1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,960
Prepare to have your health questions answered here on Safe, Effective, Natural Solutions

2
00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:12,320
with Dr. Todd Binkley, owner of Binkley Healing Center in downtown Ventura.

3
00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:14,560
Now, here's Dr. Todd.

4
00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:15,560
Good afternoon.

5
00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:21,160
I'm Dr. Todd Binkley, board certified non-force doctor of chiropractic and practitioner of

6
00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:22,200
functional medicine.

7
00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:26,620
For the last few episodes of the show, I've been talking about hormones, getting tested

8
00:00:26,620 --> 00:00:32,720
for hormone deficiencies, sometimes excesses, usually deficiencies, and all the things that

9
00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:34,480
can go along with that.

10
00:00:34,480 --> 00:00:38,820
And one of the things I've always been stressing is the importance of doing salivary hormone

11
00:00:38,820 --> 00:00:41,600
testing as opposed to blood testing.

12
00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:43,880
There's lots of good reasons to test things in the blood.

13
00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:48,840
It's the gold standard for most things, but for menopausal issues, for hormone, age-related

14
00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:54,680
hormone issues, a saliva test is often the way to go.

15
00:00:54,680 --> 00:01:00,560
And as with everything on this show, I'm talking about testing from a functional medicine perspective,

16
00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:04,240
meaning we're not just looking for something that's a full-blown disease that requires

17
00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:09,720
medical treatment, but looking to see where normal function has become lost, where something

18
00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:14,800
is just a little bit low or a little bit high, and where some symptom that you have isn't

19
00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:19,560
the result usually of one single thing, but often a combination of several things that

20
00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:21,740
are just a little bit out of range.

21
00:01:21,740 --> 00:01:24,600
So last week, we were talking all about progesterone.

22
00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:27,560
The week before that, estrogen.

23
00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:31,040
And for those of you who want to listen to past, I should mention that all of these shows

24
00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:32,920
are saved as podcasts.

25
00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:38,980
The back episodes are saved on my website, binkleyhealingcenter.com.

26
00:01:38,980 --> 00:01:44,440
You can also find them by just entering my name or the name of the show, Safe, Effective,

27
00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:52,040
Natural Solutions, into Apple podcasts or Spotify and also YouTube.

28
00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:58,720
So last week's episode about progesterone was number 41, and the week before that, episode

29
00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:01,360
40, was all about estrogen.

30
00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:05,600
The week before that, episode 39, was sort of an introduction to hormones and especially

31
00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:11,680
how great numbers of women with menopausal symptoms are going to their doctors with common

32
00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:16,640
complaints and are not being treated effectively for the symptoms of menopause.

33
00:02:16,640 --> 00:02:20,980
So they often have slightly low hormones, but doctors are afraid to give them hormone

34
00:02:20,980 --> 00:02:26,400
replacement therapy for good reasons because of its risk, standard synthetic hormones,

35
00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:27,760
but there are other options.

36
00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:30,040
So we've covered that.

37
00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:31,520
We've covered estrogen and progesterone.

38
00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:33,920
Today, we're going to talk about testosterone.

39
00:02:33,920 --> 00:02:39,560
So yes, women can have low testosterone as well as men.

40
00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:44,120
Of course, men are often much more concerned about that than women, but it can be low in

41
00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:45,120
women as well.

42
00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:48,840
I'm also going to talk about an exciting case about a man who was convinced that he needed

43
00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:54,640
or well, he wondered, was very curious about whether or not he needed testosterone.

44
00:02:54,640 --> 00:02:59,120
He was having some fatigue and lack of mental focus, getting a little older, a bunch of

45
00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:00,320
other symptoms.

46
00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:02,600
So we're going to talk about that a little bit later.

47
00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:08,160
In women, several things can cause low testosterone to show up when we test.

48
00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:11,600
So it's included when we do a comprehensive salivary hormone test.

