Curcumin boosts testosterone

Curcumin boosts testosterone levels!!

I’ve written about the viagra effects of curcumin here.

In this post, it was shown in scientific studies that curcumin can boost nitric oxide levels better than viagra.

In 2014, Scientists learned that curcumin boosts testosterone levels too!

In a study written about at Ergo-log.com, it was noted that curcumin can boost testosterone levels by 257 percent.

In the curcumin group the testosterone concentration in the blood was 257 percent higher than in the control group

Apparently, curcumin, which comes from the common Indian spice Turmeric, boosts the levels of antioxidants in the testes and helps them function better.

The human equivalent in the rat study is about 1 to 1.5 grams of curcumin, according to the writers at ergo-log.com.

That’s really easy to get via supplementation.

You can also start adding the raw spice to your smoothies.

Beat Winter Blues with Curcumin

Feeling down? You can beat winter blues with curcumin. There are many studies like this that show curcumin or turmeric are effective anti-depressants.

Curcumin, the principal curcuminoid derived from the spice turmeric, influences several biological mechanisms associated with major depression, namely those associated with monoaminergic activity, immune-inflammatory and oxidative and nitrosative stress pathways, hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity and neuroprogression. We hypothesised that curcumin would be effective for the treatment of depressive symptoms in individuals with major depressive disorder.

Seems like every bad thing is caused by inflammation. A great anti-inflammatory like curcumin is a good thing to add to your diet and your personal regimen.

You can get a great supplement for this here:

Or if you want a powerful pure powder try this:

Curcumin Better Than Viagra

Believe it or not, curcumin (the most famous chemical and anti-inflammatory derived from turmeric root used in asian cooking) could be more effective than sildenafil. Check out this pub med study Efficacy of a novel water-soluble curcumin derivative versus sildenafil citrate in mediating erectile function.

In conclusion, NCD (Novel Curcumin Derivative) could enhance erectile function with more efficacy and more prolonged duration of action.

Here’s another study that says it can be effective for up to a week vs a few hours for Viagra.
You can read it here.

Results. In group 2, there was a significant progressive maintained elevation of HO activity and cGMP tissue levels
starting from the first hour in subgroups 3 and 4, whereas, the rise in HO activity and cGMP started from second
hour regarding the other rat subgroups. Sildenafil effect decreased after 3 hours. In group 3, there was a significant
maintained elevation of HO activity and cGMP tissue levels extended to 1 week as compared to controls for all rat
subgroups that received both forms of curcumin. In group 4, long-acting curcumin derivative exhibited more
significant potentiation of intracavernosal pressure as compared to control and to the pure curcumin.
Conclusion. Water-soluble long-acting curcumin derivative could mediate erectile function via upregulating cavernous
tissue cGMP.

I’ve been looking for a water soluble curcumin supplement. They are hard to find, but this looks like an early one:

Increase effectiveness of medications with Long Pepper

Be careful when dosing medications and eating spices and herbs like Long Pepper. These substances can slow down the breakdown and removal of some substances increasing the amount that gets in your blood. This has the added benefit of lowering your dosage. Many people save money dosing PDE-5 inhibitors like Cialis and Viagra by taking some Long Pepper with it.

Long Pepper (Piper Longum) or “Pippali” is a spice and medicinal that has a long history of use in asia for a variety of ailments. It’s considered a powerful aphrodisiac and a tonic for the whole body, especially the digestive system.
It looks like this and you can buy them in online or in indian supermarket where they sell herbs and spices:

Piper Longum or Pippali
Piper Longum or Pippali

Did you know that if you take turmeric with Long Pepper you will absorb the active ingredient curcumin 2000% better than when taken alone?

You can read about that here..

The article states that One study found that when even 2g of curcumin was ingested, its serum levels were very low. However, when 20mg piperine was added to curcumin the bioavailability increased by 2000%. The bioavailability, serum levels and levels of absorption of curcumin all improved dramatically. Thus, if one takes turmeric, most of it is unutilized unless supplemented by addons such as black pepper.

