Prostate health and testosterone role

Some theorists still believe that testosterone is the cause of all your prostate problems. If that was right there would be many teenagers with this issue. This is just not the case. The real problem is estrogen. The prostate grows from the same tissue as a woman's uterus and retains estrogen receptors. In most reports they will tell you that benign prostate swelling is caused by a potent form of testosterone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

As we age the normal testosterone turns into DHT. This process is activated by an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase.

At one stage patent drugs used to block 5-alpha but this makes things far worse. When you block 5-alpha a different enzyme appears, aromatase, and this enzyme will turn your prostate into an "estrogen holding unit". Aromatase turns your testosterone into the strongest female hormone estradiol. If you block 5-alpha without blocking aromatase, you will be converting lots of testosterone into estrogen. (1)

This is what can happen when a man has too much estrogen:
  • Reduced libido
  • Impotency
  • Increased fat around tummy and chest
  • Swollen prostate


DHT is not the sole cause of an enlarged prostate; the excess estrogen must also be addressed.