Low testosterone causing an epidemic of female fatigue

“At least 90% of women I see in my clinic suffer from fatigue and other draining symptoms due to low testosterone,” says holistic gynecologist Shawn Tassone, M.D., Ph.D., author of The Hormone Balance Bible. Despite its reputation as a male hormone, testosterone plays crucial roles in female brain function, mood regulation and more. But women’s production of the hormone declines by 50% from age 20 to 40, causing symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, anxiety and loss of libido.

Adding to the problem: Menopause can lower testosterone output even further. And as Dr. Tassone notes, chronic stress can magnify shortfalls since high cortisol levels impede testosterone production.

Doctors can order blood tests to measure testosterone and may advise hormone therapy. But Dr. Tassone says even levels at the low end of “normal” can cause fatigue. And given how common deficits are, all women can benefit from the steps below:

Vitamin D increases female testosterone levels by 48%, according to findings in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. Dr. Tassone advises eating D-rich foods like egg yolks, tuna and fortified nut milks daily and incorporating shellfish, grass-fed beef, chickpeas, cashews and mushrooms as the zinc they supply also boosts testosterone. Also smart: Sip 2 cups of pomegranate juice daily; doing so lifted women’s testosterone by 27% in one study.

Taming stress can optimize testosterone. Dr. Tassone suggests performing Andrew Weil, M.D.’s 4-7-8 breathing technique (find instructional videos on YouTube) in the morning, evening and anytime stress mounts.