Month: July 2021

Why Do We Need Testosterone?

Post author By The Beauty Nation
Post date 26/07/2021

Testosterone is the key male sex hormone that regulates fertility, muscle mass, fat distribution, and red blood cell production.

When levels of testosterone drop below levels that are healthy, they can lead to conditions like hypogonadism or infertility. There are, however, sources from which people with low testosterone can boost their levels.

Low testosterone is becoming more and more common. The number of prescriptions for testosterone supplements has increased fivefold since 2012.

This article will explore what testosterone does and whether men should worry about decreasing levels of the hormone as they grow older.

WHAT IS TESTOSTERONE?

Testosterone is the hormone responsible for the development of male sexual characteristics. Hormones are chemical messengers that trigger necessary changes in the body. Females also produce testosterone, usually in smaller amounts.

It is a type of androgen produced primarily by the testicles in cells called the Leydig cells.

In men, testosterone is thought to regulate a number of functions alongside sperm production. These include:

sex drive
bone mass
fat distribution
muscle size and strength
red blood cell production

Without adequate amounts of testosterone, men become infertile. This is because testosterone assists the development of mature sperm.

Despite being a male sex hormone, testosterone also contributes to sex drive, bone density, and muscle strength in women. However, an excess of testosterone can also cause women to experience male pattern baldness and infertility.

The brain and pituitary gland control testosterone levels. Once produced, the hormone moves through the blood to carry out its various important functions.

TESTOSTERONE IMBALANCES

High or low levels of testosterone can lead to dysfunction in the parts of the body normally regulated by the hormone.

When a man has low testosterone or hypogonadism, he may experience:

reduced sex drive
erectile dysfunction
low sperm count
enlarged or swollen breast tissue

Over time, these symptoms may develop in the following ways:

loss of body hair
loss of muscle bulk
loss of strength
increased body fat

Chronic, or ongoing, low testosterone may lead to osteoporosis, mood swings, reduced energy, and testicular shrinkage.

Causes can include:

testicular injury, such as castration
infection of the testicles
medications, such as opiate analgesics
disorders that affect the hormones, such as pituitary tumors or high prolactin levels
chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, kidney and liver disease, obesity, and HIV/AIDS
genetic diseases, such as Klinefelter syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, hemochromatosis, Kallman syndrome, and myotonic dystrophy

Too much testosterone, on the other hand, can lead to the triggering of puberty before the age of 9 years. This condition would mainly affect younger men and is much rarer.

In women, however, high testosterone levels can lead to male pattern baldness, a deep voice, and menstrual irregularities, as well as:

growth and swelling of the clitoris
changes in body shape
reduction in breast size
oily skin
acne
facial hair growth around the body, lips, and chin

Recent studies have also linked high testosterone levels in women to the risk of uterine fibroids.

Testosterone imbalances can be detected with a blood test and treated accordingly.

TESTOSTERONE LEVELS AND AGING

Testosterone levels naturally decrease as a man ages.

The effects of gradually lowering testosterone levels as men age have received increasing attention in recent years. It is known as late-onset hypogonadism.

After the age of 40, the concentration of circulating testosterone falls by about 1.6 percent every year for most men. By the age of 60, the low levels of testosterone would lead to a diagnosis of hypogonadism in younger men.

About 4 in 10 men have hypogonadism by the time they reach 45 years old. The number of cases in which older men have been diagnosed as having low testosterone increased 170 percent since 2012.

Low testosterone has been associated with increased mortality in male veterans. Late-onset hypogonadism has become a recognized medical condition, although many of the symptoms are associated with normal aging.

The following are symptoms of late-onset hypogonadism:

diminished erectile quality, particularly at night
decreased libido
mood changes
reduced cognitive function
fatigue, depression, and anger
a decrease in muscle mass and strength
decreased body hair
skin changes
decreased bone mass and bone mineral density
increase in abdominal fat mass

As well as sexual dysfunction, late-onset hypogonadism has also been associated with metabolic disease and cardiovascular disease.

The degree to which testosterone levels decline varies between men, but a growing number of men experience the effects of reduced testosterone levels. Life expectancy has increased, and many men now live beyond the age of 60 years.

As a result, a higher number of men see the effects of age-related testosterone depletion.

Herbal Info

Tongkat Ali – The Great Malaysian Story

Post author By The Beauty Nation
Post date 23/07/2021

Tongkat Ali is also known as ‘Pasak Bumi’ in Indonesia, Cay Ba Binh in Vietnam, Pin Yin: 东革阿里 or Dōng gé ālǐ in China, ‘Longjack’ in the United States or Europe and ‘Malaysian Ginseng’ or ‘Akar Ali’ by some locals.

Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma Longifolia) is mainly found in remote rainforests of Malaysia, Indonesia, and some parts of Southern Thailand.

Malaysia is the largest net exporter of Tongkat Ali in the world, with a world consumption of more than 70%.

There are three types of Tongkat Ali which are sold in the market today:

Yellow Tongkat Ali – Eurycoma Longifolia
Black Tongkat Ali – Polyalthia Bullata
Red Tongkat Ali – Stema Tuberosa

Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma Longifolia) is a national heritage from a long history of tradition

Tongkat Ali has a long history of tradition, used by indigenous people for centuries and consumed daily by Malaysians in many forms.

A big part of the growing demand for Tongkat Ali in recent years is due to the advancement of science, innovation, and continuous human clinical trials to validate its wide range of health benefits.

