[surferjoe2007]

Dear Surferjoe,

I have been taking the items from the nutrition list for 3 days.

I just need to clarify a few things:

1. Should I continue the nutrition program for a couple of months and then start with the herbs or should I start taking the herbs alongside? what is better? ( I am an A cup and my goal is to become at least an E cup)

2. I have access to both Shatavari powder and Shatavari capsules, which form is better?

3. I have fenugreek seeds (I can grind it), and I have access to fenugreek capsules, which form is better? Is fenugreek safer than Shatavari as its a common household item?

4. Is fresh mint as effective as saw palmetto capsules?

5. <meta charset="utf-8">Is red clover better than PM if I have access to it?

6. If I take Shatavari/Fenugreek, mint/saw palmetto, PM, and PC, will my hormones become adversely affected? 

7. Could you please explain what the purpose of the following is:

1. Shatavari/fenugreek
   
2. saw palmetto or mint 
   
3. PM or red clover
   
4. PC
   
5. Massage
   

Thankyou

Btw sometimes I’ll see an email notification and have free time and respond fast, other times I may be a few days but I still see things eventually.

1.  Either way is ok.  If you’re on a budget or want to save effort you might want to wait on the herbs because they may or may not help for the first few months when starting from A cup.  Either way you shouldn’t take PM or PC during the first few months, or you should greatly limit the amount if you do: For example up to 250 mg PM and 1/4 tsp PC.  After you start to get results you can experiment with increasing them, preferably one at a time a little bit at a time.

2.  Both are the same but make sure it’s 50% saponin to be strong enough.  Or 25% saponin and use twice as much, etc.

3.  Likewise the same, look for 50% saponin.  Or you can soak 1-8 tsp whole fenugreek seeds in water for at least a few hours or overnight to soften, and eat them.  Besides that fenugreek can make your sweat smell like maple syrup.  Which might be a neutral or good thing, but some don’t like it.

4.  They work in different ways.  30g fresh mint per day reduces all testosterone and has stronger studies behind it.  Saw palmetto *extract* only reduces DHT and while it probably works or at minimum probably helps with NBE, there’s a little bit of conflicting information on whether or not that’s all from DHT reduction or if there’s a lot of DHT reduction.  DHT is “bad” testosterone which besides inhibiting breast development like all testosterone does, also may increase acne and body hair including facial hair.

5.  It’s much weaker and less effective than PM, but this can be a good thing during the first few months when you need to limit the amount of PM anyway.

6.  Usually balanced hormones, usually a hormonal benefit unless you have problems with libido, possibly be careful and keep the amount low, possibly be careful and keep the amount low.  Though PM is more troublesome than PC and PC sometimes corrects problems if a lack of progesterone was the cause.

7.
1.  All hormones in balance.  Boosts the hormones your body makes and often the effects of other herbs too.
2.  Reduces testosterone which inhibits nbe, though T increases libido too.
3.  Immitates estrogen.
4.  Provides progesterone.  E and P help NBE when both raised and kept in balance.  So you need to be careful with E and P so you become more balanced not less balanced.  When you aren’t growing that is completely blind (unless you take a hormone test), hence why I say to keep them low until you are growing and can experiment.  Plus if you aren’t responding well with growth you might overtax your body with too much even if kept in balance.
5.  Provides a little growth, reduces cancer risk (in general, herbs usually reduce cancer risk too), prevents stretch marks.  Even safer than herbs but takes a lot of work for little gain.  But at least a little bit is probably a good idea for breast health, if not a lot to help more with NBE.

Foods are also very important for herbs, hormones and growth to work properly.  To keep hormones in balance, stay healthy, and to maximize growth (or sometimes to be able to grow at all).