By what mechanism does Vitamin E and Resveratrol effect T levels?
Thanks
Mark
"There's a substance in nature that's been the subject of a whole lot of worldwide research lately. It's called resveratrol and it's a polyphenol found in such foods as peanuts, grapes (and consequently, wine), and mulberries.
Resveratrol has a whole lot of good things going for it, but the one we're most interested in has to do with estrogen. You see, resveratrol acts as a potent estrogen antagonist (while also acting as an agonist in some tissues, similar to the drugs clomiphene and tamoxifen).
In higher concentrations, it acts as an aromatase inhibitor. That means that it stops the body from whittling away at your Testosterone.
This is cool because if a substance stops Testosterone from being converted to estrogen or estradiol, it not only prevents the nasty effects of estrogen (loss of muscle and strength and accrual of body fat), but it increases your level of Testosterone, leading to additional strength and muscle!
What's equally important is that it won't cause your Testicles to go on vacation, i.e. shrink. The testicles don't get a signal from the pituitary to shut down because estrogen has been curtailed!
There's a lot of good data in animal models to back this up. Studies have demonstrated a resveratrol-fueled increase in Luteinizing Hormone and Follicle Stimulating Hormone (the pituitary hormones that signal the testicles to start producing Testosterone) that's 2.7 times greater than placebo.
Additionally, resveratrol caused a 76% increase in sperm count, all of this without any adverse effects. (1)
The aromatase inhibition is thought to occur through two mechanisms: reducing the expression of aromatase, as well as binding to the enzyme and preventing it from doing its dirty work.
And, unlike conventional aromatase inhibitors, resveratrol doesn't cause a decline in endothelial (blood vessel) function. In fact, it seems to improve it! (2-12)
And remember those nasty xenoestrogens I mentioned earlier? Resveratrol seems to occupy the receptor sites, or biological "parking lots," so that these xenoestrogens can't "park" in their spots. That's good.
MORE GOOD STUFF
While athletes should no doubt be excited about these Testosterone-increasing, estrogen-lowering effects of resveratrol, male and female Life Extension people have been all over this substance for other reasons.
An overwhelming amount of literature on resveratrol has demonstrated potent cardiovascular benefits, anti-aging effects, powerful anti-cancer effects, anti-arthritic, and neurological effects (e.g. potential benefits in treating Alzheimer's Disease). Many of these benefits seem to stem from anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects as well as gene modulation. (13-21)
What the Life Extension people are most excited about, though, is that resveratrol might actually extend lifespan.
Remember those calorie deprivation people that believed you could extend your lifespan considerably by just munching on a ridiculously low number of calories each day?
Well, one proposed mechanism by which calorie deprivation can make you live longer is that it activates a protein called SIRT1 (sirtuin 1). Activation of this protein inhibits PPAR-gamma activity and this causes your body to burn fat.
It's not hard to imagine that having less fat might cause you to live longer, but remarkably, resveratrol activates this very same SIRT1 protein.
So even if you're not concerned with extending your life at this point, resveratrol can cause your body to burn fat.
Maybe you've heard of the "French Paradox" (and no, it has nothing to do with why their star soccer player would head butt a guy in the finals of the World Cup)?
It's the medical puzzle where certain populations (French and Greek) seem to experience a low incidence of coronary heart disease while eating a diet high in saturated fat. Epidemiologists have reasoned that it has to do with their daily consumption of red wine.
Well, many researchers have gone one step further and concluded that it was the resveratrol in the wine that was responsible for the French Paradox. (22-25)
This miracle substance has also been shown to have impressive anti-fungal and anti-viral properties, and may even protect the liver from excessive alcohol consumption or oxidative damage from taking too much acetaminophen. (26-39)
If all that wasn't enough, there's a good deal of data demonstrating that resveratrol is an extremely promising compound for the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer! (40-48)
So if taking Testosterone-boosting supplements has made you wary before because of possible prostate risks, resveratrol seems like the answer to your prayers."
• Acts as both an estrogen antagonist and an aromatase inhibitor.
• Increases Testosterone without causing testicular shutdown
• Promotes blood vessel health and cardiovascular health in general
• Exhibits anti-cancer effects, particularly anti prostate-cancer effects
• Exhibits anti-aging effects
• Promotes fat loss
• Has anti-inflammatory properties
• Acts as an anti-oxidant
• Exhibits anti-arthritic effects
• Shows anti-fungal and anti-viral effects
• Acts as a liver protectant
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