Testosterone Optimization On RP-inspired Nutrition

[GreekDemiGod]

@redsun Never had tinnitus.
Allergies. hardly ever. As a child, I reacted to strawberry.
I do sneeze a lot and my nose Always feels stuffed( nasal voice)
Sleep has been bad since peating, waking up thirsty once or twice / night, falling asleep hard and not feeling at all refreshed.
Before peating, my sleep has been hit or miss. But I did not wake up in the middle of the night, expect rarely.
But even when sleep was at my best, libido wasn't great.

Suspect doing Carnivore might have temporarily impaired my glucose metabolism maybe

 

[GreekDemiGod]

Short update:

Got a morning erection in 3 out of the last 4 days, so that's a pleasant surprise. When my temps are over 97 F, I generally feel alright physically. Mentally, it's the same old story.

Today I received the Taurine that I ordered, I'm quite enthusiastic about it, been reading about its potential to increase testosterone, reverse depression and upregulare dopamine. Also, it was recommended in hair-loss related threads (been dealing with loss of volume, diffuse thinning).
Will start taking 1-2 g / day for starters.

Current 'peat' stack:

• Aspirin 500 mg daily
• Vitamin E (normal dose)
• Zinc (flavo-zinc / gluconate) 22 mg
• Levo (T4) 25 mcg
• D3 5000 IU 3-4 times / week.
• Taurine 1-2g
• Magnesium Glycinate 400 mg

 

[GreekDemiGod]

UPDATE:
My sleep is still bad, I get extremely low deep sleep, waking up once in the middle of the night, falling asleep harder.
My nose is all clogged / stuffed up in the morning, and my sinuses feel partially blocked. I had this before, but not this intense.
I'm guessing the milk might be causing my some allergy

My libido still mostly dead. Improving my sleep is critical for this, no point in doing blood tests now as I know they'll be low.
Another thing that worries me: I think in the last 2 years, my erections have gotten softer, and my penis size has somewhat reduced
Even when using porn to masturbate, I can barely get hard for 30 sec - 1m, if I stop the stimulation, I soon go flat again. I'm 'doing' Nofap, but failing often.

 

[redsun]

UPDATE:
My sleep is still bad, I get extremely low deep sleep, waking up once in the middle of the night, falling asleep harder.
My nose is all clogged / stuffed up in the morning, and my sinuses feel partially blocked. I had this before, but not this intense.
I'm guessing the milk might be causing my some allergy

My libido still mostly dead. Improving my sleep is critical for this, no point in doing blood tests now as I know they'll be low.
Another thing that worries me: I think in the last 2 years, my erections have gotten softer, and my penis size has somewhat reduced
Even when using porn to masturbate, I can barely get hard for 30 sec - 1m, if I stop the stimulation, I soon go flat again. I'm 'doing' Nofap, but failing often.

I am pretty sure its highly recommended to take never take T4 alone as it is antimetabolic. You aren't an old man, you are 27 so it shouldnt be this difficult to kickstart the libido. If you are still having libido trouble you need to drop the aspirin. Aspirin depletes both B5(pantothenic acid) and folate. Drop the aspirin and start supplementing B5 and folic acid or methylfolate. You may be getting plenty of these two in your diet but it won't matter because of the aspirin. B5 and folate both needed for testosterone and for histamine. Aspirin is also an antihistamine though thats not the original use. You need histamine for libido and erections. Vitamin E also has antihistamine effects so temporarily stopping it until you fix the libido may help.

Also the sleep problem is likely B5 related as well because you need B5 to make melatonin.

 

[GreekDemiGod]

@redsun Thanks for writing.
The T4 I take is very low-dose.
Thought about adding T3 to that T4.
My thyroid pannel did came out in range, though I'm sure I will benefit from optimising my TSH even further.
TSH came out over 3 this summer, and never below 2.1 (since I've started measuring it)

My temps are ok, but could benefit from further improvements. Hovering between 36 and 36.5

About the Aspirin, I only started taking it since peating, never took it before. I'm taking 500 mg daily. It does seem to be very beneficial to my hair (as I'm seeing some regrowth and increase in thickness).

I experimented with Melatonin for a short time this year. If I got the dosage right, it improved my sleep.
My sleep was definitely better before peating. Especially if I took measures (relaxation ritual). Not ideal, but better for sure.
Gonna start using an eye mask and ear plugs.

