Male Menopause or Andropause?

Just like women, men also have to cope with the influence of hormones, reproductive organs like the prostate being particularly sensitive to this.

However it is a bit of a misnomer to call it  the male menopause.

This is because even though just like women, men experience a decrease in hormone levels as they age, it simply isn't in the same way.

Starting at age 30, men start to lose about one percent of testosterone a year. It's a gradual decline, whereas women experience a dramatic drop in estrogen when they go through menopause.

The term has a popular appeal because everyone knows it in women, but it's different.

This phase in a man’s life is sometimes called the Andropause.

As men become older, the prostate needs support to maintain good functioning. The prostate is a walnut shaped organ, which is situated precisely round the upper part of the urinary ducts.

Nutritional support during hormonal changes can help maintain a healthy prostate. These include:

• Wild Yam for hormone building assistance
• Black cohosh for a relaxant and normalizer
• Damiana as a prostate tonic, anti-depressant and nutrient for sluggish sexual organs
• St. John's Wort and Oat for nerve tonics to help deal with any depression and other stress due to the changes
• Saw Palmetto for a reproductive system nutrient.
• Beta--Sitosterol for an enlarged prostate
• Pumpkin Seeds for essential fatty acids

However if you are experiencing symptoms, do not assume it is the ‘male menopause’ or andropause, as there are many other medical conditions that mimic the symptoms. So before self treating, do see a medical practitioner to eliminate other causes.