Why low testosterone levels increase your risk of getting a pot
belly...
Although testosterone is often considered a muscle-building hormone,
it also plays an important role in helping you stay lean. In fact,
researchers from the University of Washington have shown that men
with low testosterone levels appear to
be at greater risk of developing a "pot belly".
Low testosterone levels
More than 100 Japanese-American men took part in the research.
A number of measurements, including total body fat and testosterone
levels, were taken at the start of the study. The same measurements
were taken again seven years later.
The research team found a link between testosterone levels at the
start of the study and changes in visceral fat. In other words,
visceral fat increased to a greater extent in the men starting the
study with low testosterone levels.
Visceral (pronounced viss-er-al) fat surrounds and protects your
internal organs. Subcutaneous (pronounced sub-cue-tain-ee-us) fat,
on the other hand, is stored just under your skin. Not only does
it look bad, visceral fat precedes the development of type II diabetes
in Japanese Americans. It's also been linked to high blood pressure
and heart disease.
Further evidence linking testosterone and body fat comes from the
National Institute on Aging. Researchers tracked a group of men,
aged between 65 and 88, for six months. Compared with those using
a "dummy" supplement, treatment with testosterone reduced
subcutaneous fat by around 7%.
Testosterone exerts a dual effect on fat loss by increasing the
number of beta receptors, the parts of a fat cell that help to break
down stored fat and prepare it for use as energy. Testosterone also
inhibits the activity of lipoprotein lipase, an enzyme that plays
a role in storing fat.
Diet
One way to reduce the risk of low testosterone is to make sure
you're getting enough zinc in your diet. According to the US Department
of Agriculture, 6 out of 10 men aged between 20 and 49 don't get
enough zinc in their diet.
Because they tend to eat more, physically active people consume
zinc in amounts exceeding the recommended daily amount (12 milligrams
for women and 15 milligrams for men). However, certain groups (endurance
athletes, for example) often consume a lot of carbohydrate. This
can displace other foods — such as red meat — that
contain high levels of zinc.
Unfortunately, it's difficult to establish whether you're getting
enough zinc. Although measuring levels in the blood is one way to
diagnose a severe zinc deficiency, it's not sensitive enough
to establish a moderate zinc deficiency.
Good sources of zinc include sirloin steak (4.4 milligrams per
3 ounces), lamb chop (4 milligrams per 3 ounces), and turkey (2.6
milligrams per 3 ounces). Six large oysters provide over 20 milligrams
of zinc. If you don't eat these foods on a regular basis, then a
vitamin and mineral supplement can reduce your risk of a zinc deficiency.
However, as with all nutrients, too little as well as too much
zinc isn't healthy. Zinc supplements in excess of 50 milligrams
daily, for example, can interfere with the metabolism of copper.
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Reference
Tsai, E.C., Boyko, E.J., Leonetti, D.L., & Fujimoto, W.Y.
(2000). Low serum testosterone level as a predictor of increased
visceral fat in Japanese-American men. International
Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 24,
485-491
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