Increasing Sex hormone binding globulin

[IBM]

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[IBM]

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[Thinning]

It may cause impotence. Men with impoptence that do not have blood flow problems have high SBHG. When its reduced, they start getting morning wood again. I forget the study but type in SBHG and libido into google.

If you have no sex life it may be a good idea.

 

[IBM]

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[maddoc23]

The reason it would be pointless to increase SHBG is because the amount of free hormone in your body is regulated by the amount of free hormone in your body. In other words, if you decrease free T by increasing SHBG your body will be fooled into thinking you are deficient in T and will increase T production until free T hits normal levels.

D

 

[powersam]

ahh but there is little doubt that the traditional japanese diet helps against hair loss. all you have to do is look at their rates of balding before they started westernising their diet vs today. and i assume they had working sexual organs during that time because they didnt die out.

 

[DammitLetMeIn]

Increasing SHBG WON'T cause impotence. I see it as a potentially viable alternative to inhibiting 5ar.

As we know - low insulin = high SHBG

 

[So]

I know for one thing that MY diet does exacerbate my rate of loss. Whether this is an insulin issue or not, I simply do not know but for example foods high in Sodium make my hair rain like a monsoon. If you pay close attention, week on week, in correlation with what you eat, yes I believe you can notice the effect.

If SHBG is low by default then it would be ideal to try and raise it to a normal level as opposed to increasing it over and above what is considered the normal range, because as Maddoc23 pointed out, this would only up regulate the production of T to compensate.

So many people knock diet as a viable pathway to salvation, what a shame.

 

[Bryan]

Increasing SHBG WON'T cause impotence. I see it as a potentially viable alternative to inhibiting 5ar.

But I think a very overlooked issue is exactly HOW you increase SHBG. Depending on how that's done, it may well cause a compensatory increase in androgen production, as Maddoc23 pointed out.

Bryan

 

[DammitLetMeIn]

But I think a very overlooked issue is exactly HOW you increase SHBG. Depending on how that's done, it may well cause a compensatory increase in androgen production, as Maddoc23 pointed out.

Bryan

Well I would suggest the best way to increase SHBG naturally and to a level which your body would be comfortable with would be to decrease insulin levels.

If you think about it, our body wasn't designed to be insulin resistant so what your SHBG levels are when you're not insulin resistant (hypthetically) should be the level at which they're suppsoed to be at naturally.

Personally, I am going to try to get my insulin down to a fasting insulin of 20 and see what that does to my SHBG levels (i have recently had these tested).

 

[Keyser Söze]

I'm taking green tea extract which I hear increases SHBG, I'm already trying to combat sides on finasteride, I have lowered my dose to 0.25mg everyday, should I stop taking green tea as it wouldn’t add any benefits to fighting sides on finasteride, Thanks

 

[Keyser Söze]

Bump Please

 

[docj077]

Everyone has a set point that their body exists at and is comfortable with when it comes to the concentration of testosterone in the body. Increase SHBG will simply bind more testosterone causing a lack of negative feedback at the level of the anterior pituitary and a subseqent increase in testosterone production through increased secretion of GnRH from the anterior pituitary in an attempt to compensate.

You will simply be back where you started. Decreasing endogenous concentrations of androgens and their function only works two ways. Either you completely inhibit their synthesis through internals that block androgen production (ketoconazole or leuprolide, for instance) or you bind the androgen receptor with an internal like flutamide. In one case you'll completely shut down androgen synthesis. With the other, you'll completely inhibit the binding of androgens to the receptor. Neither is advised, but both are highly effective.

Your only alternative to prevent the formation of potent androgens like DHT through 5AR inhibition. Any other treatment will cause feminization or your body will simply compensate with a lack of negative feedback as that is what it's designed to do. Increasing SHBG is not the answer in this case. You will increase SHBG, but will also increase testosterone in a similar manner as their concentrations go hand in hand in the long run. Short term effects will be a testosterone decrease, but without pituitary inhibition your body will upregulate androgen synthesis.

 

[DammitLetMeIn]

Everyone has a set point that their body exists at and is comfortable with when it comes to the concentration of testosterone in the body. .

Ahh, now we're getting somewhere. I agree with this statement. What you refer to is called hormonal balance.

It is my belief that when the body is striving to achieve this but is not being allowed to by another process (e.g. high insulin), this is when baldning occurs. Imo the body cannot always get to optimal balance.

Working out the precise mechanism is key.

Good post.

 

[DammitLetMeIn]

Your only alternative to prevent the formation of potent androgens like DHT through 5AR inhibition. Any other treatment will cause feminization or your body will simply compensate with a lack of negative feedback as that is what it's designed to do. Increasing SHBG is not the answer in this case. You will increase SHBG, but will also increase testosterone in a similar manner as their concentrations go hand in hand in the long run. Short term effects will be a testosterone decrease, but without pituitary inhibition your body will upregulate androgen synthesis.

Ok, I have a question.

Given that insulin resistance is an affliction. Do you believe that the body's correct and true level of SHBG will be in evidence when insulin levels are low (i.e. no insulin resistance)?

