[jrkarp]

Vitex is purportedly an excellent anti-prolactin, and it's believed that it stimulates the release of LH.

Can you get an extract of the active in Vitex, or at the least, some bulk Vitex for us?

[yeahright]

Originally Posted by jrkarp

Vitex is purportedly an excellent anti-prolactin, and it's believed that it stimulates the release of LH.

Can you get an extract of the active in Vitex, or at the least, some bulk Vitex for us?

I've used vitex for prolactin purposes. However, Dr.D is of the opinion that it suppresses LH and should only be used for short periods of time if other anti-prolactin alternatives aren't available. Just an FYI. I haven't researched it myself.

[jrkarp]

I've done some preliminary research, which has not indicated LH suppression. I'll have to look deeper. Thanks for the heads up.

Of course, if used on-cycle, LH is already suppressed anyway.

[yeahright]

Originally Posted by jrkarp

I've done some preliminary research, which has not indicated LH suppression. I'll have to look deeper. Thanks for the heads up.

Of course, if used on-cycle, LH is already suppressed anyway.

Please share what you dig up. This product is so cheap it would be great if it could be used in cycle support. Here's a link to the thread I was recalling.

http://anabolicminds.com/forum/stero...ighlight=vitex

[jrkarp]

I'll work on it. I'd like to see Dr.D's documentation on this, because casual searching via google brings up dozens of sites saying it increases LH. If the LH-decreasing effects are so well documented, where are the studies? I'm not saying he's wrong; I'm saying I see no evidence.

I did find this case study, which seems to suggest an increase in LH (and I know a single case study is not authoritative):

Hum Reprod. 1994 Aug;9(8):1469-70. Related Articles, Links


Comment in:
Hum Reprod. 1995 Aug;10(8):2175-6.

Multiple follicular development associated with herbal medicine.

Cahill DJ, Fox R, Wardle PG, Harlow CR.

University of Bristol Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St Michael's Hospital, UK.

After three endocrinologically normal cycles while undergoing unstimulated in-vitro fertilization treatment, a woman took a herbal medicine (Vitex agnus castus) at the beginning of a fourth unstimulated IVF treatment cycle. In this fourth cycle, her serum gonadotrophin and ovarian hormone measurements were disordered. One embryo resulted from the three eggs collected but a pregnancy did not ensue. She had symptoms suggestive of mild ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in the luteal phase. Two subsequent cycles were endocrinologically normal. We do not advocate the use of this herbal medicine to promote normal ovarian function.

Publication Types:
Case Reports

PMID: 7989506 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

And another one that suggests an increase in LH:

J Reprod Med. 2004 Apr;49(4):289-93. Related Articles, Links


A nutritional supplement for improving fertility in women: a pilot study.

Westphal LM, Polan ML, Trant AS, Mooney SB.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA. lynnw@stanford.edu

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of nutritional supplementation on optimization of reproductive health in women. STUDY DESIGN: A double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study was initiated to determine the effects of FertilityBlend (Daily Wellness Co., Sunnyvale, California), a proprietary nutritional supplement containing chasteberry and green tea extracts, L-arginine, vitamins (including folate) and minerals. Changes in progesterone level, basal body temperature, menstrual cycle, pregnancy rate and side effects were monitored. RESULTS: Thirty women aged 24-46 years who had tried unsuccessfully to conceive for 6-36 months completed the study. After 3 months, the supplement group (n = 15) demonstrated a trend toward an increase in mean midluteal phase progesterone level (from 8.2 to 12.8 ng/mL, P = .08) and a significant increase in the average number of days in the cycle with basal temperatures >37 degrees C during the luteal phase (6.8-9.7 days, P = .04). The placebo group (n = 15) did not show any notable changes after treatment in any of the parameters studied. After 5 months, 5 of the 15 women in the supplement group were pregnant (33%), and none of the 15 women in the placebo group were (P <.01). No significant side effects were noted. CONCLUSION: Nutritional supplementation may provide an attractive alternative or complement to conventional fertility therapy.

Publication Types:
Clinical Trial
Randomized Controlled Trial

PMID: 15134155 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

EDIT: Vitex = chasteberry

[custom]

Any particular extract you want from the herb?

[jrkarp]

LOL I/we would need to find out what the active is. Some of what I've read says that it is a combination of different compounds, so maybe just the herb in powdered form would be best.

[jrkarp]

Might also help prevent/relieve BPH and prevent prostate cancer:

Planta Med. 2005 Oct;71(10):910-6. Related Articles, Links


A Vitex agnus-castus extract inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis in prostate epithelial cell lines.

Weisskopf M, Schaffner W, Jundt G, Sulser T, Wyler S, Tullberg-Reinert H.

Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology, University of Basel, Schonbeinstrasse 40, 4003 Basel, Switzerland.

Extracts of Vitex agnus-castus fruits (VACF) are described to have beneficial effects on disorders related to hyperprolactinemia (cycle disorders, premenstrual syndrome). A VACF extract has recently been shown to exhibit antitumor activities in different human cancer cell lines. In the present study, we explored the antiproliferative effects of a VACF extract with a particular focus on apoptosis-inducing and potential cytotoxic effects. Three different human prostate epithelial cell lines (BPH-1, LNCaP, PC-3) representing different disease stages and androgen responsiveness were chosen. The action of VACF on cell viability was assessed using the WST-8-tetrazolium assay. Cell proliferation in cells receiving VACF alone or in combination with a pan-caspase inhibitor (Z-VAD-fmk) was quantified using a Crystal Violet assay. Flow cytometric cell cycle analysis and measurement of DNA fragmentation using an ELISA method were used for studying the induction of apoptosis. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity was determined as a marker of cytotoxicity. The extract inhibited proliferation of all three cell lines in a concentration-dependent manner with IC (50) values below 10 microg/mL after treatment for 48 h. Cell cycle analysis and DNA fragmentation assays suggest that part of the cells were undergoing apoptosis. The VACF-induced decrease in cell number was partially inhibited by Z-VAD-fmk, indicating a caspase-dependent apoptotic cell death. However, the concentration-dependent LDH activity of VACF treated cells indicated cytotoxic effects as well. These data suggest that VACF contains components that inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in human prostate epithelial cell lines. The extract may be useful for the prevention and/or treatment not only of benign prostatic hyperplasia but also of human prostate cancer.
PMID: 16254821 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[yeahright]

Originally Posted by jrkarp

Might also help prevent/relieve BPH and prevent prostate cancer:

This would indicate that it suppresses testosterone production then, would it not?

[jrkarp]

Inhibiting prolactin might raise luteinizing hormone levels:

Suppression of plasma luteinizing hormone by prolactin in the male rat
SJ Winters and DL Loriaux


Although a direct effect of PRL on gonadotropins has been previously suggested, it has not been convincingly demonstrated. The secretion of LH and FSH was studied in response to the stimuli of castration and LH releasing hormone administration in adult male rats made hyperprolactinemic with ectopic pituitary glands. Although plasma LH and FSH levels were similar in non-castrate hyperprolactinemic rats vs. controls, LH concentrations 24 h postcastration were less in hyperprolactinemic animals as compared to controls (P less than 0.001). The level of LH achieved was inversely correlated with the PRL concentration generated (r = -0.71; P less than 0.01). LH suppression was evident in hyperprolactinemic rats at 1 and 3 days postcastration but was no longer observable at 7 days postcastration. After LH releasing hormone administration to non-castrate rats the rise in plasma LH was significantly less in the hyperprolactinemic animals (P less than 0.05). These experiments support the hypothesis that PRL directly inhibits LH secretion, presumably at the pituitary level.

[jrkarp]

Originally Posted by yeahright

This would indicate that it suppresses testosterone production then, would it not?

That's not what I gathered from the abstract. The abstract indicates that it kills certain cells (apoptosis), which would not be caused by a decrease in test.

A VACF extract has recently been shown to exhibit antitumor activities in different human cancer cell lines. In the present study, we explored the antiproliferative effects of a VACF extract with a particular focus on apoptosis-inducing and potential cytotoxic effects.

The extract inhibited proliferation of all three cell lines in a concentration-dependent manner with IC (50) values below 10 microg/mL after treatment for 48 h. Cell cycle analysis and DNA fragmentation assays suggest that part of the cells were undergoing apoptosis.

Also, if you read the abstract, it wasn't in vivo, meaning the study was not conducted in males, it was conducted with cell lines, so there was no test to suppress.

[yeahright]

Diagnose-Me: Luteinizing Hormone supports your hypothesis.

[jrkarp]

States several times that vitex increases LH, which in women increases progesterone, but in men would increase test.

I think this could be a really really good cycle support that we have been missing out on.

[jrkarp]

Bump

[jrkarp]

Bump.

I've been taking NOW Vitex at 1800mg ed for around a week. So far, I have noticed increased sex drive (evidence of increased test), increased ejaculatory volume (evidence of increased LH), and decreased refractory period after sex (evidence of decreased prolactin).

I know n=1, but I am loving this stuff. It's so damn cheap, I highly recommend trying it.

[custom]

Sorry for the delay; I had a few things to do before this.

It should be no problem, but it may be abnothr 2-3 weeks before it is in stock.

[jrkarp]

Thanks man. Do you know what it will be standardized at? The NOW is standardized at like 5%.