Aspartic acid has gotten some attention for a testosterone boost. It’s just one study, but it’s gotten a lot of press:
You can read about it here.
Unfortunately, it seems to be the only study and everyone is jumping on the bandwagon to sell it and cite this study.
If you’ve tried it and had some good results, please comment!
Vitamin D3 Testosterone Booster
I found out that Vitamin D3 is actually not a vitamin per se, but a hormone!
Wikipedia has alot of great things to say about this important substance.
Scientists are finding that we need a lot more vitamin D3 than previously estimated. People are taking 4,6,8,10000 or more units daily. Some estimates indicate we make up to 20000 units when exposed to UVB rays from the sun for a 1/2 hour or more.
If you live in the north and/or don’t get much sun, you need to include this in your supplement portfolio.
Sea Cucumbers!!
My latest food adventure is preparing a dried sea cucumber I bought in a Chinese Herb shop. Sea Cucumbers are very expensive, slightly disgusting looking, very tasty and sought after for their reputed tonic effects. They are often eaten at Chinese weddings and other special occasions in the East as a delicacy.
Sea Cucumbers can be bought already cleaned and soaked but the most common way to find them is dried. They resemble rocks or what you would imagine a petrified cucumber to look like. This picture is a dried one next to one that has soaked for one day:
Preparing them is a time consuming process. I haven’t been able to google a good procedure for preparing them. I’ve been told to boil them with ginger daily and let them soak all day, changing the water once or twice daily. After it softens a bit, slice them open to remove the innards. The sea cucumber must be scrubbed and rinsed daily.
This is another shot of the sea cucumber getting ready to be boiled with slices of ginger:
I know it looks disgusting, but after several days of soaking, boiling, and cleaning, this gelatinous and phallic culinary item will taste delicious.
I plan to saute it with some mushrooms and oyster sauce!
Chinatown Herbal Shops…buyer beware!
Recently I posted about a great Chinese Tonic Patent Medicine I found called Gejie Bushing Wan.
However, you have to be aware of a big problem if you’re not careful in Chinatown. I’m finding more and more instances of knock offs and counterfeits. If you don’t check your ingredients, you’ll learn the hard way. For example, the Gejie Bushing Wan I mentioned above was about 6 bucks and had a plethora of tonic herb ingredients. I found a two dollar version that looked exactly the same, why would I think the ingredients were different? Of course, the cheaper version was missing all the active herbal ingredients.
Be careful with Shou Wu Chih too. I get a lot of hits for Shou Wu Chih on this site, so there’s alot of interest on it. However, read the ingredients!! There’s a knock off version out there that doesn’t have the full ingredients.
Someone joked that “made in China” is becoming the ultimate warning label. I hope this will not become a truth, however, I’m going to have to stop recommending Chinese herbs if problems continue with counterfeits, fakes, contamination and other problems stemming from greed and carelessness. What makes this tragic is that people turn to Chinese tonic herbs to improve their health and well being.
Nitric Oxide From Vegetables
Looking to boost your nitric oxide levels? Then eat your vegetables, especially root and green leafy vegetables. We always knew eating vegetables was good for you, but now studies are showing why. Roots and Green Leaves are high in nitrates. These dietary nitrates will increase your nitric oxide levels. If you suffer from stomach ulcers, heart disease, baldness, erectile dysfunction, high blood pressure, certain immune disorders, slow healing or are interested in boosting your athletic performance, then you want to pay close attention! Beet Juice is one of the easiest ways to boost your nitrate intake–and it tastes great.
I googled around found this juice online. You can read about it on this blog:
Biotta Juice Blog.
Try making your own juice with beets, carrots and spinach.
Here’s an article on how it increases athletic performance:
Athletic Performance Boost from Vegetables.
Now it makes sense to eat and drink your veggies everyday!
Pumpkin Seed Powder — What?
I found an interesting tonic in a local supermarket. It was a bag of pumpkin seed powder. Since it was only about $1.20, I decided to throw it in the basket and try it out. To my surprise, it tasted delicious. It’s a taste that’s hard to describe, obviously nutty like peanut butter, but oddly foreign. It’s dark green in color too. Weird but good.
I always knew pumpkin seeds had the reputation for boosting testosterone and libido (commonly thought to be because of it’s high zinc content) but I was surprised to find that there is much research regarding pumpkin seeds and urinary incontinence and for a healthy prostrate. The bladder control is due to pumpkin seed being able to boost nitric oxide levels. Read this:
rabbits and pumpkin seeds.
