12-02-2016, 02:31 AM
Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007 at 1:29 AM
Teresina (Login Teresina)
Did anyone find that they needed to increase their testosterone? If so, how did you go about doing this? I think mine is extremely low, awaiting tests results to confirm if this is the case.
Thanks very much.
boobies06
(Login boobies06)
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 2:36 AM
Are you sure you don't mean another hormone? Because considering the fact that testosterone is NBE's number one enemy, I'm dead positive that the last thing anyone would want to do is increase it.
Teresina
(Login Teresina)
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 2:39 AM
Yup, I'm sure. It's a long story but I believe taking saw palmetto has really messed me up and caused me to lose breast tissue.
Katrina
(Login mountainkat)
SENIOR MEMBER
Teresina...
February 5 2007, 2:57 AM
While saw palmetto does decrease testosterone significantly, people may not be aware that it may also decrease testosterone. Normally 80% of women's testosterone is converted into estrogen, so when you lower testosterone it only makes sense that you will also decrease testosterone, since most of it was not able to be converted into estrogen due to the inhibition of it being secreted into the bloodstream, does it not? Also, from what I have read, saw palmetto blocks estrogen receptors and does not act as an estrogen or any hormone. It just blocks the receptors which may not allow estrogen to enter into them to grow breasts. I am starting to think SP might be the reason I have not had results on my last two programs, because maybe it is preventing the phyto-estrogens from entering my breast tissue. I think it is best to lower your testosteron levels naturally, by cutting out sugars and simple carbs completely. That is what I am trying to do now.
Correct me if anyone believes I am wrong on this issue because this is just my theory.
Katrina
(Login mountainkat)
SENIOR MEMBER
oops.
February 5 2007, 2:58 AM
for the second part I meant that it can also decrease estrogen, not testosterone.
Katrina
(Login mountainkat)
SENIOR MEMBER
oops..!
February 5 2007, 3:00 AM
and I also meant that since it lowers testosterone, it only makes since that it will lower estrogen too. I need to check my typing because I am very tired tonight.
boobies06
(Login boobies06)
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 3:15 AM
I'm pretty much 100% positive that the worst thing to do on an NBE journey is to increase testosterone. Estrogen and progesterone are the biggest hormones in NBE, and the polar opposite of estrogen is testosterone. In fact, there are several men on these boards whose main issue is their high testosterone level. For men, their level is normal, however for NBE? Unbelievably high.
If you wanna wing it by convincing yourself that you'll have more estrogen by getting more testosterone to convert itself to estrogen, it's your choice. However, this also logically means that you have higher levels of the one hormone we should all avoid like the plague.
boobies06
(Login boobies06)
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 3:26 AM
IMHO, if you have low testosterone, you should be very happy.
violet
(Login _violet_)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 3:28 AM
Is SP a testosterone blocker? As far as I know SP works as a 5alpha-reductase inhibitor, therefore it's a DHT blocker, a potent and dangerous androgen.
taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dihydrotestosterone
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) (Full name: 5α-Dihydrotestosterone, abbreviating to 5α-DHT; INN: androstanolone) is a biologically active metabolite of the hormone testosterone, formed primarily in the prostate gland, testes, hair follicles, and adrenal glands by the enzyme 5α-reductase by means of reducing the 4,5 double-bond. Dihydrotestosterone belongs to the class of compounds called androgens, also commonly called androgenic hormones or testoids. DHT is thought to be approximately 30 times more potent[citation needed] than testosterone because of increased affinity for the androgen receptor.
Alternative treatments used to inhibit DHT include dietary supplementation with, or topically administered preparations of, saw palmetto berry extractives. Unlike most known 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, saw palmetto induces its effects without interfering with the cellular capacity to secrete PSA. [1] Saw palmetto extract has been demonstrated to inhibit both isoforms of 5-alpha-reductase unlike finesteride which only inhibits the (predominant) type 2 isoenzyme of 5-alpha-reductase.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saw_palmetto
Other research has shown that the herb works by multiple mechanisms, including inhibiting 5-alpha-reductase, interfering with dihydrotestosterone binding to the androgen receptor, by relaxing smooth muscle tissue similarly to alpha antagonist drugs, and possibly by acting as a phytoestrogen. [7] [8]
Lillea
(Login Lillea)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 3:44 AM
My understanding is that, as the above post suggests, SP prevents testosterone from converting into DHT, so more can convert to estrogen instead. Women who have excess (and often rather coarse) body hair and (often) acne are usually converting more testosterone to DHT (DHT is responsible for body hair, oily secretions in skin, thinning head hair) than is optimal. DHT isn't evil at all. Men with lowered DHT won't build muscle as well and they can have softer erections and sometimes shrinkage of their penis if their body is deprived.
