When we hear the term “menopause” most people think of women, and the associated suffering that comes with the “change of life” – hot flushes, mood swings etc. Not to take anything away from the toll this time truly takes on women, there is also a condition called “male menopause”, or more accurately; andropause.

At a certain age, men too experience a significant change in hormone levels, most notably testosterone, which affects everything from weight to sex drive.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) recognizes that in men, often between the ages of 40 to 65, a gradual decrease of these male sex hormones such as testosterone begins. Depending on a man’s given lifestyle, eating habits, genetics and overall level of stress, this decrease in testosterone, also known as “Low-T,” can have varying impact. In some men the symptoms normally associated with “aging” – decreased libido, lack of energy and enthusiasm, cognitive difficulties – can onset rapidly.

It’s Time to Do What You Can to Extend Your Lifespan

Chinese culture and practitioners of TCM have always believed that, barring accident or serious illness, the “normal” human lifespan is about 120 years. In the TCM tradition, the time of the onset of the symptoms of andropause coincides with the end of the “First Life Cycle” or the first 60 years – and the beginning of the next cycle of 60 years. TCM dictates that part of achieving a full lifespan is to take steps using herbs, acupuncture, and other TCM protocols to slow down, or even reverse the aging process caused by hormone depletion.

Modern science now recognizes that the symptoms related to male menopause correspond to lowered levels of particular hormones not only testosterone. Other hormone levels such as dopamine and especially DHEA all decrease at this time.

While some men experiencing Low-T, turn to testosterone replacement, did you know that the levels of these hormones can all be increased through the use of herbal supplements and natural stress reduction techniques such as Tai Chi and Chi Gong?

TCM practitioners and traditional physicians alike agree that the surest way to combat the symptoms of male menopause is to eat healthy, reduce stress, and exercise often. In addition, the following herbs or supplements containing them have all been shown to be effective in alleviating the problems associated with male menopause.

• Wild Yam
• Black Cohosh
• Saw Palmetto
• Damiana
• Oats
• Raspberry Leaf

Daily intake of bee pollen and royal jelly is also recommended to fight fatigue and increase alertness.

A regular program of this kind of supplementation, combined with exercise, and stress reduction techniques such as Tai Chi and Chi Gong, can have any aging male feeling better, and perhaps well on their way to a ”Second Adulthood” of 120 years!