DrCohen's blog

As the old saying goes, “you are what you eat.“ If you want to maintain high levels of testosterone, it is extremely important to follow the following testosterone enhancing diet:

Eat more vegetables. Especially green leafy and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, kale, swiss chard, brussels sprouts and cabbage. These vegetables contain phytochemicals, which are essential for healthy hormone production and estrogen metabolism.

Limit excessive carbohydrate intake. High carbohydrate intake from simple sugars and starches (breads, cereals, pasta and potatoes) can create a rapid rise in blood sugar, which stimulates an over production of insulin and cortisol—the two hormones that work against testosterone to diminish it.

Make sure you eat enough protein. In Latin, the word ‘protein’ literally means ‘above all else.’ Without adequate protein, you will not provide your muscles with the essential amino acids they need for growth, repair and maximum function. Protein intake should range from one to one and a half grams per pound of body weight per day.

Forget low fat! Make sure 30 percent of your diet comes from healthy fats. It’s a little known fact that testosterone—and all other important male hormones—are actually made from cholesterol (a protective fat the body makes from dietary fats). When fats become deficient in the diet, testosterone levels decline. Research indicates that men who eat monounsaturated fats (found in canola, peanut and olive oils) have higher testosterone levels. Also important are essential fats (found in cold-water fish, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, hemp, chia and flaxseed) that should be eaten on a regular, daily basis.

Of course this doesn’t mean that a man’s diet should be a fatty ‘free-for-all.’ There are good fats and there are bad fats. Avoid trans-fats such as those found in margarine and other processed foods and omega-6 oils such as corn, soy and safflower.

Consume at least ¾ ounce of water per pound of body weight per day. Clean, filtered water is crucial for optimum health. Eliminate sodas, flavored waters, carbonated beverages and canned or bottled juices. These liquids are acidic in nature and have negative effects on the body’s metabolism.

Eat five smaller (instead of three larger) well-balanced meals each day. The body needs a steady supply of nutrients to produce testosterone. Smaller, more frequent meals will help maintain steady blood sugars and decrease unnecessary stress hormone release. To insure getting five balanced meals daily, it is very useful to use the meal replacements below, especially if you have a busy schedule and are always ‘on the go.’

Eat one meal-replacement protein bar as a mid-day or evening snack. The Organic Protein Bar, the Biochem Greens and Whey Bar and Honey Stinger Protein Bar are good choices. They are all-natural and provide a favorable balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat.

Have a ‘power drink’ once a day. Combine 1 scoop of whey protein, ½ scoop egg or rice protein and 1 or 2 scoops of a powdered phytonutrient formula such as the Emerald Balance super nutrition formula; 4 oz. almond milk, ¼ cup frozen strawberries or blueberries and 1 tablespoon of hemp seed. Add ice and water to taste. Blend for even consistency.

Eat one to two hardboiled eggs daily. Not only are small amounts of dietary cholesterol important for the formation of testosterone, eggs provide the essential fatty acids necessary for optimal hormonal regulation.

Avoid soy products. Still considered by many to be a ‘health food,’ the most recent research shows that soy is nothing of the sort. Unfermented soy products have undesirable effects on the male body. Soy contains phytonutrients that mimic estrogen and interfere with the body's ability to use minerals, protein and oxygen. Furthermore, most soybeans are grown on farms that use toxic pesticides and herbicides. Many beans are harvested from genetically-altered plants. And the demand for soy products is causing devastating, world-wide damage to rainforests.

If you want to maintain healthy hormonal levels, avoid all soy products other than the occasional use of fermented soy such as tempeh or soy sauce.

Please visit this site for an overview of the many issues regarding the use of non-fermented soy as a food source.

www.mercola.com/article/soy/index.htm

Drinking soda and other sugary beverages may make you a bedroom flop.

