7 Warning Signs Your Testosterone Is Too High and How To Fix It Naturally

High testosterone is one of the most common hormonal imbalances seen in women. Women do need a bit of testosterone for a healthy libido, mood and fertility but too much wreaks all kinds of havoc think moustaches and acne! No thank you!

If you struggle with any of the below take it as a sign your testosterone maybe too high, if you identify with more than 2 then it’s a warning you’re turning into a man! Not really, but you do need to sort your testosterone levels out ASAP.

• Acne

• Increase in dark facial hair

• Male pattern baldness

• Abdominal obesity and trouble losing weight

• Insulin resistance

• PCOS

• Irregular menstrual cycles

Besides the acne, black hairs, weight gain and impact on fertility untreated high testosterone will also wreak havoc in the menopausal years increasing the incidence of heart disease, stroke, mood issues and cancer. Getting control of your testosterone levels now is so important for your health now and into the future.

If you’re suffering with high testosterone, don’t fear there is so much you can do naturally to bring it right back into balance. Keep reading to find out how.

How to fix it

Struggling with too much testosterone? Below is everything you need to know on how to fix it. However high testosterone seldom occurs by itself, there is usually another hormone out of whack too. So, you may need to read the blog on high oestrogen or low progesterone.

Reduce Stress - Stress is the ultimate imbalancer (is that even a word?) of hormones! Stop and look at your life from the outside – where are your stressors coming from? What can you do differently to eliminate and minimise your stressors?

Ditch Sugar – High testosterone? Then it’s time to break-up with sugar but further more carbohydrates. Carbohydrates breakdown in the body into sugar and sugar raises insulin levels and high insulin stimulates testosterone production. Going on a low carbohydrate diet is a must for reducing testosterone and will also help shake that excess weight off. The average Australian adult consumes >1kg of added sugar per week – think about that for a minute! Adopting a ketogenic diet has shown to reduce testosterone levels by 22%, reduce fasting insulin levels by 54% and participants in the study also lost a whopping 12% body fat on average.

Increase Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) – By increasing SHBG more testosterone will be bound up and rendered inactive within the body. Although you may not be reducing total testosterone levels the free (active) testosterone level will reduce, reducing your symptoms. The best way to increase SHBG is to pump up the fibre in your diet particularly with flaxseeds, quinoa, slippery elm, psyllium husks, legumes, lentils and of course vegetables.

Zinc – doesn’t reduce testosterone levels but it prevents the enzyme 5-α reductase converting testosterone to the more potent androgen – DHT. High DHT levels mimic the symptoms of high testosterone so when ever I am treating a woman with high testosterone I always make sure her zinc levels are adequate. Zinc can be tested via a Zinc Taste Test or through blood. If zinc is low aim for a daily dose of 25-50mg/day until healthy zinc levels are restored.

Paeonia (Paeonia lactiflora) and Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) – These two herbs in combination inhibit the production of testosterone while stimulating the conversion of testosterone into oestrogen. A study measuring the impact of licorice on serum testosterone levels found that after 8 weeks of supplementation with 3.5g of licorice serum testosterone had decreased by a whopping 10ng/d3. Paeonia and licorice are my absolute go-to for reducing high testosterone. Dose is 3g per day of each paeonia and licorice.

Once you know how, getting you hormones into balance is simple and healthy testosterone levels are vital for hormone balance!

Jacqui x