Flaxseeds, & other potential ways of "balancing" hormones :)

[Hoppi]

This thread is designed to be for people who believe that changing hormone levels in the body (other than just DHT/5ar directly) makes a difference, or who simply want to constructively discuss regulation of body hormones If you don't believe this matters or don't have an interest, then please don't post just to insult the subject matter


Ok basically, as part of my overall regimen to take care of my body and hair, I am trying to balance my hormones!

I want to get my cortisol levels down (stress has raised them too high I think).

My insulin levels down (less carbohydrate-filled, sugary or fatty foods)

My SHBG up (here is where flaxseeds come in - are they good for raising SHBG? I would go for green tea but apparently some people say it actually increases DHT?)

My DHT obviously down, and my free testosterone down. And 5-alpha reductase down!

I just wanted to share tips and things really and learn from each other's discoveries!

So far, I'm taking omega 3 to curb my cortisol levels (it said on wikipedia this helps) and trying to reduce my stress, eating lots of good, healthy foods and not overloading on sugar, carbs and fat in order to reduce and balance my insulin. And soon I will start exercising more which I hope will balance out all my hormones a bit better and further curb my insulin! Flaxseeds I will incorporate into my diet if they seem to be able to increase SHBG or whatever but without any negative sides!

Oh, I'm also trying to drink plenty of water, as let's face it that never hurts!

So that's that, let's share wisdom and develop better mastery of our bodies! ^_^

Hoppi!

 

[LewdBear]

The problem is that you, like many others, believe you're going to do these things.. but require zero laboratory evidence of their effectiveness. That means having no comparative reference and having no measure of success or failure, beyond 'feeling' that it worked.

You "think" your cortisol is too high? That sounds scientific.

You want to raise your SHBG? How do you even know what your SHBG concentration is?

Free testosterone? What if it's already in the low normal range? Do you think lowering it further would be a good idea? Would you consider hypogonadism to be a 'balanced' hormonal state?

 

[baller234]

To improve insulin sensitivity, look into the Warrior diet. The Warrior diet, combined with excercise will do wonders for your insulin sensitivity. Another thing that needs to be taken into consideration that isn't addressed in the WD (to my knowledge, this is the only thing that isn't) is dairy. Pastuerized dairy products will cause major insulin spikes because it converts one of the sugars into the beta form (not to mention it kills all the enzymes and puts unecessary stress on the pancreas).

Fasting and excercisng will do everything you want (increase insulin sensitivity and increase SHBG) except decrease 5ar. For this I'd recommend finasteride and beta-sitosterol.

Note: This is not profesional medical advice. Please inform your medical practitioner of any supplements or drugs that you decide to take.

 

[Hoppi]

The problem is that you, like many others, believe you're going to do these things.. but require zero laboratory evidence of their effectiveness. That means having no comparative reference and having no measure of success or failure, beyond 'feeling' that it worked.

You "think" your cortisol is too high? That sounds scientific.

You want to raise your SHBG? How do you even know what your SHBG concentration is?

Free testosterone? What if it's already in the low normal range? Do you think lowering it further would be a good idea? Would you consider hypogonadism to be a 'balanced' hormonal state?

See this is why I put that bit in bold. If anyone makes posts like this, I am not going to answer them, I probably won't even read them, ok?

And this isn't just about me anyway, this is about general hormone regulation.

If you really want to assert your opinion this bad that you come into discussions that you don't even agree with or have interest in just to disagree, may I suggest a position in government.

Hoppi.

To improve insulin sensitivity, look into the Warrior diet. The Warrior diet, combined with excercise will do wonders for your insulin sensitivity. Another thing that needs to be taken into consideration that isn't addressed in the WD (to my knowledge, this is the only thing that isn't) is dairy. Pastuerized dairy products will cause major insulin spikes because it converts one of the sugars into the beta form (not to mention it kills all the enzymes and puts unecessary stress on the pancreas).