Try this stuff out and let me know what you think!
Shou wu chih for sleep?
So, it’s official. Shou wu chih is great for sleep! I’ve been taking Shou wu chih on and off for a long time. I started to suspect that it helped deepen sleep last year. I can say every time I drink Shou Wu Chih I get a great night’s sleep. I’m not really sure what the reason is for it, but it works. As I mentioned in previous posts, there is a version with alcohol out there. Drinking a few ounces of this will definitely make you sleepy, however you should wake up refreshed. Regular wine doesn’t have this effect on me, but shou wu definitely does.
Hmmm, does it contain melatonin?
Shark Liver Update! Watch that cholesterol.
So, I had been taking Shark Liver Oil religiously since October. You can read about it here:
My Shark Oil Post.
After a routine physical last week, boy was I in for a surprise. I was expecting my usual great lipid profile. My cholesterol has been around 200 for the last few years, but with good HDL, low Triglycerides and very low of the bad LDL. However, this time, my LDL almost doubled from last year. The only supplements that were significantly different from other years was the Shark Liver Oil and tocotrienols. The tocotrienols, btw, I feel has contributed to significantly thicker and shinier hair (but more on that in another post). I really don’t think the tocotrienols have contributed to this problem. However, the shark liver oil is not looking too good. Check this study out:
Shark Liver Raises Cholesterol in Hamsters.
Aaargh!! this is horrible. It states: “supplementations of Squalene (SQ) and Shark Liver Oil (SLO) in diets caused significant accumulation of SQ in the liver and adipose tissue. The present results suggest that SQ and SLO are hypercholesterolemic at least in hamsters. Caution has to be taken when SQ or SLO are routinely consumed as health supplements.”
Watch out with this one. To be fair, my HDL was still high and my triglycerides were still low. I’ll test again in 6 months and report on what I find out. For now, I think Shark Liver Oil is not on the recommended list. Until we know more about cholesterol levels and the ratios of the different types of cholesterol and inflammation, be careful.
Chinatown Liquor Stores
Manhattan’s chinatown has at least 3 liquor stores that I’m aware of and probably a lot more. What makes chinatown liquor stores special is that they carry an assortment of chinese medicinal wines. There is one popular wine called Lu Wei Ba (I can’t seem to find a good picture of it anywhere). It’s basically an alcohol extract of deer tail. Deer tail is used in traditional chinese medicine as a tonic. It strengthens the lower back, legs and knees. I’ll publish a recipe soon for Deer Tail Soup, which I found to have a super tonic effect on me that lasted throughout the next few days. I especially noticed my legs felt like they had twice their normal strength after drinking this soup.
A few weeks ago, I found a chinese wine called Chang Chun Yao Chiew from Royal King. Unfortunately, the ingredients were not listed and apparently it’s a secret formula. The word “Yao” gives a clue, “Yao” usually refers to the waist (which means the lower torso and upper legs. This is supposed to be a kidney/liver tonic. Since it came from Royal King, I was comfortable buying it. Royal King is a reputable herbal tonic company. I can’t say I felt a super tonic effect, but I can say the nights I took it, I slept very well. I went through a 750ml bottle fairly quickly. I think this is something that should be taken for awhile to feel it’s effects. In the meantime, I’ll try to hunt down the formula for this tonic.
Browse a chinatown liquor store. Many of these tonics come in attractive bottles. Ask for one called ‘three whips’..i’ll explain that one in another post!
Irish Moss – Jamaican Power Drink
How does great skin, a strong “back”, virility and awesome taste wrapped up in one drink sound? Sounds great to me, so that’s why I’m introducing you to a little known Jamaican treat called Irish Moss or Sea Moss. Chrondus Crispus is a variety of seaweed that is found in coastal regions of North America, the Caribbean and parts of Europe. Many of you have heard of the thickener, Carageenan, which comes from this seaweed. It’s popular is Scotland and Ireland as the main ingredient in pudding. It’s high in Sulfur and other minerals and is touted as male performance booster. Here’s how you make it:
Ingredients:
- Irish Moss
- Flax Seed (aka Linseed)
- Condensed Milk (I use skim milk to lower calorie content)
- Spices–Nutmeg,Cinnamon,Vanilla
- Optional-Gum Arabic
- Optional-Isinglass (Agar)
- Optional-Sugar or Sweetener to taste
- Optional but recommended-Wray and Nephew White Rum
This is how one of the good Irish Moss packages looks like and where to get it.
