Homeostasis vs. Hormone Boosting Supplements

 

Homeostasis, in less words, simply means balance.  Today, we are mostly talking about hormonal homeostasis via the endocrine system along with hormone boosting supplements and how they often have an uphill battle within your own body when it comes to doing what they claim. 

Well, your body at least tries to achieve homeostasis under most conditions.  When it fails and an imbalance is created, poor health usually follows - whether it is major diseases, mental issues, reproductive problems, adrenal fatigue, and so on. 

For example, people who inject synthetic testosterone and/or anabolic steroids into their body will find that their testicles will quit producing its own natural testosterone in an effort to create homeostasis to combat the excessive amounts of testosterone. However, most people who do that will defy their body and inject even more synthetic hormones into their bloodstream. Which is why professional bodybuilders that use steroids have a complicated cycle. They have to go through a post cycle therapy to stimulate the body to produce its own hormones again. Many often fail in the long term and are left with shrunken testicles, excess estrogen, female-like breast tissue, and a total loss of sexual function along with other health problems.

  We live in a time where the market is flooded with supplements claiming everything from preventing cancer to boosting hormones. Many people are under the impression that there is a pill or supplement for everything. Some guys also evidently think they will live to be at least 120 years old and still maintain raging erections throughout the day if they keep taking the right supplements, as well. But without all the exaggerations, let's get on with this post.

The main reason I thought of this subject was because the other day I wrote a blog post about a supplement that claims to have a hormone boosting effect. If interested, you can find that post here: DAA - D-Aspartic Acid

When researching DAA, I came across the usual stuff.  You know, this is an agonist of this, antagonist of that; it increases this hormone until another hormone is produced to cancel it back out until you are at the point you have less testosterone circulating than you did before you took it. To save myself time rambling about it, I'll just give you an example. Below, I will provide an excerpt from a website along with a link to its source:

"DAA accumulates in neuroendocrine tissue such as the pituitary gland, pineal gland and gonads where it works as an excitatory compound to stimulate the release of hormones.  As the levels of DAA build up in these tissues it increases the production and release of hormones; of particular interest are luteinizing hormone and testosterone. Luteinizing hormone is released from the pituitary gland, and it signals the release of testosterone from the testes and progesterone from the ovaries. Once the testosterone has been released in excess, the body works to maintain homeostasis by balancing the hormonal ratios. Negative feedback mechanisms in the pituitary gland switch off further testosterone release to drop testosterone levels and the body starts converting testosterone to estrogen via the enzyme aromatase; DAA also supports this by increasing the aromatization of testosterone to estrogen and testosterone levels drop while estrogen increases to normalize the ratios and maintain equilibrium." Source Link [Link is no longer active.]

As you can see, those particular "hormone boosting" supplements sound like a waste of time and just goes around in a circle until you are at a point of simply wasting money while maintaining hormonal homeostasis. Ha!  I'm not just singling out DAA, either. This goes for most "boosters" out there. To make it easier to understand, your body tries to have what we will call a hormone thermostat. Things can get a little high or a little low, but it tries to keep it within a normal parameter. Getting a slight boost in testosterone is good, but when one tries to overly boost their levels with supplements, it usually doesn't last long due to that homeostasis thingy. 

When concerning these hormone boosting supplements, for them to work extremely well they have to pretty much cause an imbalance in your hormonal system. I'm not talking about a slight bump in testosterone that helps you get through your day-to-day activities or perform one more extra rep at the gym, I'm talking about "really boosting" your levels. 

I must say, though, most of the time hormonal imbalances are not in your favor. For example, the stress hormone cortisol often wreaks havoc on your sex hormones. Too much cortisol along with excessive adrenaline release can cause an imbalance of testosterone, progesterone, and estrogen. A report from the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism stated: “Stress can lead to changes in the serum level of many hormones including growth hormone, prolactin, glucocorticoids and catecholamines.” Stress is not created equal, either. A quote from this page (Stress and hormones - PMC) states, "The growth hormone (GH) level is increased during acute physical stress. The level can increase up to two- to tenfold. Because of its insulin-antagonistic effect, GH may enhance metabolic activity. In psychological stress, however, GH responses are rarely seen. Rather there is GH secretory defect with prolonged psychosocial stress."

However, I must say, a lot of these bodily reactions are totally healthy and are just a normal response to the "fight or flight" reaction.  It is long-term and/or chronic stress that causes the body to lose its hormonal homeostasis. Instead of looking for "boosters," it might be a better idea to look for balance so you can maintain "optimal" levels without searching for outrageous levels of certain hormones. Does that make sense now?

