Hormones like estrogen and testosterone are essential to the overall health of our bodies. We often think of estrogen as a “female” hormone and testosterone as a “male” hormone, but that’s not exactly accurate. Men and women each have both of these hormones, but high levels of estrogen in males can cause issues in several areas.
Hormones run in the background of our bodies, but they play a part in everything from our metabolism to our sleep to our sexual functioning. When hormone imbalances, such as high estrogen levels in males, occur, men experience a wide variety of symptoms. Low testosterone can also be problematic.
High estrogen in men has been linked with symptoms like lower libido, erectile dysfunction, reduced muscle mass, and tiredness, just to name a few. (2)
So, what can we do to help balance male hormones? Read on for some tips!
How Estrogen Typically Works in Males
Males typically have high levels of testosterone and low levels of estrogen. While men’s levels of estrogen are typically far less than what may occur in women, the proper levels of estrogen encourage proper bone growth, control cholesterol levels, and even play a role in sexual health. (3)
Estrogen is an important hormone in males, but too much estrogen can cause a host of other problems.
Symptoms of High Estrogen in Males
There are a wide range of symptoms caused by too much estrogen in men. These can include:
Infertility
Development of excess breast tissue
Erectile dysfunction
Reduced sex drive
Shrinking muscle mass (4)
These issues affect your everyday lives, including your relationship with your significant other and your overall fitness and even your self-esteem. Reduced vitality, weight gain, and a general reduction in overall wellness and fitness could be caused by too much estrogen.
Causes of High Estrogen in Males
High estrogen can have many different causes. Sometimes certain medications such as antibiotics can affect the ratio of testosterone to estrogen. (5) High estrogen could also be caused by:
Genetics
Estrogenic chemicals in foods and beauty products
Stress
Obesity
Liver diseases
Past or present mold exposure (6)
I love to run a DUTCH on my mold clients experiencing hormonal issues, male or female.
Mold exposure can cause both overall low hormone levels or excessive estrogen--it could go either way. But either will leave you symptomatic.
While you might not be able to control your genetics or all of the issues which cause high estrogen levels, that certainly doesn’t mean you need to continue suffering from the effects!
How to Test & Correct Hormone Imbalances
Many hormone imbalances are treatable, but the first step in determining if your levels are incorrect is testing. Testing is critical because it provides you with the hard data to develop a treatment plan.
I recommend the DUTCH hormone test, which can help discover the root causes for any changes in mood, sex drive, weight gain, or other issues. Using just four or five urine samples, it tests levels of:
Estrogen
Testosterone
Progesterone
DHEA
Cortisol
Melatonin
Some vitamins
Neurotransmitters
And more
Dried urine testing is accurate and reliable, and the DUTCH test is the best one I’ve found. Here’s just a snippet of the information you’ll receive from your report:
You can view a complete sample of the report you’ll receive here. But don’t worry, you don’t have to figure out your report on your own. Once we have the results from the test, my team will work carefully with you to develop a plan to address any imbalances revealed by the test.
Our optional custom consultation will help you determine the best ways to get back the life you love. We will work with you to create a treatment plan to improve your sexual vitality, increase your muscle mass, maintain a healthy weight, and increase your fitness performance.
Some ways we might address these issues include DHEA for muscle mass, erections and libido; melatonin for a good night’s sleep and better recovery after working out; or cortisol for energy and proper workout recovery.
Testing for Hormones
I’m so pleased to offer this custom service for my clients. You don’t have to fight the symptoms of imbalanced hormones alone; testing and treatment are available.
The DUTCH Test kit is $350 and includes:
Easy directions and filter paper collection strips
Requisition form for patient information, pertinent supplements, medications, hormone replacement and a health questionnaire
Sealable return envelope
Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP, is trained in functional health coaching and has worked with thousands of women over her career since 2004. She is the founder of Women’s Wellness Collaborative llc and FunctionalDetoxProducts.com.
Check out her easy 5-Day DIY Detox Guide here!
I was introduced to CoQ10 as an supplement about 4 years ago. At the time, I was in the middle of detoxing from mold, and I had already spent a lot of money on trying to heal. I was skeptical to try yet another thing, but the truth was that I was only about 50% better, which is not enough at all. So I tried it…