Answer:
Dear
Anthony,
Testosterone
is a steroid hormone from the androgen group. In mammals, testosterone
is primarily secreted in the testes of males and the ovaries of females.
In males,
the testes produce most of the circulating testosterone. Testosterone
production declines naturally with age.
Testosterone
production decreases rapidly after age 50 (to 20-50% of peak level
by age 80).
The testes produce testosterone regulated by a complex chain of signals
that begins in the brain. This chain is called the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal
axis.
In males, a decreased testosterone level may indicate hypothalamic
or pituitary disease with reduced secretion of LH and FSH, or damage
to the testes with reduced production of testosterone.
Low testosterone levels appeared to predict and increased risk of
death due to poor cardiovascular health and abnormal cell health.
For many men, low testosterone levels go undiagnosed. Men with low
testosterone were more likely to have elevated markers of inflammation,
called inflammatory cytokines, which contribute to many diseases.
As for
raising your testosterone level, it is possible that you can do so
by non-pharmacological means. The general advice argues for ample
exercise and a diet heavily weighted toward fresh fruits and vegetables.
There is a statement to the effect that zinc supplementation has been
shown to raise testosterone levels.
Chrysin, nettle roots, and muira puama are among the herbal treatments
more advertised.
A testosterone
level of 336 ng/dL falls within the normal range for adult males.
A normal
level of testosterone for a man will range from the low 200s to more
than 1200 nanograms per deciliter (ng./dL).
In men,
mid-life hormone changes usually begin without notice, especially
after the age of forty. Andropause, the condition in which the testosterone
level slowly declines with age, also decreases a man's ability to
enjoy sex.
Life
without testosterone is life without desire but life without desire
may be unexpectedly pleasant.
