20 Year Old Male With Terrible Health, Desperate For Help

[zes]

Hi there,

I have found this site useful and been reading various threads regarding different matters related to my personal health. I am 20 years old, male, who is always ill in some form or another.

I've started to get depressed and embarrassed about my thinning hair (hairline) on my temples/forehead recently. I noticed my hair becoming thinner around a year ago, when I was 19. Now I can see the top of my scalp when I look into a mirror, that's how much thickness has been lost. Everyone used to compliment me when I was 16/17 about my amazing hair, whereas now I avoid meeting up with older friends from school since everyone notices my hair loss.

I want to at least try improve my situation, so that I can say I tried. I noticed I itch a lot and my hair feels quite dry. I don't know what to do to fix this as the internet has infinite suggestions and I'm not sure which one is correct. I'm wary of artificial ingredients and fake products. I found Ray Peat to be knowledgeable and like his idea of metabolism being the main factor of good health etc.

I mostly eat meat and rice, very limited diet. Though every few days I do eat other stuff like shrimps or vegetables. I'm Asian (Indian) by the way.

When I started peating for a month between february - march earlier this year I did notice a few changes but I wasn't entirely sure. I felt more energetic but maybe I was just imagining it haha. I noticed in some pictures that my head was fuller/thicker with hair, but I had long hair that time, maybe it covered the patches on my scalp with no hair. I got impatient and started eating junk food again. I'm not fat, but have a chubby face. Pretty lean everywhere else. I felt like crap eating junk food and being low on confidence. Recently I got a haircut and have to say it looks terrible. Bigger forehead, no density to my hair.

I want to start peating seriously now. Back in February I was taking vitamin K2, D and A supplements alongside egg yolks in the morning and spinach/meat/potatoes/shrimps for lunch/dinner with less rice. I just don't know what else to add to my diet. Cheese/milk upset my stomach so much, I'm considering calcium carbonate supplements.

Supplements I plan on taking:

- K2 (15mg)
- Vit D (10,000 iU)
- Vit A
- Vit E
- Progest E
- Mg
- Calcium
- Taurine
- Biotine

I had a blood test in the summer that revealed my Vit D levels were low. I knew that beforehand, always was low in vitamin D my whole life. 10k iu should help restore normal levels. I will need to see how to apply taurine/Bitone/Progest E for hair growth. I read users here saying Progest E/Taurine alone helped them regrow hair. I will start using them this week.

My hair loss isn't that bad, it's noticeable but I'm probably NW one, with NW zero being full head of hair.
Aside from regrowing my hair I want to just improve my overall health, I'm sick and tired of constantly falling ill and feeling tired. I feel tired even if I sit around all day. When I took Vit D/K2 earlier in february I did feel more energetic. Even today I took them again as I plan on starting properly tomorrow, my legs don't feel that tired.

Another thing I want to do is hit the gym 3 times a week for 1 hour sessions and go jogging ever morning for 30 minutes. This should raise my testosterone levels right? Since Progesterone (Progest E) increases eastrogen I need increase my T levels. I've heard people saying they use DHEA alongside Progest E to maintain good T levels. Is that true?

I just want your feedback if possible and what you think of my plan. I refuse to age prematurely, and want to live a healthy life.

 

[fradon]

do you use ghee? I started losing my hair when i used ghee. it would come out in clumps in the shower. Also go outside and get sunlight. Since i've gotten more sun i have not lost hair.

also just because you are not fat does not mean you are not hiding a lot of fat around your organs or adipose fat...this kind of fat is harmful. There is a guy who talks about many health problems he had from eating junk food but he was skinny and never felt bad. But the hiding fat from all the junk food made him sick.

hair needs silica...b vitamins too. avoid PUFA and oxidized fats. though butter is saturated in my opinion there is still some oxidation going on when making ghee.

get off junk food, excercise to increase circulation...there is a think called DHT that can settle in the hair follicle if you have bad circulation and that causes thinning hair and baldness. Try to move, run, as much as possible. junk food is bad for circuation.

 

[Xisca]

Hi Zes, welcome.

I've heard people saying they use DHEA alongside Progest E to maintain good T levels. Is that true?

Before you mess up with hormones, read some thread, like PFS sufferers or people who crashed with DHEA. Better loose hair than health don't you think so?
When your body, which is wise, choses a metabolism, it means he cannot do better at the moment. If you forces it, it is so complex that you can do more bad than good. Random example... And what if you have low vit D because your body manages too high calcium and would love more Mg and no more calcium?
Anyway, some tests about your thyroid would do no bad if you are tired.
Slow is fast, first know yourself!

 

[zes]

@fradon

Thanks for the reply. I don't use ghee no.

My only issue is getting enough calcium since I can't find any good supplements. Might have to start tolerating milk. It gives me all sorts of problems though. Eggshell calcium takes far too long make and prepare, haven't got that much time everyday. For B vitamin, biotine is good right? If anyone knows any other way to get at least 4,000 mg of calcium please do let me know, thanks.

@Xisca

I guess I'll rely on weight lifting to increase my testosterone rather than using DHEA. I will also try to supplement Mg. Is it possible to get sufficient Mg from food sources? If so what foods?

I was told my thyroid was normal during the summer, and I've been feeling tired for many years. Even as a teenager. I guess I'll get another blood test asking for thyroid and T levels specifically.

