Androgen! Men like to claim their bodies are full of it. In pop culture, it’s taken on a meaning that is inextricable from virility. Yet the truth is that a lot of men don’t have all the androgen they need to maintain reproductive performance – and also for their overall general health. Because while androgen is associated in the public mind with sensual matters, it actually has uses that extend beyond the manhood.

About androgen

Just to bring everyone up to speed, androgen is the primary male hormone. As Wikipedia points out, androgen “plays a key role in the development of male reproductive tissues … as well as promoting secondary [male] characteristics such as increased muscle and bone mass, and the growth of body hair.”

But androgen also has uses in general health and well-being, and in particular in helping to prevent osteoporosis (which is the loss of bone mass, which can lead to frail bones that break easily.)

Men produce androgen naturally, and production ramps up markedly during adolescence (which is why a guy’s manhood and balls grow and hair starts to develop all over the body during the teen years). But somewhere around age 30, the body starts producing a little less androgen each year – a decline of somewhere around 1% per year. In addition, there may be other reasons why a man has less androgen than he should, such as diet, exercise, etc. As a matter of fact, some scientists believe that low androgen is significantly under-diagnosed and may affect as many as 13 million men, 90% of whom go untreated.

Issues

But just what are some of the problems associated with low androgen?

• Reproductive drive and function. The one that most guys know about and worry about the most. When androgen levels are low, a man has less desire for physical intimacy. In some cases, tumescence may be harder to come by, although actual male dysfunction is not typically a side effect of low androgen by itself.

• Depression. Many men with low androgen find it affects their mental health, especially in terms of depression. Since lower androgen occurs as a guy ages, and since many men feel depressed about aging, the lower androgen may worsen a predisposition to depression.

• Sleep problems. Sleep patterns are often disrupted by too little androgen. This can lead to insomnia, which can take the form of having trouble falling asleep or of waking and being unable to get back to sleep. Some men may already have sleep apnea, which in turn contributes to lower androgen as well.

• Emotional issues. Beyond depression, low levels of androgen are associated with other emotional changes, such as sadness or irritability. It can also dampen enthusiasm and motivation and can impact self-confidence.

• Fatigue. Low energy levels are often a byproduct of low androgen. A man tires more easily or has a harder time getting started in the mornings.

• Physical changes. Sometimes the change in androgen levels correlates with physical changes in a man. He may gain weight more easily or lose some of the strength he used to have. Body hair may decrease, and he may develop some fat tissue in the breast area. It also can lead to a weakening of the bones. All of this can contribute to feelings of depression, which low androgen already can make more likely.

If a man worries he may have low androgen, he needs to speak with his doctor for a diagnosis and to determine if treatments are needed.

In the meantime, he needs to work to keep his member as healthy as possible, and that includes regular use of a superior male organ health crème (health professionals recommend Man1 Man Oil, which is clinically proven mild and safe for skin). The best crème will include L-arginine and alpha lipoic acid. The former boosts nitric oxide production, which helps the blood vessels expand for increased blood flow when needed. The latter is an antioxidant that protects the male organ cells from free radicals and the oxidative stress they can cause.

Visit http://www.menshealthfirst.com for additional information on most common male organ health issues, tips on improving sensitivity and what to do to maintain a healthy member. John Dugan is a professional writer who specializes in men's health issues and is an ongoing contributing writer to numerous websites.