The Root Cause Medicine Podcast · Rupa Health

New Approaches in Testosterone Treatment: Fertility, Mood, BPH and Beyond: Episode Rerun

·1 hr·3 clips

Measuring testosterone without luteinizing hormone can lead to the wrong treatment.

Dr. Kate Kresge introduces the conversation by framing Dr. Eric Garnell as an expert in men's health and urology with a strong grasp of herbs and natural interventions. The episode focuses on low testosterone, fertility questions, prostate issues, and pelvic pain conditions like prostatitis and interstitial cystitis. Kresge starts from the idea that testosterone is controlled by feedback loops in the brain. She explains that if the pituitary is already not making enough luteinizing hormone, adding testosterone can push the system to shut down further rather than fix the underlying issue. Garnell then turns to the most common pattern he sees. That pattern, he says, is when the brain is not making enough of the LH signal because something else is interfering upstream. He links that picture to pre-diabetes and diabetes. In his view, those conditions are not just about blood sugar, but about systemic inflammation that damages blood vessels and releases cytokines that keep the body in a stressed state. He says those inflammatory signals may also blur the brain's sense of what is happening in the body. The conversation then moves into the reality that many people who look active and eat reasonably well can still show pre-diabetes. Garnell points to chemical toxicity as another possible driver. He uses the term "diabesogens" for chemicals that can interfere with insulin signaling and contribute to diabetes and obesity. That makes the workup feel less like blame and more like a search for hidden inputs. He keeps returning to testing. If testosterone is low and luteinizing hormone is not high, he says that is a sign the brain is not responding as it should. From there, he begins talking about interventions, including cinnamon as one herb that can help cells respond to insulin and process sugar more effectively. The episode treats that kind of support as part of a larger strategy rather than a standalone fix. Kresge closes by stressing the value of professional consultation and a provider who knows the listener's full story. She also emphasizes repeating parts of the comprehensive panel so progress can be tracked instead of guessed at. The result is a measured, practical discussion that tries to make hormone care more precise without losing the patient in the jargon.

As heard by us

Low testosterone is framed as a system signal, not a simple refill.

The episode frames testosterone as a feedback system, not a single lab result. Dr. Kate Kresge and Dr. Eric Garnell describe how low luteinizing hormone can point to under-signaling in the brain, and how adding testosterone may sometimes push the system further off course…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Low T, fertility, and prostate questions get a bigger map here.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from The Root Cause Medicine Podcast