(taking into consideration that SHBG is lowered as insulin rises)

 

[docj077]

Your only alternative to prevent the formation of potent androgens like DHT through 5AR inhibition. Any other treatment will cause feminization or your body will simply compensate with a lack of negative feedback as that is what it's designed to do. Increasing SHBG is not the answer in this case. You will increase SHBG, but will also increase testosterone in a similar manner as their concentrations go hand in hand in the long run. Short term effects will be a testosterone decrease, but without pituitary inhibition your body will upregulate androgen synthesis.

Ok, I have a question.

Given that insulin resistance is an affliction. Do you believe that the body's correct and true level of SHBG will be in evidence when insulin levels are low (i.e. no insulin resistance)?

(taking into consideration that SHBG is lowered as insulin rises)

If hypersinsulinemia does indeed cause a decrease in the production of SHBG, then the end result should not be a long term increase in androgen synthesis and blood values. In fact, the body should attempt to counter any decrease in SHBG by decreasing androgen production in the testes as free testosterone (and estrogen in certain concentrations) negatively regulate the anterior pituitary production of GnRH.

The same mechanism still applies to the opposite scenario. Hypoinsulinemia should prevent a decrease in SHBG. However, I do not believe that there would be an increase. If there was, the body would simply upregulate testosterone production and any increase in SHBG would be negated in the long term.

In the short the responses that we discuss on these forums sounds good, but in the long term the body simply adapts to fluctuations in hormone levels. It's designed to do so and that's why so many feedback loops are in place. The only way that this process could cause male pattern baldness is if a person is genetically prone to decreased SHBG production and also prone to a loss of the negative feedback responsible for a subsequent free testosterone increase.

I still have far too many problems with any theory based on diet to commit.

However, I'd probably be more capable of accepting what you're saying if you found a study that says that tightly controlled type I diabetics that take only the appropriate levels of insulin are less prone to male pattern baldness when genetically susceptible. No insulin through autoimmune destruction of the pancreas should prove rather beneficial as that would mean that no insulin-mediated downregulation of SHBG would take place. You find a population that proves the above statement and you might be taking business.

 

[DammitLetMeIn]

However, I'd probably be more capable of accepting what you're saying if you found a study that says that tightly controlled type I diabetics that take only the appropriate levels of insulin are less prone to male pattern baldness when genetically susceptible. No insulin through autoimmune destruction of the pancreas should prove rather beneficial as that would mean that no insulin-mediated downregulation of SHBG would take place. You find a population that proves the above statement and you might be taking business.

Hmm, well I found this:

CONCLUSION: Erectile Dystfunction is impressively prevalent in type 1 diabetes and is associated with age, diabetes duration, chronic complications and decreased androgens.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/quer ... t=Abstract

And this:

CONCLUSIONS - Adult men with fairly controlled type 1 diabetes without complications who are treated with subcutaneous insulin have a tendency to hypogonadism, as reflected by lower free testosterone levels in the presence of similar total testosterone levels and higher SHBG levels.

http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=14843635


There appears to be lower androgenicity in Type 1 diabetic patients. This is obviously (or likely) due to the increased SHBG due to the lack of insulin.

It would make sense that a raised insulin level would bring about higher androgenicity ( & consequently perhaps male pattern baldness).

Its also worth remembering, that although rare, Type 1 diabetics can still suffer from insulin resistance.




I'm still researchin tho...

 

[JamesVegas]

I think this is a very important subject, and not to be overlooked.


First, I'd like to point out that I have very low SHBG -- for completely unknown reasons. My bloodtests show SHBG is only 9 (7-50).

Having SHBG this low has caused me HORRIBLE libido and ED problems all throughout my life, and I'm only 25. It also caused a little gynecomastia. Since medical science in this area is has not made any significant advances, my doctors saw the low total testosterone and treated it with testosterone injections Thus, my total T went up, by my free T doubled over the top of the normal range!

I want desperately to increase my SHBG so that my system can return itself to normal.

I'm having a fasting glucose/insulin test done very soon to determine wether or not I have an insulin problem.

However, if my problem is insulin -- what the hell do I do about it? I already eat only low GI foods -- lean meat, vetables, 2 low GI fruits per day (max), oatmeal in the morning, and my fats come from coconut oil, olive oil, and fish oil. No sugars at all here, 'cept the two fruits (kiwi, avocado.)

 

[powersam]

I want desperately to increase my SHBG so that my system can return itself to normal.

I'm having a fasting glucose/insulin test done very soon to determine wether or not I have an insulin problem.

However, if my problem is insulin -- what the hell do I do about it? I already eat only low GI foods -- lean meat, vetables, 2 low GI fruits per day (max), oatmeal in the morning, and my fats come from coconut oil, olive oil, and fish oil. No sugars at all here, 'cept the two fruits (kiwi, avocado.)

you'll also want to get an insulin response check done, just having your fasting glucose levels checked wont really give you the full picture as it doesnt rule out insulin resistance.

do you eat much bread/potato/rice? try to cut down on them, or even completely remove. get more exercise also if you arent all that active?