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Endocrine and lipid responses to chronic androstenediol-herbal supplementation
in 30 to 58 year old men.
Brown GA, Vukovich MD, Martini ER, Kohut ML, Franke WD, Jackson DA, King DS.
Department of Health and Hunan Performance, Iowa State University, Ames 50011,
USA.
OBJECTIVE: The effectiveness of an androgenic nutritional supplement designed
to enhance serum testosterone concentrations and prevent the formation of
dihydrotestosterone and estrogen was investigated in healthy 3 to 58 year old
men. DESIGN: Subjects were randomly assigned to consume a nutritional
supplement (AND-HB) containing 300-mg androstenediol, 480-mg saw palmetto,
450-mg indole-3-carbinol, 300-mg chrysin, 1,500 mg gamma-linolenic acid and
1.350-mg Tribulus terrestris per day (n = 28), or placebo (n = 27) for 28 days.
Subjects were stratified into age groups to represent the fourth (30 year olds,
n = 20), fifth (40 year olds, n = 20) and sixth (50 year olds, n = 16) decades
of life. MEASUREMENTS: Serum free testosterone, total testosterone,
androstenedione, dihydrotestosterone, estradiol, prostate specific antigen and
lipid concentrations were measured before supplementation and weekly for four
weeks. RESULTS: Basal serum total testosterone, estradiol, and prostate
specific antigen (PSA) concentrations were not different between age groups.
Basal serum free testosterone concentrations were higher (p < 0.05) in the 30-
(70.5 +/- 3.6 pmol/L) than in the 50 year olds (50.8 +/- 4.5 pmol/L). Basal
serum androstenedione and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) concentrations were
significantly higher in the 30- (for androstenedione and DHT, respectively,
10.4 +/- 0.6 nmol/L and 2198.2 +/- 166.5 pmol/L) than in the 40- (6.8 +/- 0.5
nmol/L and 1736.8 +/- 152.0 pmol/L) or 50 year olds (6.0 +/- 0.7 nmol/L and
1983.7 +/- 147.8 pmol/L). Basal serum hormone concentrations did not differ
between the treatment groups. Serum concentrations of total testosterone and
PSA were unchanged by supplementation. Ingestion of AND-HB resulted in
increased (p < 0.05) serum androstenedione (174%), free testosterone (37%), DHT
(57%) and estradiol (86%) throughout the four weeks. There was no relationship
between the increases in serum free testosterone, androstenedione, DHT, or
estradiol and age (r2 = 0.08, 0.03, 0.05 and 0.02, respectively). Serum HDL-C
concentrations were reduced (p < 0.05) by 0.14 mmol/L in AND-HB. CONCLUSIONS:
These data indicate that ingestion of androstenediol combined with herbal
products does not prevent the formation of estradiol and dihydrotestosterone.
You can follow the link on pubmed to get the full study and this is the key
paragraph
The action of 5 <Alpha> reductase converts androgens into DHT [22], which has
been associated with benign prostate hypertrophy [23]. In spite of the
inclusion of <Gamma> LA and saw palmetto, which inhibit 5 <Alpha> reductase in
vitro [5,6], AND-HB ingestion results in increased serum DHT concentrations.
Since the serum DHT response to androstenediol intake has not been previously
examined, it is difficult to determine whether the inclusion of <Gamma>LA and
saw palmetto in AND-HB altered the serum DHT response. However, the increases
in serum DHT concentrations with AND-HB intake were similar in magnitude to our
previous observations with androstenedione [9]. Therefore, it appears that
<Gamma> LA and saw palmetto do not effectively inhibit the conversion of
exogenous androgens into DHT.
Endocrine and lipid responses to chronic androstenediol-herbal supplementation
in 30 to 58 year old men.
Brown GA, Vukovich MD, Martini ER, Kohut ML, Franke WD, Jackson DA, King DS.
Department of Health and Hunan Performance, Iowa State University, Ames 50011,
USA.
OBJECTIVE: The effectiveness of an androgenic nutritional supplement designed
to enhance serum testosterone concentrations and prevent the formation of
dihydrotestosterone and estrogen was investigated in healthy 3 to 58 year old
men. DESIGN: Subjects were randomly assigned to consume a nutritional
supplement (AND-HB) containing 300-mg androstenediol, 480-mg saw palmetto,
450-mg indole-3-carbinol, 300-mg chrysin, 1,500 mg gamma-linolenic acid and
1.350-mg Tribulus terrestris per day (n = 28), or placebo (n = 27) for 28 days.
Subjects were stratified into age groups to represent the fourth (30 year olds,
n = 20), fifth (40 year olds, n = 20) and sixth (50 year olds, n = 16) decades
of life. MEASUREMENTS: Serum free testosterone, total testosterone,
androstenedione, dihydrotestosterone, estradiol, prostate specific antigen and
lipid concentrations were measured before supplementation and weekly for four
weeks. RESULTS: Basal serum total testosterone, estradiol, and prostate
specific antigen (PSA) concentrations were not different between age groups.
Basal serum free testosterone concentrations were higher (p < 0.05) in the 30-
(70.5 +/- 3.6 pmol/L) than in the 50 year olds (50.8 +/- 4.5 pmol/L). Basal
serum androstenedione and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) concentrations were
significantly higher in the 30- (for androstenedione and DHT, respectively,
10.4 +/- 0.6 nmol/L and 2198.2 +/- 166.5 pmol/L) than in the 40- (6.8 +/- 0.5
nmol/L and 1736.8 +/- 152.0 pmol/L) or 50 year olds (6.0 +/- 0.7 nmol/L and
1983.7 +/- 147.8 pmol/L). Basal serum hormone concentrations did not differ
between the treatment groups. Serum concentrations of total testosterone and
PSA were unchanged by supplementation. Ingestion of AND-HB resulted in
increased (p < 0.05) serum androstenedione (174%), free testosterone (37%), DHT
(57%) and estradiol (86%) throughout the four weeks. There was no relationship
between the increases in serum free testosterone, androstenedione, DHT, or
estradiol and age (r2 = 0.08, 0.03, 0.05 and 0.02, respectively). Serum HDL-C
concentrations were reduced (p < 0.05) by 0.14 mmol/L in AND-HB. CONCLUSIONS:
These data indicate that ingestion of androstenediol combined with herbal
products does not prevent the formation of estradiol and dihydrotestosterone.
You can follow the link on pubmed to get the full study and this is the key
paragraph
The action of 5 <Alpha> reductase converts androgens into DHT [22], which has
been associated with benign prostate hypertrophy [23]. In spite of the
inclusion of <Gamma> LA and saw palmetto, which inhibit 5 <Alpha> reductase in
vitro [5,6], AND-HB ingestion results in increased serum DHT concentrations.
Since the serum DHT response to androstenediol intake has not been previously
examined, it is difficult to determine whether the inclusion of <Gamma>LA and
saw palmetto in AND-HB altered the serum DHT response. However, the increases
in serum DHT concentrations with AND-HB intake were similar in magnitude to our
previous observations with androstenedione [9]. Therefore, it appears that
<Gamma> LA and saw palmetto do not effectively inhibit the conversion of
exogenous androgens into DHT.