Lillea
Teresina
(Login Teresina)
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 3:47 AM
"If you wanna wing it by convincing yourself that you'll have more estrogen by getting more testosterone to convert itself to estrogen, it's your choice. "
This wasn't my thinking.
Teresina
(Login Teresina)
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 3:47 AM
Thanks, everyone. I think I have the wrong board.
boobies06
(Login boobies06)
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 4:00 AM
"DHT isn't evil at all. Men with lowered DHT won't build muscle as well and they can have softer erections and sometimes shrinkage of their penis if their body is deprived."
Well, for most men it's great. But for men who want to develop breasts, it is evil.
Lillea
(Login Lillea)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 4:01 AM
We do need testosterone because it's converted to estrogen. That is the way that hormones form - they aren't produced by themselves, they are the result of conversion of one substance into another.
If a woman has levels of testosterone that are lower than normal, it's a problem for sure.
Lillea
boobies06
(Login boobies06)
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 4:05 AM
But the point is, most estrogen doesn't come from testosterone, only some. If you increase your level of testosterone, sure, 80% of it might be converted into estrogen, but that other 20% is going to be a lot larger than it was before when you had a lower level, which is going to basically mess up your routine even greater.
I'm not making this up to sound snooty, I just talked to a doctor about my hormone levels today and asked a million questions.
Lillea
(Login Lillea)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 4:16 AM
I think that lower than normal levels of testosterone will be a problem for BE, but the other problem is if something else is getting in the way of the conversion, so yes, more testosterone could be bad if it doesn't convert to estrogen and the problem is in the conversion somewhere in the line of hormone creation. A problem that led to having low levels of testosterone in the first place.
Maybe SP is quite bad for some women for BE depending on what their body is doing. I wish that scientists would really study this. We really need comprehensive hormone testing done, too. Teresina is doing the best she can with testing (she posted about that recently).
Teresina, there must be a solution!
I hope that quitting SP will help you!
Lillea
Teresina
(Login Teresina)
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 4:59 AM
Thanks so much, Lillea. I hope so, too, and wrote back to you via e-mail, BTW.
I guess I should have been more specific in my original post but was rushed and no longer wish to go into the story. For a number of reasons, I believe mine is now extremely low and causing issues with my breasts. As I said, will know for sure where I stand when the test that Lillea mentioned is in. I think SP has done me harm, though I'm not saying others should avoid it. I know that many probably need it and are in a different place physically than I.
I recalled some posts on a board such as this about women increasing their testosterone, just didn't remember which board or how many had been helped by it, and was hoping someone that had to go that route would be online. I've now located some of the posts about upping testosterone on the BEBoard, written by Fawn. If anyone needs more info and does a search for "homeopathic testosterone", there are several that show up. I'd rather not use any homeopathics, which is why I asked here if there was another method.
I'm a bit taken aback by some of the replies and don't wish to discuss this further.
Fennel Fairy
(Login fennelfairy)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 6:29 AM
I hope you get your hormonal problems sorted out as soon as possible Teresina. Please don't take the argumentative part of this thread as a personal criticism of you. We all need to see that there are several sides to things and what works for one person may not necessarily work for another.
Best of luck to you Teresina.
Anonymous
(Login Teresina)
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 7:25 AM
Thanks, Fennel Fairy. I appreciate your help, here and through e-mail. Everything you told me was really interesting.
You're right, everyone is different and forums like this are most helpful becuse of the varying experiences. I certainly welcome opinions and information and agree with much of what's been posted. My estrogen levels have always been very high and I have no signs that I know of connected to high DHT, such as the ones mentioned by Lillea above. It's a complex issue, no doubt!
Katrina, yup, I understood what you were trying to say and that's something to think about. I am researching it more and more everyday and starting to look for patterns.
