Ayurvedic Gender Differences Revisited

Dear Editor:

In an article recently published in this journal, a finite genopsycho-somatotyping model, which combined Ayurvedic genomics, constitutional psychology, and endocrinology, was proposed in males. ¹ In them, the high rate of muscle growth and leadership characteristics are considered to be part of the “andrus” constitution due to the androgen effects. ¹ Since androgen and testes do not represent the female characteristics, we consider that such a model must be adjusted to current findings since women behave differently than the model proposed. ¹

Even though androgens are commonly seen as the “male” hormones and estrogens are considered to be the “female” hormones, they participate in a complex interplay in both sexes. ² Interestingly enough, estrogens are produced from androgens in both sexes. ³ Moreover, testosterone, a well-known hormone involved in male dominance, is considered an unlikely candidate for biologic underpinning of dominance motivation in females. ⁴ Instead of this, a positive association between estradiol and dominance motivation was found in women. ⁵ Furthermore, levels of circulating androgens are positively associated with body mass index. Such correlation has been found only in women with polycystic ovary syndrome or with simple obesity. ⁶ Moreover, high circulating levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate, the sulphate ester of the androgen precursor dehydroepiandrosterone, does correlate with truncal fat in women ⁷ but not in men. ⁸

The aforementioned hormone actions strongly support the concept that gender differences have to be considered from now on in the mesomorphic or andrus (pitta) basic constitution discussed elsewhere. ¹ Also, the constitutional model referred to as “andrus” for males should be referred as “estrus” in females. Likewise, the associated organ to the latter somatotype should be the ovaries, since they constitute the main place of estrogen synthesis in premenopausal nonpregnant women. ³ Therefore, the genopsycho-somatotyping model for humans must consider the effects of hormone-to-hormone differences as well as their interaction, as a key point in male and female alternative and complementary psychophysiology in order to better understand the human mind–body–spirit homeostasis. ^1,9,10