A woman’s sexual desires naturally fluctuate over the years. Highs and lows commonly coincide with the beginning or end of a relationship, major life changes such as pregnancy, menopause, illnesses or in some instances medications. A man on the other hand seems to be “a sexual machine, hardwired always to want sex,” says pioneering sex researcher Irwin Goldstein, MD, Director of Sexual Medicine at San Diego’s Alvarado Hospital and Editor in Chief of The Journal of Sexual Medicine. “Many times this is not the case at all, as a matter of fact many men — about one in five — have such low sexual desire they’d rather do almost anything else than have sex.” One in five men don’t want sex? How can that be true? And why haven’t we heard about it? Actually, many women are the ones hearing the phrase “Not tonight, dear.” Goldstein says most people think that is a rare occurrence. “But in fact, almost 30% of women say they have more interest in sex than their partner has.” In general, the normal range of testosterone in males is about 270 to 1070 ng/dL, with an average level of 679 ng/dL. Testosterone level peaks at about age 20, and then it slowly declines. Testosterone levels above or below the normal range are considered by many to be out of balance. Mexican Americans have the highest testosterone levels, African Americans coming in a close second, then Caucasians, sorry guys.
The causes of low sex drive:
Aging plays a role, though many older men have a robust interest in sex. Goldstein points out that most men are in the normal range; some are extraordinarily driven toward addiction-like sexual behavior, while at the other end of the scale there are men with very low sexual interest. These are men who suffer from hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). Psychological issues play a role, like stress and anxiety from the strain of daily life, relationship or family problems, depression, and mental disorders are among the many factors that can affect sexual desire. Diseases such as diabetes, and conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol; also HIV drugs, some hair-loss remedies, and other medications. Anti-depressants can negatively affect sexual desire as well. Hormonal causes such as low testosterone levels can also mean low sexual desire. Levels will dip as men age. Other hormones can also play a role, such as low levels of thyroid hormone or, rarely, high levels of prolactin, a hormone produced in a gland at the base of the brain.
Some natural help to pump up your libido:
1. Stay trim. Belly fat converts testosterone to estrogen. You also feel better in the bedroom when you’re in good shape.
2. Get eight hours of sleep. While surviving on only a few hours may sound macho to some, it’s actually eroding your most important male hormone.
3. Avoid toxins that harm the testicles. Phthalates and Parabens in personal care products like lotions and shaving creams and BPA in plastic bottles and on store receipts are anti-androgens, meaning they disrupt the function of multiple hormones including testosterone. So go green in your bathroom, use stainless-steel reusable water bottles, and say no thanks to receipts at stores to avoid these chemicals.
4. Lower stress levels. Stress is a major driver of low T. Ultimately your adrenal hormones, thyroid hormones and sex hormones are all interconnected in a beautiful but complicated dance. So reboot and rebalance which will help in lowering cortisol and increasing testosterone.
5. Avoid statins and eat more fish oil. Not only do statin drugs negatively impact mitochondria, the energy powerhouses of your metabolism they also lower total testosterone. This is most likely because cholesterol is the building block of all of your steroid hormones: cholesterol becomes DHEA, which in turn becomes testosterone. Eating more fish oil will lower inflammation (inflammation lowers testosterone) and will also support the production of healthy cholesterol, the ultimate building block for T.
6. Take your vitamins seriously. Vitamins A and E and minerals Zinc and Selenium act like fertilizer for androgen production and testicular function. While in the developed world we may eat a lot of food, most of it is missing these important micronutrients. Supplements are one targeted way to get more of these critical nutrients, or, eat more shellfish for Zinc and Selenium, carrots and kale for Vitamin A, and almonds and sunflower seeds for Vitamin E.
7. Get some sun! The male reproductive tract is a target for Vitamin D, and Vitamin D supplementation has been shown to increase total testosterone. We have an epidemic of Vitamin D deficiency in the U.S. If you aren’t sure of your level, get tested, and in addition to supplements, be sure to get your 15 minutes of direct sunshine a day.