Testosterone: "Sex" Hormone For The Mind

You probably already know that testosterone is the body's natural biochemical source for making men virile and physically strong. This sex hormone can increase lean muscle mass, sense of stamina, and sexual drive. But you may not know that testosterone plays an important role in sustaining a healthy mood and mental state.

Many clinical studies have found that when testosterone levels decline, negative mood factors such as depression, anger, confusion, anxiety, and fatigue often increase dramatically. Restoring the proper hormone balance in these men has been shown to improve friendliness, energy levels, and sense of well-being. These improvements from therapy, however, are only effective in men who show low baseline levels of testosterone.

Testosterone levels in men often start to diminish after the age of 30, and continue to decline throughout the aging process. Deficiencies can also arise from stress, chronic illness, smoking, and other factors.

DHEA, the natural steroid hormone your body uses to produce testosterone, has also been linked with optimal emotional well-being. Research indicates that DHEA can act as a powerful mood elevator. A University of California research team found that restoring DHEA to youthful levels in a group of aged adults resulted in a "remarkable increase in perceived physical and psychological well-being" for 67% of men and 84% of women. Another study showed that increase in the circulating levels of DHEA were directly related to an improvement in depression ratings among patients.

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References:

1. Alexander GM, Swerdloff RS, Wang C, Davidson T, McDonald V, Steiner B, Hines M. Androgen-behavior correlations in hypogonadal men and eugonadal men. Horm Behav 1997;31:110-119.
2. Burris AS, Banks SM, Carter CS, Davidson JM, Sherin JS. A long-term prospective suty of the physiologic and behavioral effects of hormone replacement therapy in untreated hypogonadal men. J Androl 1992;13(4):297-304.
3. Fink G, Sumner BEH, McQUeen JK, Wilson H, Rosie R. Sex steroid control of mood, mental state and memory. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 1998;25:764-775.
4. Morales AJ, Nolan JJ, Nelson JC, Yen SS. Effects of replacement dose of dehydroepiandrosterone in men and women of advancing age. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1994;78(6):1360-7.
5. Sternbach H. Age associated testosterone decline in men: clinical issues for psychiatry. Am J Psychiatr 1998;155(10):1310-1318.
6. Wang C, Alexander G, Berman N, Salehain B, Tina D, McDonald V, Steiner B, Hull L, Callegari C, Swerdloff RS. Testosterone replacement therapy improves mood in hypogonadal men — a clinical research center study. J Clin Endocrinol 1996;81(10):3578-3583.

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