49
00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:17,400
We're testing for the adrenal function, your cortisol levels, all three estrogens, estrone,

50
00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:24,120
estradiol and estriol, your progesterone levels, DHEA and testosterone.

51
00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:28,600
So yeah, we always test for testosterone, even in women, because it can cause things.

52
00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:34,760
Symptoms of low testosterone include things like muscle waste, muscle wasting, loss of

53
00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:35,760
muscle tissue.

54
00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:42,460
Your muscles get smaller sometimes from fatigue and inability to exercise, but it can also

55
00:03:42,460 --> 00:03:48,520
just by itself cause you to lose muscle mass if you have insufficient amounts.

56
00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:56,720
Weight gain, low self-esteem, decreased good cholesterol, dry and thinning skin and hair,

57
00:03:56,720 --> 00:04:00,760
droopy eyelids, sagging cheeks, thin lips.

58
00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:07,680
These are all signs sometimes of low testosterone in women, as well as anxiety and even poor

59
00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:09,080
memory.

60
00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:13,800
So what causes this? Well, menopause is the most common cause of lowered production of

61
00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:21,880
all the hormones, but also childbirth, chemotherapy, adrenal stress, which basically is any kind

62
00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:23,120
of stress.

63
00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:26,920
Most people, not most people, but many, far too many people are stressed and people don't

64
00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:31,380
even know it, especially they don't know if the stress that they're having is actually

65
00:04:31,380 --> 00:04:35,680
causing stress on their adrenals, causing reduced adrenal function.

66
00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:38,860
So that's the importance of testing.

67
00:04:38,860 --> 00:04:42,160
Also endometriosis, depression.

68
00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:45,480
These are other causes of low testosterone in women.

69
00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:50,560
Endometriosis is when the lining of the uterus tissue, similar to the lining of the uterus,

70
00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:52,320
ends up in places where it shouldn't be.

71
00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:57,840
It spreads throughout or shows up in other parts in the abdomen, causes pain.

72
00:04:57,840 --> 00:05:00,080
That can also depress testosterone.

73
00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:02,600
Depression can lower testosterone.

74
00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:07,720
Psychological trauma, long-term use of birth control pills, cholesterol medications.

75
00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:13,080
These are all things that can lower testosterone in women and cause things like muscle wasting

76
00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:16,560
and fatigue and all the things that I mentioned just a little bit ago.

77
00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:20,360
So it's important to test testosterone in women.

78
00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:24,800
But of course, most people, when they think of testosterone, especially low testosterone,

79
00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:26,640
think of men.

80
00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:31,600
And when men go to their doctors and ask, you know, inquire if they can get their testosterone

81
00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:33,760
tested, they usually do a blood test.

82
00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:35,360
And for testosterone, that's fine.

83
00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:40,440
It's not as important to do a saliva test for testosterone deficiency.

84
00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:46,000
But any man who's not taking testosterone shots and wants to know if he's deficient

85
00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:48,520
can also measure this with a saliva test.

86
00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:50,400
It works just as well.

87
00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:55,720
And for men who are doing any kind of transdermal, take androgel or doing any kind of a patch

88
00:05:55,720 --> 00:06:00,040
or gel, it's probably better to measure it in a saliva test for the same reasons that

89
00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:04,520
measuring estrogen and progesterone when you're going to do transdermal therapies, it's better

90
00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:08,800
to measure it, it's more accurate to measure whether or not you're getting the appropriate

91
00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:14,760
amount with a saliva test for the reasons I've been talking about in the previous episodes.

92
00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:19,520
But the problem is a lot of men just, you know, start to feel a little bit older, rush

93
00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:22,280
off to their doctor, ask for testosterone shots.

94
00:06:22,280 --> 00:06:28,880
And far too many doctors will give testosterone without even testing them regularly.

95
00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:31,240
Maybe they test them once, sometimes not even at all.

96
00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:33,380
They'll just do it based on symptoms.

