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Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Effect of Vitamin E

I took vitamin E for last two weeks. Because vitamin E is reported to have anti aromatase effect, anti prolactin effect and antioxidant effect. I took one 200 I. U. capsule at night. However, it produced severe joint pain in my left hand wrist area. With this joint pain (may be arthralgia), I am unable to lift certain things. It is severe. The pain is not responding to volini gel. The pain reduced in intensity after I stopped vitamin E.

Positive effects:
1. Slightly improved mood
2. Slightly improved concentration

Negative effects:
1. Slight appearance of non stutterable pause
2. Decreased libido and decreased energy
3. Decreased motivation
4. Severe joint pain in left wrist


References:

1. Lycopene and vitamin E interfere with autocrine/paracrine loops in the Dunning prostate cancer model.
2. Effect of vitamin E therapy on sexual functions of uremic patients in hemodialysis.


Effect of Turmeric

I was taking turmeric powder since the scientific literature indicated that it can increase testosterone and inhibit aromatase enzyme. I took it for around 1 week. I took around 500 mg to 1 g of turmeric powder mixed with dosa flour or mixed with egg omlette. I took one time in the morning sometimes and both in morning and dinner sometimes.

Positive effects:
1. Generally good mood
2. Slightly increased focus and concentration
3. Slightly reduced stuttering
4. Early morning erections are rock solid
5. Slightly improved libido and motivation

Negative effects:
1. Increased sweating
2. Slightly increased agitated mood
3. Tightness in the chest - this effect was very significant and caused great discomfort to me. The chest muscles seem to be not relaxing and contracting like before. The chest tightness combined with muscle pain in hand caused great distress.
4. When I took turmeric two times a day (at breakfast and dinner), it caused severe left sided headache (serotonin deficiency). The headache persisted for almost two days. It did not subside after taking 650 mg paracetamol. It went away only after I stopped taking turmeric.

Possible mechanism:
Turmeric might have increased cortisol. This increased cortisol might have caused decreased serotonin. The exact mechanism needs to be studied further.

Turmeric compounds might have increased acetylcholine levels by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase enzyme and activating choline acetyl transferase enzyme.

References:
Combined administration of curcumin and gallic acid inhibits gallic acid-induced suppression of steroidogenesis, sperm output, antioxidant defenses and inflammatory responsive genes.

Inhibitory effect of curcuminoids on acetylcholinesterase activity and attenuation of scopolamine-induced amnesia may explain medicinal use of turmeric in Alzheimer's disease

Update on 18 Feb 2018:

I used to develop the same chest pain (exactly the pain the sternum and adjacent rib muscles). It does not pain normally. It pains sometimes whenever I turn my body and whenever I press the sternum ribs. Otherwise, it doesn't give any pain during walking or climbing stairs or even during exercise in elliptical trainer.

Recently also, I cooked a curry with some turmeric in it. After two times consumption of that curry, I got that pain again. Now, I am taking the following supplements:

Blackmore Multivitamin + Minerals - 1 tablet in morning
Thiamine mononitrate - 25 mg in morning and 25 mg in night
Blackmore Vitamin D3 - 1000 mcg - 1 capsule in morning
L-Tryptophan 500 mg - 1 capsule in night

Also, I consumed 2-3 eggs (enriched with organic selenium) per day. No other non-vegetarian food was consumed during these days. Within two days, the pain subsided. Is it due to selenium or tryptophan?




Sunday, May 10, 2015

Supplements with effect on aromatase enzyme CYP19

Supplements that can INCREASE the activity of aromatase enzyme

1. Ginseng (ginseng refers to Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer) root
Ref: US Patent US 20070041996 A1

2. Green Tea
Ref:
Chronic Green Tea Consumption Decreases Body Mass, Induces Aromatase Expression, and Changes Proliferation and Apoptosis in Adult Male Rat Adipose Tissue.
J. Nutr. November 2008 vol. 138 no. 11 2156-2163

It is stated in this paper that green tea also reduced testosterone levels and increased estradiol levels. This is an in vivo study done with oral administration of green tea infusion equivalent to human consumption.

Supplements that can DECREASE the activity of aromatase enzyme

1. Ginkgo biloba extract

Ref: 
Antiestrogenic activities of Ginkgo biloba extracts.
Oh SM, Chung KH.
J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2006 Aug;100(4-5):167-76.


2. Cigarette smoking/nicotine

Ref:
J Enzyme Inhib. 1990;4(2):187-200.
Aromatase inhibitors in cigarette smoke, tobacco leaves and other plants.
Osawa Y1, Tochigi B, Tochigi M, Ohnishi S, Watanabe Y, Bullion K, Osawa G, Nakabayashi Y, Yarborough C.