Thanks,
Kate
faerycat
(Login faerycat)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 8:20 AM
Not wishing to put the cat amongst the pigeons, but you may want to read this -
http://www.olah.co.uk/pcos.htm
Take care
Love
=^_^= x
faerycat
(Login faerycat)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 8:41 AM
http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic3489.htm
Moon
(Login -Moon-)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 9:28 AM
I'm not certain that if less testosterone converts to DHT, more will convert to estrogen, because that depends on the activity of the enzyme which does it - aromatase. It's hard to get the right answers with theory, because much is unknown, so here is where practice give some good insight. Many women reported that SP prevented them from growing and even that then they added nettle which made they grow fast (and nettle is supposed to do the same as SP). We don't know why, but I think it can pay off to try a routine without SP or with nettle instead for a while.
Moon
(Login -Moon-)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 9:35 AM
PS - Estrogens are synthetised from the common precursor of testosterone and estradiol or through testosterone, both catalyzed by aromatase. Therefore SP, which blocks conversion of testosterone to DHT, cannot reduce estrogen production.
Lillea
(Login Lillea)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 9:40 AM
That's interesting about nettle. Although I don't have high testosterone, I am hairy and have acne, so there's a conversion problem. Can anyone suggest a high quality nettle product? A non-alcholic tincture would be best for me.
Lillea
jessica
(no login)
still confussed
February 5 2007, 9:30 PM
wow lots of great info here.
I have had lots of test done and have found out I have slightly low estrogen level (normal low is what my dr called it)
and a pretty HIGH testosterone level. ( i was told to take Birth control but it made me feel very sick after about 6 months and i had to go to the E.R. I had very high blood pressure from B.C and had to stop taking it)
I am so confussed still about the SP...
I wonder if i should start a NBE program that does not include SP first? or would taking something WITH SP FIRST to see if i get any resluts be a good idea...i really dont know.
Teresina
(Login Teresina)
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 10:50 PM
Hi, Jessica
From what I understand, if you have androgen-related issues, SP will help. It is recommended on many holistic sites as a treatment for those suffering from PCOS, Hirsutism, etc -- I saw your other post about PCOS. I believe I've always had high estrogen and low testosterone and am not concerned about androgens, so SP has not proven helpful for me, but that doesn't mean others shouldn't use it or can't benefit. Many have used it in successful routines.
Try these link, it may give you a clearer picture.
http://www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com/saw-palmetto.html
Hope this helps!
Kate T.
Wahaika
(Login Wahaika)
SENIOR MEMBER
Increasing testosterone?
February 6 2007, 2:57 PM
I wrote some of this in another thread but thought that this might be useful here also:
Make existing testosterone more eficient by disallowing it to go elsewhere. (I don't see the other post where someone wanted to know how to raise testosterone, but that might also be a good thread to read):
Use Saw Palmetto to block the conversion of testosterone to DHT. Use Avena Sativa (wild oats) and Stinging Nettle Root extract for the purpose of binding to Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG), thus keeping more testosterone free to be converted to estrogen.
Avoid too much zinc. It is an aromatase inhibitor in high doses. 15 mg per day for women is needed, but more than 30 mg a day would likely get in the way.
Avoid too much Flax Seed Oil. The lignands are aromatase inhibitors.
Get some regular resistence exercise, like working with weights. But not so much that you lose weight. You want to increase your lean muscle mass. This will trigger testosterone.
If you start getting more hairy and/or get acne. It worked. But to get the testosterone to convert to estrogen is not known, other than the possibility of helping the production of aromatase. Anything with GLA in it like Borage oil or Evening Primrose oil should help with that. You can also back off on some of the above.
Any exact combination of the above specific to your system will only be accomplished through trial and error - once you know what works for you and what doesn't. You will need about 3 months to establish this.
lassysam
(Login lassysam)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 6 2007, 4:41 PM
Thanks Wahaika, this was really informative and helpful. I did not know too much zinc could hinder you. MY zinc supplements are 50 mg! Yikes! Do you know if I could take Saw Palmetto with Pueriria Mirifica?
faerycat
(Login faerycat)
SENIOR MEMBER
To lassysam
February 6 2007, 5:26 PM
15mg is the best dosage of zinc to take with NBE.
