Recommended Supplements in conjuction with TRT

[JOWS6]

I once read a great analogy regarding the decline in testosterone. It described the production and regulation of hormones in a child or young adult as a well-coordinated symphony playing in unison. As we get older, an off-beat note plays here, an off-tune note sounds there and before we know it, we have a full-on disastrous song playing which is a reference to hormonal declines. If that happens as we get older to our testosterone levels, are we to believe that everything else is unaffected? No, I would be gullible to believe that I have an adequate level of Vitamn D (which most of the US population is deficient in) or other various vitamins and minerals.

The below supplements are recommended for those who were diagnosed with hypogonadism or simply for those who are not clinically hypogonadal but subjected to the hormonal decline to due aging. It is not meant to to treat hypongonadism by itself but assists in testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) by making the most of the therapy. As Chip said, don't expect to inject testosterone and become Arnold Schwarzenegger or a professional body-builder. testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) sets the foundation for you to build upon.

Taken from the book entitled, "The Testosterone Syndrome: The Critical Factor for Energy, Health, & Sexuality - Reversing the Male Menopause" by Eugene Shippen & William Fryer.

Vitamin C: Readers will be glad to learn that this most famous of the vitamins enhances the pituitary gland's responsiveness to changes in hormone levels. In cases where midlife changes in testosterone levels are caused by pituitary sluggishness, this increased activity can raise testosterone levels. And, with the efficiency that the body so often shows when everything is humming along nicely, high testoterone levels have themselves been found to raise vitamin C levels by a mechanism of action which is not understood. Good health reinforces itself.

Conversely, low levels of vitamin C have been found to increase levels of aromatase, the principle agent for converting testosterone to estrogen. Clearly, you should keep your vitamin C levels up.

It has also been known for many ears that vitamin C is essential for the formation of the basic steroid hormones of the adrenal glands and of the gonads in both sexes. What is equally fascinating to me is the connection of vitamin C to the circulatory system. I don't mean merely its familiar antioxidant protection capacities. Two-time Novel Prize winner Linus Pauling suggested that vitamin C and L-lysine are involved in collagen synthesis and are essential to maintaining normal blood vessels and connective tissue. he presented dramatic case histories of the reversal of serious circulatory symptoms with the use of high doses of both substances.

Vitamin E: Vitamin E was first shown to enhance potency in rodents who had been made deficient. Human studies have been less supportive as a direct treatment. However, E's effect as an antioxidant capable of reducing cardiovascular disease and offering neuro-protection from adverse changes in the aging brain certainly point toward an anti-aging role and possibly some inhibition of hormonal decline. The recent World Symposium of vitamin E came to the unequivocal conclusion that the amounts found in the human diet are not enough to provide the ull range of vitamin E's antioxidant effects. I believe 400-800 IU's a day is sufficient for most adults.

 

[JOWS6]

"B Complex Vitamins: All of the B vitamins are important in cellular functions. The B vitamin most likely to be beneficial for pituitary functions is Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) because of its ability to decrease the secretion of prolactin, an inhibitor of the gonadotrophins.

Folic acid and B12 are also important B's because they, like B6, facilitate the clearance of homocysteine, a critical substance produced as part of the recycling of the body's amino acids. Experts now think that a buildup of homocysteine in the bloodstream leads to blockage in our arteries. It has been estimated that one-third of all strokes and heart attacks are the result of excess homocysteine in the blood. But the significant fact is that almost all cases of elevated homocysteine can be lowered into the normal range simply by supplementing with the simple, cheap, and nontoxic B vitamins. A few people with genetic predisposition to high homocysteine levels require much higher doses or the addition of other nutrients.

Zinc: Of all the minerals, zinc still stands out because of the classic deficiency studies that demonstrated the dramatic interference with normal hypothalamic/pituitary function caused by its lack. Severe deficiency literally halted the changes of puberty in teenage boys, effects which rapidly reversed when zinc was restored to normal levels. There would be little need to write about such bizarre situations if zinc deficiency were rare. But National Health and Nutrition Surveys-NHANESI, II, and III-performed over the last thirty years have consistently shown deficient intake in large segments of our society, particularly the aging population.

Aggravating deficits of zinc are the effects of alcohol and medication; in particular, the thiazide diuretics primarily used for treating hypertension and fluid retendtion. There are studies linking lower testosterone and increased problems of impotence with their use.

Zinc's other major role, is its inhibitory effects on aromatase enzyme activity."

Vitamin D: The book doesn't mention vitamin D except in its chapter about bone loss and even then, doesn't go into great detail regarding vitamin D. So I will add my own excerpt regarding this vitamin. Of one of the most common vitamin/mineral deficiencies in the world, is the vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is synthesized by the skin through exposure to the sun. Unfortunately, most Americans don't get enough sun exposure due to the different seasons and the tilt of the earth during winter. I am located in Chicago and for a good portion of the year I am bundled up from head to toe to protect myself from the cold, because of this I am deficient in vitamin D as confirmed in a recent blood test. When it does begin to get warmer, the earth is still tilted away from the sun limiting it's rays and reducing my body's ability to produce vitamin D. Studies have shown that the body doesn't do a great job in absorbing vitamin D from food either. What this means is that if you eat vitamin D-rich foods, don't expect much. It is best to supplement with 2000-6000 IU's per day.

Having said that, why is Vitamin D important? Well, it has a positive impact on your mood. (And for me personally, I feel as if my sleep has improved on Vitamin D supplementation). I once read an interesting article suggesting a correlation between SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and vitamin D deficiencies. We've all heard of the winter blues and it is thought that it is caused by the decrease in sun exposure which when intercepted through the eyes, stimulates a portion of the brain that is responsible for the regulation of mood. What this study suggested is that sun exposure still is the culprit for SAD but for different reasons. The study performed blood tests on those diagnosed with SAD and found a significant vitamin D deficiency compared to those who were not diagnosed with SAD. This study sounds like we are barking up the wrong tree when it comes to treatment for SAD.