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October 12, 2021 — 20:44 PM
What’s the most abundant biologically active hormone women make? Hint: It’s actually not estrogen. Rather, it’s testosterone: “Women have 10 to 20 times less [testosterone] than men, but we are exquisitely sensitive to those levels,” says Harvard-trained integrative medicine doctor Sara Gottfried, M.D., author of Women, Food, and Hormones, on the mindbodygreen podcast. “It’s involved in muscle mass, it’s involved in sex drive, it’s involved in vitality, it helps to reduce anxiety…” she continues.
Essentially, this is one famous hormone—but it’s often misunderstood in women (as are many other hormones, while we’re at it). But according to Gottfried, it’s high time we take advantage of testosterone. In fact, she says testosterone levels are actually linked to confidence and risk-taking.
“We know for women that testosterone is especially important for confidence, agency, and even risk-taking,” says Gottfried. She references a study on more than 500 MBA students at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business: The research found that women with higher testosterone levels were more entrepreneurial and willing to choose “riskier” careers in finance after graduation.
Of course, we’d be remiss not to mention the social expectations at play here—despite making some progress, women are often excluded from careers in finance at all, let alone a job deemed “riskier” than the rest—but it’s interesting that testosterone may have a role (even if it’s small) in the behavior.
“We want to be thinking about this, because testosterone tends to decline starting in your late 20s,” notes Gottfried (for both men and women). It’s a natural process that happens to everyone, but if your diet is filled with excess sugar and you’re under tons of stress, she says the hormone can decline at an earlier and faster rate.
Everyone’s body is different, so it’s important to consult a doctor if you’re at all concerned about testosterone levels; but the general lifestyle and nutrition advice above can help out in a bunch of avenues, too.
According to Gottfried, testosterone levels have been associated with confidence and risk-taking in women. That’s not to say you need to get your levels checked, like, right now—but it’s an interesting tidbit to know as your levels naturally decline with age.