 

[theLaw]

I mostly eat meat and rice, very limited diet.


Another thing I want to do is hit the gym 3 times a week for 1 hour sessions and go jogging ever morning for 30 minutes. This should raise my testosterone levels right? Since Progesterone (Progest E) increases eastrogen I need increase my T levels. I've heard people saying they use DHEA alongside Progest E to maintain good T levels. Is that true?

Your post raises all kinds of red-flags indicating that you have not yet taken time to research your particular issues on this forum.

This should get you started:

Ray Peat Email Exchanges - Ray Peat Forum Wiki

Optimal diet for increasing lifespan

And then begin by solving the big 3:

+ Clean the Liver

Caffeine Reverses Stress, Insulin Resistance, Hypertension

High Protein Diet Prevents & Reverses Fatty Liver Disease (steatosis)

+ Fix Digestive Issues

Amino Acid Supplementation For People With Poor Digestion

Ray Peat Potato Protein Soup (RPPPS)

Cyproheptadine - A Wonder Drug?

+ Reduce PUFA in Tissues down to almost nothing

PUFA Depletion Can (probably) Be Accomplished In 30 Days!

Haidut's Summary Of PUFA

VoS uncoupling thread

Cheers!

Getting Ripped With Dr Peat

This is not a quick-fix regiment for weekend warriors, but an opportunity to change your life and health for the better, so take this seriously by reading and testing as much as possible (the search function is far more effective and efficient than any member's advice).

 

[Xisca]

If they did only TSH, yes ask for the Ts.
Actually, it is not only about having enough minerals from food, but having the right ratios, which does not depend only on your intakes. Your body moves all this according to its goals, which are misterious enough! If you look at what Peat says about iron, the problem is more in the US because they fortify food. If you are in the UK and not eating fortified food with iron, then better. But we never eliminate iron unless giving blood, and if your body has too much for what it wants, then it will stock it in your liver i think. Same with copper. You have enough, but your levels can be low because the body does not want more!

Then, about thyroid, if your levels are ok but you do not have enough potassium in the cells, the T will not enter well. But again, you can have enough potassium: just that you have it outside the cell!
Not giving solutions, but telling you that additions are not easy to do. Our body is like a young horse you want to break and does not want it. And add that we are a centaure, so the young horse cannot get rid of the lad! lol!
It is easier to take a multi min and vit if you are not sure, and if you think your food is not enough.

Also, feel your body and accept the reaction and do not push. If dairies are not ok, then respect. You will see later. If you want regular glycemia without eating all day long, then veggies are a must, and also for the minimum fiber we need.

Then if not thyroid, you can be tired chronically if your levels of B12 and B9 are not adequate. For me it proved super necessary to take methylcobalamine though I am not at all vegetarian.

 

[zes]

Thanks for all the links. It'll take a while so I'll check them out one by one. For starters I will sort out my diet before I start using any supplements.

 

[fradon]

at your age i don't think you need that much calcium as there is plenty of calcium in your bones. you have something called osteoclast and osteoblast they create bone from the calcium you eat. at your age you have enough calcium for a long while but as you get older these functions slow down and stop especially in menopausal women which is why they get osteoporosis.

4000 of calcium is too high. your body can only absorb a bit at a time the rest will just start biding to the other minerals in your gut like zinc, irons, copper, and selenium. low zinc could also be a cause of you losing your hair. too much calcium will make you an over oxidizer which is great if you have cancer but over oxidizers get old fast. they get premature aging. I am an over oxidizer and i had grey hair already at 23.

there is calcium in water, vegetables, beans, milk, cheese...another forum recommends avoiding milk but eating hard cheeses like paremensan, but another forum said that soft cheeses like brie have a lot of k2 which is good for calcium deposits.

i was taking too much calcium at your age and i calcium deposits in my chest...not a good thing.[/QUOTE]

 

[Lutzzy]

Your first comment I itch makes me think kidneys..What is your water intake? vit c and calcium go together according to Reams plan.....you can make calcium with lemon juice and egg shells. Sunbathes !!
Watch out at the gym as many have MRSA in their sweat, wear gloves when lifting weights where others may have wiped sweat on. Kidneys make me think garlic (fresh is best) and maybe a pectin cleanse to detox. Eat your colors and spare the white foods. Fresh and raw foods are best not fast foods as you do not know if they are microwaved or frozen or radiated......No caffeine or other cold drinks with corn syrup or artificial sugars....

 

[mayweatherking]

you need like 2k mg of calcium a day and your body needs good thryoid function to hold magnesium, rice has no sugar in it, sugar lets you rebuild glycogen and it's the precursor to cholesterol which all the protective steroids are made from, so i would check cholesterol, vit D, and prolactin to see if any of them are messed up, maybe you just need more sugar, i would research the raypeat diet and why he does each thing he does, like why does he drink milk, why coffee, why this and that, then come back and ask stuff, honestly just watch this whole series to answer most of your questions:

 

[Wagner83]

rice has no sugar in it, sugar lets you rebuild glycogen and it's the precursor to cholesterol which all the protective steroids are made from,

Since when rice doesn't do all of those things? https://raypeatforum.com/community/...l-cholesterol-is-made-from.17351/#post-235164