Low Testosterone

This Hormone Type means your testosterone support might need boosting. This is common in (peri)menopausal years and when you’re high-achieving, active, and driven. 

Low-testosterone symptoms can also happen when certain nutrition, lifestyle, and genetic factors tamp down the production of testosterone.

If this resonates, you’re not alone!

Thankfully, there are many things you can do to improve symptoms (which don’t include expensive lab tests, supplements, or meds).

It can be simple and starts with a personalized approach that includes: balancing stress and blood sugar, optimizing sleep, reducing your exposure to common endocrine disruptors, and improving elimination pathways (think sweat and gut health).

Read on to find out more.

How it happens

Fluctuations in testosterone are common, and you don’t have to live with it. A drop in testosterone levels could cause you to feel a loss in strength or low energy, mood, or libido. It can cause weight gain, infertility, menstrual irregularities, sleep disturbances, and more.

Genetics, nutrition, and lifestyle could play a part, and testosterone imbalance is most often multifactorial. Women arrive at it for multiple reasons, not usually just one.

Some of these reasons could be:

• Low cholesterol
• Low-fat diet or nutrient deficient diet
• Low body fat
• Chronic stress or HPA axis maladaptation
• High level of SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin)
• High activity of the aromatase enzyme
• Obesity
• Childbirth
• Certain medications, especially birth control pills

Low testosterone symptoms

Low testosterone will present itself differently in different women. You might have a few or many of the above symptoms, while someone you know could have completely different ones.

Common symptoms include: 

• Low libido
• Low energy
• Decreased ability to perform sexually
• Sleep disturbances
• Reduced muscle mass
• Diminishing strength
• Pain and achy joints
• Wrinkled skin
• Dry, thinning hair and skin
• Sagging cheeks and lips
• Depressed mood
• Worry, anxiety, fear
• Low motivation
• Trouble to control bladder or urinary leakage
• Reduced bone density or strength
• Struggles with maintaining weight
• Cardiovascular symptoms or heart disease
• Inability to orgasm
• Infertility or miscarriage

Nutrient associated with low testosterone

Certain nutrients are needs for hormones to be functioning optimally. For testosterone, some of those include:

• Zinc
• Magnesium
• Vitamins D, C, E, K, B6
• Folate (B9)
• Vitamin A
• Carnitine

Dearest Reader,

This information is for educational purposes only and not intended to diagnose or highlight imperfections. You've likely landed here following my quiz at YourHormoneQuiz.com.

No matter what you discover in these results, you're beautiful and perfect as you are. You're good enough and trying hard enough.

We're all unique and will experience hormonal shifts differently. This information is here to highlight that, despite what we've been told, we're not just little men — our bodies work differently — and if our hormones have us feeling less than our best, we absolutely can do something about it.

My aim is to support and empower you on your journey, where you need and want it. Take what you need, leave what you don't.

No judgement here, just good honest support.

XO, Laurie

What to watch out for with low testosterone

• Green tea —​​​​​​​ Can raise SHBG, which binds up testosterone and makes it unavailable
• Mint tea —​​​​​​​ Can lower testosterone levels because it can raise SHBG
• Alcohol —​​​​​​​ It raises SHBG, which lowers free testosterone and depletes zinc (among other important nutrients), which is needed for testosterone production.
• Avoid fish species highest in mercury
• Avoid aluminum —​​​​​​​ Check your deodorant or antiperspirant
• Avoid personal care products with phthalates, parabens, hydroquinone, and synthetic fragrances — Assume all fragrances are synthetic unless they come from essential oils.

What you can do about it

When dealing with hormone imbalance, it’s important to address what’s causing it. Ask yourself: What could be at the root of low testosterone? Dealing with the root cause is essential.

Restoring balance most often requires — first and foremost — reestablishing a strong foundation with a supportive diet and lifestyle. This includes optimizing nutrition and sleep, finding movement and stress management techniques, reducing toxic exposures, and working on mindset and social support.

Check out this post for even more ways to get your hormones back in harmony.

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, manage, or treat disease or serious conditions. Always check with your doctor before making any changes. It's important to consult a well-informed health practitioner for personal advice about your situation before relying on general information — we're all wonderfully unique.