Another detail is that I've been struggling for years with minor allergies: stuffed nose, clogged sinuses nasal voice, dandruff, excess sebum, mild acne.
They did not go away not even on the Carnivore Diet, except the dandruff. I don't have it anymore.
The nasal / sinuses issues have gotten worse since peating. Could it be histamine reaction maybe? Just bought some Claritin to test.

I never explored the Folate & B5 angle. Mind you, my poor libido goes way back.

 

[redsun]

@redsun Thanks for writing.
The T4 I take is very low-dose.
Thought about adding T3 to that T4.
My thyroid pannel did came out in range, though I'm sure I will benefit from optimising my TSH even further.
TSH came out over 3 this summer, and never below 2.1 (since I've started measuring it)

My temps are ok, but could benefit from further improvements. Hovering between 36 and 36.5

About the Aspirin, I only started taking it since peating, never took it before. I'm taking 500 mg daily. It does seem to be very beneficial to my hair (as I'm seeing some regrowth and increase in thickness).

I experimented with Melatonin for a short time this year. If I got the dosage right, it improved my sleep.
My sleep was definitely better before peating. Especially if I took measures (relaxation ritual). Not ideal, but better for sure.
Gonna start using an eye mask and ear plugs.

Another detail is that I've been struggling for years with minor allergies: stuffed nose, clogged sinuses nasal voice, dandruff, excess sebum, mild acne.
They did not go away not even on the Carnivore Diet, except the dandruff. I don't have it anymore.
The nasal / sinuses issues have gotten worse since peating. Could it be histamine reaction maybe? Just bought some Claritin to test.

I never explored the Folate & B5 angle. Mind you, my poor libido goes way back.

Histamine is not as simple as stuffy nose = high histamine. Ironically reviews on amazon for histidine(precursor to histamine) 9/10 times report reduced allergies from histidine supplementation when they should get much worse. If you incorporated new foods when starting peating that your body does not agree with you will get reactions to it, hence worse sinus issues peating.

Yeh aspirin lowers many antimetabolic hormones and inflammatory parameters that could help hair but at the cost of libido for some.

B5 is great for reducing sebum and improving acne and skin quality in general. Its recommended for acne because it works wonders by fixing lipid metabolism. Also helps alleviate allergies.

 

[GreekDemiGod]

@redsun
So, what would the course of action? Get ahold of supplemental B5 and folate, drop the aspirin for a few days, and hope for positive changes?
I think it's too early to asses if Aspirin has a downside for me, as my issues started before I started taking it.

I remember Folate is mentioned as one of the top deficiencies on the Carnivore Diet.

 

[redsun]

@redsun
So, what would the course of action? Get ahold of supplemental B5 and folate, drop the aspirin for a few days, and hope for positive changes?
I think it's too early to asses if Aspirin has a downside for me, as my issues started before I started taking it.

I remember Folate is mentioned as one of the top deficiencies on the Carnivore Diet.

You would need to eat a good chunk of folate containing organs daily to always get enough folate on carnivore which few do.

Exactly, but I would only try one supplement at a time. Do folate first as it will probably have a much greater effect. 1mg methylfolate 3x a day is a good start.

 

[Hermes]

@redsun
Just bought some folinic acid recently. What‘s the difference between the two: methylfolate and folinic acid? Read both supports low homocystine levels. But not sure, which one to choose actually.

 

[GreekDemiGod]

Just started taking Folate yesterday. Sleep was better than usually. Also got a half-decent boner

@Hermes I got methylfolate from a quality brand.
@redsun My liver consumption is 1-2 times / week (0.5 lbs total) both on Peat and before on Carnivore. I eat only chicken liver.

Also, been doing some reading about my sleep issues, and it's likely glycogen-related. Taurine and Glycine will help. And time should also help.
I suspect Carnivore may have left me with a sub-optimal glucose metabolism, and it's gonna take me a while to .shift into a higher gear'.

[Updated] Current stack:

• Aspirin 500 mg daily
• Vitamin E (normal dose)
• Zinc (flavo-zinc / gluconate) 22 mg
• Levo (T4) 25 mcg
• D3 5000 IU 3-4 times / week.
• Taurine 1-2g
• Magnesium Glycinate 400 mg
• B6 Pyridoxine HCL 5 - 10 mg
• Folate ** (temporary)

Getting better sleep should greatly boost my baseline libido levels

 

[redsun]

Just started taking Folate yesterday. Sleep was better than usually. Also got a half-decent boner

@Hermes I got methylfolate from a quality brand.
@redsun My liver consumption is 1-2 times / week (0.5 lbs total) both on Peat and before on Carnivore. I eat only chicken liver.