Due to the strong demand for natural wellness, Malaysia’s Sovereign Wealth Fund, Khazanah, invested heavily in Tongkat Ali to scale up its production through technology and development activities.

The research and development of Tongkat Ali deliver promising results. It is now widely used in functional food, performance ingredients to enhance sports performance and daily dietary supplements.

Well, that’s the gist of it.

There are many untold stories and here is everything you need to know about Tongkat Ali in Malaysia.

Tongkat Ali demand is growing

The reason behind the growing popularity is due to Tongkat Ali’s versatility, efficacy, and more importantly, growing evidence of its health benefits by scientists and health experts.

At the same time, there is a growing trend among consumers who are seeking long-term health protection from natural resources.

With rising medical costs and the side-effect of non-organic supplements, consumers are seeking better and more proven alternatives in recent years.

Plant-based diets and natural products have been on the rise too, and the US sales figures showed an increasing trend against the backdrop of escalating healthcare costs in recent years.

The surge in herbal supplements such as Tongkat Ali is potentially driven by recent fear over the global pandemic too – which demands greater immunity protection from virus attacks.

The origin of Tongkat Ali

Tongkat Ali had a long history in Malaysia but let us talk about its initial discovery.

It is believed the first Tongkat Ali discovered in Malaysia dated as far as the early 1100s although there were no documented records to show sufficient evidence.

The first documented evidence was seen on a Tongkat Ali painting belonging to Major General William Farquhar, who was the Rajah of Malacca (a state in Malaysia) between 1803 to 1818.

The honorable man was also the first British Resident and Commandant of Singapore during the same period.

The painting of Tongkat Ali belonging to General William Farquhar signifies the importance of the plant in the 1800s.

He was believed to be one of the first Scottish to receive such a gift from the locals when the British landed their foothold in Malaysia in 1786.

It was believed by the locals that Tongkat Ali was a symbol of power for primal men, with its close association with masculinity and virility.

The painting of the Tongkat Ali plant is now stored and kept safely at the William Farquhar Collection of Natural History Drawings in Singapore as evidence of recognition in medicinal herbs.

The story behind the word “Tongkat Ali”

Now how did the word “Tongkat Ali” came about?

The word “Tongkat” is a Malay word for a walking stick. The usage of a walking stick by Malaysians (and possibly the British and Dutch) was common back in 1800 – 1900s.

Every man had a walking stick or at least was capable of producing one using his bare hands.

In the Asian culture where metaphors are frequently used in local conversations and folklores, the word “Tongkat” can often be misinterpreted as a hard erection.

On the other hand, the word “Ali” was believed originated from Sayyidina Ali Abi Talib, which is renowned as a paragon of manhood.

This is greatly influenced by the Gujaratis when Islam first arrived in Southeast Asia between 1160-1451s.

Soon the term “Tongkat Ali” was naturally accepted by the Chinese and Indian communities as herbal trading activities soared in the early 1800s.

In recent times, it is common for Malaysians to refer to Tongkat Ali as Akar Ali, which means Ali’s root.

After all, it is the root that brings scientifically proven health benefits, and not “sympathetic magic” that some would claim.

From traditional medicine to modern science…

Back in the early days before modern science, Tongkat Ali is widely consumed by Malaysians to treat many types of illnesses such as flu, cold, and others.

Every corner shop in Malaysia sells traditional herbs including Tongkat Ali and this tradition has been infused into Malaysians healthy diet for centuries.

It is not surprising to see a healthy 100-year-old man effortlessly paddling his trade or working daily, hidden away in the nook and crannies of bustling city life in Malaysia.

Tongkat Ali’s unique position as one of the popular herbs besides Ginseng is due to a unique bioactive compound – known as quassinoids, found by scientists to heal and improve health.

The other major bioactive compounds are the most potent in its roots which include eurycomaoside, eurycolactone, eurycomalactone, eurycomanone.

Malaysia is the best natural home to Tongkat Ali

There is a reason many believe that the best Long Jack products available in the market today are sourced from Malaysia.

Malaysia has been a natural home for Tongkat Ali due to its rich bio-diversity with some of the oldest tropical rainforests in the world.

Experts have found that the tropical rainforests in Malaysia have existed for 130 million years – making it older than the Amazon and the Congo.

Scientists found more than 185,000 species of fauna and 12,500 species of flowering plants in Malaysia and other deeper parts of Borneo. The forest reserves such as the Royal Belum State Park in Perak were even recognized by the UNESCO World Heritage as being some of the oldest forests in the world.

Being home to the oldest tropical rainforest has one unique advantage, as the soils are rich with nutrients, and minerals are known to humankind and are perfect for the proliferation of Tongkat Ali plants.

Although technically Tongkat Ali can grow in other tropical climate countries, the best Tongkat Ali plants grow more efficiently in their natural habitat which is abundant in natural minerals sourced from natural clean water.

The natural minerals found in soils unique to some of the deep rainforests in Malaysia are free from human contamination and pollutants that may decrease the amount or the quality of bioactive compounds found in the Tongkat Ali roots.

An ideal environment for thriving Tongkat Ali plants requires well-drained soil with a high organic matter content coupled with an annual rainfall of 2,000-3,000 mm in the optimal temperature range of 25–30ºC. For that, Malaysia provides the perfect tropical climate year on year.