Think you’re in charge of your life and your relationship? Wrong. It’s our hormones that have the upper hand. And as their balance changes rapidly in our fifties, so do we.
Each of us has a unique endocrine ‘fingerprint’ which, when working at optimum efficiency, boosts our energy, muscle strength and metabolism. It helps to send us to sleep and wake us up, makes our skin glow, and maintains our mood, memory, heart health and physical shape.
During the first half of a woman’s life, her oestrogen levels are high and, as a result, she tends to want to please other people and keep the peace.
However, after the menopause, oestrogen and progesterone levels plunge, while testosterone remains relatively high. As a result, women start to behave more like men.
Unwelcome hair on the chin can appear, as well as the confident feeling that we could solve the international debt crisis given a few hours of free time.
For men, it’s a different story. “A 60-year-old man has low testosterone and more oestrogen in his body than a 60-year-old woman,” says Jill Shaw Ruddock, author of The Second Half Of Your Life. “So after being king of the castle for so long, all of a sudden he wants to come home and cook and walk the dog with you.”
Of course, the woman may not want this at all. But at least she has a bio-chemical reason for the feeling that she can’t face cooking yet another meal or fold another tea towel, even if her life depended upon it.
Benefits of testosterone in women
While low oestrogen levels can make us flushed, panicky and lead to a loss of bone density, testosterone plays a significant role in boosting sexual desire. It drives the physical attributes that help us to look and feel young.
Indeed, studies show that some women over 50 say their libido is undimmed, and even increased, post-menopause. Other studies, though, suggest lower sex drive, so the science seems inconclusive.
Testosterone helps to build muscle and increases the production of collagen, needed for plump skin.
It increases the energy levels we need for exercise, and stops production of a type of oestrogen that increases stomach fat.
Testosterone and brain function
Low testosterone, on the other hand, can lead to depression, anxiety and other mood changes, in both men and women.
A 2012 review in the International Journal of Endocrinology found that scientists are not sure why a dip in testosterone levels causes depression, but there does appear to be a correlation between the two. Testosterone therapy can boost the mood of many with low testosterone.
Memory loss is another result. Testosterone helps to regulate our cortisol level, but as it decreases and can no longer carry out this function, this in turn impacts the function of our neurotransmitters (brain chemicals that communicate information throughout the body). Their malfunction could be what leads to memory loss.
How men can keep their testosterone level up
According to nutritionist Ian Marber, men are able to fight the symptoms of the andropause – such as fatigue, depression, low sex drive and weight gain – by eating more mono-unsaturated and Omega 3 fat. Scientists have found that men who eat avocados, nuts and oily fish have the highest testosterone levels.
Testosterone levels can vary. Tests in men have shown that it is at its highest 48 hours after lifting weights. But it is possible to overdo the exercise: too much increases the stress hormone cortisol, which competes with testosterone.
Sleep has an effect, too: having less than seven hours a night can cut testosterone levels by more than 30 per cent.
Sunshine seems to be another factor. According to research, men have more than a third more testosterone flowing through their bodies in summer than in winter.
Testosterone supplements: should you take male HRT?
Symptoms of low progesterone
Progesterone (the calming, fat-burning female hormone that regulates ovulation) is often overlooked when compared with its more bossy sister, oestrogen. But it’s important.
In balance, it makes us feel confident and positive. Out of balance, women get weepy and anxious. Common symptoms of low progesterone levels are acne, split nails, or the skin on your heels or hands cracking.
Post-menopause, the ovaries cease the production of progesterone and it is created only in the adrenal glands, so our levels drop.
And getting stressed doesn’t help: stress raises production of the hormone cortisol, also produced by the adrenals, and that can shut down their production of progesterone.
In addition, when progesterone levels are low, dopamine (the neurotransmitter that helps us to feel motivated and experience pleasure) will also be low, which is why many women are prescribed anti-depressants when their progesterone level needs boosting.
The hormone is well-known for helping sleep, which is often disrupted post-menopause. A reduction in oestrogen can leave you more susceptible to environmental factors that disturb sleep, such as light.
Bio-identical hormone replacement
So menopause can be a bundle of contradictions: we crave food but burn it less efficiently; we don’t suffer fools gladly but can be held back by low self-esteem and lack of drive. We have a healthy libido but may experience less joy and wellbeing.
In addition to the traditional prescriptions, such as following plant-based diets, exercising and losing any excess weight, should we be turning to pills?
One leading menopause expert is not an advocate of the often controversial HRT, though many women say it has helped them. Dr Marion Gluck, 64, a private GP, is a world pioneer in the field of tailored bio-identical hormones to rebalance the body’s endocrine system.
Her view is that HRT is “ham-fisted.” She says: “It’s like trying to perform surgery with a mallet. We don’t need to flood our bodies with synthetic hormones.”
Instead, she suggests bio-identicals made from natural plant sources, usually wild yams or soya beans, which are more easily assimilated by the body. She says: “In the world we live in, with environmental toxins, poor nutrition and stress, the body cannot always rebalance itself.”
Testosterone and facial hair
As for that facial hair I mentioned earlier, cutting out white bread and carbs may help. This is because they have a high glycaemic index and trigger a blood sugar spike, which can cause insulin resistance and make the hormone less effective at lowering your blood sugar level.
The problem is that a raised insulin level may trigger growth factors that make the ovaries produce too much testosterone, which can lead to excess hair.
And, while having less alcohol and caffeine is advisable, Dr Gluck has one final piece of good news: she recommends an occasional glass of beer. Hops are reputed to have aphrodisiac-like qualities: “Hops are a wonderful relaxant and you don’t need much to get the benefits,” she says.
They also contain phytoestrogen (an oestrogen-like compound found in plant foods), which may help to reduce hot flushes, low sex drive and other symptoms associated with menopause.