Fasting and excercisng will do everything you want (increase insulin sensitivity and increase SHBG) except decrease 5ar. For this I'd recommend finasteride and beta-sitosterol.

Note: This is not profesional medical advice. Please inform your medical practitioner of any supplements or drugs that you decide to take.

Ah ok thank you that's very interesting. I mean of course I will be careful and I would advise anyone to do the same thing. It's just that, when people like me have been indulging in activities such as bad eating habits, lazy lifestyles or feeling too stressed, they are bound by their very nature to cause wobbles in hormonal balances. Me sitting there eating pizza and pasta too much and cereal, often followed by a reasonable amount of chocolate and sweet foods, is going to have hit my insulin no end. But I didn't know at the time, and so now I am trying to balance out my diet

It really just feels like common sense, and yes there is an element of self-diagnosis but usually more of this is to do with correcting problems and achieving a better overall balance than introducing anything particularly new

 

[47thin]

Look, you can be exceptionally healthy and still have hairloss. You can eat like crap and have a great head of hair. For the 800th time, look at all the health nut doctors, pro and amateur athletes, movie stars, etc, who have personal chefs feeding them the "zone" or "warrior" diet, and see that they have receding hairlines. Look at some of those people that live to be 80 or 90 years old, and have been bald since they were 30! Oh, they didn't live to be 110, so they must be eating wrong, right?

How the hell can you "balance" your hormones with eating supplements or "whole" foods, etc? To know if it works would be a lot of blood and urine tests, etc. And if it did work, you'd want rigorous testing to make sure it does. Now, if, we accidentally find a cure, great! Remember one thing, though. If it wasn't for Rogaine and finasteride, we wouldn't even have this forum. Why, because before that, there wasn't anything that worked. Now that something works halfway, all the snake oil salesmen come out of the woodwork.

 

[LewdBear]

Why is suggesting the need for objective laboratory evidence such an offensive idea?

Whether it's "general hormone regulation" or not, no one can just wake up one morning and go "oh wow, my free test feels lower today!" It makes no sense.

 

[s.a.f]

This thread is designed to be for people who believe that changing hormone levels in the body (other than just DHT/5ar directly) makes a difference, or who simply want to constructively discuss regulation of body hormones If you don't believe this matters or don't have an interest, then please don't post just to insult the subject matter

As others have said theres no point in continuing to post this stuff without any evidence to back it up.
If I started a thread on some random theory that I'd dreamed up I'd also expect to be slated for it.

Hoppi you do realise that theres a separate section on here for experimental treatments and vitamins?

 

[47thin]

Here's a nice example- died in the wool health nut, Professor Clarence Bass, massive hairloss at 40. Check him out at 70! And his hair did not grow back!

http://cbass.com/IMAGES/bb-c-40s.gif

 

[Hoppi]

I think if there's one thing all this implies about hair loss it's that there's too much testosterone flying around ._.

But we knew that already!

 

[JLL]

But there is evidence that flax seeds may grow hair.

Do Flax Lignans Reduce Hair Loss from male pattern baldness?

The Bioavailability of Flax Lignans from Flax Seeds and Supplements

It's just not clear what the exact mechanism is; it might not be a reduction in 5-alpha-reductase. And yes, I would like to see the results replicated.

 

[Hoppi]

But there is evidence that flax seeds may grow hair.

Do Flax Lignans Reduce Hair Loss from male pattern baldness?

The Bioavailability of Flax Lignans from Flax Seeds and Supplements

It's just not clear what the exact mechanism is; it might not be a reduction in 5-alpha-reductase. And yes, I would like to see the results replicated.

Well that's good enough for me (coupled with what misterE said and what I've read already online!)! I think I'm going to incorporate flax seeds into my regimen along with beta-sitosterol and Finasteride. Woot!

 

[OverMachoGrande]

You "think" your cortisol is too high? That sounds scientific.