Also, been doing some reading about my sleep issues, and it's likely glycogen-related. Taurine and Glycine will help. And time should also help.
I suspect Carnivore may have left me with a sub-optimal glucose metabolism, and it's gonna take me a while to .shift into a higher gear'.

[Updated] Current stack:

• Aspirin 500 mg daily
• Vitamin E (normal dose)
• Zinc (flavo-zinc / gluconate) 22 mg
• Levo (T4) 25 mcg
• D3 5000 IU 3-4 times / week.
• Taurine 1-2g
• Magnesium Glycinate 400 mg
• B6 Pyridoxine HCL 5 - 10 mg
• Folate ** (temporary)

Getting better sleep should greatly boost my baseline libido levels

Half a pound of chicken liver a week is about 1300 mcg folate. You need minimum 2800 mcg a week. You would get a bit more folate from eggs and the small amounts in other animal products but likely still quite a bit below how much you need on a weekly basis. Easily led to suboptimal folate status or even deficiency that way. Thing is the high amounts of choline on carnivore can somewhat substitute for the lower folate intake but in the end low folate catches up eventually.

@redsun
Just bought some folinic acid recently. What‘s the difference between the two: methylfolate and folinic acid? Read both supports low homocystine levels. But not sure, which one to choose actually.

Folinic acid starts somewhere else in the methylation cycle while methylfolate can be used right away since it is 5-MTHF the active form. Beyond that I dont know the other differences.

 

[TheBeard]

I used to feel that way as well for a long time until I realised that it was the major thing that was holding me back... limiting me from reaching goals physique and health wise, happiness etc. Eating the right foods and using a few supplements definitely helps and is very beneficial and all, but if one's mindset isn't right, the rest doesn't mean much at all. Only once I started changing my mindset did everything else start to change as well. And when your mindset is right, it's like eating the right foods and using supplements just has such a greater impact on one's health than it did before because now your "soil" is tilled and fertilized which will allow the seeds you plant to grow and yield fruit.
Tony (Anthony) Robbins talks a lot about this and he's doing great for his age and still looks youthful despite the stressful things he does and goes through.
Here's a short 15 min video of him talking a bit about it if you would like to check out.

Tony Robbins has always had an overactive pituitary, almost got surgery for that condition.
He is pumping large doses of growth hormone all the time, hence why he is super tall and has good energy.
When I pin 3 to 5IU HGH the feel good effect from it is unreal. You are physically capable, you are constantly in a good mood, libido is great.

I stand by what @Cirion said, matter over mind.

For the past 3 years, I have had the best conditions aligned for me to be happy and healthy (relationship, moneyu, goals), and I am the sickest I have been with no energy and low libido.

Before 3 years ago, my life was anything but easy and I was an intellectual mess, however I would feel energized after little sleep and constantly looking for sex. Gains in the gym were effortless.

 

[TheBeard]

The more I think about it the more I tend to believe Dr Keith Nichols' theory: we all suffer more and more from Androgen Resistance Syndrom to varying degrees.

Yes we all have decent T flowing in our serum, but it doesn't get attached to the target receptors, as they are clogged with environmental xenoestrogens.

The worst in all this is you don't even benefits from the positive estrogenic actions from these disruptors, they are not recognized by the body as estrogens, they are just hanging there clogging the receptor.

I am soon going to try and bump my T to around 2000 with transcrotal cream applications to see if I feel any different.

 

[redsun]

The more I think about it the more I tend to believe Dr Keith Nichols' theory: we all suffer more and more from Androgen Resistance Syndrom to varying degrees.

Yes we all have decent T flowing in our serum, but it doesn't get attached to the target receptors, as they are clogged with environmental xenoestrogens.

The worst in all this is you don't even benefits from the positive estrogenic actions from these disruptors, they are not recognized by the body as estrogens, they are just hanging there clogging the receptor.

I am soon going to try and bump my T to around 2000 with transcrotal cream applications to see if I feel any different.

Thing is that would make sense but there are still many men who have good testosterone levels and likewise can build and maintain strong and lean physiques and likewise exhibit high testosterone characteristics with all these environmental estrogens that are supposedly wrecking havoc on the male endocrine system.

