gene mutations that increase your risk of breast cancer. Discuss the benefits and risks of genetic testing with your doctor.

Factors that increase the risk of male breast cancer include:

    Older age. Breast cancer is most common in men ages 60 to 70.
    Exposure to estrogen. If you take estrogen-related drugs, such as those used as part of a sex-change procedure, your risk of breast cancer is increased. Estrogen drugs may also be used in hormone therapy for prostate cancer.
    Family history of breast cancer. If you have a close family member with breast cancer, you have a greater chance of developing the disease.
    Klinefelter's syndrome. This genetic syndrome occurs when a boy is born with more than one copy of the X chromosome. Klinefelter's syndrome causes abnormal development of the testicles. As a result, men with this syndrome produce lower levels of certain male hormones (androgens) and more female hormones (estrogens).
    Liver disease. If you have liver disease, such as cirrhosis of the liver, your male hormones may be reduced and your female hormones may be increased. This can increase your risk of breast cancer.
    Obesity. Obesity may be a risk factor for breast cancer in men because it increases the number of fat cells in the body. Fat cells convert androgens into estrogen, which may increase the amount of estrogen in your body and, therefore, your risk of breast cancer.
    Radiation exposure. If you've received radiation treatments to your chest, such as those used to treat cancers in the chest, you're more likely to develop breast cancer later in life.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Having Too Much Sex Can Make You Gain Or Lose Weight?



Some researchers say that having a lot of sex helps women burn calories and lose weight, while others sustain firmly that having too much sex is actually making women gain weight. Fitness magazine asked 2,400 women if they would sacrifice a full year of sex to be skinny and 51 percent said yes, which means that nowadays, many women have serious self-esteem and body issues. So, if you’re one of these women, whose opinion should you trust?
There’s a study that says women gain weight on their breasts and hips once they start making love. However, a recent research shows this is an absolute myth because there is no physiological reason why the breasts or hips should become enlarged or disfigured after a woman starts having sex.
According to some scientists, by having sex three times a week a woman can burn as many calories as running 30 miles per week, which came as good news for people who wants to lose weight easily. Besides, they sustain that ejaculated semen cannot get digested and assimilated in the bloodstream, and, in any case, 2–3 ml of semen, which is the average ejaculation, contains only about 15 calories.
Some recent studies analyzed for a long time couples who lived together for at least three years and concluded that increasing the number of intercourses per week, women’s appetite for food increases as well. According to this research, 62% of women gain more pounds than women who were having less sex. Besides, Swedish women tend to believe this study and they prefer to jog than to make love.
It seems that jogging gives them much faster satisfaction than sex, because when making love you need to have a foreplay that takes time and in the end there can be no satisfaction at all. So, why wasting all this time, when you can get the same endorphins while jogging? On the other hand, U.S.A. and the countries in Eastern Europe seem to keep sex on the top of the priorities list because they have the highest number of overweight and obese women. But, if you’re to believe another study made by the Society for Sex Therapy and Research, 13 minutes of sex won’t definitely make you hungry no matter how often you are making love.
Therefore, it’s up to you what study to believe in. but after all, the best thing you can do is to make your own research: have as much sex as you like (or can) and see for yourself if you are gaining or losing weight.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Testosterone Rate In Male Body


Medical officers determined that testosterone rate in male body varies greatly throughout the day. The highest rate of this hormone is at 4 AM and lowest rate at 5 PM. However, there exist particular norms of testosterone rate in a male.

Excess amount of testosterone is harmful for a male as well as its deficiency. Usually men with androgynous failure are diagnosed at the early age, or vise versa, it is found in men over 45. It may be inherent or acquired after treatment of male diseases.

Special analysis helps to detect testosterone rate in the body. However, body shows it lacks testosterone with next symptoms:
- men feels upset
- no sexual desire
- apathy
- loss of muscle mass
- bad mood
Males experiencing these symptoms should go to the doctor.

Main causes of testosterone rate lowering:
- bad ecology
- alcohol
- smoking
- stress
- sedentary lifestyle
- male diseases

It is not a secret that testosterone rate may be increased with the help of medications. For example, sportsmen take such medications to increase their muscle mass quickly in order to get desirable athletic body. But andrologists strictly prevent from self-treatment when the talk is about hormones. Only doctor may decide is it necessary to increase artificially testosterone rate or not.  Excess amount of testosterone may lead to drastic consequences for the body (potency loss, infertility).

That is why you should not strive for Arnold Schwarzenegger look because this is harmful for your body. It is better to get athletic body with long trainings in the gym instead of using hormones and then for years to suffer from that.

In order to increase testosterone rate naturally a male should consume daily coarse-grained bread, brown rice, green leaf vegetables, celeriac, cheese, tuna, chicken breast, sea foods, vegetable oil. Vitamin B is needed. Consume less alcohol and meat products. You should sleep not less than 8 hors daily, have regularly morning sex, walks and make regular exercises.