LewdBear, concerning cortisol, this compound is released under heavy stress, and long term consistency. If Hoppi believes stress is in any way a factor, then it would be fair to assume he has raised cortisol for one reason or another. In fact, cortisol in high levels is very deadly, so anyone who trys to maintain it at a lower level is making a sound health decision, furthermore, stress has been shown to be the precursor to 99% of all illness. This means anyone suffering from stress has opened a 'gateway' to disease in the body.

I know I was under heavy stress when I initially lost my hair.

 

[Hoppi]

You "think" your cortisol is too high? That sounds scientific.

LewdBear, concerning cortisol, this compound is released under heavy stress, and long term consistency. If Hoppi believes stress is in any way a factor, then it would be fair to assume he has raised cortisol for one reason or another. In fact, cortisol in high levels is very deadly, so anyone who trys to maintain it at a lower level is making a sound health decision, furthermore, stress has been shown to be the precursor to 99% of all illness. This means anyone suffering from stress has opened a 'gateway' to disease in the body.

I know I was under heavy stress when I initially lost my hair.

well, I would struggle to believe it's quite THAT bleak particularly at 24! lol

One of the reasons I am taking Omega 3 is it's apparently good for curbing high cortisol, so I thought it couldn't hurt, plus it does other things too!

I think also of course it depends on the level of stress. Like, it's not just someone is stressed or not, people have it to varying degrees, and many people who feel stressed often still live very long and happy lives, so I very much doubt it's quite that extent of a deathtrap! lol

My doctor also said it's not really that bad (as did some other doctors and nurses that it's come up with in the past), but I think it's still got something of a sting, so I need to try to incorporate ways of reducing my anxiety into pretty much any healthcare regimen I devise.

I need to work out how to change my life and lifestyle so I can achieve a better balance within myself, mentally and physically

 

[baller234]

I think stress can defintely accelerate androgen mediated hair loss and lowering cortisol and ridding yourself of anxiety is a smart move regardless of Androgenetic Alopecia.

Supplements that have greatly diminished my anxiety:

Omega 3s +5 grams ED from fish oil and flaxseed (most important of the 3)
B-Vitamin complex
Taurine 500 mg

 

[Hoppi]

I think stress can defintely accelerate androgen mediated hair loss and lowering cortisol and ridding yourself of anxiety is a smart move regardless of Androgenetic Alopecia.

Supplements that have greatly diminished my anxiety:

Omega 3s +5 grams ED from fish oil and flaxseed (most important of the 3)
B-Vitamin complex
Taurine 500 mg

that's interesting thank you

Omega 3 and flax seed I already have, and the B-vitamins

So, what is good about taurine? Is it definitely safe do you think? You always hear little bits and pieces about it, it's hard to know what to believe really.

I'm definitely covering 3 out of 4 anyway! hehe

oh, something else - are omega 6 and 9 good? I have heard mixed things about their effects on hair, but it SEEMS good... I think I'll add them to my regimen when I run out of Omega 3 tablets as of course you can get tablets with all 3 anyway

hell apparently they even inhibit DHT! lol

 

[LewdBear]

LewdBear, concerning cortisol, this compound is released under heavy stress, and long term consistency.

Define "heavy stress".

Do we mean.. losing your keys? Starving? Getting dumped by your girlfriend? Getting obscene phone calls?

Occasionally studies use the vague term "psychosocial stress." But this is measured by medically accepted depression/anxiety inventories. A lot of studies deal with a specific event anyways.

If Hoppi believes stress is in any way a factor, then it would be fair to assume he has raised cortisol for one reason or another.

Raised it to what degree? How do we know? The fact that he may be under subjective stress does not mean his cortisol is medically abnormal.

In fact, cortisol in high levels is very deadly, so anyone who trys to maintain it at a lower level is making a sound health decision,

It's deadly? Maybe if you really have high cortisol from untreated Cushing's syndrome or some form of tumor.

furthermore, stress has been shown to be the precursor to 99% of all illness.

