If we analyze the blood of an average man today and compare it to that of his grandfather at the same age, the results reveal that testosterone levels have been reduced by half. This is something that for years has been a rumor or an isolated finding in local studies, but now an important study has given it much more rigor.
It’s proven. The study, presented at the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, sheds light on what scientists They consider it a “silent epidemic.” And it is that the investigation has focused on analyzing data from 118,593 men from six longitudinal studies in Israel, the United States, Brazil, Finland and Denmark between 1972 and 2019.
After analyzing the progression of testosterone levels, a drop of 54% on average in total testosterone levels has clearly been seen. We are talking about a decline of more than 1% per year on average, which has been accelerating since 2000.
Aging. The first logical reaction when reading this data is to think about life expectancy. If we live longer, it is normal for the population average testosterone to drop, but the researchers anticipated this hypothesis.
Its results have made it clear that the decline detected is independent of aging, since the data have been adjusted for age. This means that a 30-year-old man in 2019 has significantly lower levels of testosterone than a 30-year-old man had in 1980. And if it’s not age, the science points directly to our environment and how we live.
Obesity. If we look for the culprits, this is one of them, and without a doubt one of the more decisive. We must know that adipose tissue is not inert, but rather functions almost like an endocrine organ that converts testosterone into estrogen through an enzyme called aromatase that is present in fat. In this way, the more fat there will be a greater conversion and, therefore, a lower amount of testosterone.
However, the most recent studies go one step further and warn that type 2 diabetes has surpassed obesity as the leading risk factor for low serum testosterone. The reason is that insulin resistance creates a vicious cycle that blocks the normal production of this hormone.
Endocrine disruptors. We live surrounded by chemicals and substances present in plastics (such as bisphenols), food packaging, pesticides and personal care products that act as “hackers” of our endocrine system. And although the evidence on specific substances continues to be built due to the difficulty of isolating their effects, the scientific community assumes that chronic exposure to these chemicals is interfering with fertility and testosterone synthesis at a global level.
The lifestyle. Currently we are living in a society where a sedentary lifestyle is the order of the day, and this lack of exercise and excessive hours in a chair slow down hormonal production. But in addition, sleep deprivation is also a big problem, since little or bad sleep destroys the circadian rhythms necessary to secrete testosterone, which occurs mainly at night.
Beyond reproduction. We usually associate testosterone with fertility or muscle development, but its role is systemic. Here it is important to know that chronically low levels are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, depression and cognitive decline. That is why a change in life is essential to maintain high levels of testosterone that act with that protective profile to achieve much stronger health over time.
Images | Julia Larson
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