97
00:06:33,380 --> 00:06:34,840
And that can be a really bad idea.

98
00:06:34,840 --> 00:06:39,440
If you're going to take testosterone, you should really get tested first and get tested

99
00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:43,480
again and make sure that you're not taking too much because there's a lot of problems

100
00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:46,160
with taking too much testosterone.

101
00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:48,640
So one of the problems is hypogonadism.

102
00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:53,920
It makes your testicles shrink, which is not fun, but can also increase aggressiveness

103
00:06:53,920 --> 00:07:02,240
and risk taking behaviors, can cause headaches, acne, heart and liver problems.

104
00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:06,800
Some studies suggest that it can increase risks of certain types of heart disease.

105
00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:09,000
Other studies show that it can reduce risk of heart disease.

106
00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:12,080
So the jury is still out on that particular aspect.

107
00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:14,160
And sometimes it is necessary.

108
00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:17,960
Sometimes if you test really, really low, the taking testosterone is appropriate.

109
00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:22,440
And sometimes even really important for some men in severe cases, testosterone is only

110
00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:24,560
available by a prescription.

111
00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:27,200
So I do not prescribe testosterone.

112
00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:28,200
Someone really needs it.

113
00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:31,240
If their tests show really low and their symptoms warrant it, I'll refer them to a physician

114
00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:34,080
so that they can get prescription testosterone.

115
00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:36,440
But it's usually not necessary.

116
00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:42,160
Very rarely see a man who truly needs that because, and there are so many ways to increase

117
00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:46,720
testosterone production naturally without taking any prescription testosterone.

118
00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:52,480
So many men who suspect they have insufficient amounts based on symptoms like fatigue and

119
00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:58,960
less muscle strength, less endurance, sexual performance, erectile dysfunction, a lot of

120
00:07:58,960 --> 00:08:02,480
people that have these symptoms don't even have low testosterone.

121
00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:07,320
For starters, erectile dysfunction is not even usually related to low testosterone.

122
00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:13,560
Low libido, low desire to have sex can be caused by low testosterone.

123
00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:18,520
But there are many other things that can cause all of these same symptoms like low thyroid,

124
00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:20,440
insufficient protein absorption.

125
00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:22,040
And it's very common.

126
00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:26,320
I see, and when I do blood tests on people, I very commonly see insufficient protein in

127
00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:30,720
people who are even eating enough protein, they're just not absorbing it, mainly because

128
00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:32,560
of a lack of hydrochloric acid in the stomach.

129
00:08:32,560 --> 00:08:36,440
So I'm going to come back to that when we talk about this case study.

130
00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:40,520
And so it's important to distinguish erectile dysfunction from low libido.

131
00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:42,920
Low libido is lack of desire.

132
00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:48,320
Erectile dysfunction is an ability to produce an erection or perform.

133
00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:54,640
And erectile dysfunction is very, very common for many men as they get older, but is almost

134
00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:58,160
very rarely connected to low testosterone.

135
00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:04,120
It's caused by damage or impairment to nerves and blood vessels.

136
00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:10,100
So erectile dysfunction, ED, is caused by damage to or impairment to nerves and blood

137
00:09:10,100 --> 00:09:12,880
vessels to that organ.

138
00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:18,120
Impaired control of both nerves and blood vessels can also be caused by complex psychological

139
00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:23,400
and relationship issues for which counseling will often be a better approach.

140
00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:28,440
But sometimes doing both, so oftentimes getting some counseling for an issue like that and

141
00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:35,440
addressing the physiological aspects by testing, doing both can be the best way to go for some.

142
00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:39,000
But it is important to know since we're talking about testosterone, that erectile dysfunction

143
00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:41,800
often has nothing to do with testosterone levels.