How to Make it:
Note:I tend to shy away from listing exact amounts. Experiment, you can’t go wrong.
Some people recommend soaking the irish moss overnight first with some lime juice. I found it’s not necessary. Just rinse it and take off any particles. Put in a pan with water to cover and a bunch of the flax seeds and the optional agar and Gum Arabic. Bring to a boil and simmer until the Irish moss melts away (could be an hour or more depending on how much seaweed you’re using). I recommend starting small until you get the hang of it. Keep an eye on it because it can boil over and make a huge mess on your stove. You can use a fork or one of those hand blenders to speed it up. Put in the vanilla and spices with milk and sweetener. Add the Rum if you want an extra kick.
Be creative. Everytime I drink this mixture, my skin looks great for days afterwards. It must have some kind of nitric oxide, PDE-5 inhibition or related effect because this stuff is seriously powerful and works.
Ideas to enhance the effects:
- Boil in some peanuts or peanut butter. If using raw peanut, try to include the skin
- Add a Jamaican Root Drink (these are bitter herbs with reputed aphrodisiac and healing power)
- Try adding Carrot Juice
- Ginseng Extract is often added
- Various combinations of Banana and Oats are also often used
- Gingko extract is sometimes added
Take the time to make this drink and enjoy it’s tonic effect. You’ll be glad you did!
Shou Wu Chih 3 Month Update
It’s roughly 3 months now that I’ve been drinking Shou Wu Chih fairly regularly. It’s hard to take something almost every night even with free dailynudge reminders sent to my cellphone! Daily Nudge. Because it has a fair amount of alcohol in it, I didn’t take it on nights I had a few drinks or got caught up with work late into the evening. It’s non stimulating, so I find it’s a superb tonic to take before bed.
I do have to say, that my hair is much much darker. I haven’t found a hair with a dark root yet, but overall my hair is darker. Why the hair is darker is hard to say. More oil? Any experts out there?
Other benefits
If you read my first post on this product: Gray Hair Experiment you will notice that Shou Wu Chih is one of the more effective tonics out there. It’s taken to restore energy depleted from too much sex or stress. This is a good one to have and it’s certainly not expensive. I’ve been finding mine in a asian grocery store for just a few dollars. And it tastes good!
Fenugreek–Interim Results
I’m a little disappointed with Fenugreek. I have three forms of it:
- Crushed Seed
- Powdered Seed
- 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.
Sept 15 update — Shou Wu Chih and Tocotrienols
Just an update. I’ve been drinking Shou Wu Chih fairly regularly every night. Nothing special to report yet except perhaps more energy and better sleep. I received my tocotrienols the other day. It has an unusual taste and the container it comes in is pretty darn small!! But it says 60 servings…let’s see.
Tocotrienols — Testosterone Booster
I just ordered this:
Toco-8.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, in addition to all the great things it does for our arteries and hair, it also reportedly boosts testosterone. I decided to plunk down the $29 bucks to give this a try. I should have it in a few days. It’s a powder and I heard it tastes delicious.
Admittedly, I should have done a little more research into exactly how it might work for testosterone production and I wanted to look at the studies a little more closely as well. Pub Med didn’t turn up anything obvious, so I’m a little skeptical. Stay posted and please comment with your thoughts and experiences!
Jamaican Roots
Jamaica is a relatively small island but it contains a wealth of tonics. Health consciousness permeates almost every aspect of the culture. You can’t eat anything in Jamaica without being reminded of the health benefit or reason for eating it.
One popular beverage is called ‘Roots’. It comes by many colorful and descriptive names. If you look for ‘Wood Root’ or ‘Roots’, you should be able to find it. One very popular one is this one:
There are about as many different formulations as there are names for this drink. Some are extremely bitter. Some are sweetened and fermented.
Jamaicans say these drinks are ‘good for the back’. You need a strong back to accomplish things in life, among other things.
Try it and report back!
Horny Goat Weed?
Despite it’s unfortunate name (who wants to bring this stuff to the counter), Horny Goat Weed or Epimedium, is an amazing chinese herb. Bodybuilders take it for increased testosterone (weak anecdotal evidence) and for the ‘pump’ (very strong evidence). It’s also thrown into herbal preparations for PDE-5 inhibition effects (very strong scientific evidence).