..........and no, it is not recommended to take any other herbs with Pueriria Mirifica.
x
February 5 2007 at 1:29 AM
Teresina (Login Teresina)
Did anyone find that they needed to increase their testosterone? If so, how did you go about doing this? I think mine is extremely low, awaiting tests results to confirm if this is the case.
Thanks very much.
boobies06
(Login boobies06)
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 2:36 AM
Are you sure you don't mean another hormone? Because considering the fact that testosterone is NBE's number one enemy, I'm dead positive that the last thing anyone would want to do is increase it.
Teresina
(Login Teresina)
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 2:39 AM
Yup, I'm sure. It's a long story but I believe taking saw palmetto has really messed me up and caused me to lose breast tissue.
Katrina
(Login mountainkat)
SENIOR MEMBER
Teresina...
February 5 2007, 2:57 AM
While saw palmetto does decrease testosterone significantly, people may not be aware that it may also decrease testosterone. Normally 80% of women's testosterone is converted into estrogen, so when you lower testosterone it only makes sense that you will also decrease testosterone, since most of it was not able to be converted into estrogen due to the inhibition of it being secreted into the bloodstream, does it not? Also, from what I have read, saw palmetto blocks estrogen receptors and does not act as an estrogen or any hormone. It just blocks the receptors which may not allow estrogen to enter into them to grow breasts. I am starting to think SP might be the reason I have not had results on my last two programs, because maybe it is preventing the phyto-estrogens from entering my breast tissue. I think it is best to lower your testosteron levels naturally, by cutting out sugars and simple carbs completely. That is what I am trying to do now.
Correct me if anyone believes I am wrong on this issue because this is just my theory.
Katrina
(Login mountainkat)
SENIOR MEMBER
oops.
February 5 2007, 2:58 AM
for the second part I meant that it can also decrease estrogen, not testosterone.
Katrina
(Login mountainkat)
SENIOR MEMBER
oops..!
February 5 2007, 3:00 AM
and I also meant that since it lowers testosterone, it only makes since that it will lower estrogen too. I need to check my typing because I am very tired tonight.
boobies06
(Login boobies06)
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 3:15 AM
I'm pretty much 100% positive that the worst thing to do on an NBE journey is to increase testosterone. Estrogen and progesterone are the biggest hormones in NBE, and the polar opposite of estrogen is testosterone. In fact, there are several men on these boards whose main issue is their high testosterone level. For men, their level is normal, however for NBE? Unbelievably high.
If you wanna wing it by convincing yourself that you'll have more estrogen by getting more testosterone to convert itself to estrogen, it's your choice. However, this also logically means that you have higher levels of the one hormone we should all avoid like the plague.
boobies06
(Login boobies06)
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 3:26 AM
IMHO, if you have low testosterone, you should be very happy.
violet
(Login _violet_)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 3:28 AM
Is SP a testosterone blocker? As far as I know SP works as a 5alpha-reductase inhibitor, therefore it's a DHT blocker, a potent and dangerous androgen.
taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dihydrotestosterone
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) (Full name: 5α-Dihydrotestosterone, abbreviating to 5α-DHT; INN: androstanolone) is a biologically active metabolite of the hormone testosterone, formed primarily in the prostate gland, testes, hair follicles, and adrenal glands by the enzyme 5α-reductase by means of reducing the 4,5 double-bond. Dihydrotestosterone belongs to the class of compounds called androgens, also commonly called androgenic hormones or testoids. DHT is thought to be approximately 30 times more potent[citation needed] than testosterone because of increased affinity for the androgen receptor.
Alternative treatments used to inhibit DHT include dietary supplementation with, or topically administered preparations of, saw palmetto berry extractives. Unlike most known 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, saw palmetto induces its effects without interfering with the cellular capacity to secrete PSA. [1] Saw palmetto extract has been demonstrated to inhibit both isoforms of 5-alpha-reductase unlike finesteride which only inhibits the (predominant) type 2 isoenzyme of 5-alpha-reductase.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saw_palmetto
Other research has shown that the herb works by multiple mechanisms, including inhibiting 5-alpha-reductase, interfering with dihydrotestosterone binding to the androgen receptor, by relaxing smooth muscle tissue similarly to alpha antagonist drugs, and possibly by acting as a phytoestrogen. [7] [8]
Lillea
(Login Lillea)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 3:44 AM
My understanding is that, as the above post suggests, SP prevents testosterone from converting into DHT, so more can convert to estrogen instead. Women who have excess (and often rather coarse) body hair and (often) acne are usually converting more testosterone to DHT (DHT is responsible for body hair, oily secretions in skin, thinning head hair) than is optimal. DHT isn't evil at all. Men with lowered DHT won't build muscle as well and they can have softer erections and sometimes shrinkage of their penis if their body is deprived.