144
00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:47,440
And there are lots of ways to naturally improve the function of impaired nerves and blood

145
00:09:47,440 --> 00:09:53,960
vessels that cause erectile dysfunction without taking testosterone or Viagra or Cialis or

146
00:09:53,960 --> 00:09:56,880
any other prescription medication.

147
00:09:56,880 --> 00:09:59,280
So what causes low testosterone in men?

148
00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:04,280
Well, it gets lower as you get older, of course, but also taking steroids like prednisone,

149
00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:06,400
hydrocortisone, and dexamethasone.

150
00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:12,000
These are medications used to treat allergies and asthma and autoimmune conditions.

151
00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:15,400
These things are, they were used for COVID as well.

152
00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:18,680
These things can cause low testosterone.

153
00:10:18,680 --> 00:10:24,080
Internal belly fat, the brown fat in the belly, some of the hardest fats to lose, unfortunately,

154
00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:31,560
can lower testosterone because it interacts with several other hormones in complex ways.

155
00:10:31,560 --> 00:10:37,660
It's a little bit technical, but aromatase is a phenomena that happens that converts

156
00:10:37,660 --> 00:10:40,080
some hormones into other hormones.

157
00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:44,960
And that's one of the ways that you have a net effectively less testosterone.

158
00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:49,840
It's being converted by aromatase into other hormones.

159
00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:55,240
Chemicals like bisphenol A, the BPA that used to be in widespread use in plastics.

160
00:10:55,240 --> 00:10:59,680
Fortunately, it's been removed from a lot of them, but it is also still out there and

161
00:10:59,680 --> 00:11:00,680
it's in the environment.

162
00:11:00,680 --> 00:11:03,320
We're still being exposed to it.

163
00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:07,040
And heavy metals like lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, and uranium that I've talked about

164
00:11:07,040 --> 00:11:12,340
on previous episodes can also lower testosterone.

165
00:11:12,340 --> 00:11:14,400
So what do we do if somebody has low testosterone?

166
00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:18,320
There's lots of ways that you can naturally raise testosterone levels.

167
00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:25,440
And I have to keep reminding everyone that it's not always necessary, but most of the

168
00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:30,280
people that come to me that are concerned about whether or not they have low testosterone

169
00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:31,640
don't.

170
00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:35,000
Or if they do, it's only slightly low.

171
00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:40,720
It's often not the cause of symptoms that they think is caused by low testosterone.

172
00:11:40,720 --> 00:11:43,560
But there are natural ways to raise testosterone.

173
00:11:43,560 --> 00:11:44,880
Exercise.

174
00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:50,880
So exercise, it can be tricky for men and women who are fatigued, who literally do have

175
00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:51,880
low testosterone.

176
00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:54,040
If they've got a lot of fatigue, then it can be difficult.

177
00:11:54,040 --> 00:12:00,360
But the right type and amount of exercise, we can design an exercise program that anyone

178
00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:01,360
can do.

179
00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:06,480
Even if something just as simple as walking and then building up to resist some gentle

180
00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:08,140
resistance training.

181
00:12:08,140 --> 00:12:15,080
So decreasing caloric intake, just especially eating less grains, starch, and sugar.

182
00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:21,120
Grains like anything made from wheat flour, starch like potatoes and corn, and sugar from

183
00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:26,440
anything that has sugar in it, especially liquid sugars like fruit juices, beer, sweet

184
00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:32,400
liqueurs, sweet wine, sweetened coffee and tea beverages, liquid sugars are the worst.

185
00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:40,040
We're going to talk a little bit later about how diabetes, the causes and results of diabetes

186
00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:43,000
overlap with low testosterone.

187
00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:49,280
So eating less of that and more fresh vegetables and sometimes increasing protein intake and

188
00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:56,280
certain amino acids that are in that protein, sometimes supplementing specific amino acids

189
00:12:56,280 --> 00:12:58,280
like arginine, leucine, glutamine.

