Hormone Imbalance and its Effect on Low Libido
Hormone imbalance is one major factor contributing to low libido in both men and women. While there are many possible causes of hormone imbalance, some common ones include stress, and poor diet. How do you find and take the essential nutrients for a balanced hormonal system and a healthy libido? And what are these essential nutrients?
Hormone imbalance
Essential Nutrients to Fix Hormone Imbalance
There are a few essential nutrients that can help fix hormone imbalance. Macronutrients like protein, fats, and carbohydrates affect hormone production and regulation.
Micronutrients like vitamins and minerals are also important for keeping hormones balanced and enhancing libido. Here are some of the essential nutrients to consider when trying to fix a hormone imbalance:
Boron
Boron is a mineral that plays a supporting role in many different bodily functions. One of these is ensuring healthy levels of sex hormones are present, such as estrogen and testosterone. It raises free testosterone levels in males, the hormone’s unbound form that has visual impacts on the body. It raises estrogen and testosterone levels in women, significantly boosting low libido.
Additionally, this mineral functions as an antioxidant and promotes healthy inflammation, enhancing libido and sexual health. Also, menopausal women can benefit from boron by relieving uncomfortable symptoms like hot flushes, excess weight, vaginal dryness, and bone strength loss.
In addition, boron is essential for the proper functioning of the reproductive organs. A deficiency can cause muscle pains, depression, and other health issues that can decrease libido.
Eating more boron-rich foods, such as nuts, avocados, and apples, can enhance the intake of this mineral. Boron supplements are also available for those who don’t get enough of this nutrient from their diet.
Niacin
Niacin, also referred to as vitamin B3, is essential for healthy libido and sexual performance. This is because niacin helps improve circulation by keeping blood vessels healthy. Men cannot obtain or sustain an erection without healthy blood flow. As it contributes to producing numerous hormones, including male sex hormones, niacin is essential for fixing hormonal imbalances.
Niacin improves vaginal hydration, sensitivity, and stimulation response in women by increasing blood flow. It can assist men in getting better quality, longer-lasting erections.
A diet low in niacin leads to excessive cholesterol, diabetes, cardiac disease, and other conditions that impair healthy circulation. Mild niacin deficiencies can result in hormone imbalance. Because so many individuals do not consume niacin-rich foods like beets, nuts, seeds, brewer’s yeast, cow liver, and fish, niacin deficiencies are frequent.
Zinc
Zinc is an essential mineral for both men and women to promote healthy libido and sexual well-being. It produces testosterone, which corrects hormone imbalance and supports healthy libido. In males, it also aids in the development and maturation of sperm cells; low zinc levels cause infertility, low sperm counts, weak erections, and poor sperm motility.
A loss of smell is another symptom of low zinc levels. Although we rarely link the sense of smell to libido, it is a crucial sexual trigger. Unfortunately, some people do not consume enough of this mineral, which is found in meats, oysters, beans, nuts, seeds, etc. Thus, it is also available as a supplement.
Vitamin A
One of the most important vitamins for men’s health is vitamin A. This nutrient is essential for the proper function of the Leydig cells responsible for producing testosterone. In addition, vitamin A reduces hormone imbalance and promotes healthy testosterone and estradiol levels in women, making it vital for a healthy libido.
Although vitamin A can be obtained from food sources like eggs, pastured meat, and wild-caught fish, it can be difficult to get enough from diet alone. That’s why supplementation is often recommended.
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is worth considering to boost low libido. This nutrient, also called pyridoxine, lowers prolactin levels that suppress sex drive, decrease testosterone, impair erectile function, and make orgasm hard to achieve.
Additionally, vitamin B6 improves hormone imbalance with greater muscle growth, further boosting testosterone production and sex drive.
Low libido is caused due to variety of reasons, but nutrition is frequently a key factor. You can have a more active and fulfilling sexual life by increasing the number of specific vitamins and minerals in a diet with a high-quality supplement.
Essential Supplements to Fix Hormone Imbalance
While numerous supplements can improve hormone imbalance and increase low female libidos, such as boron supplements, zinc supplements, and niacin supplements, one supplement with the most promising outcomes is L-arginine. According to anecdotal and scientific evidence, L-arginine may be a useful treatment for decreased female libido.
L-citrulline
L-citrulline is an amino acid naturally synthesized by the human body. It then converts it to L-arginine, which plays a role in many bodily functions, including protein synthesis, insulin regulation, and hormone release. It also synthesizes nitric oxide, which is important for blood flow. Low levels of nitric oxide can lead to low blood flow, which can, in turn, lead to low libido.
L-arginine is found in fish, red meat, dairy products, and chicken. However, supplementing the L-arginine intake is recommended for cardiovascular issues or high blood pressure.
In a short 2011 trial of 24 males with moderate ED and ED-related diseases, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, 1.5 grams/day of L-citrulline resulted in a 50% reduction in symptoms after one month.
Another 30-day research on men found that taking a prescription ED drug along with 800mg/day of L-citrulline and 300 mg/day of trans-resveratrol enhanced erectile function and stiffness compared to placebo.
Vitamin E Supplements
Vitamin E supplements preserve and develop better-quality sperm in stronger swimmers. As per the research published in the International Journal of General Medicine, for a minimum of 100 days, approximately 700 infertile men took Vitamin E of 200 μg with 400 IU every day and experienced improvements in sperm production and shape. Moreover, nearly 11% of men who took the supplements made their women pregnant.
Maca
Maca, also known as Lepidium meyenii, is a root vegetable that improves sex drive and fertility. Its supplements are available in powders, tablets, and liquid extracts.
The very well-known advantage of maca root is its ability to boost low libido. Some scientific data support this assertion. For instance, a 2022 study indicated that males who took 1.5 or 3 grams of maca per day had higher libido levels than those who took a placebo.
