Physiological changes in adolescent boys: the relationship between the Adam's apple, sperm, and the spleen and kidneys.
During puberty, a boy's Adam's apple will become prominent.
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A prominent Adam's apple is one of the male sexual characteristics. Why does a man's Adam's apple become more prominent after puberty? Before explaining this, let's look at the function of the Adam's apple. The human larynx is supported by 11 pieces of cartilage, among which the thyroid cartilage is the most important and largest. The laryngeal cartilage begins to develop in infants at two months of age and continues to grow until about 5-6 years after birth. Therefore, there is no difference in the Adam's apple between boys and girls in early childhood.
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After entering puberty, a woman's Adam's apple does not increase significantly, but a man's Adam's apple enlarges rapidly due to increased testosterone secretion. The thyroid cartilage protrudes forward, widening the larynx and resulting in a deeper, more masculine voice. This explains why, before puberty, there is little difference in male and female voices, but after puberty, many men experience a noticeable voice change. Men produce a deeper voice due to the increased larynx width, while women produce a higher-pitched voice due to the smaller larynx width. This is similar to musical instruments; a larger diameter produces a richer sound, while a smaller diameter produces a higher-pitched sound-the principle is the same.
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After conducting research, experts discovered that some adult men with indistinct Adam's apples included very robust track and field athletes and gymnasts. The vast majority of these men were married, had normal reproductive history, and exhibited no other abnormalities; endocrine tests also showed no abnormalities. It turned out that they had engaged in extensive physical exercise since puberty, and some had a history of frequent masturbation during puberty. Some scholars believe that these factors led to a significant depletion of sex hormones during puberty, preventing the thyroid cartilage from protruding forward, thus making the Adam's apple less noticeable. However, the anteroposterior diameter of the larynx still increased considerably compared to before puberty, so the voice remained male. Another group of men with indistinct Adam's apples had thicker necks, were obese, or had their thyroid cartilage expand outwards rather than protruding forward as typically, making the Adam's apple appear less prominent.
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A man's sperm count may be weak, sometimes due to a problem with his spleen.
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Men in their late thirties (48 and 60) are at their prime reproductive years, yet some still suffer from infertility. Ultimately, male infertility is closely related to sperm quality. Sperm is considered the most yang element in men, the essence of qi and blood. It resembles small, lively tadpoles, and just as tadpoles need a suitable environment to grow healthily, the nutrients in semen are extremely important for male reproductive function. The *Huangdi Neijing* (Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic) mentions the concept of "Tian Gui," which originates from the parents' essence and blood, stored in the kidneys. Reproductive essence is generated from the seminal vesicle under the influence of Tian Gui. When a man's kidney qi is sufficient, Tian Gui is abundant, promoting semen production. Following this line of thought, if a man experiences impotence, premature ejaculation, or oligospermia, it is certainly a manifestation of insufficient kidney qi.
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Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the five internal organs and six bowels are interdependent. Besides insufficient kidney qi, the causes of low sperm count and spermatorrhea in men are also related to the spleen's digestive function. Professor Cheng Xinnong points out that kidney essence relies on the essence of food and water transformed by the spleen for nourishment. This essence nourishes and moisturizes the external genitalia (penis, scrotum, testicles, etc.). When the spleen and stomach function normally, the external genitalia receive sufficient nutrition and develop normally, maintaining normal sexual function. If the spleen and stomach fail to function properly, the external genitalia will not receive enough nutrition, affecting not only development but also male sexual function, leading to low libido, impotence, or infertility. Furthermore, from a meridian perspective, the spleen and stomach are connected to the external genitalia. Therefore, when the spleen and stomach are affected by external pathogens, cold pathogens can also travel downwards along the meridians to the external genitalia, harming male reproductive health.
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As everyone knows, the spleen transforms the essential substances in food into qi and blood, which are fundamental to the production of semen. Therefore, people with spleen deficiency often experience insufficient kidney qi, clinically manifesting as intestinal rumbling, diarrhea, cold limbs, and so on. If a man suffering from oligospermia or azoospermia also exhibits the above symptoms, he is generally considered to have "spleen and kidney yang deficiency."
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People's lives have improved, which is a good thing, but due to the diet being too greasy and cold, many people have developed spleen and stomach problems, and young people are also suffering from "diseases of affluence".
On the one hand, rich, greasy, and spicy foods place a heavy burden on the spleen. The spleen is normally responsible for transforming and processing the essential substances in food to generate qi and blood to nourish kidney essence, but this function weakens when overburdened. On the other hand, food doesn't simply pass through the body undigested. Many substances in food participate in bodily functions, with the spleen and stomach extracting essential nutrients that form part of semen. If the spleen and stomach are weak, and this is combined with excessive consumption of rich and greasy foods, men are prone to various sperm problems.
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Therefore, when treating male diseases, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners, in addition to medication, usually advise patients to pay attention to details such as their diet and sleep. For example, in addition to regularly eating black foods such as black sesame seeds, black rice, black beans, and black fungus, they should also pay attention to a balanced diet for three meals a day and avoid excessive consumption of spicy and fried foods. At 11 PM, the gallbladder meridian is at its peak, guiding the body's Yang energy downward, which is the beginning of the body's rest and repair process. It is advisable to be asleep before 11 PM and avoid staying up late.