Here’s the thing, bro: You have estrogen, bro. That’s right — the lady hormone. Even though you’re a testosterone-hoarding bro — who may even be taking testosterone right now to bro out with your bros and get buff — you too have estrogen coursing through your bro body.
Let’s rap about this, testoster-bro-ne.
How is this possible, bro? I’m a bro! I’m high T, which means there’s no room for E. That’s just science, bro.
And yet it’s true: The form of estrogen that functions throughout the male body is called estradiol (which is actually the predominant form of estrogen in both men and women). “Estrogen in the male body is primarily produced by the enzyme aromatase, which converts testosterone into estradiol in the testicles and fat cells,” says Ranjith Ramasamy, director of male reproductive medicine and surgery at the University of Miami, where he is also an assistant professor in the department of urology. “Estradiol works with testosterone in a delicate balance to regulate libido, erectile function and sperm production. It also has other important functions such as maintaining bone health.”
Okay, so I got some E, but it’s the T that’s going to help me put the P in the V, bro.
Nope! According to Ramasamy, it’s important to note that a specific balance of testosterone and estradiol are needed to achieve the desired effect. “When only testosterone levels are increased and estradiol levels remain low, libido often doesn’t improve,” he explains. When estrogen levels dip, the problems only increase. “Having very low levels of estrogen can increase the risk of osteoporosis and can greatly reduce libido,” says Ramasamy. “This is especially relevant when treating high estrogen levels with medication as it’s important not to lower the estrogen levels excessively.”
Damn, bro. What if I have tons of estrogen? Will that make me a love machine?
Sadly not. Ramasamy explains that high levels of estrogen — something that tends to be found in obese men, since fat cells can have a high level of aromatase activity, which helps produce more of the hormone — can also be problematic for your sex life. “It can have a negative effect on sexual and reproductive as well as general male health. It can even shut down spermatogenesis — the process in which you produce sperm.”
To find out if you have high levels of estrogen, Ramasamy says you can take an estrogen test, which “measures the level of the most important estrogen hormones (which includes estradiol) in a blood or urine sample.” If it turns out you do, it’s likely that the best way to lower estrogen levels — assuming you’re a man — is to lose weight. “Lowering your alcohol intake also helps reduce estrogen levels, but the main factor is your weight,” says Ramasamy.
So there you have it, bro.
You have estrogen: It’s normal. It is, in, fact, completely necessary to you doing your bro thing. So enjoy it, bro.
Andrew Fiouzi
Andrew Fiouzi is a staff writer at MEL.