190
00:12:58,280 --> 00:13:03,080
It's a little bit too technical, but mainly it's very common that when I test people's

191
00:13:03,080 --> 00:13:09,440
blood work that they have, especially if you're over 60 or so, even younger, many, many people

192
00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:14,720
come back when I do the blood work and they test low in protein for a whole host of reasons.

193
00:13:14,720 --> 00:13:17,660
Getting adequate sleep, eight, seven to eight hours of sleep.

194
00:13:17,660 --> 00:13:22,960
Most people need getting more, getting seven to eight hours of sleep per night can raise

195
00:13:22,960 --> 00:13:25,960
testosterone if it's low, reducing stress.

196
00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:32,320
So in all of the previous episodes on hormones, I talked about how all of your hormone glands,

197
00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:36,160
the glands of your endocrine system influence one another.

198
00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:41,960
So reducing stress can help raise testosterone.

199
00:13:41,960 --> 00:13:44,680
Inadequate zinc can be connected to low testosterone.

200
00:13:44,680 --> 00:13:48,880
So sometimes we'll find out that you need to supplement zinc.

201
00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:51,920
Sex hormone binding globulin is a character.

202
00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:58,360
That's a little bit technical, but SHBG, sex hormone binding globulin, that can only be

203
00:13:58,360 --> 00:14:02,680
identified on a blood test and it's a carrier protein for testosterone and estrogen.

204
00:14:02,680 --> 00:14:05,000
So it helps escort it through your body.

205
00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:08,400
That can only be measured by a blood test and sometimes it is essential to measure this

206
00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:11,520
for people with testosterone issues.

207
00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:13,480
So just so you know, to cover all of the bases.

208
00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:15,840
So we can do that if we need to and sometimes we do.

209
00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:19,960
Lastly, there are some specific products that you can take, some supplements that can help

210
00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:23,280
raise testosterone and some new ones are coming out all the time.

211
00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:26,040
I've just spoken with a representative from Orthomolecular Products.

212
00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:29,800
They've got a really exciting one in development that they haven't released yet.

213
00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:33,480
My other favorite company, one of my other favorite supplement companies, Designs for

214
00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:39,320
Health has a product called Libido Stem, which has been getting some promising results.

215
00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:42,920
Douglas Laboratories makes a product called Testogaine.

216
00:14:42,920 --> 00:14:47,560
The ingredients in some of these products are things like chrysin.

217
00:14:47,560 --> 00:14:51,560
It's out like Chrysler, C-H-R-Y-S-I-N.

218
00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:59,680
Chrysin chrysin is found in honey and propolis, the material that bees make beehives out of

219
00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:02,040
and it is an aromatase inhibitor.

220
00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:10,980
So I talked earlier about how sometimes the net effect of having low testosterone or even

221
00:15:10,980 --> 00:15:15,480
just having the symptoms of low testosterone is because the testosterone you are making

222
00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:20,920
is being converted into other hormones by this enzyme aromatase.

223
00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:26,600
So chrysin from beehives is a natural inhibitor of that activity.

224
00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:31,620
Quercetin, a common antioxidant that's in a lot of supplements that works well in combinations

225
00:15:31,620 --> 00:15:32,620
with other things.

226
00:15:32,620 --> 00:15:37,720
It's a flavonoid that's in onions and garlic and grapes.

227
00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:44,440
It also inhibits this over conversion, can suppress that aromatase activity.

228
00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:51,640
It can also prevent testicular damage from some pollutants and help prevent testosterone

229
00:15:51,640 --> 00:15:53,960
decline that way.

230
00:15:53,960 --> 00:16:00,360
Quercetin also limits, can limit neuroinflammation, reduce the risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's,

231
00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:05,920
has a limited effect on reducing blood pressure and it may even improve exercise tolerance

232
00:16:05,920 --> 00:16:06,920
and endurance.

233
00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:08,840
There's lots of great research on quercetin.

234
00:16:08,840 --> 00:16:14,320
You can look that up on PubMed or shoot me an email if you want more information about

235
00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:15,320
it.

