Because of their physical structure and hormonal chemistry, men face a unique group of health concerns. The good news is that many of them can be treated safely and effectively with herbal remedies.

The most obvious differences between the sexes lie in their reproductive systems. But there are other variables, too. Men are, for the most part, physically bigger than women — they're taller, with a bigger skeleton (made up of denser, stronger bones), more muscle mass and body fat, thicker skin, and bigger organs. Men also have a higher metabolic rate. They generally sweat more, and they have greater heart and lung capacity.

Even before they're born, males and females are exposed to the sex hormones that will define them for the rest of their lives. By the age of two, gender-specific physical characteristics start appearing, and as a child approaches puberty, they'll become more obvious.

In males, these traits are created in large part by the hormone testosterone, which is an androgen, or steroid, hormone produced in the testes and the principal male sex hormone. Among other things, testosterone works to increase the size of the boy's muscles and bones and, later on, to deepen his voice, change the shape of his skeleton (including the bones of his face), and promote the growth of facial and body hair.

As adults, male and female hormones play a big role in health and the development of disease. For example, in women, estradiol levels have been tied to the perception of pain, the development of allergies and asthma, and the initiation and progression of certain cancers. In men, testosterone is related to cardiac and sexual functioning, immunity and response to injury, and the building and maintenance of bone and muscle. It also seems to play a role in prostate health and obesity.