There is obviously a decline in high T men and it keeps declining. Obesity is at an all time high which is the major factor because men are making plenty of testosterone but too much is getting converted by aromatase because of body fat. The nutrient density of the average modern male's diet is also the lowest it has ever been in human history.

 

[Kram]

Tony Robbins has always had an overactive pituitary, almost got surgery for that condition.
He is pumping large doses of growth hormone all the time, hence why he is super tall and has good energy.
When I pin 3 to 5IU HGH the feel good effect from it is unreal. You are physically capable, you are constantly in a good mood, libido is great.

I stand by what @Cirion said, matter over mind.

For the past 3 years, I have had the best conditions aligned for me to be happy and healthy (relationship, moneyu, goals), and I am the sickest I have been with no energy and low libido.

Before 3 years ago, my life was anything but easy and I was an intellectual mess, however I would feel energized after little eep and constantly looking for sex. Gains in the gym were effortless.

Agreed on matter over mind. I wish I could think my way to higher androgen levels.

Nothing against Tony Robbins but I have always had a difficult time following his ideas because of his whole pituitary issue. We'd all feel great if we had an overactive pituitary (despite GH not being Peat friendly...)

 

[GreekDemiGod]

Sidenote

@Kram I know GH is viewed in a negative manner around here and I also trust Layne Norton's views claiming that Growth Hormone is not anabolic to muscle, as it's hyped by fasting preponents.
But I was wondering, isn't GH and IGF1 crucial in puberty for growth?
Many peatarians are interested in maximizing their genetic potential, or growing taller.
I need to do more reading.

 

[Kram]

I am far from an expert on this stuff as my learning has only come from reading Haidut and Peat's research. I'm sure GH and IGF1 are very important in puberty and growth but like many things, I think there excess can cause issues. Haidut talks about the possible detrimental effects of growth hormone in the below post.

Reversing human aging likely possible with progesterone / DHEA – To Extract Knowledge from Matter

 

[lampofred]

Tony Robbins has always had an overactive pituitary, almost got surgery for that condition.
He is pumping large doses of growth hormone all the time, hence why he is super tall and has good energy.
When I pin 3 to 5IU HGH the feel good effect from it is unreal. You are physically capable, you are constantly in a good mood, libido is great.

I stand by what @Cirion said, matter over mind.

For the past 3 years, I have had the best conditions aligned for me to be happy and healthy (relationship, moneyu, goals), and I am the sickest I have been with no energy and low libido.

Before 3 years ago, my life was anything but easy and I was an intellectual mess, however I would feel energized after little sleep and constantly looking for sex. Gains in the gym were effortless.

My health/energy also started declining 3 years ago. I know many, many people who suddenly got health issues starting late 2015/early 2016. And there was also a recent article I saw that fertility has been plummeting for the past 3 years and is at all time lows. I wonder what has changed recently in the environment that's causing this.

 

[Kram]

I am far from an expert on this stuff as my learning has only come from reading Haidut and Peat's research. I'm sure GH and IGF1 are very important in puberty and growth but like many things, I think there excess can cause issues. Haidut talks about the possible detrimental effects of growth hormone in the below post.

Reversing human aging likely possible with progesterone / DHEA – To Extract Knowledge from Matter

But then again, Tony Robbins seems to be doing great so who knows. There are an infinite number of variables at play and everyone is different. I constantly wonder why some people get great effects from Pansterone (Preg/DHEA) or Androsterone yet it does nothing for me but tank any libido I have. (although when I initially tried them two years ago, they seemed to be helping if I remember correctly)

 

[Kram]

My health/energy also started declining 3 years ago. I know many, many people who suddenly got health issues starting late 2015/early 2016. And there was also a recent article I saw that fertility has been plummeting for the past 3 years and is at all time lows. I wonder what has changed recently in the environment that's causing this.

Interesting. Things got worse for me around this time as well (although I wouldn't consider myself healthy before this). I don't know how old you guys are (I am 32) but I wonder if it has to do with having chronically low-ish levels of androgens during adolescence and early adulthood (from poor diet, toxic environments, being prescribed terrible drugs etc.) eventually catching up with a person around age 30 (since this is when hormones supposedly start to decline).

My endo doesn't seem to understand that my T and DHT should be almost double what they are for a "healthy" 30-ish year-old. Sorry to hijack your thread, but I am equally frustrated as low hormones seriously impact a person's quality of life (realizing that there are people out there far sicker than me or with more serious life issues).