Supplements and free testosterone

This material for this article was drawn from the November issue 1999 of the Life Extension Foundation Journal.

The amount of free testosterone in the blood effects the process of aging in both men and women.

New research on herbal extracts have shown that more testosterone can be freed up with the use of chrysin, nettle root extract  and Muira puama , assisting men with erectile dysfunction to regain some of their youth without jeopardizing their health as the result of side effects from prescription drugs.

Aging men suffer from the dual effects of having too little testosterone and excess estrogen. The result is a testosterone/estrogen imbalance that can severely inhibit sexual desire and performance.

In youth, low amounts of estrogen are used to turn off the powerful cell-stimulating effects of testosterone. As estrogen levels increase with age, testosterone cell stimulation may be locked in the "off" position, thus reducing sexual arousal and sensation and causing the loss of libido so common in aging men.

The genital/pelvic region is packed with testosterone receptors that are ultra-sensitive to free testosterone-induced sexual stimulation. Clinical studies using testosterone injections, creams or patches have not always provided a long-lasting libido enhancing effect in aging men. Testosterone is a hormone responsible for sex drive in both men and women. For testosterone to promote youthful sexual interest, satisfaction and performance, it must be freely available to cell receptor sites in the brain, the nerves, muscles and genitals. As people age, testosterone becomes bound to serum globulin and is not available to the cell receptor sites were it is needed to initiate sex stimulating centers in the brain.

The component in the blood that renders free testosterone inactive is called sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). Excess estrogen can increase the production of SHBG and block testosterone-receptor sites. This means there are two mechanisms by which excess estrogen interferes with sex drive in aging males.

For testosterone to produce long-lasting libido enhancing effects, it must be kept in the "free" form in the bloodstream. Bound testosterone is not able to be picked up by testosterone receptors on cell membranes. For aging men, it is desirable to suppress excess levels of SHBG and estrogen while boosting free testosterone to the level of a young man. There is now a natural way of modulating testosterone and estrogen levels in aging men that does not require expensive prescription drugs.

Herbs and male sexual potency

Chrysin

A bioflavonoid called chrysin has shown potential as a herbal supplement and natural aromatase-inhibitor. Chrysin can be extracted from various plants. Body builders have used it as a testosterone boosting supplement. The problem with chrysin is that because of its poor absorption into the bloodstream, it has not produced the testosterone enhancing effects users expect.

In a study published in Biochemical Pharmacology (1999, Vol.58), the specific mechanisms of chrysin's absorption impairment were identified, which infers that the addition of a pepper extract (piperine) could significantly enhance the bioavailability of chrysin. Pilot studies have found that when chrysin is combined with piperine, reductions in serum estrogen (estradiol) and increases in total and free testosterone result in 30 days.

 Chrysin, for example, is also a potent antioxidant that possesses vitamin-like effects in the body. It has been shown to induce an anti-inflammatory effect.,

Chrysin has one other property that could add to its libido-enhancing potential. A major cause of sexual dissatisfaction among men is work-related stress and anxiety as well as "sexual performance anxiety" that prevents them from being able to achieve erections when they are expected to. Chrysin was shown to produce anti-anxiety effects comparable with diazepam, but without sedation and muscle relaxation. In other words, chrysin produced a relaxing effect in the brain, but with no impairment of motor activity.

Chrysin may therefore offer libido-enhancing effects in the aging male by:

•  Increasing free testosterone
•  Decreasing excess estrogen
•  Producing a safe anti-anxiety effect.