Modifiable
- Diet
- Stress
- Sleep
- Exercise
- Alcohol & Tobacco
- Pollution & Toxins
- Medications
The Hormone Optimization Playbook
Your comprehensive science-backed guide to optimal hormone function through diet, lifestyle and supplementation
The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, said:
Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.
And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.
The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, said:
Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.
And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.
Why did we put this guide together?
1
To set you up for success!
When building a house, a solid foundation is needed before you add a second story. This concept applies to your body. You don’t jump into treatments without first addressing your foundation. It’s important to look at the gaps created by your lifestyle, like a poor diet or lack of sleep, as these holes will render the treatment less effective or potentially ineffective, and they’ll persist after the treatment has been completed. Like a crack in the foundation, these will slow any positive progression and the house will crumble.
2
To make your life easier!
Searching for and finding relevant research studies can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. It requires a sound understanding of the research question, the appropriate key search words, and the ability to evaluate the quality and relevance of the retrieved studies. Not to mention figuring out how to interpret the data and make it actionable. This manual summarizes how to interpret and enact all the information we’ve gathered. It’s an all-in-one guide we hope you refer back to for tips on executing those items. It’s why we call it the Playbook.
How to approach this guide
Your comprehensive science-backed guide to optimal hormone function through diet, lifestyle and supplementation
The Playbook is broken down into sections:
- Nourishment (Diet)
- Lifestyle - sleep, stress management, exercise
- Supplementation
- Hormone Wellness Programs
For each topic, we summarized the Key Takeaways and the minimum dose required to see an effect.
Your VRx strategy for success
If your goal is to improve your testosterone biomarker, which for any male is a concern, the optimal technique is to attack several markers simultaneously that directly impact testosterone. This method will maximize your potential for successful treatment, even if your goal is to improve only one biomarker.
And don’t blame your parents for dealing you a poor hand of health. You’re far more in control of your current and future health outcomes.
Still need convincing?
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When it comes to your body, everything is connected.
Your body doesn’t exist in a series of isolated biomarkers floating around. They work together. If one biomarker is unoptimized, that indicates several body systems are approaching the same direction or are already in the red.
Here's a great example:
Vitamin D deficiency is significantly associated with low testosterone levels. Vitamin D deficiency is also strongly associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes (2).
Therefore, vitamin D indirectly improves testosterone by directly improving your insulin and blood sugar response (5).
Your day-to-day actions are modifiable. This elasticity means you’re ultimately in control of your health story. Gain confidence knowing you are the primary author of your story regardless of the genes you’ve inherited.
Nourishment
Your diet is a direct predictor of how much testosterone you have (1). Don’t sell yourself short with poor planning or lack of knowledge. Lay the foundation for optimal health.
“Eat to live, don’t live to eat.”
-Benjamin Franklin
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Eat high polyphenol-rich foods
There are over 8,000 polyphenol compounds currently identified in everyday foods. Most polyphenols function as antioxidants within the body. Often brightly colored, these plant chemical compounds protect against many developments, such as early aging, cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases.
We know that a diet rich in polyphenols significantly slows your biological age (how old your cells and tissues are based on physiological evidence) and increases your health span, which is the years you live while healthy (1). On the contrary, a diet low in polyphenols is associated with greater instances of “all-cause mortality” (a term used by epidemiologists, or disease-tracking scientists, to refer to death from any cause) and low testosterone (2).
Key Take Away
Eat Saturated and Monounsaturated fatty-acids daily. That means eating more eggs, red meat, coconut oil, avocado, and olive oil daily. Don’t eat cheap seed oils. That means eating less processed foods. Avoid seed oils such as canola (rapeseed) oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, grapeseed oil, rice bran oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, and sunflower oil.
2
Consume the correct fats in the proper amounts (1).
There are over 8,000 polyphenol compounds currently identified in everyday foods. Most polyphenols function as antioxidants within the body. Often brightly colored, these plant chemical compounds protect against many developments, such as early aging, cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases.
It is important to remember that not all fats are created equal. There are three groups of fatty acids found in our diets:
Monounsaturated fatty-acids (MUFAs) – found in foods such as olive oil and avocados.