Canadian scientists found that maintaining a diet high in sugar can temporarily lower your testosterone levels, which in turn can undermine your erections and sap your sex drive. That's because a constant surfeit of sugar creates a domino effect: your triglycerides go up, your sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) goes down, and then your testosterone goes into hibernation. "When you're deficient in SHBG, it signals your body to stop making testosterone altogether," says study author Geoffrey Hammond, Ph.D.

If you're consuming a high-sugar diet, this chain reaction can happen in 4 months. But swear off sweets, and your testosterone should come roaring back.

Dr. Cohen's Notes:

Too many carbohydrates, especially from simple sugars, are the most common culprit in reducing testosterone to estradiol ratios. Please download my free booklet, "Be All the Man You Can Be" for dietary recommendations for healthy hormone levels.

A vast array of pharmaceuticals including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated Press investigation shows.

To be sure, the concentrations of these pharmaceuticals are tiny, measured in quantities of parts per billion or trillion, far below the levels of a medical dose. But the presence of so many prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines like acetaminophen and ibuprofen in so much of our drinking water is heightening worries among scientists of long-term consequences to human health.

In the course of a five-month inquiry, the AP discovered that drugs have been detected in the drinking water supplies of 24 major metropolitan areas from Southern California to Northern New Jersey, from Detroit to Louisville, Ky. The situation is undoubtedly worse than suggested by the positive test results in the major population centers documented by the AP.To make matters worse, the federal government doesn't require any testing and hasn't set safety limits for drugs in water.

In the United States, the problem isn't confined to surface waters. Pharmaceuticals also permeate aquifers deep underground, source of 40 percent of the nation's water supply. Federal scientists who drew water in 24 states from aquifers near contaminant sources such as landfills and animal feed lots found minuscule levels of hormones, antibiotics and other drugs.

Perhaps it's because Americans have been taking drugs and flushing them unmetabolized or unused in growing amounts. Over the past five years, the number of U.S. prescriptions rose 12 percent to a record 3.7 billion, while nonprescription drug purchases held steady around 3.3 billion, according to IMS Health and The Nielsen Co. "People think that if they take a medication, their body absorbs it and it disappears, but of course that's not the case," said EPA scientist Christian Daughton, one of the first to draw attention to the issue of pharmaceuticals in water in the United States.

Pharmaceuticals in waterways are also damaging wildlife across the nation and around the globe, research shows. Notably, male fish are being feminized, creating egg yolk proteins, a process usually restricted to females. Pharmaceuticals also are affecting sentinel species at the foundation of the pyramid of life such as earth worms in the wild and zooplankton in the laboratory, studies show.

There's growing concern in the scientific community, meanwhile, that certain drugs or combinations of drugs may harm humans over decades because water, unlike most specific foods, is consumed in sizable amounts every day. Our bodies may shrug off a relatively big one-time dose, yet suffer from a smaller amount delivered continuously over a half century, perhaps subtly stirring allergies or nerve damage. Pregnant women, the elderly and the very ill might be more sensitive.

Many concerns about chronic low-level exposure focus on certain drug classes: chemotherapy that can act as a powerful poison; hormones that can hamper reproduction or development; medicines for depression and epilepsy that can damage the brain or change behavior; antibiotics that can allow human germs to mutate into more dangerous forms; pain relievers and blood-pressure diuretics. For several decades, federal environmental officials and nonprofit watchdog environmental groups have focused on regulated contaminants: pesticides, lead, PCBs which are present in higher concentrations and clearly pose a health risk. However, some experts say medications may pose a unique danger because, unlike most pollutants, they were crafted to act on the human body.

"These are chemicals that are designed to have very specific effects at very low concentrations. That's what pharmaceuticals do. So when they get out to the environment, it should not be a shock to people that they have effects," says zoologist John Sumpter at Brunel University in London, who has studied trace hormones, heart medicine and other drugs. And while drugs are tested to be safe for humans, the time frame is usually over a matter of months, not a lifetime.

Pharmaceuticals also can produce side effects and interact with other drugs at normal medical doses. That's why aside from therapeutic doses of fluoride injected into potable water supplies pharmaceuticals are prescribed to people who need them, not delivered to everyone in their drinking water.

