By itself, low testosterone levels do not automatically result in impotence or erectile dysfunction. However, if you have endocrine disorders like hypogonadism, that can certainly raise your risks of becoming impotent. This doesn’t mean that you don’t have to worry about your testosterone levels.
Being deficient in this primary androgen can actually result in various physical problems and medical conditions that you do need to take care that your testosterone levels don’t fall abnormally low. Learn about the relationship between testosterone and your sexual function, and how you can improve your hormonal balance.
Testosterone and Your Libido
When you’re low on testosterone, it can greatly reduce your ability to enjoy sex. For one, your libido will decrease, and your erectile function will also be negatively affected. In fact, in men with hypogonadism or extremely low levels of testosterone, having erectile dysfunction and a lack of sex drive are fairly common.
In truth, there are actually other factors that may also cause you to experience a decline in your libido. If you’re stressed, for instance, you’ll most likely find yourself in no mood to have sex. The thing is that stress and high cortisol levels also result in inhibited testosterone production, which further complicates the problem.
Fatigue and exhaustion are also common causes of reduced libido. If you’re extremely fatigued, you may not even have the energy to unzip your pants, much less to have any kind of sex with your partner. This may also be related to your testosterone levels since androgen deficiency can also contribute to fatigue.
Common Symptoms of Low Testosterone
Several health problems can arise when you’re deficient in testosterone. You’ll have to contend with bodily changes such as premature hair loss. When low testosterone is the cause of hair loss, you’ll notice that it will affect not only the hair on your head and face but also in other areas of your body.
You will most likely experience increased fat mass and reduced muscle mass. Since the primary male hormone plays a significant role in muscle growth, not having enough testosterone will lead to a decrease in your muscle mass. Along with this, you may also experience lower energy levels, which can make you vulnerable to fatigue.
On top of that, low testosterone levels can also affect your mood. Studies indicate that men with below normal levels of testosterone have a higher risk of becoming depressed. In addition, you may also experience difficulties in sleeping, which makes the problem complicated since your body’s production of testosterone peaks when you’re deep in sleep.
Aside from affecting your body composition and mood, it’s also a well-known fact that low testosterone levels are closely associated with various diseases that increase your risks of erectile dysfunction. These diseases include heart diseases, obesity, and type 2 diabetes, among others.
Why You Should Raise Your Testosterone Levels Naturally
To raise your testosterone levels, you either need to produce more of the hormone or you prevent your free testosterone or circulating testosterone from being broken down and converted to other hormones.
For men who can’t produce enough of the hormone, doctors may sometimes recommend testosterone replacement therapy. However, this isn’t without any risks, which is why most men prefer to increase their testosterone production through natural ways.
When you introduce testosterone into your body, either through gels, creams, or patches, your body’s hormone feedback mechanism will think that you now have enough testosterone. So, signals will be sent to your Leydig cells in your testicles to tell them not to produce more of the hormone.
When your Leydig cells no longer produce testosterone, they will start to wither and die since they’re not really performing their function anymore. This is why men on testosterone replacement therapy typically experience testicular shrinkage, which leads to significant impairment of testicular functions such as androgen and sperm production.
Elevate Your Testosterone Levels Effectively
Herb-based supplements are great alternatives for testosterone replacement. That’s because they help increase your endogenous production of testosterone. If you’re wondering which herbs are best for elevating your testosterone levels, there is actually a choice few that are proven effective.
Tongkat Ali is one of the most well-known natural testosterone boosters. This amazing herb from Southeast Asia contains eurycomanone, an antioxidant quassinoid compound that prompts your Leydig cells to produce more of testosterone.
Because of its effectiveness in raising testosterone levels, Tongkat Ali is also widely used as a libido booster and aphrodisiac. On top of that, it’s also been shown, through several scientific studies, that the herb can actually help improve erectile dysfunction and enhance male fertility through improved sperm parameters.
You may also want to take fenugreek and Ashwagandha along with Tongkat Ali. Both Trigonella foenum-graecum or fenugreek and Withania somnifera or Ashwagandha are also known to have considerable positive effects on testosterone levels.
Fenugreek, in particular, helps you to preserve your free testosterone levels by preventing aromatase from converting your circulating testosterone into estradiol. In truth, if you’re concerned about becoming impotent because you have diabetes or are pre-diabetic, fenugreek is an excellent herb for you because it has anti-diabetic properties.
Other herbs that are also good for increasing your testosterone levels and improving your sexual function include Horny Goat Weed and Tribulus terrestris. These two are not only known for their testosterone-boosting properties, but also for their positive effects on your erectile function and sperm parameters.
In addition, you should consider increasing your consumption of foods that are rich sources of zinc. The trace mineral is very important for testosterone production, plus you need it for your sperm production.
The Bottom Line
Having low testosterone levels will not only be detrimental to your overall health, but it can also wreak havoc on your sex life, which is why you should take active steps to maintain high testosterone levels naturally.
Herbs like Tongkat Ali, Horny Goat Weed, Ashwagandha, fenugreek, and Tribulus terrestris are all scientifically known to help improve testosterone levels. Plus, they will also help improve your erectile function, increase your libido, and even enhance your fertility.
