There are many factors that can cause low testosterone in men. Diet (eating too much junk food), exercise (too little or too much exercise), adrenal issues (such as adrenal fatigue), alcohol consumption (drinking alcohol in excess most of the time) and aging are the most obvious issues with what can cause low testosterone. Aside from these there are other reasons why testosterone levels may be low.

A condition called gynecomastia is a very obvious sign of low testosterone. When this condition is present, it’s usually a result of too much male estrogen. Estrogen stores up in body fat, which is why women have larger breasts than men, but when the estrogen levels are too high, this can cause men to have large breasts too and this condition is called gynecomastia.

Another condition called Klinefelter syndrome in males will cause low levels of testosterone. It is believed that there is 1 out of every 500 males that are affected by this chromosomal condition. Men with this disorder have an extra X chromosome in many of their cells.

Some medications can affect the testosterone production. Some of the worse offenders are:

• Antidepressants

• Anti-fungals

• Anti-inflammatories

• Beta blockers

• Finestaride

• Hypertension medications

• Marijuana (which is more so a recreational illegal drug)

• Metformin

Sleep habits can also affect the production of testosterone. If you are not getting enough quality sleep at night this will affect your overall health and can cause an imbalance in the endocrine system.

There are also conditions that affect the testicles themselves and this will most certainly cause a low hormone issue. Normally these conditions are results from other conditions, so finding the cure or management may be more than just treating the testicles. For example, too much estrogen will cause atrophy of the testicles. Balance the hormones, thus balancing the estrogen AND testosterone will stop this.

Other reasons for testicular atrophy are aging, alcohol consumption in excess, atherosclerosis, cirrhosis of the liver, gonorrhea, inguinal hernia, kidney failure, marijuana use, syphilis and other bacterial and viral infections.

Obviously if there’s ever trauma to the testicles this can affect how they function.

If you are considered obese then chances are that your testosterone levels are low. Recent research shows that body fat and testosterone are controlled by the same genes. Men with higher body fat percentages tend to have lower testosterone levels. Also estrogen is stored in body fat, so if there is an excess of body fat, then the levels of estrogen will be higher than normal. All this in turn causes the levels of the testosterone to drop.

Of all the causes of low testosterone the bottom line is that if you can maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating right, by practicing safe sex, by exercising in moderation you can certainly increase the chances of keeping your testosterone levels normal. While some illnesses can’t be avoided, many can by practicing safe habits. Common sense will tell you that eating junk food, and drinking too much alcohol and not using protection if you aren’t in a monogamous relationship are all bad for you. It affects all parts of your body.