236
00:16:15,320 --> 00:16:16,800
I'm Dr. Todd Binkley.

237
00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:21,800
You're listening to Safe, Effective, Natural Solutions to almost any health challenge.

238
00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:25,720
We're talking about hormones today, testosterone specifically.

239
00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:33,000
Anytime I do hormone testing on men or women, the complete panel, I don't always test the

240
00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:34,240
female hormones on men.

241
00:16:34,240 --> 00:16:39,680
It's often not necessary, just testosterone and DHEA and the cortisol levels.

242
00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:45,280
So DHEA, dehydroepiandrosterone is a precursor for testosterone.

243
00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:50,120
It's made in the adrenal glands and to a small extent in the testes and the ovaries.

244
00:16:50,120 --> 00:16:52,960
Its production peaks in our 20s.

245
00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:59,360
Starting in our 30s, it declines by about 10% every 10 years, 10% per decade.

246
00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:04,600
It's also available as a supplement and many people take it for anti-aging and to improve

247
00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:10,320
physical performance, for menopause symptoms, sometimes even depression.

248
00:17:10,320 --> 00:17:15,640
But because it is a steroid hormone precursor, it's really important to not take it without

249
00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:19,920
getting proper testing because you can get too much of it and it can cause problems like

250
00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:20,920
most hormones.

251
00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:21,920
You need to balance.

252
00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:26,360
You need to get tested and get the levels just right.

253
00:17:26,360 --> 00:17:27,360
Not too much.

254
00:17:27,360 --> 00:17:31,840
The Goldilocks Principle, not too much, not too little, but just right.

255
00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:37,160
If you don't need DHEA and take it or for any reason, you get too much of it.

256
00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:40,960
The side effects are things like fatigue, anger, depression.

257
00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:44,640
People take it to alleviate depression and it can make it worse.

258
00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:48,600
Insomnia, things for say there's side effects from taking too much DHEA.

259
00:17:48,600 --> 00:17:56,320
Insomnia, mood changes, weight gain, acne, sugar cravings, irritability, and facial hair

260
00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:58,880
and deepening of the voice in women.

261
00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:01,040
So most women don't want that.

262
00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:07,440
And DHEA can also interact with many medications, especially psychoactive medications, antipsychotics,

263
00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:15,600
benzodiazepines like Valium, lithium, the seratiprosax, serotonin reuptake inhibitors,

264
00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:19,800
all the happy antidepressant medications that a lot of people are taking.

265
00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:23,880
So if you're on those, definitely don't take DHEA without seeing a doctor and getting

266
00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:25,300
tested.

267
00:18:25,300 --> 00:18:31,560
But when you are tested for DHEA and show a blow, then taking it can be amazing, can

268
00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:39,400
have seemingly miraculous effects because it is a precursor for both testosterone and

269
00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:40,400
estrogen.

270
00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:46,160
And if you're deficient in either of those, then your body will convert it into appropriate

271
00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:47,160
amounts.

272
00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:48,600
Never excess, it'll convert it.

273
00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:54,160
You take the right dosage and it will convert it into the amount of estrogen or in this

274
00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:57,760
case testosterone, that's what we're talking about today, that you need, that you actually

275
00:18:57,760 --> 00:18:58,760
need.

276
00:18:58,760 --> 00:19:02,400
Very rarely will it overproduce either of these things.

277
00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:09,200
So when you get adequate amounts of DHEA, then amazing things can happen.

278
00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:14,000
It can help reduce the stress induced excess cortisol that sometimes shows up when we test

279
00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:19,640
your cortisol levels, which doing that improves mood, can help with anxiety and depression,

280
00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:21,540
it can help you sleep better.

281
00:19:21,540 --> 00:19:26,680
It can support bone health because it helps you maintain adequate estrogen and testosterone,

282
00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:32,320
which if deficient can prevent adequate bone healing and repair.

