Talking hormones

How these chemical messengers affect your health, and what to do about it

By Cooper Shannon

Throughout past decades, average hormone levels in Americans have been decreasing. The average male today in 2023 has 20% less testosterone than the average male in 1983, according to a Cleveland Clinic study. For the average female, the decrease has not been so dramatic, but the issue still remains and plays a big role in overall health.

Most studies and professionals equate this average hormone decrease to different lifestyles. Humans are more accustomed to being able to stay on the couch all day and order food to their house without having to get up or do any work at all. Staying home and working remotely is becoming more and more popular. Especially after the Covid-19 pandemic, where companies were forced to work via Zoom meetings and phone calls, employees and employers grew used to this lifestyle.

“Exposure to sunlight and daily physical activity are crucial factors that impact natural hormone production,” said Dr. Steve Crum, an endocrinologist working at Revive Jericho, one of Long Island’s many hormone therapy facilities. “Sunlight and physical activity are commonly known to bump dopamine levels, something that is directly linked to the production of hormones.”

There has not been clear evidence through studies to determine exact rates for women. This seems to be due to the fact that females go through more hormone changes in their life span than males, as agreed upon by most professionals.

There has been plenty of research that proves physical exercise will increase hormone production. In particular, a male’s body will generally be at its highest testosterone production during and after exercise. Strength and conditioning are directly linked to overall health, and a big factor is the production of hormones that follow physical exertion.

Another contributing factor to hormone imbalance is an unhealthy diet and weight gain. Excessive weight adds stress to your body, which naturally lowers hormone production in the endocrine system. The endocrine system is the group of organs responsible for producing and regulating hormones.

Hormones play a critical role in the overall health and wellbeing of a person’s daily functioning body. The human body creates hormones through the endocrine system, which are major glands spread throughout the human body.

Hormones affect energy and dopamine levels, mental health, sex drive, metabolism and growth during puberty in teens. For females, hormones, especially estrogen, promote and regulate menstrual cycles and have huge impacts during pregnancy and menopause.

What are natural ways to ensure your body’s hormone levels are balanced?

“Hormones in both male and female bodies are affected by daily lifestyle habits,” said Dr. Shiya Patel, practice manager at the Levittown Restoration Men’s Health. “Diet, exercise, physical exertion, daily sunlight exposure and even daily screen time can have impacts on a person’s overall hormone levels.” Patel specializes in male hormone replacement therapy.

“Alterations in daily habits combined with our remedies such as hormone injections help men above the age of 30 reach balanced levels that increase overall health and wellness,” Patel said.

Common synthetic remedies currently involve bioidentical hormones. Bioidentical hormones are typically derived from hormones in plants, and are more natural than purely synthetic hormones that are completely created in labs. Bioidentical hormones are much newer than pure synthetic when it comes to hormone replacement therapy.

“Patients and [professionals] alike have started to lean towards bioidentical hormones in more recent years because they are beneficial to the individual,” said Dr. Rachel Sinclair, who practices at Revive Jericho and specializes in female patients. “Each person has their own needs for their own bodies. While synthetic hormones are great and can be personalized, they are sold and manufactured for commercial use and generally come in certain arrangements. Bioidentical hormones are given to us, and we are able to personalize them for our individual patients.”

These personalized hormones are known as “bespoke” prescriptions. They can be given through gels and ointments that contain the hormones and are able to sink through skin cells. Typically, what yields the most obvious and quickest results is the submission of prescriptions through injection given at hormone replacement sites. Injection varies by patient. Sometimes, patients only need to come in once a month, others can come in up to three times a month.

Patient frequency varies on daily habits, diets and genetic histories.

“Some people are simply more likely to experience hormone imbalance than others. Some patients really don’t even need treatment because their genetics allow for proper hormone production, but they want to because it does make them feel better,” elaborated Patel.

Hormone replacement therapy is not an uncommon treatment. Patients are typically above the age of 30 because that tends to be the age when hormone levels naturally decrease in the human body. Testosterone in males will naturally drop roughly 1% each year after age 30.

Females do not typically experience the same drop in hormone levels because of pregnancy and menopause, which are categorized as “major life events” that impact dramatic spikes and drops in hormones, especially estrogen. Typically, the only major life event a man goes through that would impact his hormone levels is puberty.

For older patients, both male and female, hormone replacement therapy can be a quick, effective and healthy way to feel younger again, medical experts say. People experiencing low sex drive, mood swings, loss of appetite and energy should consult a professional for advice.