The hidden connection between zinc and testosterone...

And why it matters for both men and women

Zinc and testosterone have a unique relationship.

They work together, and without each other, they don't work much at all.

In the literature, you'll see that zinc intake correlates with total testosterone levels.

Why might this be?

Many practitioners look at hormones in isolation. They do not appreciate the intricacies of how nutrients determine both hormone levels and hormone function.

Hormones are the master switches of metabolism. But switches don't matter if there's no energy in the grid or wiring in the circuit.

Ladies, this is relevant to you too, because not only is testosterone one of your most important hormones, but everything I’m going to tell you about testosterone in this post applies to the rest of your hormones as well. So pay close attention.

You need optimal levels of minerals to have optimal levels of hormones, and you need optimal levels of hormones to have optimal levels of minerals.

Hormonal imbalances create mineral imbalances, and mineral imbalances create hormonal imbalances.

It's a vicious cycle.

So what does zinc have to do with testosterone?

You need zinc to respond to testosterone. As in, testosterone won't have its full effect without adequate zinc.

Is this why testosterone levels are correlated with zinc levels? As in, more zinc, more testosterone? Or less zinc, less testosterone?

What if the body modulates testosterone production and secretion in response to zinc status?

This is a hypothesis I have yet to see tested.

The mistake some people would make in considering this hypothesis is, "zinc must be the cause of low testosterone."

This is not the case.

You'll find normal and high-normal zinc levels in men with sub-optimal and even downright terrible testosterone levels.

Why is this?

Because testosterone levels depend upon more than just zinc.

So what's the optimal zinc intake for a man?

You could evaluate zinc status with a hair tissue mineral analysis. We're offering those in our annual plans (schedule a consultation here) or you can sign up for our HTMA course + coaching here.

You could check a blood level (we do that in our male patients).

But what most men don't understand is that measuring this at first is largely a waste of time unless their diet and lifestyle are already dialed in.

Why?

Because it's not just about zinc.

It's about your mineral balance as a whole.

Many men are taking zinc supplements without realizing that what they really need is manganese, copper, magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium, or another trace element.

And that's just your diet.

Men need to realize they’re living in a copper toxic world.

This doesn't cover the importance of your lifestyle. If you're baking in artificial light after dark, if you're inundated by microwave and radiowave radiation, if you're in a toxic relationship, or you're exposed to undue levels of noise pollution, it will ruin your ability to use the minerals you have to respond to signals of hormones in your body, whether those hormones are exogenous or endogenous.

This is why more and more, I get people results with coaching, rather than practicing medicine.

What about labs? Everyone asks me this. I can explain to you during a coaching call how to get your labs, what labs I typically get, and why. This can save you the cost of the coaching program in and of itself. Which makes investing in the coaching program a no-brainer.

The best part of this? The speed and power of the results. What I found working with people one-on-one was that people weren't getting the results I wanted for them, as fast as I (and they) wanted them. It was also extremely expensive. Group coaching allows me to help more people, faster, because you're getting the information all at the same time, and, more importantly, I'm teaching you how to think more than just handing you instructions.

If you’re ready to become a patient at our practice, you can get started by scheduling a discovery call via my website.

We're ready to get you the results you've been looking for. The weight loss, muscle mass, cognitive speed, focus, and ambition that you're missing.

Right now, more than ever, the most important investment to make is in yourself.

Until next time, be well,

Dr. Stillman