Estrogen dominance generally occurs when a body has too much estrogen in relation to progesterone and testosterone. It can cause a host of problems and health conditions such as:

• Prostate problems
• Man boobs
• Impotency
• Male patterned baldness
• Weight gain
• Low libido

Men too, not just women, can suffer from estrogen dominance.  As men age, their estradiol levels gradually rise, whereas their progesterone and testosterone levels gradually fall. The hormone balance changes. These gradual changes lead to reduction in testosterone benefits and eventually to estrogen dominance. That is, his estradiol effects emerge since his testosterone level is not sufficient to block or balance them.  The “beer belly” seen on the aging male is typically a sign of estrogen dominance.

Estrogens from plant estrogens and environmental sources, also known as xenoestrogens, produce hormonal stimuli that can contribute to inappropriate growth of mammary tissue cells.  In men, estrogen dominance stimulates breast cell growth and prostate hypertrophy.  Since the male prostate is the embryonic equivalent of the uterus, it should not be surprising that estrogen dominance is also a major cause of prostate cancer.

We are constantly assaulted by estrogens in our environment from the food we eat and the chemicals we use.  Estrogen mimickers in the form of food/plants (phytoestrogens) and chemicals (xenoestrogens), can mimic the action of estrogen produced in cells and can alter hormonal activity. Exposure to xenoestrogens is a concern for everyone, and those with an estrogen dominance condition should be particularly concerned about avoiding xenoestrogens.

Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring estrogenic compounds that are found in a variety of foods, herbs, spices.  Their chemical structure resembles estrogen. These compounds are generally weak estrogens, in comparison to real estrogen and xenoestrogens, but in a body that is already experiencing too much estrogen, adding more may contribute to the problem.

Some of the strongest phytoestrogen containing substances are soy, the lignans found in flax seed products, red clover, black cohosh, chasteberry, and dong quai. Soy includes soybeans, soy milk, tofu, tempeh, textured vegetable protein, roasted soybeans, soy granules, miso, and edamames.

Key points to reducing estrogen dominance:

• Avoid chemical sources of estrogen (xenoestrogen)
• Avoid food sources of estrogen (phytoestrogens)
• Cleanse the liver
• Exercise
• Reduce stress
• Balance hormones
• Metabolize excess estrogen (DIM, Calcium D-Glucarate)
• Do not heat food in plastic
• Drink out of glass containers, not plastic or Styrofoam

Andropause is a name that has been given to a menopause-like condition in aging men. This relates to the slow but steady reduction of the production of the hormones testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHT) in middle-aged men.

Unlike women, middle-aged men do not experience a complete and permanent physiological shutting down of the reproductive system as a normal event. Historically, by the age of 55 the amount of testosterone secreted by the testis is significantly lower than it was at the age of 40 years. By the age of 80 most of the male hormone levels decrease to pre-puberty levels.

There exists a relationship between the testis, testosterone, the brain and the pituitary glands in the male body.   Andropause is simply an endocrine imbalance that can be easily corrected today. All male hormones gradually decline with passing years. Testosterone (from the testis); Human Growth Hormone, from the pituitary; and DHEA and androstenedione, from the adrenal Glands, all begin to drop steadily.

During the last couple of decades this steady drop in hormone production has been accelerated due to estrogens in our environment (herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, Hormones used to produce fatter animals, larger eggs, more milk, etc.) causing estrogen dominance in men. The overall effect is less bio-available testosterone in the body of adult males young and old alike.

The impact of low levels of testosterone are identified symptoms of what they labeled the "male climacteric" including loss of libido and potency, nervousness, depression, impaired memory, the inability to concentrate, fatigue, insomnia, hot flashes, and sweating.

Andropause has been observed in association with Alzheimer's disease and osteoporosis.

Many clinicians believe that Andropause is not a valid concept, because men can continue to reproduce into old age. Their reproductive systems do not stop working completely, and therefore they do not exhibit the sudden and dramatic drops in hormone levels characteristic of women undergoing menopause. In some men before the age of 60 there is a complete loss of libido, erectile function, and orgasmic ability.

Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) along with exercise, diet changes and reduction of stress are all effective in countering the effects of low testosterone.  Symptoms decrease dramatically when patients follow the recommended therapy.