The Doctors: Do Father’s Have Less Testosterone Than Other Men?

The Drs: Fatherhood & Testosterone

News reports cite a study finding that men’s Testosterone lowers right after having a baby. Men who became fathers dropped at twice the rate of childless men. There are some interesting questions and parallels in all these hormonal dances.

In the archetypical hunter-gatherer, sower of seed narrative, Dr. Jim suggests that mothers don’t want their mates to be on the prowl biologically if they already have children. Dr. Andrew said he didn’t feel his Testosterone lower when he became a father.

The Doctors: Dietary Supplements Safety

Luke from South Carolina is trying to bulk up, and he wants to know if dietary supplements are a safe way to achieve that goal. Dr. Travis said that over the counter supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. He said there have been multiple cases where users discover synthetic steroids lurking in their supplements.

The side effects of these steroids can include liver failure, kidney failure, stunted growth, and of course the risk of cancer or heart attacks. He said it’s hard to speak in generalities, but Dr. Travis found cases of jaundice and other serious medical effects because of unregulated, unlabeled supplements.

The Doctors: Prescription Drugs Vs Supplements

Dr. Travis said he doesn’t understand why prescription drugs are so strictly regulated, but supplements have no approval process. In fact, the FDA won’t step in on supplements until there is proof of a problem, at which point many people could be exposed to negative effects.

He added that some people do need to supplement their natural hormones to maintain ideal levels, but Dr. Andrew said you should ideally be managing your hormone levels under the care of a physician.