Lillea
Teresina
(Login Teresina)
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 3:47 AM
"If you wanna wing it by convincing yourself that you'll have more estrogen by getting more testosterone to convert itself to estrogen, it's your choice. "
This wasn't my thinking.
Teresina
(Login Teresina)
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 3:47 AM
Thanks, everyone. I think I have the wrong board.
boobies06
(Login boobies06)
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 4:00 AM
"DHT isn't evil at all. Men with lowered DHT won't build muscle as well and they can have softer erections and sometimes shrinkage of their penis if their body is deprived."
Well, for most men it's great. But for men who want to develop breasts, it is evil.
Lillea
(Login Lillea)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 4:01 AM
We do need testosterone because it's converted to estrogen. That is the way that hormones form - they aren't produced by themselves, they are the result of conversion of one substance into another.
If a woman has levels of testosterone that are lower than normal, it's a problem for sure.
Lillea
boobies06
(Login boobies06)
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 4:05 AM
But the point is, most estrogen doesn't come from testosterone, only some. If you increase your level of testosterone, sure, 80% of it might be converted into estrogen, but that other 20% is going to be a lot larger than it was before when you had a lower level, which is going to basically mess up your routine even greater.
I'm not making this up to sound snooty, I just talked to a doctor about my hormone levels today and asked a million questions.
Lillea
(Login Lillea)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 4:16 AM
I think that lower than normal levels of testosterone will be a problem for BE, but the other problem is if something else is getting in the way of the conversion, so yes, more testosterone could be bad if it doesn't convert to estrogen and the problem is in the conversion somewhere in the line of hormone creation. A problem that led to having low levels of testosterone in the first place.
Maybe SP is quite bad for some women for BE depending on what their body is doing. I wish that scientists would really study this. We really need comprehensive hormone testing done, too. Teresina is doing the best she can with testing (she posted about that recently).
Teresina, there must be a solution!
I hope that quitting SP will help you! Lillea
Teresina
(Login Teresina)
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 4:59 AM
Thanks so much, Lillea. I hope so, too, and wrote back to you via e-mail, BTW.
I guess I should have been more specific in my original post but was rushed and no longer wish to go into the story. For a number of reasons, I believe mine is now extremely low and causing issues with my breasts. As I said, will know for sure where I stand when the test that Lillea mentioned is in. I think SP has done me harm, though I'm not saying others should avoid it. I know that many probably need it and are in a different place physically than I.
I recalled some posts on a board such as this about women increasing their testosterone, just didn't remember which board or how many had been helped by it, and was hoping someone that had to go that route would be online. I've now located some of the posts about upping testosterone on the BEBoard, written by Fawn. If anyone needs more info and does a search for "homeopathic testosterone", there are several that show up. I'd rather not use any homeopathics, which is why I asked here if there was another method.
I'm a bit taken aback by some of the replies and don't wish to discuss this further.
Fennel Fairy
(Login fennelfairy)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 6:29 AM
I hope you get your hormonal problems sorted out as soon as possible Teresina. Please don't take the argumentative part of this thread as a personal criticism of you. We all need to see that there are several sides to things and what works for one person may not necessarily work for another.
Best of luck to you Teresina.
Anonymous
(Login Teresina)
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 7:25 AM
Thanks, Fennel Fairy. I appreciate your help, here and through e-mail. Everything you told me was really interesting.
You're right, everyone is different and forums like this are most helpful becuse of the varying experiences. I certainly welcome opinions and information and agree with much of what's been posted. My estrogen levels have always been very high and I have no signs that I know of connected to high DHT, such as the ones mentioned by Lillea above. It's a complex issue, no doubt!
Katrina, yup, I understood what you were trying to say and that's something to think about. I am researching it more and more everyday and starting to look for patterns.
