Pregnenolone Causes Erection Problems At First, Does This Improve

[Jackrabbit]

Not yet, but I think I'll look for a natural one soon. You might imagine that out of the tens of thousands of known phytochemicals, one of them would be a potent aromatase inhibitor based on chance alone. I think there could be one hiding in some mushroom somewhere, or perhaps even a root vegetable of some kind.

What about nettle root?

 

[Travis]

@Travis
Any news on the aromatase inhibitor work?

Yes, and there are a few aromatase inhibitors in tobacco: nicotine, anabasine (Barbieri, 1986), and most potently N-octanoylnornicotine (Osawa, 1990). Yet becacuse smoking also increases DHEA and androstenedione, in both males and females, you also have more of estrone's precursor steroid. For this reason: the aromatase inhibition in males effectively offsets the expected estrone increase consequent of increased androstenedione. The net effect of smoking in males is basically null, yet it does seem increase the androgen∶estrogen ratio. Most studies report an increase in estrogens from smoking, yet since estrogens are naturally low in males their plasma estradiol approaches the limit of detection for the radioimmunoassay most commonly used to quantify it. Thus, you could get interference from other steroids present. For instance: assuming the detection antibodies have a relative specificity for estradiol of 100∶1 , other plasma steroids could still be quantified and assumed estradiol since they'd outnumber it probably about 150∶1. Testosterone outnumbers estradiol roughly 30∶1 in males if I remember correctly, yet this says nothing about the sum contribution of: dihydrotestosterone, androstenedione, corticosterone, cortisone, cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone, and DHEA sulfate. It could be worth noting that the only study that had pre-separated all plasma steroids via chromatography before the radioimmunoassay quantification step had shown a decrease in estrogens (Dai, 1988), as well as the expected increases in androgens:

'Sex hormone concentrations were determined by a highly specific method involving extraction, column chromatography, and radioimmunoassay using a specific antibody (19-22). The free sex hormones were determined by the method of equilibrium dialysis (23, 24).' ―Dai

'The study revealed a positive association between serum total testosterone concentrations and cigarette smoking both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. The association was independent of age, relative weight, alcohol drinking, blood pressure, and HDL cholesterol.' ―Dai

'The current finding of a positive association between testosterone and androstenedione levels and cigarette smoking is consistent with the finding of the study in men by Barrett-Connor and Khaw (11) and that of the study in postmenopausal women by Friedman et al. ' ―Dai​

Smoking hazard can be attenuated by choosing ammonia-free tobacco and supplementing vitamin C and γ-tocopherol. Nitric oxide (ṄO) is the primary combustion product of both ammonia (NH₃) and ammonium (NH₄⁺), and you could also expect carcinogenic nitroxyl (NO⁻) and nitrosonium ions (NO⁺) to be present (Miller, 1983). Gamma-tocopherol has been repeatedly shown to adduct reactive nitrogen species such as nitrogen dioxide (ṄO₂) and peroxynitrite (ONOO⁻).

These same aforementioned reactive gases found in tobacco smoke—that increased by the near-universal addition of ammonia to cigarettes—also oxidizes ascorbate. This is no bueno for collagen synthesis, and tobacco smoke could very well accelerate wrinkle formation and cancer in this way. Vitamin C functions more as an antioxidant than an oxidant in vivo (Carr, 1999), and the collagen it catalyzes effectively restrains metastasis via encapsulation (Cameron, 1979). Gram-sized doses appear perfectly nontoxic and the best biochemists estimate we'd synthesize around 2–5 grams per day if we could—as extrapolated both from the biosynthetic rates of other species, and also the supposed daily intake from primitive diets (Pauling, 1970).

 

[CLASH]

@Travis
Thanks for that. Personally not a tobacco user however if you come across any other plant sources (preferally ingestable from food items) please let me know.

Btw, a bit tangential to the thread, but I was having issues with fruits/vegetables for a while (I had previously asked you about this in your corner, I was thinking it was the polyphenols but I think that was incorrect). At one point you suggested perhaps it being a yeast issue. I didnt do any testing but I incorporated coconut oil and fresh pineapple (at seperare time points from eachother) and with each incorporation I had pretty significant gut reactions. I actually got “the flu” from the pineapple. But afterwards I lost weight (I was already lean to start, but I dropped even more bodyfat even though I was eating more) and my digestion significantly improved such that I could digest fruit fibers without much issue. The protocol I used was based on reading your posts including the posts on glutamine and glucose in grains leading to candida issues, as well coconut oil/ bromelain destroying candida. I had known about the effects of coconut oil and grains already (i already wasnt eating any grains for close to 7 years at this point but growing up I ate ridiculous amounts of processed grains and had a few rounds of antibiotics) but after reading your post and then reading the articles you linked to I was persuaded to implement those things full force (previously I had tried coconut oil but got symptoms so I stopped). I have seen your post on potassium iodide for candida, and it looks appealing to test out, just hesitant due to its supposed effects on the thyroid. Either way thought you’d be interested in anecdotal reports to support the empirical data.