Two Big Testosterone Dangers

In our final testosterone article (for now, at least), we’ll cover the top two worries men, and oftentimes their partners, have when it comes to hormone replacement therapy. First:

“Won’t my natural production shut down?”

That’s a valid concern. When you take additional hormones, your body tends to kick back… relax… and stop producing the stuff on its own. “If you don’t use it, you lose it” and all that. Good news, though: When the supply runs dry, your body revives its production.

A review of studies by the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine shows testosterone levels tend to bounce back to their previous levels.

That’s good…

… but this “bounce back” is to the same previously low levels that spurred the therapy in the first place.

That’s bad.

This, if anything, can cause a psychological dependency. But that’s like saying coffee should be avoided at all costs because you start jonesing for the energy every morning and risked crashing later on. It comes down to what your body can handle and how well you can manage an external stimulant.

(And before anyone freaks out because sex hormones are obviously more serious than coffee, it’s the principle of which I speak.)

Balancing a little extra testosterone on the side and dealing with the occasional taper, however, is a far cry from “take testosterone and your testicles will go on strike forever.” Here’s one reader’s experience:

“I am 60 years old and have been on doctor’s prescription for 10 years. I think it’s overrated for sex drive. It does help with energy level and mood swings. My muscle mass has not disappeared like a lot of buddies of the same age. However, I do work out three times a week in old traditional karate, which includes an hour of stretching and hour of karate forms. I have my blood checked every six months and annual visits to urologist. Don’t feel 60, but if I don’t work out, I do. Have tapered off testosterone before and the only noticeable side effect is a big case of lazy ass.”

Now let’s move onto something a little more scary: prostate cancer. If you’ve ever researched increasing your testosterone levels through hormone replacement therapy, you’ve probably read that doing so grows prostate cancer.

There’s just one problem with this:

It’s BS.

This rumor began based on the research of Charles B. Huggins, who won the Nobel Prize for, in part, castrating men. Seriously.

This party pooper reported that testosterone injection “activates” prostate cancer and enhances its growth “in all cases.” I’m sure he concluded that based on extensive studies and experimentation… right?

Oh, not so much.

This was discovered by Dr. Abraham Morgentaler in the basement of the Countway Library at Harvard Medical School. There, he dug up an old volume Huggins had contributed to in 1941. To make things more interesting, I’m picturing it as something similar to the scene where Indiana Jones swipes that weird golden figure thingy from the booby-trapped cave in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Anyway, Dr. Morgentaler found out the myth of testosterone and prostate cancer was the result of three men being studied! The results were reported for only two… and one was already castrated. Plus, their possible prostate cancer growth was determined with a method since abandoned for its crappy results.

After outrunning a giant boulder threatening to trap him in the Countway Library forever (still doing the Indiana Jones thing here), Dr. Morgentaler went on to publish studies showing testosterone therapy has zero risk for increasing prostate cancer growth.

Not that the fear-mongering of evil steroids has ceased:

In a 2013 study published in JAMA, the authors conclude there’s an increase of heart problems among men with low testosterone who get testosterone therapy.

Dr. Morgentaler was quick to fire back to JAMA’s Journal Oversight Committee. Here’s what he wrote, according to DrugWatch.com:

“This article is a mess, and JAMA has behaved badly. Something is terribly amiss when a premier medical journal publishes such an obviously weak study that contradicts well-established literature, and in so doing fosters fear among the public. The concern is heightened when the journal’s response to inescapable evidence that the study is meritless is to deceive, distort, stonewall, and dig in. JAMA’s behavior suggests it is more interested in sensationalism and media coverage than scientific accuracy and integrity.”

Feel that, JAMA? That’s Dr. Morgentaler… to borrow a phrase from The Rock… laying the smackdown on you.

In fairness, I’ll grudgingly admit the good doctor has received financial backing from AbbVie, which sells AndroGel, the most popular testosterone treatment.

But here’s something you should know about researchers and their corporate ties (yes, it’s time for one of my sidetracks): Any sort of financial conflict of interest must be disclosed in a study. Yes, they can lie, and there is “back seat of a Lincoln Town Car-sized” wiggle room for messing with data to get the outcome the study funders want.

But here’s the thing: This is the villain everyone knows about. What people rarely consider is the bias toward toeing the government’s line or the culture of the school where the study’s taking place. This influence is much stronger and more insidious.