I like to check http://www.pubmed.com for scientific experiments related to the herbs and supplements I’ll be discussing here.
It’s very cheap as a raw herb you can purchase in any chinese herbal shop or over the net. It’s basically dried leaves packed tightly into little bricks that resemble a pack of dollar bills.
Scientists have found that it has strong Estrogenic qualities. What?? Yes, despite all the hype around male performance, it has been shown effective for woman going through menopause and for the prevention of Osteoporosis! Check out pubmed for the studies.
One substance that has been isolated from epimedium is a chemical called icariin. Again, check pubmed for this one. It’s PDE-5 inhibition rivals viagra. In fact, one study mentioned how they were working on derivatives of icariin to produce even more effective inhibition. Do your research! Check pubmed, don’t just believe me.
Despite all the clinical evidence pointing to epimedium being estrogenic, this herb has a strong reputation for being a testosterone booster. I think it’s probably due to it’s PDE-5 inhibition that get misinterpreted as libido enhancing. Another possibility is that the body absorbs these natural weaker estrogens instead of the dangerous estrogens purported to be in our drinking water, detergents and certain food additives. So it could have a protective effect against those dangerous substances. I haven’t studied the estrogen story in depth, but there seems to be strong suggestions that our environment is polluted with toxic estrogens.
Eucommia Ulmoides
This herb always caught my eye in the herbal shops. It has a really odd name too–Eucommia Ulmoides.
The chinese name is “Du Zhong“.
This is an herb that could be made into a tea without any additional herbs. It can stand on it’s own. Traditionally, it’s used to lower blood pressure (read Nitric Oxide). Interestingly enough, it’s also used to treat back pain and weakness of the legs. It’s recommended for muscle/tendon injuries and impotence.
Look at the picture closely. The white fibrous part is reputed to be the reason why it is good for our fibrous muscles and tendons. The herb has a rubbery feel to it.
One traditional recipe is to boil it with Oxtail for a stew. Don’t use too much. I’ve ruined a few soups by putting too much Eucommia in it. It doesn’t taste very good. I found powdered Eucommia and a teaspoon mixed with tea is not too bad, you can barely taste it.
I haven’t really tested this one. I do have an injury I can try it on. I’ll see how it goes. If anyone else wants to committ to trying this one and report back please do!
Gray Hair Experiment
One of my all time favorite tonics is something called ‘shou wu chih‘ and it’s found in any chinese herbal shop or asian grocery. It looks like this:
The main ingredient in Shou Wu Chih is an herb called polygonum multiflorum. There’s a raw version of this herb that is sold in many herbal tablets for hair loss and graying.. However, traditionally, the raw herb is specially prepared by boiling it in a broth made primarily of black soy beans and then carefully dried. Many people don’t know this, but if you’re interested in this herb for it’s reported hair benefits, you want the prepared herb, not the raw version.
This herb is also called FoTi and He Shou Wu. You’ll probably encounter just as many spellings and pronunciations as you can imagine. You’ll also find countless variations of the legend that states a person who was gray haired and really old, ate this herb and became young again with dark black hair. I’m told in chinese, he shou wu means something like ‘mr. he black hair’.
Many people familiar with Chinese Medicine take this tonic everyday in hopes it will either darken their hair or keep it from turning gray. There is another benefit–this is also a very good overall tonic that is supposed to benefit the ‘Jing‘ if you are depleting your energy from stress or other activities (read my post on Jing-Chi-Shen). It’s purported to be a reliable youth tonic and powerful libido enhancer. I really like the taste of this one. There are two versions–one made with alcohol (it’s labeled ‘cooking wine’ in some stores) and one made with water.
I could go into all the other ingredients, but you could google it. There’s a wealth of information on it.
The Experiment
So, I’m not happy that I sprouted some gray hair on my temples and scattered throughout what used to be very black hair. I’m going to take this everyday and report on results after a few months. If I see some gray hair with dark roots coming in, I will claim this a success.
I’m thinking about picking this up as well:
Shou Wu Pian is a concentrated version of the single herb in a small black pill. It’s supposed to be taken for a long period of time to see results. I think I may add this to the regimen.
The products are in my amazon store on this page. Your best bet if you live near a metropolitan area or asian community is to buy it yourself. These products are inexpensive. Try my links or search the web for a better deal. In the future, I may setup a store. Let’s see…