Testosterone levels ‘plummeting’ in young men due to porn consumption as link to social isolation shows ‘real problem’
FROM London to Los Angeles, an increasing number of young men are retreating from society, isolating themselves for extended periods.
When asked about their feelings of loneliness, men are more likely to report feeling socially isolated than women.
Some have suggested that changing norms and expectations are to blame.
Others have suggested that some young men are uncomfortable with how masculinity is being reimagined, reshaped, and redefined.
This discomfort, they argue, has created a profound sense of uncertainty and unease.
But are plummeting testosterone levels playing a role in young men’s desire to separate themselves from society?
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On both sides of the Atlantic, young men’s testosterone levels are tanking, according to studies conducted in 2006, 2007, and 2013.
Contrary to popular belief, testosterone, a hormone produced by the gonads and adrenal glands, does much more than merely regulate sexual desire.
Low testosterone levels are intimately associated with reduced body and facial hair, loss of muscle mass and bone density, and, in dire cases, even infertility.
Medical research also demonstrates a strong association between low testosterone levels and dips in mood, and increased levels of social anxiety.
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Moreover, research carried out last year by scientists at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, highlighted the many ways in which testosterone helps foster prosocial behavior in males.
In short, testosterone influences the hypothalamus, a structure deep within the brain responsible for creating the so-called cuddle chemical, oxytocin.
This hormone mediates the risk of social isolation and rises in tandem with testosterone.
Obese males are more likely to have lower testosterone levels than their slimmer counterparts.
It works the other way as well, men with low testosterone levels are at an increased risk of becoming overweight or obese.
In the US, 73 percent of adults are either overweight or obese. The United Kingdom shows similar figures, with 68 percent of men reported as either overweight or obese.
As Dr. Matthew Hoffman wrote earlier this year, fat cells “metabolize testosterone to estrogen,” thereby “lowering testosterone levels.”
Additionally, “obesity reduces levels of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), a protein that carries testosterone in the blood.”
Overweight and obese adults tend to report low physical activity levels.
In the United States, 25 percent of adults are perpetually inactive.
And in the United Kingdom, one in three men and one in two women don’t exercise at all.
Forget 10,000 steps daily; they barely take 10,000 steps in a year.
Instead of exercising, many instead dedicate their time to playing video games.
Extensive gaming is strongly associated with hyperprolactinemia, a condition that involves higher-than-normal levels of prolactin, the hormone best known for its role in breast tissue growth and milk production, in the bloodstream.
Also, video gaming is, contrary to popular belief, quite stressful. Video game anxiety is a real problem.
Anxiety causes stress. In males, stress increases prolactin production.
Too much prolactin interferes with testosterone production and affects a man’s ability to maintain an erection.
Similarly, excessive consumption of pornography is associated with lower reproductive hormone levels in men.
Moreover, excessive video gaming and porn use can destroy an individual's sleep cycle.
Impaired sleep is also strongly associated with low testosterone.
Over one-third of Americans are sleep-deprived, with the average American getting only five hours of shuteye each night.
According to a 2011 study by two biomedical students at the University of Chicago, sleeping five hours per night for just one week causes a 10-15 percent drop in testosterone levels for otherwise healthy men.
The United Kingdom is one of the most sleep-deprived nations in the Western world, with millions of Brits regularly surviving on five hours of sleep per night.
Not surprisingly, a poor diet also affects testosterone production.
A study in the journal Nutrients linked a diet high in bread and pastries to decreased muscle mass, increased body fat, and lower total testosterone levels in men.
In the United Kingdom, men eat bread far more frequently than women.
According to the Flour Advisory Bureau (FAB), “44 percent of men eat bread twice a day compared with 25 percent of women,” and white bread “accounts for 76 percent of the bread sold in the UK.”
It's even worse in the United States.
The average American consumes over 6,000 slices of pizza in their lifetime.
On average, an American adult consumes about 53 pounds of bread each year.
To reverse falling testosterone levels, there is always the option of androgen replacement therapy, otherwise known as testosterone replacement therapy.
But such therapy is not without significant risks, and one should always consult a medical professional before seeking it out.
Thankfully, there are many more natural ways to boost testosterone levels.
Even better, they are either free or relatively inexpensive.
Improving sleep is perhaps the quickest and most effective way of boosting testosterone.
An increased sleep duration of up to 9.9 hours was associated with increased testosterone levels, according to a 2015 study published by the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association by researchers in Hong Kong.
But, it’s essential to add sleeping more than 9.9 hours appears to lower testosterone levels.
Too little sleep is detrimental to health. The same goes for too much sleep. Try to get between seven and nine hours of quality sleep each night.
Another natural way of boosting testosterone involves sunlight.
Approximately 20 percent of the British population has a vitamin D deficiency. Meanwhile, 35 percent of adults in the United States suffer from the deficiency.
Exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun has been shown to increase total testosterone levels in men.
Thirty minutes of sunlight two to three times a week has been shown to raise testosterone significantly.
If sunlight is in short supply where you live, take vitamin D supplements and consider purchasing a sunlamp.
On the topic of supplements, omega-3 fish fatty acids have been shown to raise both the levels of free testosterone and fertility in young men.
Most Americans consume nowhere near enough omega-3 fatty acids. The same goes for the British.
Low levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood can shorten one’s life as much as smoking, according to this 2021 study.
Finally, exercise - more specifically, strength training - helps promote the production of testosterone.
The most effective workouts for increasing testosterone involve large muscle groups.
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Think squats or deadlifts, for example, both of which engage a large number of muscles.
Overall, cleaning up your diet, lifting some weights, and improving your sleeping habits will go a long way to boosting your testosterone.