Testosterone is a hormone found in humans as well as in other animals. In men, the testicles primarily make testosterone. Women's ovaries also make testosterone, though in much smaller amounts.
Scientific Definition:
A steroid hormone present in various species, often in much greater quantities in males than females. In evolutionary psychology and endocrinology, testosterone is thought to play a key role in meditating life-history trade-offs.
Testosterone is a steroid hormone involved in many bodily processes, including reproductive physiology( e.g., spermatogenesis), morphology (e.g,. development of secondary sexual characteristics), psychology (e.g., sexual desire), and behavior(e.g., aggression)-each of which plays an important role in the survival and reproduction.
History and Mechanism:
The discovery of testosterone's role in understanding behavior is often traced back to one of the first experiments in the field of behavioral endocrinology, published in 1849. In his work, Arnold Berthold castrated two roosters and demonstrated that the removal of the testes suppressed the development of secondary sexual characteristics(e.g., the comb and wattle), aggressive behavior toward other males, and crowing.
Testosterone and Life History Theory:
In evolutionary biology, life history theory refers to the resource trade-offs faced across the lifespan by species trying to maximize reproductive fitness. The premise of the life-history theory is that resources(e.g.energy, time, nutrients) are limited, and thus when they are invested into one trait to promote fitness, there is less available to invest in other fitness-promoting traits.
Things that destroy Testosterone:
- Avoid Tobacco Products:
- Avoid Excessive Alcohol:
- Avoid Opioid Pain Medications:
- Avoid Excessive Stress:
How stress affects Testosterone:
Cortisol levels in the blood are indicators of stress level. This steroid hormone can increase fat deposition, resulting in more conversion of testosterone to estrogen.
Food To Avoid:
- Excessive sugar
- Excessive Caffeine
- Red meat and other sources of animal fat
- Food dyes
- Processed foods
Food To Include:
- Green tea
- Multicolored fruits and vegetables
- Nuts
- Fiber
- Ground flaxseed
- Soy products (soy milk instead of cow's milk)
To maintain healthy testosterone levels, the changes discussed above trump any supplement, but the nutrients below have been found to inhibit aromatase and may be additive benefits.
- Zinc (if levels are low): 25-50 mcg daily
- Quercetin: 400 mcg daily
- Grape seed extract: 100-300 mcg daily. You can get all these nutrients by eating nuts, fruits (grapes and citrus), and vegetables.
- DHEA: 25-50 mcg daily. This OTC supplement is a precursor to testosterone found in the adrenal gland. It goes down when stress (cortisol) goes up.
Also read:
HOW TO BOOST TESTOSTERONE | MEN'S HEALTH
FOOD THAT BOOSTS TESTOSTERONE | NON VEG
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