Anyway, that's why adaptogenic herbs seems to be the best at this, as they help create balance along with aiding your body into adapting to various types of stress, etc. There are loads of adaptogens out there in the herbal market (too many to get into on this particular post), but one of my favorite ones is the good ol' reliable ginseng. I've took that stuff for years and it has never let me down. I wrote about that a few years ago on this blog, here: "Hot or Warm Korean/Panax Ginseng vs. Cold or Cooler American Ginseng" Also, I recently updated (at the bottom of the page I'm about to link to) the post that was talking about "natural testosterone boosters" and included a couple additional supplements that somewhat work for such things, that is, if a person doesn't mind paying the extra money. 

Well, hopefully this post clears up any confusion you may have had. I also tried to make it easier to understand this subject in layman terms because I know many readers out there just want to cut the crap and get to the bottom line.  However, if you are still unsure about the role of hormones in homeostasis, I found an in-depth article, here: The Role of Hormones in Homeostasis (yale.edu)

---End of Post "Homeostasis vs. Hormone Boosting Supplements"

Why is Trans Fat in Frozen Burger Patties?

 

This will be a quick post concerning a somewhat common question from people that are consciously aware of all the dangerous Trans Fat that surrounds them when selecting healthier food options.

I must say, though, that I used to ponder over this very same query before I realized the difference between man-made trans fat versus naturally occurring trans fatty acids.  Obviously, neither of these 2 variations of infamous lipids are good for you in large amounts, but I would put my money on the man-made version (along with the mutated version from overused cooking oil) for being by far the worst for you - even in small quantities.

This is how the frozen burgers (or fresh, for that matter) came into the question: Most people that are somewhat familiar with this subject realize that the artificial trans fat normally comes from a process that adds hydrogen to oil, which converts the liquid into a solid fat at room temperature, which is called hydrogenation.  This is a cheaper alternative for the food manufacturers that also enhances the taste, texture and shelf life of their products.  As you can see, before they realized it was killing people quicker, it was a good business move.  The other common unnatural way trans fatty acids come about is by overcooking and/or overusing the same oil over and over.  Sort of like at some fast-food joints and restaurants or somebody that rarely changes the oil in their deep fryer, etc. Certain oils are more stable than others, but some types mutate a lot quicker to say the least. For example, don't put olive oil in a deep fryer!

Anyway, back to the frozen burger patties...

I'm just using this particular food as an example. But for a lot of folks that wasn't aware of the naturally occurring bad fats, they simply thought that cooking your own meals at home by using whole foods and ingredients that they could identify would solve this problem.  Which, it mostly does. So instead of ordering burgers at a fast-food place, they just cook their own. I almost always buy fresh ground beef for burgers and I never really notice the nutritional labels on fresh meat listing this type of fat, but I see trans fat listed all the time on the packs of frozen burger patties.  I used to think, "what in the hell are they doing different to these frozen patties?" Ha!  Then I became aware that Trans Fat also occurs naturally in food products from ruminant animals (pork, beef, lamb, etc.).

The good news is that there has already been some studies showing how the naturally occurring variant is not that much different than regular lipids when consumed in somewhat moderate amounts. Of course, the leaner the meat, the less fat, so go figure.  So, to end this post, when you see trans fat listed on a pack of frozen burger patties it is not usually something added and it's naturally occurring. However, if you see artificial char marks on cooked patties, it probably adds extra artificial trans to the mix. I read about that a few years ago on a website that was explaining what they do to create an artificial charbroiled taste.  Dang, this all sounds like we just need to keep things natural, eh?

I'm not exactly sure why, but this post reminds me of one that I wrote a few years ago, here: The Reason Pork Rinds / Skins are Not a Significant Source of Protein

---End of Post "Why is Trans Fat in Frozen Burger Patties?"

Does D-Aspartic Acid (DAA) really cause permanent Brain Damage?

 

Wow! Such a nefarious blog title for a seemingly innocent health supplement!  I felt the need to post this today after I found myself yesterday typing into the search engine different search phrases, such as: 1) Does DAA really damage NMDA receptors in the brain? 2) Is D-Aspartic Acid really safe?  3) Is DAA an exotoxin?  4) What are the side effects of D-Aspartic Acid? And so on and so forth...