Saturated fatty-acids (SFAs) – found in all animal-based products (eggs, butter, dairy, meat) and some vegetable oils (palm and coconut)
Polyunsaturated fatty-acids (PUFAs) – found in foods like seed oils (soybean, canola, sunflower) and fish.
**Note: soybean oil and fish oil are not equal. Read more on that in the section below.↓
Studies have shown that increased intake of SFAs and MUFAs results in significantly higher testosterone production in the body, while increased intake of PUFAs actually decreases testosterone in the body (1). In fact, placing someone, male or female, on a low saturated fat, high PUFAs diet can reliably and significantly reduce circulating testosterone concentration (1, 2).
Vegans and vegetarians take notice: The rise in popularity of plant-based substitutes is not the problem, the overconsumption of seed oils commonly found in these processed foods is. Whether vegetarian or not, repeated studies conducted in humans and mice have confirmed that high intakes of saturated fats (found in animal products) or monounsaturated fats (found in olive oil, avocados, and nuts) improve testosterone production. In contrast, high intake of omega-6 PUFAs found in vegetable oils damage the cells’ ability to produce testosterone (1). How bad is the damage? Vegetarians who switch to a low-fat diet with most of their fat intake primarily driven from seed oils decrease their testosterone up to 26% (1).
Key Take Away
Eat Saturated and Monounsaturated fatty-acids daily. That means eating more eggs, red meat, coconut oil, avocado, and olive oil daily. Don’t eat cheap seed oils. That means eating less processed foods. Avoid seed oils such as canola (rapeseed) oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, grapeseed oil, rice bran oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, and sunflower oil.
3
Fishing for testosterone
Even obese men who supplement with omega-3 fatty acids show reduced insulin resistance (think diabetes) and increased testosterone (1).
Minimum dose: 500mg DHA and 250mg EPA of fish oil daily. (Look on the label of your fish oil supplement to make sure it meets this threshold)
Minimum dose: 500mg DHA and 250mg EPA of fish oil daily. (Look on the label of your fish oil supplement to make sure it meets this threshold)
Seed oil consumption induces obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, and fatty liver in mice and is highly correlated to similar metabolic effects in humans (1). Unfortunately, for every 1 gram of omega-3 fatty acids consumed by those following a typical Western diet that’s low in fruits/veggies and high in processed fats, they also eat between 12 to 25 grams of omega-6 fatty acids (1). This is a very big problem.
Key Take Away
Eat at least 2-3 servings of fatty fish per week, like wild salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, or tuna. Most everything that is processed (pre-packaged foods) is loaded with omega 6’s. Avoid these as much as possible.
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Avoid regular consumption of foods with estrogenic properties
Foods like soy, legumes, linseed (flaxseeds), peaches, kale, and sesame seeds contain high levels of phytoestrogens that are similar in function to human estrogen but with much weaker effects. These foods will cause no issues in small, infrequent quantities, but large consistent consumption directly decreases testosterone (1).
Further, daily consumption of phytoestrogens also seems to disrupt thyroid hormone levels triggering hypothyroidism, which had been associated with lower levels of sex hormone-binding globulin, a protein that carries testosterone throughout the body. These changes can contribute to low testosterone in men (1, 2).
Because soy products and flaxseed contain, by and large, the highest amount of phytoestrogens compared to other phytoestrogen-containing foods, it is reasonable to steer clear of regularly consuming those two food groups.
Key Take Away
Eat at least 2-3 servings of fatty fish per week, like wild salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, or tuna. Most everything that is processed (pre-packaged foods) is loaded with omega 6’s. Avoid these as much as possible.
Lifestyle
Sleep, Stress Management, Exercise
“True silence is the rest of the mind, and is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment”
-William Penn
Sleep
…as though your life depends on it.
As we’re sure you’re aware, better sleep leads to better health. More specifically, it leads to better testosterone levels and hormonal balance.
Instead of rattling off all the adverse effects of poor sleep, let’s touch on how obtaining good sleep impacts male health.
First, the vast majority of the daily testosterone release in men occurs during sleep (1).
Increase sleep quality and quantity
Download this checklist for bleeding-edge insights
Environmental cues
Wake up at the same time daily, this includes weekends.
This practice will set your circadian rhythm to trigger automatically and help reduce insomnia (1)Style
Go to bed within the same hour block each day; rhythm is everything for sleep.