283
00:19:32,320 --> 00:19:37,760
It also promotes the production of insulin like growth factor, it can reduce excess inflammation,

284
00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:43,960
it can protect the brain from free radical stress, it can also help reduce excess inflammation

285
00:19:43,960 --> 00:19:44,960
in the gut.

286
00:19:44,960 --> 00:19:48,960
So a lot of people that have irritable gut conditions, these things can be involved.

287
00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:51,200
DHEA can often help that.

288
00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:56,080
If deficient, it works for the things that people are already taking it for, buying themselves.

289
00:19:56,080 --> 00:19:58,200
I encourage people not to take it unless they get tested.

290
00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:03,520
But if it is actually deficient, then it does have anti-aging benefits as well, increasing

291
00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:09,360
well-being, brain function, hydration and thickness of the skin, et cetera.

292
00:20:09,360 --> 00:20:13,760
So I promised I was going to talk about this case, this patient of mine that came in, a

293
00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:19,520
61-year-old man, comes in with decreased performance, lack of energy and strength, not that necessarily

294
00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:24,080
stopped him from doing daily activities, but he just didn't feel like he should.

295
00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:27,240
He didn't feel like he had the energy that he should.

296
00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:33,680
He was otherwise really fit for his age, but he just had fatigue and lack of mental focus,

297
00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:37,160
sort of gotten a lot worse in the last few years.

298
00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:41,640
He also had gas, bloating and bouts of constipation and diarrhea.

299
00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:45,840
So I did blood work and salivary hormone testing on him.

300
00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:50,320
And his cortisol levels, which is produced by the adrenal glands, were really, really

301
00:20:50,320 --> 00:20:51,320
low.

302
00:20:51,320 --> 00:20:52,840
This is often caused by stress.

303
00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:54,440
I see it all the time.

304
00:20:54,440 --> 00:21:00,160
And this is so important because it's so common for people to have low cortisol and not know

305
00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:01,160
it.

306
00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:04,600
Just most doctors do not test for this, or they only do one test, a blood test first thing

307
00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:07,480
in the morning, and it doesn't tell you about the rest of the day.

308
00:21:07,480 --> 00:21:12,680
It's really important to do a salivary test for this and test it four times during the

309
00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:17,560
day, half hour after waking, lunchtime, bedtime, lunchtime, dinner time, and bedtime.

310
00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:20,400
So anyway, his adrenals were really low.

311
00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:23,280
His DHEA was also low.

312
00:21:23,280 --> 00:21:27,680
His testosterone was a little low, but was within the low end of the normal range.

313
00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:32,360
So functionally, he didn't really have low testosterone, a little bit low.

314
00:21:32,360 --> 00:21:35,800
His blood work also showed significant protein deficiency.

315
00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:37,120
I see this all the time.

316
00:21:37,120 --> 00:21:38,640
So he was eating plenty of meat.

317
00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:44,600
He loved eating steak and chicken, and I asked him about his diet.

318
00:21:44,600 --> 00:21:48,680
So it was no doubt in my mind that he was getting plenty of protein in his diet, but

319
00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:52,320
he wasn't getting enough protein to his cells and it wasn't showing up in his blood.

320
00:21:52,320 --> 00:21:53,320
Why does that happen?

321
00:21:53,320 --> 00:21:54,780
Why is that so common?

322
00:21:54,780 --> 00:21:58,620
Usually it is because of a lack of hydrochloric acid in the stomach.

323
00:21:58,620 --> 00:22:02,240
So we gave him some hydrochloric acid, but let's get back to the rest of his results

324
00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:03,240
here.

325
00:22:03,240 --> 00:22:06,540
His white blood cell count was low, and that usually means that you have some kind of chronic

326
00:22:06,540 --> 00:22:10,000
infection that your body's never been able to completely fight off.

