How is Your Sex Drive?
Monday, February 11, 2019 at 3:19PM Was sex fun and important to you, but now it does not happen much? Do you or your spouse feel tired, or frequently not in the mood? Do you want to have that youthful spark back? We will talk about some very
Photo Credit Foto Miki common reasons I see in my practice, but often overlooked issues that contribute to erectile dysfunction or low libido. You'll learn about some natural ways to balance hormones without taking synthetic hormones. Certain hormone therapies may increase cancer risk and have other side effects. Good news is that there are many other ways to successfully increase libido and sexual function.
Causes of Low Libido in Men
Most men think of low testosterone as a reason for ED or decreased libido. But taking testosterone does not fix the reason why it is low in the first place and is not without side effects. One reason testosterone is low in men is due to estrogen dominance. Too many toxic estrogens are linked to low testosterone. The normal range of testosterone in men is 270-1070mg/dl but if you are on the lower side of this range, you may feel it. I have seen my patients raise their testosterone by 200-300 points by correcting the estrogen dominance problem without taking any testosterone. These are a few things that contribute to estrogen dominance:
-pesticides: in fruits and vegetables
-dryer sheets: contain zenoestrogens (foreign/toxic estrogens)
-parabens in skin care products, soaps, shampoo
-phthalates: found in syrofoam, plastics wrap, water bottles
-hormone injected meats
-stress, insulin resistance, being overweight, can all increase levels of unhealthy estrogen.
Not being able to perform like one used to can be embarrassing or discourage a man from engaging in sexual activity. This can create a downward spiral of anxiety related to sex, which further creates a vicious cycle. This is something relatively easy to fix once I see what the imbalance is and address it from a few angles to get the best results.
Causes of Low Libido in Both Genders
Hormone Imbalance
As mentioned above toxic estrogens can interfere with libido. Another source of toxic estrogens are certain tampon products women use, birth control pills, HRT, faulty liver detoxification, the conversion of testosterone to estrogen via aromatase in fat cells to name a few.
We can run a detailed hormones lab test to get a better picture of specific hormonal imbalances and what herbs or supplements to use to correct them. It is important to know what your situation is. For example, Chasteberry or Vitex is a very popular herb marketed for hormone health. It raises progesterone levels, so if a patient already has too high progesterone, this herb will make it worse. So it is important to be educated to know exactly what your situation is to take the guesswork out.
Remember that most conditions, even if they seem hopeless can turn around when given the right treatment. That is true even if you were told to just live with it. So do not settle for less. Feel free to reach out if you want some natural therapies to enhance this aspect of your health and life.