Testosterone and the Sweet Stuff
Sexual Health
At The Endocrine Society's 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., Frances Hayes, an endocrinologist at St. Vincent's University Hospital in Dublin, Ireland stated the following:
"Both the incidence of low testosterone (also known as hypogonadism) in men and the annual number of testosterone prescriptions are increasing, likely as a result of obesity ...and our aging population."
In the past, research has suggested that a high level of insulin (the hormone secreted after eating) in a man's blood is related to low testosterone levels. When we eat, our blood glucose (sugar) level rises. That's just nature doing its thing; however, this also causes a rise in the secretion of insulin. Insulin is the hormone that regulates our blood sugar levels and promotes glycogen storage. Glycogen is a form in which body fuel is stored.
When all of these factors work together the way they should, you should have healthy testosterone levels. But when sugar intake is too high this can cause abnormally high glucose levels in the blood. This can then cause an imbalance in insulin, which can not only lead to diabetes, but can decrease your levels of testosterone, as well, according to a new study in which researchers examined the impact of a standard dose of glucose on testosterone levels in 74 men. Sixty-six of the men had normal testosterone levels prior to glucose administration.
Two hours after the study participants were given glucose, testosterone levels remained much lower in 73 of the 74 men. The study results showed that sugary foods can cause testosterone levels to drop by as much as 25 percent in some men, whether or not a man has diabetes or normal glucose tolerance. Of the 66 men who had normal testosterone levels before the test, 15 percent became hypogonadal at one or more time points during the test.
How do you know if your testosterone is low?
To determine testosterone levels, all that is required is a blood sample. From there, your doctor can determine whether or not you need to pursue testosterone therapy, but it is important an accurate measurement is made.
Since eating appears to have an effect on testosterone levels, current guidelines recommend that blood levels are taken and measured on two or more occasions in the morning (before eating breakfast) when your testosterone is at its highest. There are no guidelines on when to draw a testosterone sample in relation to food intake. Based on your test results, you doctor can determine how best to treat your low testosterone levels.
This is obviously a small study group and most likely other factors in each individual could have contributed to their results, but the researchers did state that other hormones that could lower your testosterone levels did not appear to affect results. The abstract did not make clear precisely which hormones were taken into consideration. As Hayes himself noted: "More research is needed to find the factor or factors responsible for this drop in testosterone".
So what's the bottom line? Well, most assuredly more studies are needed for a definitive statement that sugar is bad for testosterone levels; however, indications do tell us with little doubt that sugar can have a negative effect on those levels, so cutting back on the sweet stuff wouldn't hurt. Even a small reduction could have significant benefits.
See also: Weight and Sperm Quality?
