Rather than explain the benefits of various supps in my own words, its easier for me to paste in some research I've got on my hard drive. See below:
More PS abstracts:
Phosphatidylserine (PS)
Nutr Neurosci 2001;4(3):169-78
The influence of phosphatidylserine supplementation on mood and heart rate when faced with an acute stressor.
Benton D, Donohoe RT, Sillance B, Nabb S.
Department of Psychology, University of Wales Swansea, United Kingdom.
[email protected]
There have been previous reports that supplements of phosphatidylserine (PS) blunted the release of cortisol in response to exercise stress and that it improved mood. The present study extended these observations by considering whether PS supplementation influenced subjective feelings of stress and the change in heart rate when a stressful mental arithmetic task was performed. In young adults, with neuroticism scores above rather than below the median, the taking of 300mg PS each day for a month was associated with feeling less stressed and having a better mood. The study for the first time reports an improvement in mood following PS supplementation in a sub-group of young healthy adults.
Isr J Psychiatry Relat Sci 2000;37(4):302-7
An open trial of plant-source derived phosphatydilserine for treatment of age-related cognitive decline.
Schreiber S, Kampf-Sherf O, Gorfine M, Kelly D, Oppenheim Y, Lerer B.
Department of Psychiatry C, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, and Tel Aviv University Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv, Israel.
[email protected]
We assessed whether the efficacy of plant-source derived phosphatydilserine (one of the phospholipids which play an important functional role in membrane-related processes in the brain) for treatment of age related cognitive decline is consistent with previous (placebo controlled) positive findings with bovine derivative of PS (BC-PS). Eighteen healthy elderly volunteers meeting Age Associated Memory Impairment inclusion and exclusion criteria were treated for 12 weeks with plant-source derived phosphatydilserine (PS) (100 mg x 3/day p.o.) and evaluated at base line, after 6 weeks of treatment and at the end of the trial. Fifteen concluded the study. All but two outcome measures elicited a significant drug over time effect. Post-hoc paired t-tests showed that the significant effect was attributable to an improvement from base line to week 6 and that effect was maintained at week 12. These results are encouraging. However, they await double-blind controlled verification in a large sample before suggesting that this may be a viable approach to the treatment of age-related cognitive decline, without exposing the patients to possible hazards involved in the treatment with bovine derivative of PS (BC-PS).
Eur J Clin Pharmacol 1992;42(4):385-8
Blunting by chronic phosphatidylserine administration of the stress-induced activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis in healthy men.
Monteleone P, Maj M, Beinat L, Natale M, Kemali D.
Institute of Psychiatry, First Medical School, University of Naples, Italy.
The effect of chronic administration of phosphatidylserine derived from brain cortex on the neuroendocrine responses to physical stress has been examined in a placebo-controlled study in 9 healthy men. Phosphatidylserine 800 mg/d for 10 days significantly blunted the ACTH and cortisol responses to physical exercise (P = 0.003 and P = 0.03, respectively), without affecting the rise in plasma GH and PRL. Physical exercise significantly increased the plasma lactate concentration both after placebo and phosphatidylserine. The results suggest that chronic oral administration of phosphatidylserine may counteract stress-induced activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis in man.
Neuroendocrinology 1990 Sep;52(3):243-8
Effects of phosphatidylserine on the neuroendocrine response to physical stress in humans.
Monteleone P, Beinat L, Tanzillo C, Maj M, Kemali D.
Institute of Medical Psychology and Psychiatry, First Medical School, University of Naples, Italy.
The activity of brain cortex-derived phosphatidylserine (BC-PS) on the neuroendocrine and neurovegetative responses to physical stress was tested in 8 healthy men who underwent three experiments with a bicycle ergometer. According to a double-blind design, before starting the exercise, each subject received intravenously, within 10 min, 50 or 75 mg of BC-PS or a volume-matched placebo diluted in 100 ml of saline. Blood samples were collected before and after the exercise for plasma epinephrine (E), norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), cortisol, growth hormone (GH), prolactin (PRL) and glucose determinations. Blood pressure and heart rate were also recorded. Physical stress induced a clear-cut increase in plasma E, NE, ACTH, cortisol, GH and PRL, whereas no significant change was observed in plasma DA and glucose. Pretreatment with both 50 and 75 mg BC-PS significantly blunted the ACTH and cortisol responses to physical stress.