For every one-hour change in how long someone sleeps from night to night, there was a 27% higher chance of developing metabolic syndrome (1).
Once up, get sun exposure to your eyes and skin within 15 to 30 minutes.
Sunlight is the single greatest tool for setting and maintaining your circadian rhythm, even on a cloudy day (1).
After sunlight comes breakfast.
Those who skip breakfast repeatedly report poorer sleep than those who eat earlier in their day (1).
Keep a regular meal pattern.
Irregular meal consumption negatively impacts all layers of sleep (1).
Aim for an eating window of about 12 hours
Irregular meal consumption negatively impacts all layers of sleep (1).
Avoid consuming large meals 3 hours or less before bed.
This type of eating is associated with poor sleep (1).
Sleep disruptors
Stop caffeine consumption 8-10 hours before going to sleep.
This practice will set your circadian rhythm to trigger automatically and help reduce insomnia (1)
The level of caffeine in your blood peaks one hour after consumption and stays at this level for several hours. Half of the caffeine is still in your body six hours after it is consumed. It can take up to 12 hours to completely clear caffeine from your bloodstream (2). Even if 20% is still in your system, it can disturb your sleep (3).
Minimize bright artificial light and screen time 2 hours before bed.
Luminous artificial light exposure between 9 pm and 11 pm disrupt melatonin release and dopamine regulation (1).
Sleep enablers
Your bedroom: Keep your bedroom clutter free, dark, and cold.
A cold bedroom is one of the most profound and uncomplicated methods to increase sleep quality and quantity (1). Shoot for 65-68 °F.
Exercise
Warm shower/bath
An evening shower or bath in water between 104 and 108.5 degrees Fahrenheit 1-2 hours before bed improves sleep quality and decreases sleep latency (time to fall asleep) by an average of 10 minutes (1).
Take magnesium malate, magnesium citrate, or magnesium glycinate at least 400 mg daily 1 hour prior to bed (1)
A mineral involved with over 300 enzymatic bodily processes, this one nutrient profoundly affects health and sleep.
Key Take Away
The relationship between sleep and testosterone is profound. Increase your sleep quantity and quality through setting your internal clock with environmental cues and focusing on sleep enablers while avoiding sleep disruptors.
Stress Management
Mental stress and oxidative stress go hand in hand, like sleep and testosterone.
As we know, mental stress is the psychological response to how we perceive the events in our internal and external environment. Overwhelming responsibilities, feeling out of control, being in “survival mode,” and sudden changes can all cause stress. Mental stress can lead to irritability, aggression, sadness, insomnia, exhaustion, and a host of physical symptoms.
Oxidative stress is an imbalance between the cellular production of reactive oxygen species (free radicals) and the body’s counteracting antioxidant response. Essentially, an excessive amount of free radicals in the body and the body’s natural antioxidant response cannot keep up.
The brain is highly susceptible to oxidative stress due to its elevated oxygen consumption and lipid-rich environment. Conversely, the brain can significantly contribute to systemic oxidative stress (1).
Let’s get specific: cortisol is your body’s natural built-in alarm system to combat stressors.
When cortisol is released from a trigger, it blunts testosterone. As a result, when cortisol is high, testosterone is low (1). The good news: men who show better cortisol-testosterone ratios via stress reduction tools not only improve their overall health but enhance their executive function, leadership and cognition potential (1). This is why managing stress is mission-critical for men.
Stress Management Best Practices
Start journaling
Keeping a running tab on your status and what may have caused any positive or negative emotions gives you both awareness and a sense of control. Research has consistently linked the tendency to accept one’s mental experiences with greater psychological health (1).
Simply writing down how we’re doing results in fewer negative emotions in response to stressors (1).
Journaling is a profound non-pharmacological tool for coaching yourself through life and has been strongly correlated to improvements in anxiety, boosting mental and emotional well-being, awareness and mindfulness and even physical performance (2).
If you prefer a digital app, our team uses Day One (we have no affiliation, just a good experience).
Key Take Away
Journaling is a profound tool for coaching yourself through life and has been strongly correlated to improvements in anxiety, boosting mental and emotional well-being, awareness and mindfulness and even physical performance.
Be Mindful
The act of being mindful is to observe and label thoughts, feelings, and sensations in the body in an objective manner.