327
00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:15,360
So presumably that's going to be in his gut given his symptoms, constipation, gas, bloating,

328
00:22:15,360 --> 00:22:16,360
etc.

329
00:22:16,360 --> 00:22:20,720
His thyroid was also a little bit low, and he had signs of B12 deficiency.

330
00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:25,200
So you guessed it, I gave him some betaine hydrochloric acid to improve his body's ability

331
00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:30,640
to absorb the protein that he was eating, some B12, some support for his thyroid, support

332
00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:31,640
for his adrenals.

333
00:22:31,640 --> 00:22:36,920
I recommend that he reduce consumption of grains, starch, and sugar.

334
00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:41,680
I gave him some stretches to reduce the tension in his muscles and joints so that he could

335
00:22:41,680 --> 00:22:42,960
exercise better.

336
00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:47,360
A lot of the things that he was chalking up to in a bill that the fatigue was really just

337
00:22:47,360 --> 00:22:50,880
he couldn't exercise, like he couldn't articulate it that well, but he couldn't exercise because

338
00:22:50,880 --> 00:22:52,640
he was in pain, his joints hurt.

339
00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:57,400
So we got him out of that, so it reduced that tension in his muscles and joints so that

340
00:22:57,400 --> 00:22:58,400
he could exercise better.

341
00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:03,480
That obviously gave him more energy, gave him some anti-inflammatory support and nutrients

342
00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:08,840
for his cardiovascular system and his joints and his nervous system as well.

343
00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:14,520
So after about three weeks on this program, diet and supplements and exercise, his energy

344
00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:17,300
was 50% better after about three weeks.

345
00:23:17,300 --> 00:23:22,520
After about three months, his energy was better, quote, better than it had been in years.

346
00:23:22,520 --> 00:23:27,760
His ability to focus and concentrate was also much better, and the gas, bloating, and constipation,

347
00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:30,560
and diarrhea were nearly completely gone.

348
00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:34,800
After about six months, we retested his hormones and his adrenals, and his cortisol levels

349
00:23:34,800 --> 00:23:36,000
were back to normal.

350
00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:41,400
His DHEA was well up into the normal range, and his testosterone had only barely increased,

351
00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:47,120
slightly increased, but he felt like he'd had a huge boost in his testosterone.

352
00:23:47,120 --> 00:23:50,120
And I say this because as I mentioned at the top of the show, a lot of people who think

353
00:23:50,120 --> 00:23:52,240
they have low testosterone really don't.

354
00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:55,880
They have a whole host of other things that are causing the symptoms that get chalked

355
00:23:55,880 --> 00:23:59,400
up to deficiency in testosterone.

356
00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:00,400
We're about out of time.

357
00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:01,400
Send me your questions.

358
00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:04,760
Who do you know that wonders whether or not they have adequate hormones that just doesn't

359
00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:09,480
feel... that feeling a little older than they should, would like to identify what's causing

360
00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:13,760
their fatigue, lack of mental focus, and other symptoms of aging.

361
00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:17,560
There is often a safe, effective, natural solution to all of these issues.

362
00:24:17,560 --> 00:24:18,560
Thank you for listening.

363
00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:23,720
I look forward to speaking with you right here next Friday at 4 p.m.

364
00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:25,760
Have a fantastic weekend.

365
00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:31,360
You've been listening to Safe, Effective, Natural Solutions with Dr. Todd Binkley.

366
00:24:31,360 --> 00:24:35,880
If you have a health question you want discussed on the show, email your health questions to

367
00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:40,440
drbinkley at binkleyhealingcenter.com.

368
00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:45,120
Take advantage of this opportunity to ask questions for yourself and for your loved

369
00:24:45,120 --> 00:24:48,080
ones because our health matters.

370
00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:55,360
Join him next Friday at 4 p.m. for Safe, Effective, Natural Solutions right here on 98.3 The

371
00:24:55,360 --> 00:24:57,000
Word KDAR.