As stated above, the ability to absorb more curcumin fromm turmeric is due to long pepper slowing down the breakdown and removal of curcumin in the body, so more is absorbed.

It’s very possible to overdose on your medication if you’re not aware of this fact. Grapefruit is another seemingly innocuous substance that can overdose your medication. Grapefruit juice also slows down the removal of some medications in your body and thereby increase the absorption rate.

On the flip side, you can increase the effectiveness of medications with Long Pepper. Especially if some of those substances are hard to absorb. Do your research and always check with your doctor first.

Coconut Milk Kefir

I was really enjoying making my milk based kefir. I got the ratios correct to make creamy, sour milk kefir that was not only delicious, but good for you. Then I saw the video, Forks Over Knives. Suddenly, my delicious and healthy probiotic dairy drink didn’t seem so healthy. For those of you who are not aware of this video, it’s a must see. It’s available on Netflix.
The video is all about how we should be eating a plant based diet and eschew any animal based products from our diets. Doing so can virtually start to eliminate risks for so many diseases that affect us. It’s never too late to start!
But this isn’t about a vegetarian diet and it’s health benefits. It’s about Coconut Milk Kefir and how darn good it tastes!
So, take those milk kefir grains and instead of adding fresh milk, add a can of coconut milk. It will be ready in 24-36 hours depending on how much kefir grain and coconut milke you use. I used to think there were alot of calories in coconut milk until a checked yesterday. A can of coconut milk only has about 200 calories. There’s a good video at this site that shows you how easy it is to make.
I think Coconut Milk Kefir is a great compromise. You get the super benefits of probiotics and the great health benefits of coconut fat..and you don’t consume dairy products.
Try it!

Know your turmeric

I found out there are many forms of turmeric. Some sources indicate there are over 70 different types of this wonderful herb used in cooking and medicine. Many people are familiar with the popular type used in most curries and other recipes. It is sometimes called “Madras.” It contains the main chemical curcumin, which is the star of this herb due to it’s anti-inflammtory, anti-bacterial and overall healing properties. There are thousands of studies of this chemical and herb that you can read about on the net.
However, I recently learned there’s another main form of this herb called “Allepey”. It’s a darker orange color and has about 6.5% curcumin vs 3.5% for Madras turmeric.
The lesson here is find out what kind of turmeric your application or recipe calls for. Allepey turmeric has a different taste and aroma since it’s much stronger than Madras turmeric.
You can buy both versions of the spice at my favorite shop in NYC, Kalustyans.
This site has a good overview of the different types of turmeric.

A Tasty Way To Take Turmeric

Turmeric is a “must have” addition to your health regimen. The research abounds with reports of reduced inflammation and many other benefits for the immune system.

Turmeric powder

Turmeric is a main ingredient in curry, however, you don’t need to make or buy curry to enjoy it’s health benefits.
Here’s a great way to take a teaspoon or two of turmeric:
Scramble two or three raw eggs with a couple teaspoons of turmeric powder and cook your eggs as usual.
Turmeric is often used as a dye, so your eggs will have a beautiful orange color.
It’s a tasty way to take turmeric!

Real Cinnamon and Honey

Many people are mixing cinnamon with honey for health benefits, weight loss, acne, hair growth and arthritis. A google search of “honey and cinnamon” brings up the same post about the benefits of this combination. It’s almost comical the way so many websites repost the same exact post. Cinnamon has made the news recently for its ability to reduce blood sugar and as a powerful antioxidant. However, be really careful with cinnamon. I found out there is a “real cinnamon” and then a similar substance that tastes like cinnamon called ‘Cassia’. Cassia is what most of us in America think is cinnamon. It’s not. What’s worse is that Cassia contains high amounts of Coumarin, which is toxic to our livers and kidneys. Taking too much cassia, thinking you’re doing something good for the body, can actually kill you!! It’s rat poison!
I found a site that shows a picture of the two and how to tell the difference at this link.
Cassia is dark and thick like a tree bark. It looks like one thick hollow tube. Real cinnamon looks like rolls of paper. It’s very ‘cigar’ like. Real cinnamon comes from Ceylon and is sometimes called ‘Ceylon Cinnamon’. I found out that most Mexican Cinnamon is imported from Ceylon. Saigon Cinnamon, Chinese Cinnamon and most unmarked Cinnamon in the supermarket is really Cassia–the ‘bad stuff’.
Be careful!