Virtually everyone experiences stress.

You could just as easily say stress is a precursor to sitting, having lunch, watching tv or bathing 99% of the time.

 

[Hoppi]

LewdBear - why do you seem to feel this need to disparage (old word I know but I love it!) everything I say? I am not trying to forcefully reduce my cortisol, merely incorporate things into my regimen which are known to balance it, such as good diet and lifestyle, less stress, lots of vitamins and nutrients, and omega 3. I don't know for sure that it is high, but I have my reasons for suspecting it.

This thread isn't really about forcefully playing with hormones anyway, it's more about achieving hormonal "balance".

Some hormones such as DHT (and later estrogen) it is useful to lower more drastically in order to help control and stop male pattern baldness, but other than that I feel that balance is the best remedy

 

[s.a.f]

LewdBear, concerning cortisol, this compound is released under heavy stress, and long term consistency.

Define "heavy stress".

Do we mean.. losing your keys? Starving? Getting dumped by your girlfriend? Getting obscene phone calls?

Occasionally studies use the vague term "psychosocial stress." But this is measured by medically accepted depression/anxiety inventories. A lot of studies deal with a specific event anyways.

[quote="Lord_Justin13":38fcdg29]
If Hoppi believes stress is in any way a factor, then it would be fair to assume he has raised cortisol for one reason or another.

Raised it to what degree? How do we know? The fact that he may be under subjective stress does not mean his cortisol is medically abnormal.

In fact, cortisol in high levels is very deadly, so anyone who trys to maintain it at a lower level is making a sound health decision,

It's deadly? Maybe if you really have high cortisol from untreated Cushing's syndrome or some form of tumor.

furthermore, stress has been shown to be the precursor to 99% of all illness.

Virtually everyone experiences stress.

You could just as easily say stress is a precursor to sitting, having lunch, watching tv or bathing 99% of the time.[/quote:38fcdg29]

I agree stress? As in studying for an exam a job interview, or wondering whether you will eat today/tommorrow or fighting a war as many people do (any many did in the past) whilst still maintaining their NW1's?

 

[s.a.f]

LewdBear - why do you seem to feel this need to disparage (old word I know but I love it!) everything I say? I am not trying to forcefully reduce my cortisol, merely incorporate things into my regimen which are known to balance it, such as good diet and lifestyle, less stress, lots of vitamins and nutrients, and omega 3. I don't know for sure that it is high, but I have my reasons for suspecting it.

Because your talking rubbish, this is just a theory of yours with no evidence behind it, how do you know you are 'balancing' your hormones for all you know they could be balanced already (whatever balancing is) and you have no idea what effects altering them could have you're just guessing.

 

[Nene]

LewdBear, concerning cortisol, this compound is released under heavy stress, and long term consistency.

Define "heavy stress".

Do we mean.. losing your keys? Starving? Getting dumped by your girlfriend? Getting obscene phone calls?

Occasionally studies use the vague term "psychosocial stress." But this is measured by medically accepted depression/anxiety inventories. A lot of studies deal with a specific event anyways.

[quote="Lord_Justin13":jmi0rkf9]
If Hoppi believes stress is in any way a factor, then it would be fair to assume he has raised cortisol for one reason or another.

Raised it to what degree? How do we know? The fact that he may be under subjective stress does not mean his cortisol is medically abnormal.

In fact, cortisol in high levels is very deadly, so anyone who trys to maintain it at a lower level is making a sound health decision,

It's deadly? Maybe if you really have high cortisol from untreated Cushing's syndrome or some form of tumor.

furthermore, stress has been shown to be the precursor to 99% of all illness.

Virtually everyone experiences stress.

You could just as easily say stress is a precursor to sitting, having lunch, watching tv or bathing 99% of the time.[/quote:jmi0rkf9]

Lewdbear, you in med school dude? You know your sh*t.