Acetyl-L-carnitine
Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) is the acetylated ester derivative of the amino acid L-carnitine. In simple terms, a specific combination of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen molecules are added to L-carnitine creating ALC. It has been shown in research studies to have protective effects on the brain and helps to release the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. It may also act as a potent anti-oxidant in the brain. Researchers believe that ALC improves cognition by enhancing the activity of acetylcholine and/or improving neuronal metabolism.
It has been shown to have some anti-catabolic effects as well by preventing the decrease
in plasma testosterone levels after chronic exercise stress.
You may want to boost your GH levels, in which case Alpha GPC would be a good bet:
Alpha-GPC (glycerylphosphorylcholine)
Short for L-alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine, it is an acetylcholine precursor derived from soy. This is a new supplement that has been shown in preliminary research to boost GH (growth hormone) levels and increase neurological function. One plus is that smaller amounts seem to boost GH levels (150-400 mg) which makes it more cost effective. Boosting GH levels can have major implications in muscle building and promoting optimal recovery from hard workouts, especially in individuals over the age of 40. Since Alpha-GPC can boost endogenous levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, it can also help enhance mental focus and mental clarity—two good things to have during a workout! Yet another affect of Alpha-GPC is that it is a potent choline donor. The choline provided then serves as the precursor for the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine (PC) from other lipid-based compounds. This can help protect cell membranes from damage. This ingredient has good potential and is supplied by Chemi Nutraceutical as AlphaSize™.
Reducing levels of estrogen, would ensure fat gains would be kept to a minimum. Try Calcium D glucarate:
Scientific Name: Glucaric acid
Other Names: Calcium Glucarate, D-glucarate, D-glucaro-1,4-lactone
Should I take it?
Glucaric acid is a nutrient found in many fruits and vegetables. It is believed to help the body eliminate harmful substances and to reduce circulating levels of estrogen. Both these effects may help to protect against the development of breast, colon, and prostate cancers.
Dosage and Administration
As its calcium salt, calcium d-glucarate, glucaric acid is available in capsules and tablets. Although no recommendations for dosing are available in scientific literature, a commonly suggested dose for cancer prevention is 200 mg once a day or twice a day. To treat existing cancers, daily doses of 1,200 mg or higher reportedly have been taken without apparent side effects.
Summary
Glucaric acid and its salt, calcium d-glucarate may have some ability to protect against certain cancers by promoting the elimination of estrogen and potentially harmful substances produced in the body. It may also have some effectiveness in lowering cholesterol and reducing kidney damage caused by some antibiotic drugs.
Risks
Although no apparent risks are associated with taking glucaric acid, pregnant and breast-feeding women are advised to avoid it because so little is known about its possible effects.
Side Effects
No side effects have been attributed to taking glucaric acid.
Interactions
Glucaric acid may interact with drugs such as diflunisal, ketoprofen, lorazepam, and morphine that are processed by the same set of enzymes in the liver. Alcohol may decrease the effectiveness of glucaric acid.
Continued from page 1.
Calcium-D-glucarate's inhibition of beta-glucuronidase activity allows the body to excrete hormones such as estrogen before they can become reabsorbed. Oral administration of large doses of calcium-D-glucarate have been shown to lower serum estrogen levels in rats by 23 percent. (21) Because many breast cancers are estrogen-dependent, calcium-D-glucarate's ability to affect estrogen and other hormone levels has led to Phase I clinical trials at several major cancer centers in the United States. Results of these studies are pending.
Lipid Lowering
Side effects of currently available hypolipidemic agents present a need for safe and effective lipid-lowering agents. D-glucarates have been shown to significantly reduce total serum cholesterol in rats by as much as 12-15 percent and LDL-cholesterol by 30-35 percent. Preliminary results in humans show D-glucarate reduced total serum cholesterol up to 12 percent, LDL-cholesterol up to 28 percent, and triglycerides up to 43 percent. The lipid-lowering effect of calcium-D-glucarate may be attributed to improved enterohepatic circulation, resulting in increased excretion of bile acids and a reduction in steady state levels of cholesterol biosynthesis. (7)
Drug/Nutrient Interactions
There are no known drug interactions with calcium-D-glucarate, but many drugs and hormones are metabolized in the liver via glucuronidation. Therefore, taking calcium-D-glucarate may increase elimination of these substances, possibly reducing their effectiveness.
