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When I entered my practice, one of the first things I wanted to do, a few years before the A4M (American Academy of Anti-Aging) came along, was to help reverse what was happening to my male patients. Now I’m taking it a step further. It will be part of the purpose of my new Palm Beach Institute for Wellness and Anti-Aging Medicine. I am currently developing the first ever systemized approach to measuring total heart performance. And relating that to age. I’ll measure and quantify aspects of heart health and improve them. Whether you’re currently healthy or have heart disease. Standard medicine has no interest in helping you become healthier. In fact, many doctors were opposed to it when I started helping men boost their testosterone naturally over 20 years ago. You couldn’t find a standard doctor who didn’t think testosterone put men at risk. They thought it was dangerous, and a ticket straight to heart disease. Doctors presumed men had more heart attacks than women because they had more testosterone. We later discovered that smoking, not testosterone, was causing men to have more heart disease and heart attacks. Men just smoked more than women. Not only that, but the connection between testosterone and the heart is a positive one. The more free testosterone you have, the better your heart functions.1 One study looked at almost four thousand people and followed them for over 5 years. Those who had more free testosterone were 71% less likely to die from heart disease than those who had the least.2 A review of other studies by the prestigious journal Nature showed that people with heart disease have significantly lower testosterone than healthy people.3 That doesn’t mean low testosterone causes heart disease. But what it does show is that letting your testosterone levels drop as you age can be a disaster for your heart.So what did I do that has helped thousands of patients avoid this situation? I used a few simple, natural methods to bring their testosterone bring it back to where it should be. You see, testosterone has a positive effect on your cardiovascular system by working its magic in a few different ways. It helps prevent internal blood clots,4 increases blood flow to the heart,5 and gives you better endothelial function,6 helping lower blood pressure naturally. But it’s not just your heart that benefits from normal testosterone. With normal levels, you’ll enjoy:
There are a few ways to raise testosterone. There are synthetic testosterone gels, patches and injections, but I don’t use them. I’ve always known that these man-made molecules are risky and unnatural. In fact, you may have heard about the class action lawsuits involving synthetic testosterone drugs. They’re causing side effects in men who already have heart disease. That’s why I’ve never used any synthetic testosterone in my practice. Even naturally derived testosterone injections are usually not necessary. There are other effective options for most men. In fact the most effective and safe way to support healthy testosterone levels is with the herb tribulus terrestris. This is a little-known herb has long been used by Chinese and Ayervedic healers as a treatment for sexual problems and to build muscle. By gently boosting testosterone levels, Tribulus terrestris can help increase red blood cell counts, helping the body to transport oxygen, particularly in older men. Tribulus terrestris has been used in India for years to help treat impotence and fatigue. In one study, 50 patients complaining of lethargy and fatigue for periods of two to six months were observed to show an overall improvement of 45% in all symptoms after taking tribulus terrestris.8 One study analyzed the effect of tribulus on healthy men. The men experienced an average 30% increase in testosterone levels after just 5 days of oral supplementation. This is about the average rise in testosterone that I have experienced in my clinic. You can buy the bulk powder form of tribulus at online sellers like:
If you want to take an extract as a supplement, look for one with at least 40% saponins (the active ingredient in tribulus). I have seen sellers that claim to have extracts with as much as 90% saponins, but 40% is standard. How much do you need to take? Scientific studies use different amounts of tribulus for their trials. Some use 450mg, 750mg, and even as much as 1350mg a day of tribulus. At my wellness center, I use a starting dose of 500mg (40% saponins) once a day, and increase to 750mg a day if necessary. It doesn’t usually take more than that to raise testosterone up to what it should be. To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD 1. Jin Q, Lou Y, Chen H, Li T, Bao X, Liu Q, He X. “Lower free testosterone level is correlated with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in asymptomatic middle-aged men with type 2 diabetes mellitus.” Int J Clin Pract. 2014. 2. Hyde, Z. et. al. “Low Free Testosterone Predicts Mortality…” The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. October 19, 2011 jc.2011-1617. 3. “Low testosterone levels are associated with CVD risk.” Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2011 Oct 21;7(11):632. 4. Ajayi AA. “Testosterone increases platelet thromboxane A2 receptor density.” Circulation. 1995. 91:2740-2747. 5. Webb CM, McNeill JG, Hayward CS, Zeegler D, Collins P. “Effect of testosterone on coronary vasomotor regulation in men with coronary heart disease.” Circulation. 1999. 100:1690-1693. 6. Ong PSL, Patrizi G, Chong WCF, Webb CM, Haywar’d CS, Collins P. “Testosterone enhances flow mediated brachial artery reactivity in men with coronary artery disease.” Am J Cardiol. 2000. 85:14–17. 7. Vermeulen, A. “Androgen Replacement Therapy in the Aging Male — A Critical Evaluation.” The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism June 1, 2001 vol. 86 no. 6 2380-2390. 8. Jayaram, S et al. (1993) Indian Drugs. 30 (10) 498-500 Muscle and Fitness, 1996 Sept; 140: 224. |
