4 Myths About Hormones That Way Too Many People Still Believe, According To A Doctor

More than 50 hormones have been found in the human body, and you might be surprised by how many different functions they carry out. From insulin's role in regulating blood sugar to melatonin helping you get a good night's sleep, hormones serve myriad roles in our day-to-day lives.

But there are also a lot of misconceptions floating around about hormones. To clear up some common hormone myths, I interviewed Bruce Dorr, MD, URPS, FACOG. He's an OB-GYN who's also the senior medical advisor for Biote. He specializes in hormone health — and he taught me so much about hormones! Here's what I learned:

1.MYTH: Women only produce the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone, and men only produce the male sex hormone testosterone.

Dr. Dorr says this is one of the biggest myths about our sex hormones, and he broke down exactly why it couldn't be more wrong. He explains, "First of all, men and women have the same hormones – estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone – but the levels of these hormones differ between the sexes. Estrogen and progesterone are the two main female sex hormones, and testosterone is the primary male sex hormone." This means that every person of every gender has all three of these hormones.

He elaborated, explaining that men typically produce only a small amount of estrogen. But, more surprisingly, he says, "Testosterone is the most abundantly produced hormone in women, surpassing estrogen levels by three to four times." In women, he says that testosterone plays a role in sexual response and in bone, brain, and heart health.

Furthermore, he says in women, testosterone levels drop along with estrogen during perimenopause and menopause, which can contribute to sexual health issues. "Since testosterone plays a key role in a woman’s sexual response by increasing blood flow to the genitals as well as nerve sensitivity, this decline negatively impacts libido, responsiveness, and orgasm. While over half of menopausal women experience some form of sexual dysfunction, most providers fail to discuss this issue with their patients, much less examine the root cause and recommend appropriate treatment despite recommendations from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) practice bulletin."

2.MYTH: Taking estrogen causes cancer and other diseases.

In 2002, a Women's Health Initiative study noted a correlation between certain forms of hormone replacement therapy in women and an increased risk of breast cancer and stroke. This study scared a generation of women and their doctors away from hormone replacement therapy to treat bothersome menopause symptoms, but more recently, the guidance around female hormone replacement therapy has been changing.

Dr. Dorr says that different, safer forms of hormone replacement therapy are currently recommended than those used in the 2002 study. "When bio-identical estrogen (17-beta-estrodiol) and progesterone (also bio-identical) were taken, there were no increased risks noted in that large study. When the lead author looked at the data after 15 years, there were still no long-term risk of adverse events."

In fact, he says that taking hormones can help women age in better health. "This one study frightened so many women and the medical community that many women stopped their hormone therapy, resulting in female patients dying earlier from osteoporotic fractures, dementia, and heart disease. If you deliver the correct hormones in the correct way, they are not only safe but show evidence of preventing a wide range of conditions, including cardiovascular events, bone loss, and cognitive decline."

3.MYTH: Men's sex hormones don't decline as they age.

These days, people are having more and more open conversations about menopause and the sometimes surprising changes that it can bring. But you still don't hear much about andropause, aka male menopause, which refers to the decline of sex hormones in men as they age.

Dr. Dorr explains, "Testosterone levels in men usually peak during the late teens, and at age 30 slowly begin declining at a rate of about 1% each year." As testosterone levels fall, men might notice feeling extra fatigued, new trouble sleeping, and mood changes.

Plus, he says that other lifestyle factors can also cut down on male testosterone. "Factors such as stress, poor diet, smoking, drinking lots of alcohol, and not sleeping well can further hinder the body’s ability to produce testosterone, leading to symptoms of aging that many men don’t realize can actually be reversed."

4.MYTH: Eating soy boosts your body's estrogen levels.

Finally, you should know that eating soy hasn't been proven to affect estrogen levels in the body. Dr. Dorr explained that soy contains phytoestrogens, which are similar to human estrogen, but not identical, so they can't change your body's hormonal balance.

However, he says that eating soy can help provide relief from certain perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms. He explains, "Although [soy doesn't] change the body’s natural hormone levels, it does possess different affinities to bind to the estrogen receptors throughout the day. It is not only the ability to bind but also the amount of soy 'isoflavones' present that can create desired effects throughout the body. These effects include mild relief of vasomotor symptoms like night sweats and hot flushes, and also of the 80-plus symptoms associated with estrogen loss." So, if you like tofu or soy milk in your coffee, it can't hurt to have it as part of a balanced diet.

Are there any other commonly held health beliefs that you're curious about? Share them in the comments and I just might investigate them next.