Side Effects and Toxicity
No adverse effects have been observed after prolonged feeding to rats or mice at concentrations of 70, 140, or even 350 mmol/kg. (6) Preliminary results of clinical trials in humans have shown calcium-D-glucarate is without adverse effects.
Dosage
The recommended oral dosage of calcium-D-glucarate is generally in the range of 1500-3000 mg daily. Until human trials have been completed the optimal dosage remains elusive.
Calcium D-Glucarate
This compound has been shown to inhibit beta-glucuronidase, an enzyme found in certain bacteria that reside in the gut. One of the key ways in which the body eliminates hormones such as estrogen is by attaching glucuronic acid to them in the liver and then excreting this complex in the bile. By blocking the beta-glucuronidase enzyme, Calcium D-Glucarate can help get rid of excess estrogen properly.
L-Alpha-
Glycerylphosphorylcholine
(Alpha-GPC)
DESCRIPTION
L-alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine is a substance derived from soy lecithin. It is phosphatidylcholine without the two fatty acid chains contained within the phosphatidylcholine structure. Although it is popularly referred to as a phospholipid, it is not. It is a phospholipid-derived substance.
Alpha-GPC has the following structural formula:
L-alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine is either abbreviated as alpha-GPC or GPC. It is also known as choline alfoscerate; choline-glycerophosphate, and choline-hydroxide, (R)-2,3-dihydroxypropyl hydrogen phosphate, inner salt. Alpha-GPC is believed to be a delivery form of choline (see Choline).
ACTIONS AND PHARMACOLOGY
ACTIONS
Alpha-GPC is a putative cognition enhancer and a putative growth hormone secretagogue.
MECHANISM OF ACTION
The actions of supplemental alpha-GPC are speculative and, therefore, any proposed mechanism of action is likewise speculative. Alpha-GPC is a delivery form of choline, and choline can be metabolized to acetylcholine. Some with Alzheimer's disease may suffer from a cholinergic defect, and, theoretically, a delivery form of choline may positively affect some with cognition disorders in which there exists a cholinergic deficit. In a similar speculative vein, it is known that cholinergic potentiation may modulate the growth hormone (GH) response to the hypothalamic hormone GHRH or growth hormone releasing hormone. Again, if alpha-GPC is a significant precursor of acetylcholine, it may have a GH secretagogue effect.
PHARMACOKINETICS
Some pharmacokinetic data are available from animal studies. Human pharmacokinetic data are lacking. It is unclear as to how much of an ingested dose of alpha-GPC gets into the brain or, for that matter, how much choline from a dose of ingested alpha-GPC gets to the brain.
INDICATIONS AND USAGE
It has been claimed that alpha-GPC is indicated for situations in which increased human growth hormone secretion is desirable and for the treatment of cognitive disorders. Evidence is insufficient to warrant support for either of these claimed indications at this time.
RESEARCH SUMMARY
The claim has been made that this putative acetylcholine precursor encourages the body to secrete increased levels of human growth hormone. There is some preliminary evidence that this is so, but whether this has any therapeutic significance remains to be seen. Safety data are also lacking. Claims that alpha-GPC is helpful in the treatment of cognitive disorders in the elderly are based upon scant and preliminary findings which, nonetheless, may warrant further investigation.