You can’t journal without mindfulness, but you can be mindful without journaling. Studies exclusively examining mindfulness have found remarkable success in reducing stress, rumination (negative thoughts), anxiety, emotional reactivity, fear, fatigue, and even cortisol (1).
The key to mindfulness or journaling is paying attention to your thoughts, reactions, and actions through the lens of curiosity. This awareness eventually retrains your brain to view experiences from an entirely new perspective (1).
Key Take Away
Mindfulness is important for health because it can help reduce stress, improve mental and physical health, and improve overall well-being. The benefits can include: stress reduction, improved immune function, improved mental health and improved physical health like lower blood pressure, improved sleep, and reduced chronic pain.
Put your phone on airplane mode and go for a walk in nature.
Even biological markers, cortisol and heart rate, drop significantly during and post-nature walks (2).
Key Take Away
Being in nature can help reduce stress and improve mood. Walking in nature allows you to disconnect from the demands of daily life and focus on the present moment, which can be calming and help reduce stress.
Lend a helping hand.
Not everything is about you, even if you’re trying to help yourself.
Helping others dampens the effects of everyday stress (1).
Researchers have found that supporting someone else or placing their needs above yours reduces your stress and negative emotions (1).
Actions such as holding the door for a stranger, helping your spouse with house chores, your children with homework, or even asking someone if they needed help were found to boost daily cognitive well-being. (1).
Key Take Away
Engaging in acts of kindness and compassion towards others can promote feelings of happiness and well-being, which can have a range of positive health outcomes such as reducing stress and negative emotions, reducing feelings of loneliness and isolation and even possibly reducing the risk of conditions such as heart disease and hypertension.
Have sex… often
(with yourself doesn’t count)
Couples who have more sex show better stress management: the more sex, the less stress (1).
Besides all of the other incredible benefits of regular intercourse with your significant other (immune boost, heart and prostate health, mood enhancement), research has found tremendous advantages with its ability to deeply connect couples. It strengthens your relationship and partners who display the most support also demonstrate lower daily stress levels (1).
Key Take Away
Sex can release feel-good chemicals in the brain, such as oxytocin and endorphins, which can improve mood and reduce stress. Sex can also improve mental health by promoting feelings of intimacy and connection with a partner, as well as increasing self-esteem and body image. Sex can even have a range of physical health benefits, including improving cardiovascular health, strengthening the immune system, and reducing the risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. Last but certainly not least, sex can also promote better sleep, as it can help relax the body and release chemicals that promote sleep.
*It’s important to note that these benefits can be experienced by individuals in a variety of relationships, including monogamous and non-monogamous ones, and regardless of the gender or sexual orientation of the individuals involved.
Exercise
The beneficial effects of regular exercise for health optimization and disease treatment are unquestionable.
Unfortunately, some view exercise as punishment, a necessary evil allowing them more diet flexibility, or an unprioritized “nice-to-have.”
To some, exercise may be all of those, but to all, exercise should be viewed as the most powerful drug available (1).
How Powerful?
The list would be endless but here’s an interesting fact, a meta-analysis of over 300 randomized controlled trials found that exercise was just as effective as drugs for people at risk of heart disease and diabetes, and was more effective than currently available drugs for recovery after a stroke (1).
If exercise is a drug, find the minimum dosage needed to elicit the desired effects. You can go above that minimum, of course, and for exercise, there are plenty of reasons why you should, but let’s start with the lowest dose required.
The Exercise Trifecta
Cardio
High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
Weightlifting
Cardio
Definition of “Cardio:”
A steady, continuous rhythmic exercise (jogging, swimming, biking) over 15 minutes in length that produces a constant demand on the body.
Once you set your pace, your heart rate, breathing, and exertion remain relatively stable throughout the duration.
*Scientifically speaking, regular endurance exercise increases mitochondrial number/density and efficiency (1).
What it does:
Pushes your body’s circulatory system to remove waste, distribute nutrients, and operate efficiently.
Lowers your stress (1)
What it does not:
Build muscle
HITT/Weight Lifting
Definition of HITT/Weight Lifting:
A short exercise interval requiring high demands on your body to move something quickly. The activity could be you moving your body or you moving an external force. Things like sprinting, burpees, or moving a barbell causing a sudden, sharp rise in heart rate, breathing, and exertion.
