What makes males and females so different? Much of the physical differentiation in size strength, energy, stamina and even thought and behavior is determined largely by a powerful hormone called testosterone.

The bodies of males produce 10 to 20 times the amount of this “messenger molecule” than females. A slow drop in testosterone is a normal part of aging—but something broader is happening with testosterone levels in males.

A Danish study showed that men born in the 1920s had 14 percent more testosterone than men born in the 1960s. Healthy Cells reported that men born in the 1910s still had more testosterone at age 70 than men born in the 1940s had at age 55.

So this decline appears to have been happening for decades—but it is getting worse. American Greatness reported that the average 22-year-old today has the virility that 67-year-old men had in 2000. Studies have found young men in the 2020s to have 27 percent less testosterone than men just one generation before.

Why the Drop?

Over this time period, men (and women) have been eating differently than previous generations. They have consumed drastically different ratios of salt, sugar and other carbohydrates, as well as new fillers, substances and, of course, chemicals: synthetic estrogens like bisphenol A (bpa), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanesynthetic (ddt) and numerous other herbicides and pesticides. They have been consuming endocrine disruptors, which can dramatically affect the hormonal pathway, causing imbalances, destroying cells, and shutting off testosterone production. Some disruptors are so potent that certain doses can all but turn male animals into females.

What we are putting into our bodies is dramatically different from previous generations. Is this connected to our dramatic drops in testosterone?

Meanwhile, nutritionists and government officials have promoted the flawed idea that dietary fat elevates cholesterol, causing more men to try low-fat diets. This decreases testosterone levels by 10 to 15 percent, according to News Medical Life Sciences. Many people take statins to lower blood cholesterol levels, and cholesterol is the building block of testosterone. Many Americans are putting these and other pharmaceuticals into their bodies, and some are known to bind to the bodily protein serum albumin, competing with testosterone for transport and lowering its overall levels.

Lack of sleep also lowers testosterone. The testosterone of a man who gets 51/2 hours or less of sleep each night for eight nights or more has been found to drop 10 to 15 percent.

There are likely more causes. As an October 2022 Telegraph article states, our modern lifestyle is increasing every form of acute, chronic physical and mental illness, which is associated with lower testosterone levels in men.

What to Do?

Instead of changing their lifestyles, many men have found it easier to obtain testosterone replacement prescriptions through injections, skin gels or patches for boosting energy, libido and muscle size.

But legitimate safety concerns exist. The United States Food and Drug Administration has indicated that these products carry an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, as well as male breast cancer, blood cancer, enlarged prostate and obstructive sleep apnea.

Naturally occurring testosterone is a molecular messenger, traveling through the body to activate and regulate a variety of functions. Yet it is being portrayed as some kind of toxin causing elevated aggression and bigotry, and it is being actively, literally, physically reduced in boys and men.

Men have relinquished their masculine perspectives and duties, leaving many effeminate, weak and dysfunctional. Some go so far as to mimic women to the point of mutilating their bodies.

Men need to have the bodies, hormones and brains that God created us to have.

Don’t turn to “quick fixes” with fearful side effects. Value your sleep. Eliminate as many unnatural, processed, chemical-infused foods from your diet as you can. Eat lots of healthy fats. Once you have started the habit of a less polluted, more nutritious diet, consider intermittent fasting, which allows your liver and other organs to rest and return your hormones to natural levels. One approach is to eat only at noon, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Also, get your body moving. Exercise is a great way to maintain and boost testosterone and, of course, your overall health. Type and intensity are key. Since testosterone reacts to bodily stress, strive for intensity and consistent effort in exercises using multiple muscle groups. Try weight training, cardio and resistance training, starting at the level you can handle and building your body and physical masculinity from there. Coupled with intermittent fasting, exercise can increase testosterone by 400 percent.

To increase this important part of your health, clean up your diet, minimize stress, and get daily sunshine, plenty of sleep and regular exercise. In other words, follow a lifestyle conducive to good health—and your natural testosterone levels should stay topped up for a lifetime.