Muccuna Pruriens can also boost GH:
Mucuna Pruriens (containing L-Dopa)
This herb also known as velvet bean contains the very powerful neurotransmitter pre-cursor L-Dopa (L-Dihydroxyphenylalanine). Mucuna Pruriens has been shown to increase mental alertness and improve coordination. But the main reason an exercising individual would consider this herb would be GH release. You see, L-Dopa is a powerful GH releaser and since mucuna pruriens usually contains about 15% L-Dopa, it can have powerful effects in this regard. As mentioned previously, increasing GH levels can have profound effects on lean body mass and fat loss. This would be a great supplement to take along with Alpha GPC before bed time to maximize GH release during sleep. This can allow for better recovery and recuperation as well as stimulating more muscle growth. This herb may also have some blood sugar regulating properties, but this is not clear yet from the research. An effective dose is 600-700 mg (standardized to 15% L-Dop
DIM scavenges estrogen:
DIM (diindolylmethane)
This is a stable indole found in cruciferous vegetables which promotes a beneficial estrogen metabolism in men. It has many studies showing its beneficial effects. It helps get rid of the “bad” excess and “unneeded” estrogen through a benign pathway (C-2 pathway). It can positively alter the testosterone to estrogen ratio and may even support prostate health
I would sugest a combination of Gabba, pyridoxidine and vit b6- there is simply too much info for me to write to justify this. I will just say, that Gabba taken on its own is near to useless, as it only crosses the blood-brain barrer in minute quantities. The addition of pyridoxine and B6 act synegistically to assist this transport. (leads to increased GH)
DIM
(Di-Indoly Methane)
For Natural Protection
from Estrogen's Effects
Frequently Asked Questions
Compiled by Thomas Stearns Lee, NMD
What do perimenopause, premenstrual syndrome, enlarged prostate glands, and early heart attacks have in common? Estrogen. A new understanding of healthy estrogen metabolism is providing a natural treatments for these and other important conditions confronting both women and men.
Fortunately, phytonutrients discovered in cruciferous vegetables offer a natural approach to resolving estrogen imbalance. Dietary supplementation with an absorbable form of one of these phytonutrients, called Di-Indoly Methane (DIM), helps promote healthier estrogen metabolism. DIM's hormonal balancing effects have revealed these midlife problems are not due to estrogen itself alone, but rather, to estrogen metabolism imbalances.
Q. What is DIM, and how can it help hormones?
A. DIM is a phytonutrient (plant nutrient) found in cruciferous vegetables. These include cabbage, broccoli, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, rutabaga, and turnip. These plants have been cultivated for thousands of years and were initially used for their medicinal benefits. The connection between DIM and hormones like estrogen has to do with similar characteristics between them at the molecular level. DIM is not an estrogen or a hormone, but like estrogen it shares the common characteristic of being poorly soluble in water. Like estrogen, DIM can be metabolized only by a special class of cytochrome enzymes that reside in cell membranes in the non-water part of cells. It turns out that DIM, when consumed in food or in absorbable formulations, encourages its own metabolism. This special metabolic pathway for DIM, and the enzymes involved, precisely overlap with the pathway needed for healthy estrogen metabolism.
Stated simply, supplementing the diet with DIM specifically promotes beneficial estrogen metabolism and helps restore a healthy hormonal balance.
Q. What is estrogen dominance?
A. Middle-aged men and women experience changes in hormone production and metabolism resulting in excess estrogen action. There are three basic forms of this common imbalance known as estrogen dominance.
Perimenopause. In women, slower hormone metabolism in midlife can mean higher-than-normal levels of estrogen and a deficiency in its healthy metabolites. Faltering estrogen metabolism often occurs in women during perimenopause, the years before menopause, and is characterized by higher monthly estrogen levels prior to estrogen's dramatic fall at menopause.(2) Additionally, progesterone levels fall during perimenopause, resulting in a rising estrogen-to-progesterone ratio.
Middle-aged men. Rising estrogen also becomes a problem for men during their 50s and 60s. In overweight men, testosterone is increasingly converted into estrogen by aromatase and rising estrogen also competes with falling testosterone. This corresponds to a time during which estrogen accumulates in the prostate gland. Estrogen is believed to contribute to benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH).(3)
Acquired estrogen imbalance. This important form of estrogen dominance has to do with inherited problems in estrogen metabolism and influences of diet and chemicals on beneficial metabolite production. Acquired estrogen imbalance affects both men and women. Almost 20 years ago, H. Leon Bradlow, Ph.D., a renowned breast cancer investigator, discovered women with breast and uterine cancer made too little of the 2-hydroxy or "good" metabolite of estrogen and too much of the 16-hydroxy or "bad" variety.(4)
Since 16-hydroxy is an unregulated form of estrogen prone to behave like "super-estrogen," higher levels create a particularly unhealthy form of estrogen dominance. 16-hydroxy estrogens can result in mutations, abnormal growth (as in cervical dysplasia),(5) and an increased risk of future breast cancer.(6) Overproduction of 16hydroxy estrogen is also seen in obesity,(7) high-fat diets,(8) and exposure to a host of "estrogenic" environmental chemicals.(9) Therefore, this dangerous form of estrogen dominance can result from inheritance, diet, and environmental chemicals.