At any rate, what started as a monthly visit to Amazon to buy random stuff, supplements, the usual, ended up in me doing something I rarely do. Which is, going back the next day and cancelling certain items from my order. When it comes to pills, I usually order the same tried-and-true supplements that I have been using for many years, but every so often I will gingerly try a new supplement that supports athletic performance, energy, stamina, testosterone, etc.   I say "gingerly" because I'm really cautious when it comes to new pills - especially ones that could affect hormone levels, etc.  Hormone balance is a good thing considering there are so many different types in the human body, and too much of this, not enough of that, agonist of this versus an antagonist of that and whatnot can often turn into an undesirable imbalance. Whether it is stress hormones, sex hormones, you name it, I've heard too many stories over the years in health forums to say the least. Some people mix and match so many supplements or take too much of certain hormones that they end up being depressed with poor cognitive and sexual function.  Some side effects are transitory albeit some may be permanent. 

Anyway, D-Aspartic Acid is not a hormone, so let's get that out of the way. It's a non-essential amino acid. By what I've read, the D form of this is pretty much metabolized into a substance that stimulates the NMDA receptors of the brain. Over excitement in this part of your grey matter can supposedly cause cellular death and/or brain damage in those particular receptors if too much is taken. See, that's the part that gets me right there. How do we know what is too much? Unlike a lot of other supplements out there, this one doesn't seem to be as thoroughly tested. Even the anecdotal evidence is not extremely abundant by what I can tell, and that is uncommon for hyped-up supplements. However, I have read that D-Aspartic Acid has similar negative effects on the brain as MSG and an artificial sweetener known as "aspartame." Well, that almost made me change my mind and put the DAA back into my Amazon shopping cart because MSG is in tons of stuff! Plus, I like Chinese food, and they love using MSG on their food at the buffet! Ha! You'd think millions of people in America would already have permanent brain damage if it could be caused by MSG as well. Oh, wait a minute... Ha-ha! Never mind...

I must say, though, that the benefits and customer reviews (what few I read) do sound appealing for D-Aspartic Acid.  It stimulates testosterone production, growth hormone, GABA, increases luteinizing hormone (wakes your balls up, so to speak), boosts libido along with several other things. But doesn't a lot of other pills on the market claim those very same things? 

Either way, before I end this post, I'll provide an excerpt from another website that had a lot of good information about this subject along with a link to visit the website, if interested: "DAA along with its analogs are considered to be exotoxins (like MSG & aspartame) because they overstimulate the brain’s NMDA receptors. If overstimulation occurs, cell death can be the result. Thus, if you have a hereditary or genetic predisposition to any neuro-degenerative conditions, we advise that you steer clear of exotoxins. Because of this, DAA is much more dangerous in comparison to the other T boosting products that have already been tested clinically and on humans." You can read more, here: D-Aspartic Acid: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly - Supplements Engine [Link is no longer active.]

My final thoughts about this DAA supplement:

Do I think it would really cause permanent brain damage? I doubt it would under normal circumstances. However, it might cause damage if you take an enormous amount or perhaps half the bottle at once? Plus, if you have certain brain/neurological/nervous system disorders in your family tree, I would definitely shy away from this and lean toward the side of caution.

Do I think there are safer alternatives to try when it comes to testosterone boosters? Yes. Absolutely.

Would I try D-Aspartic Acid since there is a good chance it might work? I'm not sure and still undecided. If I did, I would probably just take it one or two days a week and at the minimum dose until I felt more comfortable about it.

Well, to wrap this up, if you'd still like to check this product out on Amazon, I will provide a link below.  Then, after that, I will provide a link to a product on Amazon that I tried a few months ago that actually seemed decent.  Please note, if you click through and buy any of these supplements through this blog, I will get a miniscule commission at no extra cost to you, of course. I'll take all the pennies, nickels and dimes I can get. LOL!

* 'Click Here' to review the product page for D-Aspartic Acid on Amazon *

Below, you will find a fine product known for boosting testosterone and lowering stress hormones while not having a reputation for causing permanent brain damage. This product goes by the name "Tongkat Ali Complex." I've tried this myself and was actually pleased with this supplement.  A lot of people think it is best to cycle this supplement, 5 days on and 2 days off, but use your own discretion. It is well known that stress hormones like cortisol lower testosterone and this particular supplement definitely seems to lower the effect that stress has on your body.

* 'Click Here' to review the product page for Tongkat Ali Extract on Amazon *

--- End of Post "Does D-Aspartic Acid (DAA) really cause permanent Brain Damage?"