Dr. Cohen Comment:

I think the case is very clear that we are being bombarded on all fronts with hormonal effecting chemicals. What to do, short of heading off to a remote island, which these days may not even be of use?

*Reduce exposure as much as possible through use of organic produce,
elimination of plastic containers and filtered water.

*Periodically check your key hormone levels including testosterone, DHT and estradiol.

*Consider use of a nutritional based anti-estrogen herbal product such as that found in OptiMale RX.

Testosterone is commonly-recognized as the ‘master’ male hormone because it controls and directs the rate of a man’s sexual development. Testosterone also plays a key role in determining a man’s overall health and well-being. High levels of testosterone mean sexual, physical and mental energy, stamina and vitality. Low levels contribute to fatigue, premature aging and disease.

And while testosterone levels naturally decline with age, a number of other lifestyle factors including stress, physical inactivity, over-training, lack of sleep, chronic illness, smoking, drinking and the use of prescription medications and drugs can also contribute to the onset of low testosterone.

Along with this decline in testosterone with age and lifestyle, many men also experience increases in the levels of estrogen. The result is a testosterone/estrogen imbalance that directly causes many of the debilitating health problems associated with normal aging.

The vast majority of men are surprised to learn that estrogen (a ‘female’ hormone) is also present in their bodies. It is produced in very small amounts as a by-product of the testosterone conversion process. And in fact, balanced levels of estrogen in men are essential to encourage a healthy libido, improved brain function, protect the heart and strengthen the bones.

But due to estrogenic environmental pollutants such as bisphenol A, aging, body fat, hormonal replacement, nutritional deficiencies, prescription medications and excessive alcohol intake many men experience high levels of estrogen which are detrimental to their health. In fact, studies have shown that the estrogen levels of the average 54-year-old man is higher than those of the average 59-year-old women. The end result is that these high levels of estrogen can cause reduced levels of testosterone, fatigue, loss of muscle tone, increased body fat, loss of libido and sexual function and an enlarged prostate.

In youth, small amounts of estrogen are used to reduce the cell-stimulating effects of testosterone. But when there is too little testosterone present, estrogen attaches to testosterone cell receptor sites throughout the body. Subsequently, as estrogen levels increase with age, testosterone is not able to stimulate the cells causing reduced sexual arousal and sensation as well the loss of libido. Other problems associated with excessive levels of estrogen include:

(1) The shut down of normal testicular production of testosterone. Excess estrogen can saturate testosterone receptors in the hypothalamus in the brain therefore reducing the signal sent to the pituitary gland. This in turn reduces the secretion of luteinizing hormone, which is necessary for the gonads to produce testosterone.

(2) Increasing the body's production of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). SHBG binds testosterone therefore reducing the amount of the clinical important free testosterone in the blood available to cell receptor sites.

(3) A reduced effectiveness of the testosterone replacement therapy due to excess aromatization of testosterone medications to estrogen.

(4) Long-term health risks including an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers.

The evidence is clear that it is essential for men who are concerned about healthy aging, who are suffering from symptoms of low testostersone or undergoing testosterone replacement therapy need to take aggressive action and assess their estrogen levels and reduce any excessive estrogen to a safe range.

Saliva testing is an excellent method to inexpensively test the important male hormones including estradiol, the most active form of estrogen. If testing shows that your estradiol levels are high and/or free testosterone levels are low or low normal, you are using testosterone or prohormone support, you desire increased abdominal fat loss or you want to protect your prostate the following protocol is suggested.

(1) Lose weight. Fat cells, especially in the abdominal region, produce the aromatase enzyme, which converts testosterone into estrogen.

(2) Reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption to enable your liver to better remove excess estrogens.

(3) Get 80-90 mg a day of zinc. Zinc functions as an aromatase inhibitor for some men.