Q. What benefits can DIM offer?
A. Supplementing our diets with DIM can shift the production of estrogen metabolites away from dangerous 16-hydroxy in favor of beneficial 2-hydroxy metabolites. Taking DIM in an absorbable formulation encourages active and healthy estrogen metabolism. DIM supports estrogen balance by increasing beneficial 2-hydroxy estrogens and reducing the unwanted 16-hydroxy variety. This improves estrogen metabolism and helps resolve all three forms of estrogen dominance.
NaturoDoc Note: Remember, 2-hydroxy is good; 16-hydroxy is bad.
Q. Why not just eat more cruciferous vegetables?
A. Recent reports, like one from the Fred Hutchison Cancer Center in Seattle, Washington indicate a higher intake of cruciferous vegetables is associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer.
This study indicates cruciferous vegetables are protective for hormone-sensitive cancers. However, direct measurements of upward, beneficial shifts in estrogen metabolism indicate you would have to eat at least two pounds per day of raw or lightly cooked cruciferous vegetables to derive the same benefit as two capsules of specially formulated DIM. Benefits for cervical dysplasia, PMS, BPH, and other conditions have not been seen with the use of broccoli, cabbage juice, or dried powders or extracts from vegetables.
Absorbable DIM formulations overcome the need for active enzymes within the vegetable and chemical reactions in your stomach to produce DIM. For similar reasons, absorbable DIM provides many advantages over indole-3carbinol (I3C), another cruciferous phytochemical available as a supplement. I3C is an unstable precursor that requires activation in the stomach to be converted into DIM. This means I3C must be taken at a much higher dose and can undergo unpredictable and undesirable chemical reactions in your stomach and colon. DIM, in a delivery system to assure absorption, is by far preferable to the supplemental use of I3C.
Q. How much DIM is recommended?
A. To replace the DIM from healthy amounts of cruciferous vegetables in the diet, women should take a starting dose of about 15 mg per day of actual DIM in an absorbable formulation. Men should take about 30 mg per day of actual DIM in the same absorbable or bioavailable formulation. These amounts can be increased three to four times on an individual basis to derive needed benefits for hormonal balance and metabolism. Based on testing in men, improved estrogen metabolism, easier weight loss, and prostate health require a higher dose of DIM than in women.
Since pure DIM must be provided in an absorption-enhancing formulation, the dose for DIM sometimes specifies the weight of the absorbable formulation, which is only one-fourth, or 25 percent DIM. In the book, All About DIM, the suggested dose of 100 to 200 mg per day for women and 200 to 400 mg of DIM per day for men refers to milligrams of such an absorbable formulation.(15) This dose range for hormonal balance corresponds to 25 to 50 mg per day of actual DIM for women and 50 to 100 mg of actual DIM for men.
Q. What’s exciting about the effect of DIM on premenstrual syndrome (PMS)?
A. PMS symptoms of irritability, aggression, tension, depression, mood swings, water retention, and breast pain or swelling are frequently seen in perimenopausal women.(16) While a reduction in PMS severity has been seen with nutritional therapy, full resolution has been elusive. These interventions have included lower-fat diets,(17) and supplementation with minerals, Vitamin D,(18) and herbal extracts.(19)
PMS symptom improvement has been noted after beginning dietary supplementation with absorbable DIM. These results suggest DIM is able to correct the estrogen imbalance in PMS. Torbjorn Backstrom, M.D., an eminent researcher in the field (20), and others (21) have documented that estradiol, the primary active form of estrogen, is elevated in PMS. Backstrom also has shown the degree of estradiol elevation correlates with symptom severity.(22)
Also encouraging is the observation that the enzyme pathways promoted by DIM help metabolize pregnenolone sulfate.(23) Pregnenolone sulfate is a brain hormone important for memory, but which causes anxiety if levels are too high. Like estrogen, pregnenolone sulfate is elevated in PMS.(24) Its healthy metabolism produces beneficial, immune stimulating metabolites and may help relieve anxiety. Absorbable DIM supplementation promotes healthier metabolism of both estrogen and pregnenolone in PMS.