Ginger — An easy way to boost testosterone

Ginger is making the rounds as a powerful testosterone booster. In addition, evidence is showing that ginger will increase the weight and size of the reproductive glands.
In this study, testosterone levels doubled by taking ginger:
Ginger Doubles Testosterone Levels.
Ginger Boost Testosterone and Libido
A martial arts master I knew told me that it’s very important to crush the ginger to release it’s healing potential. He believed Ginger could cure just about anything!
If you are having trouble finding good quality ginger, this powdered version from SWAD works great:

Fenugreek–Interim Results

I’m a little disappointed with Fenugreek. I have three forms of it:

  1. Crushed Seed
  2. Powdered Seed
  3. Testofen Extract

For the first few days of taking the crushed seed, I felt a distinct energy boost. I also felt there was a nitric oxide enhancing mechanism, but could not really find strong evidence on the net. Eagerly, I tried the Testofen Extract because it was getting rave reviews over at Bulk Nutrition. However, I have to give this one a thumbs down, I’m not noticing anything sustainable. I must have had a placebo type reaction for the first two days because I was singing it’s praises! The powdered seed just made me feel really tired. I’m not interested in experimenting anymore with it.
Verdict: If you’re interested in trying Fenugreek, I would recommend the crushed seed. There’s something to it that is sustainable over more than a few days, but don’t expect any big miracles. I’m not sure I can really consider this one a tonic.

Fenugreek — Most underrated testosterone booster?

I’m taking a closer look at Fenugreek. There are a few concentrated extracts marketed under the name ‘testofen‘ or ‘fenotest‘. But you can buy the pure seeds economically. I found crushed fenugreek seeds for $2.99 for 4 ounces at Kalustyans in NYC during a recent trip. Why am I interested in Fenugreek? Check out what people are saying over at Bulk Nutrition about this herb. It seems to be a bonafide testosterone booster. I believe there is a powerful nitric oxide enhancing effect with this product. It’s hard to believe no one really knows about this. Companies market proprietary products to boost nitric oxide and testosterone to maximize profit margins, so there won’t be big money marketing this cheap herb.
Comparisons to viagra, testosterone boosting, and fat burning are making rounds in the web, however, i haven’t easily come across any supporting real scientific studies. There were some studies that showed an insulin sensitizing effect, which is good for type 2 diabetics and people with insulin resistance. If anyone has anything to share please do so.
I’m highly recommending this one for further study.

Chyawanprash — Ancient Elixir From India

Chyawanprash is a well known tonic from India.  It can be found in almost any indian grocery.  It looks like this:

It’s a combination of various herbs and spices (depending on source) but they all should have a base of honey and clarified butter, called ‘ghee’.  It has an odd sour and sweet taste.  Some formulations could have up to 80 ingredients, according to Wikipedia.

Everyone I speak to from India knows about this tonic and many say they were forced to take it when they were young.  One person told me it was to build muscle and make someone strong.

I’ve tried it and I have to admit I didn’t feel any immediate benefits from it.  For some reason, I just can’t commit to taking it regularly enough to say one way or the other.  I think it’s an interesting tonic because the principle ingredient is amla, which is supposed to be a powerful antioxidant.  I also noticed it contains tribulus, which is another herb touted to improve testosterone levels. 

I’m including Chyawanprash because of it’s popularity and to see if anyone has any direct experience with it to say ‘yay or nay’.  There’s a ton of marketing material on this one, so it’s difficult to sort through what’s real and what’s hype.