Doctor tells men to do one thing before they drink their next pint

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A doctor has urged men to increase their awareness of their hormone health before they reach for their next pint. Dr Paul van der Westhuizen, men’s health lead for home health test provider Medichecks, has warned men to get wise on their hormone levels for Alcohol Awareness Week from July 1 – with one drink in particular upsetting their hormone balance.

Excess amounts of the ‘female hormone’ oestrogen can trick the brain into thinking it has too much testosterone and cause the body to reduce its production, possibly leading to symptoms like low mood and energy, reduced libido, and erectile dysfunction.

And changes to our food chain and environment have upped the risk of absorbing extra oestrogen from outside the body. “While we typically label hormones as male or female, the fact is men and women make both types of hormones in different levels,” said Dr van der Westhuizen. “The different volumes of these hormones are what distinguishes the sexual characteristics of men and women. “Oestrogen is the collective name for a group of hormones which are mainly responsible for developing the female reproductive system, but men also produce oestrogen in small amounts.

Oestradiol is the strongest of these and in men it’s responsible for regulating libido, erectile function, and sperm production. “Oestradiol levels in men can be raised due to excess body fat, or linked to an age-related decline in testosterone.