02-10-2011, 04:28 AM
Hi Karen,
That's why I started out with only two herbs: hops and fenugreek. Hops is the only anti-androgen, and fenugreek is the only source of progesterone and prolactin. The phyto-estrogen is mainly from hops, only a little from the diosgenin in fenugreek. The hops-fenugreek combination is safe: you just increase doses until you get growth.
But the hops got me depressed. I added maca for mood, but it made me estrogen dominant. I increased fenugreek above hops to add some progesterone.
Then I added goat's rue for more swelling without adding more progesterone than needed, because I was afraid progesterone would stop growth. Lately, I've been taking hops with a light meal, to digest some more xanthohumol (anti-androgen) to 8-prenylnaringenin (phyto-estrogen). I always felt hops had too much anti-androgen.
I do not have much wiggle room around this program. The algebra is also important: I need to control four hormones, so I need four handles on the program:
I want to get estrogen as high as possible with maca.
Hops keeps DHT under control.
Fenugreek prevents estrogen dominance.
Goat's rue maximizes swelling.
That's why I started out with only two herbs: hops and fenugreek. Hops is the only anti-androgen, and fenugreek is the only source of progesterone and prolactin. The phyto-estrogen is mainly from hops, only a little from the diosgenin in fenugreek. The hops-fenugreek combination is safe: you just increase doses until you get growth.
But the hops got me depressed. I added maca for mood, but it made me estrogen dominant. I increased fenugreek above hops to add some progesterone.
Then I added goat's rue for more swelling without adding more progesterone than needed, because I was afraid progesterone would stop growth. Lately, I've been taking hops with a light meal, to digest some more xanthohumol (anti-androgen) to 8-prenylnaringenin (phyto-estrogen). I always felt hops had too much anti-androgen.
I do not have much wiggle room around this program. The algebra is also important: I need to control four hormones, so I need four handles on the program:
I want to get estrogen as high as possible with maca.
Hops keeps DHT under control.
Fenugreek prevents estrogen dominance.
Goat's rue maximizes swelling.