Does chronic inflammation lower testosterone?
We all experience inflammation at one point or another. For instance, last time you went for a heavy duty jogging and woke up with your tendons on fire. Nothing that can’t be cured with a little rest.
However, chronic inflammation is a systemic inflammation. Consequently, it’s the kind of stuff you don’t want – and, it has been linked to many serious diseases such as depression, arthritis, prostate disorders, obesity, heart disease, strokes, dementia, Alzheimer, cancer, etc.
So, when it comes to T… does chronic inflammation lower testosterone levels?
Well, let’s quickly see what inflammation does to our bodies…
Does Chronic Inflammation Lower Testosterone? – The Science
Nowadays, we are discovering that chronic inflammation is one the most insidious threats to our health. And when it comes to research, they are rapidly finding a solid link between testosterone deficiency and chronic inflammation. As a matter of fact, women are also at risk, if not more than us.
But let’s go back to the basics…
What’s inflammation exactly?
Inflammation is the response of our immune system against harmful things (damaged cells, pathogens, irritants, etc.). As mentioned above, there are two kinds of inflammation: the acute and the chronic one.
Acute inflammation is characterised by redness, swelling and burning (usually the response to a small injury).
On the other hand, chronic inflammation is mainly invisible and occurs in the depth of our bodies.
This type of inflammation will cause the body to release certain chemicals into the blood flow. As a result, that can cause an enormous amount of damage.
Specific factors are known to cause chronic inflammation such as stress, a sedentary lifestyle, obesity, diabetes and more. Also, chronic inflammation in itself can contribute to many degenerative disorders including diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart disease, dementia, cancer and more.
When it comes to testosterone, inflammation leads to a poorer immunity, accelerates ageing and weight gain, and can offset chronic pain. Therefore, it’s no surprise that we are discovering that chronic inflammation lowers testosterone levels. (1)
And top that off, once your T levels are low, it makes chronic inflammation worse!
So, what can we do to prevent the damage?
Your liver and testosterone levels are linked too, click here to know more.
Does Chronic Inflammation Lower Testosterone? – The Symptoms & Improvements
How can you recognise if you are dealing with chronic inflammation?
If you notice more than one of the following symptoms:
- Struggling to lose weight. Being overweight or obese, as excess fat fuels inflammation.
- Heartburn, gas, bloating and nausea (linked to an inflamed gut)
- Chronic fatigue and poor sleep caused by a weak immune system.
- Prostate issues such as BPH and prostatitis.
- Stress upon waking (your immune system may be working too much)
- Constant mental fog and irritability
- High blood pressure and cholesterol
- Strange pains or weaknesses caused by inflamed joints and a weaker immune system.
Now, if you have some of these symptoms, go see your doctor to see what’s the best course of action for your personal case.
Simultaneously, you can apply (step by step) the following tips…
Diet
To start fighting chronic inflammation, the most efficient way is to improve your diet. (2)
Firstly, ditch all the following: foods rich in sugar and sugar itself, foods high in harmful fats (margarine, highly processed oils like sunflower, canola, corn, soybean, peanut oil, etc…), processed & refined foods such as white bread/pasta/rice/biscuits/cakes, MSG, in some cases dairy and alcohol in abundance (in moderation, it’s fine).
So, what do you eat?
Make sure that your diet has plenty of vegetables, legumes, healthy fats (organic butter, extra virgin olive oil, cold pressed coconut oil, lard from a grass-fed pig, etc.) and in moderation, proteins (grass-fed again), wholesome grains, nuts and fruits.
In other words, you’ll have to get cooking! For simple and fast recipes, check on any search engine, there’s plenty.
Walking can improve testosterone levels, learn more here.
Exercise
Whether you are thin, overweight or obese, exercise is essential to prevent and reduce inflammation. However, if you are overweight or obese, weight loss & exercise will truly benefit you health wise.
Indeed, excess visceral fat (fat around organs) will eventually lead to diabetes and chronic inflammation, if that’s not already the case. In addition, this type of fat pumps out chemicals and proteins that are extremely damaging and boost inflammation. Thus, the more fat you have, the worse your inflammation will get.
By exercising on a regular basis, (4 to 6 times a week), you will lower inflammation and lose visceral fat. By doing both, your body will also be able to produce… more testosterone.
Does Chronic Inflammation Lower Testosterone? – Conclusion
So, to the answer “ does chronic inflammation lower testosterone levels”. We can safely say that it does and then, it’s stuck in an infernal loop that only makes matters worse.
As a result, health goes downhill and so does, testosterone levels.
Only by taking responsibility of your own health, you can improve your testosterone levels and improve your current health status.
Your body might be a brilliant machine but like any other machine, it needs the adequate fuel, to keep cool (zen in our case) and to…move regularly.
Want to know more? Discover 7 ways to increase your testosterone levels…at night!
This article was written by Michael King.
(1) Low Testosterone Levels and Increased Inflammatory Markers in Patients with Cancer and Relationship with Cachexia. Basil O. Burney, Teresa G. Hayes, Joanna Smiechowska, Gina Cardwell, Victor Papusha, Peeyush Bhargava, Bhavana Konda, Richard J. Auchus, Jose M. Garcia. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 2012.
(2) Association between dietary inflammatory index and inflammatory markers in the HELENA study. Shivappa N, Hebert JR, Marcos A, Diaz LE, Gomez S, Nova E, Michels N, Arouca A, González-Gil E, Frederic G, González-Gross M, Castillo MJ, Manios Y, Kersting M, Gunter MJ, De Henauw S, Antonios K, Widhalm K, Molnar D, Moreno L, Huybrechts I. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2017.