Q. What's the best supplementation approach to PMS?
A. A strong nutritional approach to PMS includes bio-available DIM, chaste berry extract, Vitamin D, calcium, and magnesium. Synergistic interaction of these ingredients benefits PMS. An example of this synergy is the ability of beneficial 2-hydroxy estrogens to increase progesterone production (25), potentiating this effect by chasteberry extract.(26) This new nutritional approach to PMS helps with mineral and hormonal balance. DIM works in conjunction with chasteberry extract to resolve the dominance of estrogen over progesterone.
Q. How can helping estrogen metabolism benefit men?
A. Everyone knows estrogen is an important hormone for reproduction in women. What is not often appreciated is that estrogen levels, though lower than those in women, are also essential in men. However, midlife changes in men result in excess estrogen production beyond its minimal essential level.
Like perimenopausal women, men experience a tendency to gain weight in midlife. Rising estrogen production can result, since fat cells contain the aromatase enzyme that converts testosterone into estrogen. Unmetabolized estrogen creates a vicious cycle resulting in further estrogen production. This occurs because fat is one source of more active aromatase enzymes, causing further estrogen production and continuing weight gain.(27) An open label study of DIM in overweight men and women showed it promoted more efficient weight loss and more active fat metabolism.
In this regard, DIM is similar to green tea extract (28) and spices like cayenne pepper.(29) DiindolyImethane may have a role in helping to intervene with excess estrogen production associated with obesity and male aging. Besides weight gain, another aspect of early aging in men is prostate gland enlargement.
It has been clearly established that estrogen accumulates in aging prostate glands at the same time enlargement occurs.(30) This process is linked to difficulty with urination and frequent urination at night. The role of estrogen is still being established in this process, but research using estrogen binding substances shows lowering estrogen levels improves the symptoms of nighttime urination.(31) Use of absorbable DIM by men with these same symptoms has proven beneficial.
For anxiety, try Kava:
Kava Quells Anxiety
Anthony Almada
Researchers have extensively tested extracts of the Fijian ritual plant kava (Piper methysticum) to determine its effects on brain chemistry and behavior. In placebo-controlled, double-blind studies, scientists have described kava's ability to produce antianxiety effects with only mild side effects.1 In a recent German study, scientists gave 40 participants 50-300 mg/day of a proprietary kava extract (standardized to 70 percent kavalactones; Laitan ® in Europe). Subjects took incremental doses, starting with 50 mg on day one, increasing to 300 mg by day seven. Kava effectively controlled anxiety without adverse side effects, both during and after benzodiazepine drug therapy was discontinued.2
Scientists also have explored kava's ability to reduce postmenopausal anxiety.3 Forty women received either estrogen (estradiol) or combination estrogen and pro-gestin hormone therapy with or without 55 mg/day kavain (one of the kavalactones) from kava extract for six months. Those taking kava (with either hormone mix) for three and six months showed significantly reduced anxiety compared with women taking hormones alone. Because kava can potentially damage the liver,4,5 it should be used under the supervision of a health care professional.
Passion flower is also good, I wont give all the info on some of these anti anxiety supps otherwise this post is going to be huge, but also try passion flower, theanine and taurine.
If sleep is a problem I can direct you to another thread
There are loads of fat loss supps I could recommend, but I'm sure you know lots about these
However, easy things to do include putting some chilli on each meal (cheap and easy thermogenic) and drinking green tea with each meal (also contains theanine- anti stress, creates alpha waves in the brain (better concentration) and is the reason why you feel calm despite the caffeine content
If you would like any more info on the supps I haven't gone into detail about, just ask.
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