Sugar is bad for me. Boring, old news. Sugar and Sex, Sugar and Perimenopause, Sugar, muscle growth, and fat loss? Ok, I’m paying attention.

I was going to write a newsletter on sugar, but honestly, who isn’t clear that sugar, refined from its original source, is bad for you? So I realized that was a lame idea. But start talking about sugar and my sex life, or sugar and muscles/fat gain/loss, or sugar and any word containing the word menopause, and somehow sugar has our attention.

Sugar is in everything - it’s a cheat code to make food palatable that otherwise would be deemed gross. The key to avoiding it is to eat foods as close to how they are grown as possible, mostly plants. Another secret is to eat more nutrient-dense foods so your body doesn’t crave sugar. Lastly, fewer oils and fats make your body more efficient with insulin and reduce your sugar craving.

More and more people are discussing the effect of sugar on testosterone levels. This essential hormone plays crucial roles in both men and women, affecting everything from muscle mass and bone density to mood and libido. Excessive sugar intake can disrupt this hormonal balance, leading to a variety of health issues.

Here’s the science on how it affects both men and women.

Impact on Men

1. Reduced Testosterone Production: Studies have demonstrated that glucose intake can significantly lower serum testosterone levels, suggesting a direct suppressive effect of sugar on testosterone production[1].

2. Weight Gain and Hormonal Disruption: Excessive sugar can lead to weight gain, particularly in the form of visceral fat, which is known to negatively affect testosterone levels due to increased aromatization of testosterone into estrogen[2].

3. Insulin Resistance: High sugar diets can cause insulin resistance, which is inversely related to testosterone levels. Men with higher insulin resistance often show lower testosterone levels[3].

4. Inflammatory Response: Chronic intake of high-sugar diets can lead to inflammation, which has been linked to decreased production of testosterone in men[4].

5. Stress on Adrenal Glands: Sugar can put stress on the adrenal glands by requiring them to produce more cortisol, which may further unbalance hormone levels, including testosterone[5].

Impact on Women

1. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): Women with higher sugar intake often exhibit symptoms of PCOS, which is associated with higher testosterone levels. These elevated levels can lead to issues like irregular menstrual cycles and infertility[6].

2. Insulin and Hormonal Imbalance: Similar to men, women can experience hormonal imbalances due to the effect of sugar on insulin levels, which can indirectly influence testosterone levels, affecting overall health and metabolic function[7].

3. Obesity and Testosterone: Increased body fat from high sugar intake can lead to higher levels of testosterone in women, which can disrupt normal reproductive functions and exacerbate symptoms like hirsutism and acne[8].

4. Mood Disorders: Fluctuations in testosterone due to sugar consumption can also impact mental health, contributing to mood disorders which are often hormonally influenced[9].

5. Age-Related Hormonal Decline: Excessive sugar can exacerbate the natural decline of important hormones, including testosterone, during menopause, affecting libido, mood, and physical health[10].

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I’d love to hear about your health journey. 👋

I write this newsletter each week because I feel my best when my body, mind and soul are all healthy. I want the same for you. If you feel like you’ve seen something valuable here, please do me a favor and forward this newsletter to a friend or let me know what you think by replying or texting me - (310) 879-8441

I think the world is in desperate need of healthy, happy men who love the strong women in their lives with a self-sacrificing type of love.

I have found the following four books to be the 4 books every man should read and every woman should want their man to read.

• Good Energy - What makes for a Healthy Body and Mind?

• The Masculine in Relationship - How to Win the Trust, Lust and Devotion of a Strong Woman

• The Man’s Guide to Women - The Science of Happy Relationships

• The Desire of Ages - Leadership in a World of Cowards

Here are a few other links to things that have changed my life:

Whoop - Track your HRV and REM Sleep

Function Health - Optimize Your Health via 100+ BioMarkers

Here are a few topics I think you’ll love if you haven’t checked them out before:

How to Breathe for Better Health

How to Supercharge Your Sleep

The Power of the Sauna

-Jared

P.S. - This newsletter does not provide medical advice. The content, such as graphics, images, text, and all other materials, is provided for reference and educational purposes only. The content is not meant to be complete or exhaustive or to be applicable to any specific individual's medical condition.

Footnotes

1. Caronia, L.M., et al. “Abrupt decrease in serum testosterone levels after an oral glucose load in men.” Clinical Endocrinology. 2013.

2. Bhasin, S., et al. “Testosterone therapy in men with androgen deficiency syndromes.” Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 2010.

3. Kapoor, D., et al. “Effects of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes on lipoprotein subclass particle size and concentration determined by nuclear magnetic resonance.” Diabetes Care. 2007.

4. Maggio, M., et al. “The interplay between magnesium and testosterone in modulating physical function in men.” International Journal of Endocrinology. 2014.

5. Purnell, J.Q., et al. “The effect of excess weight gain with intensive diabetes mellitus treatment on cardiovascular disease risk factors and atherosclerosis in type 1 diabetes mellitus.” Circulation. 2013.

6. Moran, L.J., et al. “Dietary composition in restoring reproductive and metabolic physiology in overweight women with polycystic ovary syndrome.” Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 2013.

7. Marsh, K.A., et al. “Effect of a low glycemic index compared with a conventional healthy diet on polycystic ovary syndrome.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2010.

8. Pasquali, R., et al. “Obesity and reproductive disorders in women.” Human Reproduction Update. 2013.

9. Kulkarni, B., et al. “Depressive symptoms and metabolic syndrome: is inflammation the underlying link?” Biological Psychiatry. 2009.

10. Davis, S.R., et al. “Testosterone in women–the clinical significance.” Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. 2015.