Why are HIIT and weight lifting lumped together in the definition portion? They’re more similar than different, and both stimulate similar physiological responses and muscle recruitment. In the sample program below, we do distinguish how to incorporate both within your weekly health plan.
What it does:
Increases muscle size and the collective force it can produce by causing slight tears in the muscle, triggering a hormone response to repair those muscle tears, all while “rewiring” your central nervous system.
Improves your body composition of fat to muscle.
Increases your resting metabolic rate (number of calories your body burns during rest)
Increases your bone density, joint elasticity, and joint/muscle range of motion.
What it does not:
Improve your cardiovascular system, generally speaking.
Here's your sample 7 day exercise program
Download this program for to give you a foundation for how to structure your workouts
Supplementation
Vitamins and minerals are what the human body uses to function. Many are essential for life, and there’s no question if being deficient is harmful.
“Believing there is a bridge from where you are to where you want to go is 99% of the battle. The other 1% is to cross it.”
-Richie Norton
Building Bridges
In a perfect world, we could get all the vitamins and minerals we need from food. But, unfortunately, that’s not the reality. We overwhelmingly choose convenience (and therefore highly processed foods) over nutrient dense whole foods. Thus we need to “supplement” our diet with vitamins and minerals. This has become a critical step to ensure we thrive.
Now, dietary supplements will not replace poor nutrition; they supplement dietary gaps ensuring all your possible nutrient needs are met.
Evidence suggests that supplements can enhance health in various capacities, including preventing cell damage and preserving healthspan (1).
Why do nutrients matter more with age?
30-year-olds or younger may be able to survive (not thrive) while being nutrient deficient and malnourished, but as we age, we do not have the luxury of being careless.
After 40, the dosage required to maintain health increases for every nutrient deemed necessary for human life (1).
This increased demand results from the body absorbing fewer nutrients. And simultaneously, our metabolism slows, combined with the thinning of muscle mass called atrophy (1).
You can either slow aging down to a crawl or accelerate your biological age based on what you decide to prioritize. As a result, we have detailed the top supplements you should consider taking to preserve your healthspan:
Foundational Vitamins
Magnesium
EPA/DHA
(Fish Oil)
ZINC
Magnesium
Required by so many vital processes, it deserves its own guide.
This mineral is involved in over 80% of the body’s biochemical reactions, and it would be difficult to overestimate its importance to life.
Essential for bones, muscles, energy, disease prevention, and cardiovascular health, magnesium, however, is an enzyme activator.
In fact, magnesium is a cofactor in more than 300 enzyme systems that regulate diverse biochemical reactions in the body, including protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control, and blood pressure regulation.
To optimize your male hormones, you’re going to need more magnesium. We can almost guarantee it:
Magnesium is a rare mineral in foods, with most sources containing microscopic dosages.
As a result, most US adults are magnesium deficient, with 55% falling short of meeting the current magnesium minimum (1,2).
Why is that a severe problem?
In the United States, the current Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for magnesium is 400mg per day and was established in 1997, using an average male body weight of 166lbs.
In 2022, CDC data acknowledged that the average male US adult body weight is 200 lbs (1).
That means when you’ve hit magnesium deficiency, you’ve REALLY hit deficiency!
As a result, a significant movement is underway to increase several minerals’ RDA to reflect updated average male body weights (1).
The latest research suggests that average US adult males need to consume at least 20-40% more magnesium than the RDA. This update equates to 500-750 mg of magnesium daily – a far cry from 400 mg (1)
Magnesium and testosterone
Study after study has found that high doses of magnesium (10 mg/kg body weight) daily can raise both free and total testosterone levels (1).
Magnesium and Heart Disease Prevention
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in men in the United States and a leading cause of death globally (1).
Magnesium plays a critical role in heart function by maintaining electrolyte balance, vascular health and structure, and a long list of biochemical processes required for your heart to operate.
Here’s where it gets interesting: multiple studies have found that when reviewing the most common risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease: long-standing low HDL cholesterol, high LDL cholesterol, arrhythmia, metabolic syndrome, and high blood pressure, they are all directly related to low magnesium (1).
Magnesium and optimal exercise performance/recovery
Most notably, magnesium is vital for energy. It’s used in producing ATP (the fundamental unit of energy for all human cells), nerve cells, and as an electrolyte regulator.
