Testosterone is a steroid hormone with two major functions in the human body:
Where is testosterone produced?Testosterone is mainly produced in the testes. Testosterone is carried in the blood to a number of organs throughout the body including the skin, hair and muscle. Small amounts of testosterone are also made by the adrenal glands, which are walnut sized glands that sit on top of the kidneys.
Why do men need testosterone?Testosterone plays a key role in reproductive and sexual function. Testosterone is responsible for producing physical characteristics of male puberty. Testosterone also stimulates cells in the testes to produce sperm.
Testosterone is also very important for continuing good health in many non-reproductive tissues. It is important for:

Testosterone levels decline steadily after age 30. The decline is relatively small, at an average rate of about 1% to 2% percent per year. By middle age and older, virtually all men experience some decline in testosterone.
Although it’s normal for testosterone levels to drop as men age, testosterone is the stuff that makes men men. Throughout a man’s life, testosterone maintains his male characteristics and sex drive.





Adapted from E. Steels, A. Rao and L. Vitetta. Phytotherapy Research 2011