(4) Increase the amount of cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower and flax these promote the liver to metabolize and excrete excess estrogen

(5) Reduce or eliminate and medications that you are regularly taking that may interfere with your healthy liver function. Common medications include NSAIDs (e.g. ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin), the "statin" class of cholesterol lowering drugs, some heart and blood pressure medications, and some anti-depressants.

(6) Eliminate your exposure to estrogenic chemicals.

1. Only use glass baby bottles and dishes for your baby

2. Store your food and beverages in glass -- NOT plastic -- containers

In the event that you do opt to use plastic containers for your food, be sure to avoid those marked on the bottom with the recycling label No. 7, as these varieties may contain BPA.

Containers marked with the recycling labels No. 1, No. 2, and No. 4 do not contain BPA (however they may contain other unsavory chemicals that you’re best off avoiding by using glass instead).

3. If you choose to use a microwave, don’t microwave food in a plastic container

4. Stop buying and consuming canned foods and drinks

5. Avoid using plastic wrap (and never microwave anything covered in it)

6. Get rid of your plastic dishes and cups, and replace them with glass varieties

7. If you opt to use plastic kitchenware, at least get rid of the older, scratched-up varieties, avoid putting them in the dishwasher, and don’t wash them with harsh detergents, as these things can cause more chemicals to leach into your food

8. Avoid using bottled water; filter your own using a reverse osmosis filter instead

9. Before allowing a dental sealant to be applied to you, or your children’s, teeth, ask your dentist to verify that it does not contain BPA

Worries about the hormone-mimicking chemical bisphenol A (BPA) used in Nalgene plastic water containers have led a major Canadian retailer to remove Nalgene, along with other polycarbonate plastic containers, from store shelves in early December.

Although the colorful, durable, and lightweight Nalgene water bottles have been the choice of outdoor enthusiasts for years, scientific evidence has shown the plastic used to make these bottles may pose serious health hazards. Made from lexan polycarbonate resin, lexan was believed to be the ideal material for water bottles. It’s extremely durable and doesn’t allow odors or flavors to cling to distort the taste of whatever you store in it. It was also thought that lexan did not leach BPA -- a notion that has since been shown to be incorrect.

BPA is used to make hard plastic that’s used in numerous products including:

* Polycarbonate plastic baby bottles
* Large water-cooler containers and sports bottles
* Microwave-oven dishes
* Canned-food liners
* Some dental sealants for children

The compound, bisphenol A (BPA), is one of the most-produced chemicals in the world, and almost everyone has traces of it -- or more -- in their bodies. The most troubling problem with BPA is that it mimics the female hormone estrogen.

Your body is extremely sensitive to sex hormones, and miniscule amounts can induce profound changes. Therefore, scientists are afraid even low levels of BPA could have a negative impact on human health.

Moreover, there is evidence (among mice and rats) that even low doses of BPA can cause:

* Reduced testosterone levels
* Prostate disorders
* Hyperactivity
* Early puberty
* Increased fat formation
* Abnormal sexual behavior
* Disrupted reproductive cycles
* Structural damage to the brain

Yet, the FDA and the plastics industry continue to argue, despite the evidence, that BPA-based products, subjected to us and the environment for over 50 years, do not pose a health risk.

Dr. Cohen Note: Even though there is little dispute that BPA can disrupt the hormonal system. Even though an expert panel of researchers recently reported that after reviewing over 700 studies, that the potential for BPA to affect human health is a concern. And even though many Americans currently have higher levels of BPA than those found to cause harm in lab animals, the U.S. health and environmental regulators keep insisting there is no evidence of harm to human health!

As we have seen in the past with various medications and industrial products, the FDA and industry can not be trusted to protect anything other than their bottom line!

Estrogenic chemicals are at the root of many illnesses and unfortunately there is no end in sight to their use. They are cheap, functional and pervasive in many facets of modern industry. This is just another reason that is essential to assess your levels of estrogen whenever you are testing male hormonal health.

Next week: I will post information about how you can reduce your exposure to these estrogenic chemicals.