As you can imagine, magnesium deficiency significantly reduces your exercise capacity and increases symptoms of fatigue earlier in your workout (1).
Strenuous exercise actually increases your magnesium needs for dietary magnesium intake by at least 10-20% because you lose the mineral through urine and sweat (1).
Simply taking magnesium has been found to increase muscle recovery and reduce measures of muscle damage when consumed adequately throughout the day and within the subsequent hours post-exercise (1).
Zinc
The human body’s second most abundant trace element is involved in more than 300 enzymatic reactions since zinc is a cofactor for multiple biological processes, including DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis (1). Affecting everything from metabolism, digestion, hormone regulation, male reproductive, and immune function to skin and is vital to sensory organs, this critical mineral is widely missing from the diet (1).
It’s challenging to study zinc deficiency in humans, due to the complexity of our biological processes. However, in rodent studies on the connection between zinc and male sexual health, being even slightly insufficient in zinc shows reductions in testosterone, sperm, and testicular size (1).
As with many minerals, unfortunately, your body only absorbs about 15-30% of the zinc found in your food (1). That means your supplements should reflect the challenge of absorption.
Regarding bioavailability, look for zinc mono-L-methionine sulfate chelate, as this form of zinc is bonded to the amino acid L-Methionine for better absorption and efficacy when compared to other forms of zinc. How much better? In human absorption research, zinc L-methionine was absorbed 16% better than zinc polyascorbate and 25% better than zinc sulfate (1,2).
Fish Oil (EPA/DHA)
There are more than 40,000 studies on omega-3 acids with over 4,000 human clinical trials, a stunning accomplishment for any nutrient (1).
This level of funding and interest should indicate just how significant this unpretentious essential fatty acid is towards health optimization.
Fish oil contains a unique series of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. While predominantly found in fish and shellfish, these remarkable fats are also found in some algae and genetically engineered plants. The body needs EPA & DHA omega-3s to develop, function, and maintain optimal health for every stage of life.
DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), are essential fatty acids, meaning you must consume them through food as your body cannot produce them.
These humble fats have been found to directly and positively impact inflammatory and cardiovascular pathways, neurological health (Alzheimer’s, mood, concentration), immune function, and recovery, to name a few. The list is virtually endless (1).
As a result of omega-3’s essence to life, most mainstream medical organizations recommend that adults consume 250–500 mg of EPA and DHA daily (1).
Now, you can reach that measly amount by consuming several servings of fatty fish per week combined with selected plants (e.g., walnuts, chia seeds, certain algae) or enriched egg yolk. The problem, however, is that the vast majority of US adults still fall well short of this recommendation, and keep in mind, this is the recommended minimum (1).
As mentioned above, when examining supplementation of concentrated fish oil (EPA/DHA) for men specifically, there are tremendous hormone benefits, including increased serum testosterone levels, higher semen volume, and total sperm count, larger testicular size, higher free testosterone to luteinizing hormone ratio, and lower follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone levels (1, 2).
Even obese men who supplement with omega-3 fatty acids show reduced insulin resistance (think diabetes) and increased testosterone (1).
When viewing a supplemental fish oil bottle, what matters most are the milligram numbers directly next to DHA and EPA, not any other milligram or concentrate listed. The dose to locate is how much DHA and EPA you’re actually consuming.
Hormone Wellness Program
The hormone wellness programs at Vitality Rx are likely different from most others you’ve come across.
Our main goal is to help men first identify and then address hormonal imbalances through lifestyle changes, dietary modifications, and personalized supplements. More often than not, small yet precise lifestyle modifications dramatically improve hormone health. However, sometimes it can be necessary to combine these changes/modifications with a therapeutic program that includes pharmaceuticals. Although, there is a right and wrong way to accomplish this, and there are several considerations in the equation.
Personalization
The most critical element is that your program is personalized to your biomarkers, lifestyle, and health concerns. Various factors contribute to unoptimized endocrine health, including age, diet, stress levels, and underlying health conditions. Our personalized program allows for identifying and targeting specific factors contributing to an individual’s hormonal imbalances rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
By tailoring a program specifically to your needs and interests, it’s far more likely to be effective, resulting in long-term changes and improved overall health and wellness.
