Boosting Testosterone

Why Did James Cameron Call Testosterone a “Toxin”?

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, James Cameron labeled testosterone as “a toxin that you have to slowly work out of your system.” This statement caused some outrage on Twitter and led to the topic ‘testosterone’ trending on the bird app.

So why was Mr. Cameron talking about the ‘T’ hormone in such a negative light in the first place? Well, back in the days of Titanic and the first Avatar movie, Cameron explained that he had many heated and aggressive arguments with FOX executives over movie budgets…

James Cameron testosterone comments

The interview quoted Cameron as saying, “A lot of things I did earlier, I wouldn’t do — career-wise and just risks that you take as a wild, testosterone-poisoned young man,” and, “I always think of [testosterone] as a toxin that you have to slowly work out of your system.” 

Cameron is basically saying that testosterone caused his actions. He thinks of testosterone as something that needs to get flushed out of his system, like the flu. What came next was outrage on the internet. Many of the blue check marks on Twitter were confused and outraged by this statement.  

Dr. Cam here brings up a good point. You can’t go around and blame your own overly-aggressive and rude behavior on testosterone. Too much testosterone is not an excuse for acting poorly. Other things such as you, your personality, and your judgment can be responsible when you behave in an aggressive way.  

Is testosterone a toxin?

Testosterone is a naturally occurring essential hormone for both males and females and, quite simply, not a toxin. It’s not just a hormone that turns a boy into a man during puberty by giving you a deeper voice and facial hair. Men need testosterone at healthy levels throughout their entire life for their mood, energy levels, strength, stamina, and libido. 

Women rely on testosterone for bone health, breast health, fertility, and menstrual health. When it comes to reproduction, a balance of testosterone and estrogen in women helps regulate ovarian function. Regardless of sex, a healthy level of testosterone is a good thing. 

Director James Cameron is saying that testosterone should be flushed out of your system—as if your penis and testicles worked like a faucet that can let the testosterone run out of your body onto the floor.

However, the problem with this statement isn’t just the logic. It’s the health risk associated with this. Many men already struggle with low T which can cause many health risks. The last thing that these men need to do is try to flush testosterone from their system. 

Oftentimes, external factors can lead to low testosterone or hypogonadism. The contributors that lead to low testosterone can be major injuries, obesity, stress, illness, and disease. And as a result can also lead to:

• Low/poor sex drive 
• Weight gain/belly fat
• Brain fog/poor sleep
• Decreased muscle strength

Testosterone treatments for men

There are plenty of treatment options out there for men who suffer from low testosterone. And you can find natural treatments or other options through a men’s health clinic.

Natural treatments can include getting more exercise and sunlight, or for more severe cases, you can even explore testosterone replacement therapy. Testosterone replacement therapy, or TRT, involves increasing your testosterone levels through medical treatments such as testosterone booster pills or testosterone injections. Again, this treatment is really only for severe cases and for men who truly suffer from low testosterone. 

If you don’t suffer from low testosterone and do a TRT plan, your body might have too much testosterone. This can lead to a wide array of problems such as heart and liver problems, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, fluid retention, weight gain, blood clots, acne, sleep issues, headaches, and enlargement of your prostate. 

And, of course, high T levels can lead to mood swings and aggressive behavior. While that doesn’t mean that testosterone is a toxin, it also doesn’t mean you should simply blame high T for your behavior.   

The truth about T

At the end of the day, James Cameron’s statement about testosterone being a toxin paints the wrong picture of this critical hormone that both men and women need in their bodies. Without testosterone, men and women would not be able to procreate. And, there are many health risks for men that have low testosterone levels.

Seeking treatment, either naturally or through prescribed medication like TRT, is a great first step to preventing health problems associated with low T.