According To An MD, This One Hormone Makes You More Of A Risk-Taker 

What's the most abundant biologically active hormone women make? Hint: It's actually not estrogen. Rather, it's testosterone1: "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 mass2, it's involved in sex drive3, it's involved in vitality, it helps to reduce anxiety4..." she continues. 

"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. 

"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. 

So to keep testosterone levels up to par, experts often recommend ​​a nutrient-dense diet rich in healthy fats, as well as regular exercise, quality sleep, and stress management. It's advice for optimizing your health at large, but considering your hormones are at the root of so many bodily functions, it makes sense these well-being practices would have an effect. Some supplements have been shown to help restore low testosterone levels as well.