Thanks,
Kate
faerycat
(Login faerycat)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 8:20 AM
Not wishing to put the cat amongst the pigeons, but you may want to read this -
http://www.olah.co.uk/pcos.htm
Take care
Love
=^_^= x
faerycat
(Login faerycat)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 8:41 AM
http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic3489.htm
Moon
(Login -Moon-)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 9:28 AM
I'm not certain that if less testosterone converts to DHT, more will convert to estrogen, because that depends on the activity of the enzyme which does it - aromatase. It's hard to get the right answers with theory, because much is unknown, so here is where practice give some good insight. Many women reported that SP prevented them from growing and even that then they added nettle which made they grow fast (and nettle is supposed to do the same as SP). We don't know why, but I think it can pay off to try a routine without SP or with nettle instead for a while.
Moon
(Login -Moon-)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 9:35 AM
PS - Estrogens are synthetised from the common precursor of testosterone and estradiol or through testosterone, both catalyzed by aromatase. Therefore SP, which blocks conversion of testosterone to DHT, cannot reduce estrogen production.
Lillea
(Login Lillea)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 9:40 AM
That's interesting about nettle. Although I don't have high testosterone, I am hairy and have acne, so there's a conversion problem. Can anyone suggest a high quality nettle product? A non-alcholic tincture would be best for me.
Lillea
jessica
(no login)
still confussed
February 5 2007, 9:30 PM
wow lots of great info here.
I have had lots of test done and have found out I have slightly low estrogen level (normal low is what my dr called it)
and a pretty HIGH testosterone level. ( i was told to take Birth control but it made me feel very sick after about 6 months and i had to go to the E.R. I had very high blood pressure from B.C and had to stop taking it)
I am so confussed still about the SP...
I wonder if i should start a NBE program that does not include SP first? or would taking something WITH SP FIRST to see if i get any resluts be a good idea...i really dont know.
Teresina
(Login Teresina)
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 5 2007, 10:50 PM
Hi, Jessica
From what I understand, if you have androgen-related issues, SP will help. It is recommended on many holistic sites as a treatment for those suffering from PCOS, Hirsutism, etc -- I saw your other post about PCOS. I believe I've always had high estrogen and low testosterone and am not concerned about androgens, so SP has not proven helpful for me, but that doesn't mean others shouldn't use it or can't benefit.
Many have used it in successful routines.Try these link, it may give you a clearer picture.
http://www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com/saw-palmetto.html
Hope this helps!
Kate T.
Wahaika
(Login Wahaika)
SENIOR MEMBER
Increasing testosterone?
February 6 2007, 2:57 PM
I wrote some of this in another thread but thought that this might be useful here also:
Make existing testosterone more eficient by disallowing it to go elsewhere. (I don't see the other post where someone wanted to know how to raise testosterone, but that might also be a good thread to read):
Use Saw Palmetto to block the conversion of testosterone to DHT. Use Avena Sativa (wild oats) and Stinging Nettle Root extract for the purpose of binding to Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG), thus keeping more testosterone free to be converted to estrogen.
Avoid too much zinc. It is an aromatase inhibitor in high doses. 15 mg per day for women is needed, but more than 30 mg a day would likely get in the way.
Avoid too much Flax Seed Oil. The lignands are aromatase inhibitors.
Get some regular resistence exercise, like working with weights. But not so much that you lose weight. You want to increase your lean muscle mass. This will trigger testosterone.
If you start getting more hairy and/or get acne. It worked. But to get the testosterone to convert to estrogen is not known, other than the possibility of helping the production of aromatase. Anything with GLA in it like Borage oil or Evening Primrose oil should help with that. You can also back off on some of the above.
Any exact combination of the above specific to your system will only be accomplished through trial and error - once you know what works for you and what doesn't. You will need about 3 months to establish this.
lassysam
(Login lassysam)
SENIOR MEMBER
Re: Increasing testosterone?
February 6 2007, 4:41 PM
Thanks Wahaika, this was really informative and helpful. I did not know too much zinc could hinder you. MY zinc supplements are 50 mg! Yikes! Do you know if I could take Saw Palmetto with Pueriria Mirifica?
faerycat
(Login faerycat)
SENIOR MEMBER
To lassysam
February 6 2007, 5:26 PM
15mg is the best dosage of zinc to take with NBE.
..........and no, it is not recommended to take any other herbs with Pueriria Mirifica.
x