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Women are hearing about testosterone everywhere — from their doctors, podcasts, social media, and friends. And the most common question is a reasonable one: do I actually need it? Research shows testosterone declines gradually across a woman's 40s and 50s, and the symptoms of low testosterone are real.
Do you actually need testosterone? Here's an honest answer: maybe. But before you consider testosterone supplementation, there's something most doctors skip over entirely — and it matters more than most women realize. Testosterone doesn't work in isolation. And in many cases, addressing the hormonal foundation first changes the picture entirely.
Testosterone is often framed as a male hormone — which is both true and misleading. Women produce testosterone too, in the ovaries and adrenal glands, and it plays a meaningful role in how women feel and function.
Cleveland Clinic identifies low testosterone in women as linked to low sexual desire, unexplained fatigue, muscle weakness, mood changes, and brain fog. These symptoms are real and worth taking seriously.
Testosterone supports libido, mood, motivation, brain health, bone density, and muscle mass. When levels are genuinely low, the impact on quality of life can be significant. The questions worth asking first, though, are why is testosterone low and whether supplementation is the right starting point.
An important nuance from research: testosterone doesn't decline as steeply as estrogen during menopause. Studies show estrogen can decline roughly 12% per year during the transition, while testosterone declines more gradually — around 3% per year. What changes most is the ratio between them, which can shift how both hormones feel in the body. |
Testosterone and estrogen are part of the same hormonal system. They don't operate in silos. When estrogen fluctuates — which is exactly what happens during perimenopause and menopause — the entire hormonal landscape shifts. The body's ability to maintain balance across all these systems is interconnected.
This is why addressing estrogen support first often matters more than many women expect. When the broader hormonal foundation is well supported, many women find they have a much better starting point for assessing what else they may need — and some find their other symptoms improve significantly in the process.
In women, the adrenal glands account for a significant portion of testosterone production — through a precursor hormone called DHEA. DHEA is produced in the adrenal cortex and serves as the raw material the body uses to make both testosterone and estrogen inside individual cells and tissues.
Here's where stress enters the picture. The adrenal glands produce both cortisol (your stress hormone) and DHEA — and when chronic stress keeps cortisol elevated, DHEA production is compromised. Research shows that the cortisol-to-DHEA ratio is a meaningful marker of overall hormonal health, and elevated cortisol relative to DHEA is associated with low libido, fatigue, and reduced wellbeing — the same symptoms often attributed to low testosterone.
This is why stress reduction isn't just good general advice. For women in perimenopause and menopause, it directly supports the glands responsible for a significant share of testosterone production. Your body knows how to make testosterone. It just needs the right conditions to do so.
Before considering supplementation, these five foundations are worth addressing. For many women, getting these right produces meaningful improvement on its own.
The adrenal glands produce DHEA — the primary precursor to testosterone in women. DHEA is produced in the adrenal cortex and is the raw material your body uses to make androgens at the tissue level. Chronic stress keeps cortisol elevated, and elevated cortisol directly competes with DHEA production in the same gland. Reducing chronic stress isn't soft advice — it's one of the most direct ways to support healthy testosterone levels from the inside out.
DHEA and growth hormone are restored during deep sleep. When sleep is fragmented — whether from night sweats, racing thoughts, or waking in the early hours — the hormonal recovery that's supposed to happen overnight doesn't fully occur. Addressing sleep quality is foundational to everything else. Many women find that resolving sleep disruption changes the broader hormonal picture more than they expected.
Resistance exercise is one of the few lifestyle factors with consistent research support for naturally maintaining healthy testosterone levels in women. Two to three sessions per week using compound movements — squats, deadlifts, rows — produce the strongest hormonal response. The benefit extends well beyond testosterone: strength training also supports bone density, mood, and metabolic health during the menopause transition.
Vitamin D and zinc both play a supporting role in testosterone production. Many women in the menopause years are deficient in one or both without knowing it. Excess refined sugar and highly processed foods are associated with hormonal disruption more broadly. A practical starting point: get vitamin D levels checked, add zinc-rich foods (pumpkin seeds, legumes, hemp seeds), and reduce the refined sugar load.
Estrogen and testosterone are part of the same hormonal system — they don't operate in silos. During perimenopause and menopause, estrogen declines more steeply, which shifts the entire hormonal landscape. Supporting your body's natural balance during this transition creates a stronger foundation for all hormonal health. For many women, addressing this piece first changes the picture significantly before any additional supplementation is considered.
Pueraria mirifica, the Thai herb at the heart of Amata Life products, has been used for over 700 years in traditional Thai medicine to support women through the hormonal shifts of midlife. It contains miroestrol, a naturally occurring compound that supports comfort and wellbeing during the menopause transition. Published research indicates it shows great promise in supporting the overall comfort and balance women need during this phase.
When hot flashes, sleep disruption, and the broader discomforts of the menopause transition are well supported, many women find they're better positioned to assess what else their bodies may need. Getting the foundation right first is not a detour — it's the most logical starting point.
Pueraria Mirifica works through a different metabolic pathway than standard mammalian hormones such as testosterone. Because of this, there is no reason to expect interference with testosterone therapy. That said, we are not aware of clinical studies that have specifically examined this combination, so women using testosterone therapy who are considering adding Pueraria Mirifica should discuss it with their healthcare provider.
Amata Life products are not testosterone supplements, and they are not designed to replace testosterone therapy. What they do is support your body's natural balance during the hormonal shifts of the menopause transition. Testosterone is made from cholesterol via a pathway that runs through the ovaries and adrenal glands. Supporting healthy adrenal function through stress reduction, quality sleep, and balanced nutrition is often a more sustainable approach to supporting healthy testosterone levels than supplementation alone. Many women find that addressing the broader hormonal foundation changes how they feel significantly.
Cleveland Clinic identifies the most commonly reported signs of low testosterone in women as: low sexual desire and arousal, unexplained fatigue, muscle weakness, difficulty maintaining muscle mass, mood changes including depression or a diminished sense of wellbeing, and brain fog or low motivation. These symptoms overlap significantly with other menopause symptoms, which is why a healthcare provider's assessment is important before attributing them to testosterone specifically.
Research on testosterone therapy in women shows mixed results depending on the symptom. Low libido is the area with the strongest evidence for benefit. For other symptoms — fatigue, mood, brain fog — results vary between individuals. Testosterone therapy is not FDA-approved for women in the United States, meaning it is typically prescribed off-label. Any decision about testosterone therapy should involve a healthcare provider familiar with women's hormone health.
They are part of the same hormonal system and influence each other. During perimenopause, estrogen declines more steeply than testosterone — which shifts the ratio between them. This shift can affect how both hormones feel in the body. Supporting estrogen balance during the menopause transition often has a beneficial effect on the broader hormonal picture, which is why it's frequently recommended as the logical first step.
The testosterone conversation is worth having — but it's worth having in the right order. Before reaching for a supplement, it's worth understanding what your body needs to produce healthy testosterone naturally, and whether your hormonal foundation is well supported first.
For many women in perimenopause and menopause, getting that foundation right — supporting estrogen balance, protecting adrenal health, improving sleep, reducing chronic stress — addresses much of what they assumed required supplementation. Start here. Then reassess.
Please note that this blog forum does not allow responses to individual questions, which instead should be forwarded to customer service at 800-760-9090, or customerservice@amatalife.com. We’re prohibited from providing medical advice, but will do our best to help where we can.