Alcohol and Testosterone: The Effects of Alcohol on Testosterone Levels
Alcohol and Testosterone Levels
The testosterone levels of men have fallen in recent years and this article is going to look at the relationship between the consumption of alcohol and testosterone.
Research has shown that the testosterone levels of men have decreased by a massive 25% compared to men living in the 1980s.
There are many reasons for this but a major reason is an increase in binge drinking.
Alcohol which was once considered the manliest of recreations actually lowers testosterone levels and increases estrogen levels in the body.
Alcohol and Testosterone Levels
Alcohol can unbalance the hormonal system in the body. In addition, low fat diets and unhealthy lifestyle also play their part. Alcohol has negative effects on the body in the way it reacts and the by-products which are formed.
Alcohol boosts estrogen production which is something we need to avoid if we want to boost testosterone. Different flavors and additives present in alcohol also lower testosterone levels.
Different alcohols use hops in the manufacturing process. Hops give the alcohol a nice flavor and aid in the fermentation process. Hops give alcohol its distinctive taste but they also contain estrogen. They contain a compound known as a phytoestrogen (estrogen derived from plants) in them.
Now when you drink alcohol regularly these phytoestrogens have an effect on the body which raises estrogen levels and lowers testosterone levels. Your weight will also increase when you consume alcohol in excess, which converts more testosterone to estrogen.
The problem doesn’t just end here. Alcohol also contains barley in it which increases the production of prolactin. Prolactin is a hormone which increases woman’s breast and creates lactation during motherhood.
When estrogen and prolactin are introduced into the body through alcohol then they have damaging effects on testosterone levels.
The consumption of alcohol can also cause damage to the testicular Leydig cells which causes a reduction of testosterone levels inside the ball sack; the testosterone molecules present in the blood are also reduced because of the effect of the stress hormone, cortisol.
Related Studies on Alcohol and Testosterone
Following are some studies that show the effect of alcohol on testosterone levels:
1) Researchers at the National Institute of Health ran many tests on alcohol and found out that alcohol lowers testosterone levels through four mechanisms. First by increasing the opoid-beta endorphin, secondly by reducing nitric oxide in the testes, thirdly by oxidative damage, and lastly by cell damage.
Testosterone is reduced by all these steps and this explains why alcohol has such a detrimental effect on testosterone levels.
2) A study was recently published in which healthy adult men were given a dose of alcohol and were observed for about 48 hours. The results showed that alcohol decreased testosterone levels and the maximum decrease was seen after 12 hours.
The testosterone levels dropped slowly after that. The cortisol levels also remained elevated as long as the testosterone levels were suppressed.
3) A study was done in 2009 in which the effect of alcohol on testosterone levels was investigated. The subjects for this study were adult male soldiers. The design of the study was quite simple.
The testosterone levels of the soldiers were measured before the consumption of alcohol. After that, the soldiers were given alcohol and their testosterone levels were again measured.
The results of the study showed that the intake of alcohol reduced the testosterone levels in the soldiers.
4) A study was conducted by J. Vilalta and his colleagues to find out the effect of ethanol on testicular functioning. The researchers studied about 38 different cases of chronic alcoholics. Alcohol patients had an average of age of 39 years and consumed alcohol in the range of 100 to 350 g of ethanol daily over a period of 18 years.
The study showed that the sperm motility in the alcoholics had severely dropped. The researchers concluded that the lifetime consumption of ethanol leads to a condition known as hypogonadism (absence of hormone secretion in the gonads).
5) A study was done on rats in which they were given a 6% ethanol liquid fed diet for a period of 5 weeks. The sucrose-fed animals were taken as a control group.
The five weeks study showed that there was no significant difference in body and prostate weight between the rats exposed to ethanol and sucrose-fed rats.
But there was a noticeable decrease in the serum and testosterone concentrations in the rat’s given ethanol which was about 43.6%. The testicular weight also reduced in the ethanol-fed rats.
Other Side Effects Of Alcohol
It is an established fact that alcohol consumption decreases testosterone levels. But if you think that alcohol consumption is damaging your testosterone levels only then you are wrong. Here are some other side effects of alcohol consumption:
Anemia – Heavy chronic drinking decreases the number of red blood cells in the body. This condition is known as anemia which opens a gateway to other health problems like shortness of breath and fatigue.
Cancer – The risk of cancer is increased by drinking alcohol. This is because the body converts alcohol into acetaldehyde which is a potent carcinogen. Alcohol consumption can lead to cancer in the mouth, pharynx, liver, breast, and throat.
Pancreatitis – The pancreas produces toxic substances when alcohol is consumed in excess. This causes inflammation which leads to pancreatitis, a serious problem which destroys the pancreas. Alcohol abuse is termed as the most common causes of pancreatitis.
Damage to CNS – Excessive alcohol consumption can also damage the central nervous system. It can cause numbness or abnormal sensations in the hands and feet. Alcohol abuse can also cause thiamine deficiency in the body which causes rapid eye movement or paralysis of eyes.
Moderate Drinking and Testosterone
Moderate drinking is drinking which gives the health benefits of alcohol while minimizing the side effects and health risks. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans states that women shouldn’t drink more than 1 glass of wine per day and men shouldn’t drink more than 2 glasses per day.
There is also something called low-risk drinking which means that you won’t be at risk by drinking that much amount of alcohol. According to Dietary Guidelines for Americans, low-risk drinking is drinking no more than 2 drinks per day.
There is also a lot of research to show that moderate drinkers lower their risk of getting Alzheimer’s by 75% and have an 80% lowers risk of getting senile dementia.
Bottom Line
Alcohol in moderation will not have a major impact on your testosterone levels. If you have 1 or 2 drinks this will not have a massive impact on testosterone levels.
If you are consuming a lot more than 2 drinks it can start to have a negative impact on testosterone levels.
Also, remember that beer contains hops which will increase estrogen in the body so going overboard with beer can have a negative impact on testosterone production.