Our experts will work with you to create a personalized plan addressing your unique needs and goals, and we’ll provide support and guidance at every step. Our aim is to help you achieve optimal health so you can look and feel your best.
Natural Production
Whenever possible, it’s always optimal to boost and balance your hormone production rather than shutting down the body’s natural supply with long-term replacement therapy. Several factors ranging from preserving fertility to simply not wanting to become dependent on something indefinitely, are the chief values we consider as we craft your program.
Whether we boost or replace hormone production, our expert practitioners will always consider your needs, desires, and feedback when carefully tailoring the program to you.
Measure, Implement, Measure, Repeat
When taking a pharmaceutical, your objective is often to fix a specific symptom. Instead, our approach is to address the root cause of the symptom. This approach requires the consistent measurement of several biomarkers, and periodic labs can help monitor these interventions’ effectiveness, so that we can make any necessary adjustments.
All of our hormone wellness programs include follow-up labs and telemed consults, done in the comfort and privacy of home, where an expert can explain everything in detail and adjust your plan accordingly.
Reboot Protocol
We reboot your body’s natural hormone production and rebalance your levels without ever becoming dependent on treatment.
This means boosting or enhancing testosterone production naturally with a tailored prescription dose of Enclomiphene/Zinc and Anastrozole, and a focus on balancing the ratio of testosterone to estrogen. We also include B12, which is vital in bolstering metabolic function along the way.
Enclomiphene/Zinc
(clomiphene citrate)
In men, Enclomiphene/Zinc works by blocking the action of estrogen in the brain, stimulating Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) in the pituitary gland, and increasing testosterone production. By raising testosterone levels, Enclomiphene/Zinc may also significantly improve fertility in men by increasing sperm production and motility (movement).
*This is a prescription that your provider might choose to prescribe if deemed medically necessary. Dosing is personalized.
Vitamin B-12
Also known as cobalamin, it is a water-soluble vitamin essential for multiple bodily functions. Involved in the production of red blood cells and DNA, the nervous system, and the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, B-12 plays a supportive role in male hormones. By improving the metabolism of hormones (with nerve cell communication), vitamin B-12 creates a synergistic effect when taking Enclomiphene/Zinc and Anastrozole, producing a holistic intervention and amplifying all benefits.
Anastrozole
A type of aromatase inhibitor, it blocks the action of the enzyme aromatase. Aromatase is responsible for converting testosterone to estrogen. This block allows for a healthy and optimal balance of these two essential hormones while boosting testosterone levels even more.
*This is a prescription that your provider might choose to prescribe if deemed medically necessary. Dosing is personalized.
All of our hormone wellness programs include follow-up labs and telemed consults, done in the comfort and privacy of home, where an expert can explain everything in detail and adjust your plan accordingly.
Optimize Protocol
When rebooting your natural production is not effective enough, we optimize your testosterone and raise your levels with tailored prescriptive doses of testosterone cream or injections, whichever you prefer.
This treatment includes adding bio-identical testosterone to the body and balancing the ratio to estrogen.
Testosterone Cypionate
It is a pharmaceutical and bio-identical form of the testosterone in your body. When called for, it is a highly effective treatment for clinically low testosterone (male hypogonadism).
*This is a prescription that your provider might choose to prescribe if deemed medically necessary. Dosing is personalized.
Anastrozole
A type of aromatase inhibitor, it blocks the action of the enzyme aromatase. Aromatase is responsible for converting testosterone to estrogen. This block allows for a healthy and optimal balance of these two essential hormones while boosting testosterone levels even more.
*This is a prescription that your provider might choose to prescribe if deemed medically necessary. Dosing is personalized.
Vitamin B-12
Also known as cobalamin, it is a water-soluble vitamin essential for multiple bodily functions. Involved in the production of red blood cells and DNA, the nervous system, and the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, B-12 plays a supportive role in male hormones. By improving the metabolism of hormones (with nerve cell communication), vitamin B-12 creates a synergistic effect when taking Enclomiphene/Zinc and Anastrozole, producing a holistic intervention and amplifying all benefits.
All of our hormone wellness programs include follow-up labs and telemed consults, done in the comfort and privacy of home, where an expert can explain everything in detail and adjust your plan accordingly.