What lowers androgen levels?
Ah, androgens – those pesky hormones that cause acne breakouts, mood swings, and compulsive hair growth in places you’d rather not have it. It’s no wonder you want to get rid of them! Luckily for you, there are plenty of ways to lower your androgen levels naturally (without resorting to expensive drugs or witchcraft). Read on for our top tips.
The Basics: What Are Androgens Anyway?
Before we dive into how to lower your androgen levels, let’s first clarify what they are. In short, androgens are male sex hormones responsible for the development and maintenance of traditionally “masculine” traits like facial hair growth, deepening of the voice, etc. Both men AND women produce androgens (like testosterone), but typically at different levels.
As with most things health-related, diet can play a huge role in regulating hormone production. Here are some foods/ingredients that can help reduce your overall astoundingly high-androgen levels:
Flaxseeds
Flaxseeds contain lignans which may block the activity of certain enzymes responsible for converting testosterone into its more potent form – dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
Spearmint Tea
Drinking two cups daily over five days could significantly bring down circulating total testosterone levels!
Veggies
You already know vegetables should be part of a balanced diet- luckily including spears will fight estrogenic dominance by balancing out the ratio between male/female hormone mediated through their phytochemical content.
Broccoli Sprouts
Broccoli sprouts included sulforaphane encourage liver detoxification pathways that remove excess anabolic steroid metabolites from circulation
Sweating it out at the gym is another natural way to keep those pesky little hormones under wraps! Being physically active helps reduce your cortisol levels while boosting your endorphins. Here’s how you can get moving to salvage even the most extreme hormonal imbalance:
Resistance Training
Doing resistance training 3-4 days a week could help cut serum androgenic precursors in women, bringing testosterone levels back down to healthy ranges which will stop themselves from being mistaken for incredibly muscular female bodybuilders!
Cardiovascular Training
Sports like cardio via running or jogging aka generally any activity that boosts cardiovascular endurance has been shown conclusively lower systemic C-reactive protein (CRP – a protein released by the liver when there is inflammation).
Getting enough restful sleep each night is crucial not only for recovery after exercise but also for overall health and hormone balance. A recent study found that men who slept less than five hours per night had significantly higher plasma testosterone concentrations than those getting adequate sleep.
Here are some other lifestyle changes you can make to help naturally bring down that hormone level:
Manage Stress Levels
Chronic stress increases circulating cortisol which inhibits pituitary gland function – leading to increased prolactin release, thereby skewing estrogen/androgen ratio toward feminization (so long as it goes unchecked). Try mindfulness or breathing exercises before desperate measures become standard!
Other things-that-might-work-things-but-definitely-don’t-hurt-to-try:
- Essential Oil Massage with peppermint oil and eucalyptus oil may decrease androgens.
- Coffee because of its high antioxidant content would surely hurt in excess recommended amounts!
Hope these natural tips come in handy on your quest for balanced hormones! Cheers！