Testosterone and DHEA: The Source of Healthy Male Sexual Function

Testosterone is a powerful male sex hormone. Produced in the testes, testosterone promotes the fundamental components of healthy sexual function, including gonadal development, sex drive, ejaculation, penis sensitivity, and erectile function.

Research shows a particularly strong relationship between sexual interest and testosterone levels as men reach middle and advanced age. As we age, the testes begin to produce less and less testosterone. By the age of 60, our testosterone levels may only be half their youthful peaks. This drop in hormone levels is believed to precede both a drop in sexual interest and erection frequency.

If you have low testosterone, you may feel a lack of sexual interest combined with overall fatigue. You may also experience reduced muscle mass, weight gain, irritability and depression. Other health conditions commonly associated with sexual dysfunction in men, such as diabetes, poor cardiovascular health, and thyroid imbalances, can be strongly influenced — and some believe even partly triggered — by chronic testosterone deficiencies.

Testosterone therapy is among the most widely used treatments for impotence in men. However, experts caution that this treatment is only effective — and safe — when used in men who have an initial testosterone deficiency. That's because higher than normal levels produce no added clinical benefit.

DHEA, an adrenal hormone, is used by the body to make testosterone, but it also has many functions of its own, including help to keep the immune system healthy and slowing the aging process.

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References:

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