Anyway…

For all the study’s controversy, the increase in absolute risk it published for cardiac outcomes was a paltry 5.8 percent. Call me cavalier, but I might be willing to roll the dice if the upshot included feeling, functioning and looking more like a hormone-dripping 20-something. But that’s just me.

Especially considering a study out of Germany found an association between low testosterone and all-cause mortality. In other words, men with low T tended to die more from… everything. (And yes, that probably includes terminal cases of lazy ass).

Here’s to staying motivated,

Nate Rifkin
Underground Health

Nate Rifkin

Written By Nate Rifkin

Nate Rifkin is an obsessed health and mind-power researcher and author. To hear more from Nate, sign up to receive Living Well Daily for free, here.

View More Free Articles

Are You "Addicted" to Soda? (It's NOT Your Fault)

Ever have a friend who claims they’re “addicted” to their favorite soft drink? Or maybe you feel like you can’t get enough of your preferred soda? Big Beverage spends billions annually developing crave-worthy products. They convince us to gulp down those liquid sugar bombs, insisting they’re perfectly safe “in moderation.” Now, you and I both...

Read This

"Doomed to Diabetes?" Not with THIS $3 Supplement Solution

You’ve probably heard the warning from your doctor: “Once insulin resistance sets in, there’s no turning back.” They make it sound like catching a whiff of a donut dooms you to Diabetes Town—with no exits. But what if I told you this oft-repeated “fact” is about as reliable as diet advice from the vice president...

Read This

Hidden Hormone Drop Puts Your Heart at Risk

Ladies, if you’re currently going through menopause—or have already gone through “the change”—there’s a good chance your heart health is at risk. See, as estrogen levels decline, your cardiovascular protection decreases. This leaves you more vulnerable to heart disease. But nature offers a surprising ally in this battle—and, oddly enough, you’ll find it in the...

Read This

America’s Next Prescription Epidemic?

It started with a prescription to help you stay focused… But now, for millions of Americans, that little orange pill bottle could be a gateway to something much darker. According to a brand-new national study, one in four adults prescribed stimulants for ADHD is misusing them—and nearly one in 10 has developed a full-blown use...

Read This

Is Your Diet ACTUALLY Healthy? Here’s How to Tell

I’ve probably uttered the phrase “healthy diet” when talking to patients, family, and friends more times than I’ve had cups of coffee—and that’s saying something! But I’ll admit it’s not always entirely clear what a healthy diet looks like. What does healthy eating really mean? Let’s take a look… Good news—healthy eating doesn’t mean you...

Read This

7 Natural Ways to Tackle Pain Without Pills

On Tuesday, we explored a promising new frontier in pain relief: terpenes, natural compounds found in cannabis (and other plants) that may ease pain without the risks of opioids. That research is still developing. But what if you’re looking for help right now? Good news: You don’t have to wait for a pharmaceutical breakthrough to...

Read This

Mailbag: Pinched to Pain Free with Natural Sciatica Solutions

“I have been suffering from sciatic pain in my hip and groin. I try to do exercises to stretch it. But ever since I slipped on the ice and fell on my left hip it seems to be getting worse. Is there any help for this?” -Painfully Pinched Dear Pinched, I understand how frustrating sciatic...

Read This

New Cannabis Discovery Could Ease Pain—Without the High

A few years ago, everywhere you turned, someone was talking about CBD. The cannabis extract had exploded in popularity for everything from anxiety to inflammation to joint pain. And while the CBD conversation continues, another cannabis compound is quietly making headlines. One that could—believe it or not—provide relief from all kinds of pain. Without the...

Read This

"Sinful Trio" SLASHES Metabolic Syndrome Risk

Are you tired of hearing your doctor’s endless “don’t eat this, don’t drink that” lectures? Well, this Easter Sunday, I’ve got news that might just have you hopping happily to your pantry. Turns out, some of life’s tastiest pleasures could help protect you from one of today’s most common health threats—metabolic syndrome. Let’s dig into...

Read This

Microplastics’ Hidden Link to Chronic Disease EXPOSED

By now, you’ve heard about microplastics. These tiny fragments of plastic have invaded virtually every corner of our planet. We’re just beginning to understand the scope of the threat, but we know microplastics pose a serious risk to our health. If you’re like many folks, you’ve shrugged off those dangers, thinking there’s nothing you can...

Read This