When it comes to hormones, it is commonly presumed that estrogen is the female hormone and testosterone is the male hormone. Even though this perception is not wrong, the fact of the matter is that estrogen plays a vital role in male sexual function just as much as testosterone plays a crucial role in regulating sexual function and libido in women.
However, the problem occurs when men have too much estrogen in their bodies.
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Symptoms of High Estrogen in Men
Without beating around the bush, let me spell out the common symptoms of high estrogen in men. These could include:
- Low libido
- erectile dysfunction
- weight gain
- growth of breast tissue resulting in gynecomastia
- lack of energy
- loss of muscle mass
- depression
- infertility, etc.
The underlying fact here is that a high level of estrogen means hormonal imbalance in your body which also characterizes a drop in your testosterone levels. What you need to understand is that both estrogen and testosterone are interrelated and they do not act in isolation. What I mean to say is that when one goes down the other goes up resulting in various symptoms and effects.
Let’s go through each of the symptoms of high estrogen levels in men as mentioned above, in brief detail:
Low Libido
Testosterone is one of the key factors driving libido or sex drive in men. This is why younger men who have high testosterone levels have a robust libido. And it is exactly when older men with waning testosterone levels have poor libido.
Low testosterone in your body not only affects you physically but also sexually and one of the biggest fallouts of low testosterone is a drop in your libido High estrogen levels in men can often result in depression, fatigue and also negative mood changes.
Erectile Dysfunction
The worst part is that things do not stay limited to a drop in your libido or sex drive. Testosterone is the hormone that is crucial for getting rock-solid erections. Blood flow is also an important factor here but without an optimum testosterone in your body, it is simply not possible to get a hard and solid erection. Arousal also takes much longer if your testosterone levels are lower than normal.
This is particularly why most middle-aged and older men suffer from erectile dysfunction. It’s worth mentioning here again that high estrogen levels pull down your testosterone secretion.
Infertility
Estrogen is known to play an important role in the production of mature sperm in men. It is not surprising that high estrogen levels in men can lead to a problem in conception. In order to help your testes produce germ cells it is important to have an optimum balance of estrogen.
Optimum estrogen balance is not just important for the development of sperm but also for the nourishment of mature sperm. A high level of estrogen in your body could affect the development as well as nourishment of mature sperm thereby affecting your fertility.
Weight Gain
How does high estrogen in men lead to weight gain?
There exists a somewhat complex relationship between body weight and estrogen levels in men.
As men get older, testosterone levels in their bodies begin plummeting resulting in estrogen dominance.
Conversely, as you gain weight as you get older, your metabolic rate slows down making your body produce more estrogen since the aromatase enzymes live in the fatty tissues.
But this is not all!
High estrogen levels are likely to cause negative mood swings and even depression which makes you less desirous of staying fit and taking care of your health.
It’s hardly surprising that high estrogen in men is seen as a factor contributing to weight gain and obesity.
Gynecomastia
This is yet another symptom of high estrogen levels in men. Excess estrogen tends to stimulate the mammary glands resulting in the growth of the breast tissue. It goes without saying that gynecomastia or man boobs or moobs is a highly embarrassing condition for most men. One of the options to get rid of gynecomastia is surgery which can be expensive as well as painful.
Mood Swings, Fatigue, Depression, Muscle Loss
High estrogen levels can also result in mood swings and depression in men. Since an increase in estrogen levels almost always means a drop in testosterone levels, it is likely to make men feel tired and fatigued, irritable and depressed. It is also known to result in increased anxiety.
Furthermore, it also translates into loss of muscle mass.
Enlarged Prostate
As estrogen levels in men increase, it may lead to the proliferation of the prostate gland. This could result in prostatic hypertrophy or an enlarged prostate. This may also result in difficulty in urination and may also lead to multiple nighttime bathroom visits.
What Does Estrogen Do To A Man?
Estrogen is as much a part of your body as testosterone it. The only difference is that you require it in a much smaller quantity. Estrogen is not just important for regulating sexual function in men but is also known to play a massive role in regulating your mood.
Estrogen is known to stimulate serotonin as well as beta-endorphins which are feel-good neurotransmitters and these are known to play a vital role in maintaining both your verbal and spatial memory, especially in the later stages of your life.
Role of Estrogen in Male Sexual Function
As far as sexual function in men is concerned, we are more concerned about the balance between estrogen and testosterone levels in their bodies. If a man has a small amount of estrogen circulating in his bloodstream, he is more likely to get hard and functional erections.
If however, estrogen levels are higher than normal, testosterone levels start going down resulting in erectile dysfunction. In other words, high estrogen and low testosterone are associated with weaker or softer and less frequent erections in men.
According to a study, a group of transgender males were given estrogen therapy as a part of their transition to becoming women and it was found that estrogen resulted in fewer spontaneous as well as nocturnal erections.
Role of Estrogen in Spermatogenesis
As mentioned above, aromatase is the enzyme that converts testosterone into estrogen. Now, it is found in the brain, testes as well as the penis. Estrogen is known to play an important role in the production of healthy sperm. However, too much of estrogen in the testes (caused because of higher conversion of testosterone to estrogen by aromatase enzyme) can affect the quality and health of sperm negatively resulting in infertility.
Role of Estrogen in Male Libido
Estrogen can affect sex drive in men in a couple of ways. As mentioned above, it’s worth noting that the aromatase enzyme also exists in your brain. What it means is that estrogen can affect your sexual behavior from a physiological perspective. It is not for nothing that your brain is called the biggest sex organ. The whole process of arousal and getting an erection is linked to the brain and any imbalance in between estrogen and testosterone is likely to thus, affect your sex drive or libido and erections.
How To Fix High Estrogen Levels in Men
Here are some important lifestyle changes that can help lower estrogen levels in men:
- Try to include magnesium and B vitamins in your diet
- Try to add fresh and organic foods to your diet
- Try to get adequate sleep
- Try to reduce and manage stress in your daily life
- Try to stick to a healthy weight.
You can check my detailed post on how to stop converting testosterone into estrogen.
Last, but not the least, you can also try a DIM supplement.
DIM supplements are a perfect help in balancing estrogen and testosterone in men. DIM 3X from Primegenix is a natural supplement that is getting more and more popular. Unlike most of the other brands on the market. DIM 3X is a doctor-approved and recommended supplement that can help take care of high estrogen levels in your body without any negative side effects.
DIM 3X can help lower estrogen, support testosterone, and inhibit aromatase enzyme from converting testosterone into estrogen in your body. It can also help increase your strength and energy so that you can get better results from your workouts. Not just this, it can also help boost your libido and ensure harder erections. Check out my complete Primegenix DIM 3X review by clicking here.
