Some things in life are unavoidable; aging is one of them. The hope is that aging is done gracefully, ensuring continued health and vitality through every stage of life. Doing so usually requires some dedication, making sure to eat right, exercise safely, and be consistent with sleep and mental health. These aspects of a healthy lifestyle support the body in various ways, whether it be the obvious - preventing chronic diseases such as heart disease or diabetes - or through supporting natural hormonal changes, both in men and women.
For both men and women, natural changes in the production of certain hormones occur along with fluctuations in how target tissues respond to them. Some increase, some decrease, and others remain unchanged. Similar changes occur regardless of gender when it comes to the production of thyroid hormone, parathyroid hormone, and insulin. For example, a reduction in thyroid hormone reduces metabolism, sometimes resulting in weight gain; an increase in parathyroid hormone with age can ultimately lead to lower bone mass or osteoporosis; a reduced response to insulin can increase blood sugar levels leading to type II diabetes, etc (1). Therefore, before estrogen and testosterone are even discussed, there are avenues to support graceful aging that can be implemented across the board.
For these three hormones, ensuring a healthy diet and in some cases making some adjustments to intake is essential. With a naturally slowing metabolism caloric recommendations shift; for example, men aged 51 or higher are recommended to consume 2000 calories per day, which is 200 calories less than recommended in the 31-50 age group. On the other hand, due to changes in calcium metabolism, more specifically in parathyroid hormone production, calcium recommendations increase in this age group by 200 mg per day to support bone strength and other physiologic processes (2). From an integrative standpoint, these standard recommendations would be used in conjunction with more unique and individualized recommendations taking into account physical fitness and activity and any other clinical concerns.
Now, where men and women differ is in sex hormone production. For men, testosterone does naturally decline with age, generally at a rate of 1% per year. In a healthy individual this change is slow enough to be pretty smooth, however chronic conditions can contribute in an even faster decline as seen with metabolic syndrome, obesity, and type II diabetes. These men may experience symptoms of increased anxiety, decreased libido, depression, memory problems, sleep disturbances, fatigue, and even hot flashes. Some practitioners refer to this conglomeration of symptoms as “andropause”, referencing the more extreme natural decline in sex hormones seen in women, “menopause” (3). Other than ensuring good nutrition, testosterone can be supported in men by promoting adequate exercise, normal BMI, restful sleep, and in some cases with herbs or supplements if needed.
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In women, the natural fluctuation of peri-menopause and ultimate decline in estrogen of menopause is more extreme, with even the healthiest women experiencing noticeable symptoms. On average, menopause occurs at the age of 52, but fluctuations in hormones can occur up to ten years prior, with menstrual cycles becoming more irregular and related menstrual symptoms becoming more erratic. Therefore, ensuring a smooth transition can be a bit more of a challenge. Most commonly, women report irregular periods that are heavier or lighter than usual, hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, insomnia, emotional changes, dry skin, reduced libido, weight gain, hair changes, joint pain, headaches, etc; but, other symptoms do exist.
The thing with menopause is that it can’t be avoided. Practitioners may recommend hormone replacement when symptoms are extreme, but ultimately it is a natural process. By ensuring baseline nutrition, recommending appropriate exercise, supporting restful sleep, and supporting mental health a lot of these changes are much better tolerated . Specific intervention really depends on the individuals unique needs, which can be done with targeted dietary recommendations, herbs, supplements, and mental emotional support.
Overall, hormones play a huge role in the aging process, and it’s not just estrogen and testosterone that need to be considered when ensuring continued vitality and grace through every life stage. The key is that all hormones respond well to a healthy body and mind, so working closely with an integrative practitioner can be essential to balancing all these important hormones, making aging a comfortable and beautiful process.
Here at AYUMETRIX, we hope to support both the patient and practitioner in determining how these hormones interact with each individual’s unique health status. For more information regarding available testing, please visit www.ayumetrix.com.
- Mary Hall, ND, LAc
References: 1. “Aging changes in hormone production.” Medline Plus. National Library of Medicine. Online access: https://medlineplus.gov/
2. “Nutritional goals for each age/sex group used in assessing adequacy of USDA Food Patterns at various calorie levels” https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Appendix-E3-1-Table-A4.pdf
3. Singh, Parminder. 2013. Andropause: current concepts. Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 17(Suppl3): S621-S629.
