37 replies to this topic

[Stefanovic]

I've just called to have the results of my bloodwork. Vitamins, minerals, all ok but my cortisol levels seem to be elevated and I need to see an endocrinologist for further examination.

The thing I noticed over the last couple of months was that new hair growth came in white and at the age of 30 I have the hair of someone being in his sixties. I really hate this and hair dyes grow out so fast ( of course I do it but it doesn't feel permanent)

Of course my doctor says it's irreversible but I wonder if anyone can help me with this?

[HoldingTheFaith]

I also have high blood cortisol and some of my recent beard hair is very pale, not sure if greying but it is something that never happened before. Is your hair also very hard/thick, lacks shine (if not greasy) and tends to look awful after showers?

Yeah I can help. You need adaptogens, Rhodiola and Ashwagandha are the most popular, but there are dozens of others. Rhodiola tends to make insomnia worse though, that´s why I haven´t and probably won´t try it.

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/23439798

Ah yeah and of course we cannot expect pills to do everything for us, whatever that stresses you has to be identified and avoided or dealt with. Stress really ages/kills a person quickly.

Edited by HoldingTheFaith, 05 February 2014 - 07:39 PM.

[Stefanovic]

Thank you so much, holding the faith. You're a great help. Yes my hair looks thick but dull. Could you tell me what a good dosage would be and after how much time I should see results? Do you know about people having been in my situation and reversed it.

Edited by Stefanovic, 05 February 2014 - 09:41 PM.

[HoldingTheFaith]

I´ll be honest, I haven´t yet taken ashwagandha, but will do in a few weeks. Anyway, you can check here: http://www.longecity...a-miracle-herb/ how much it takes for these herbs to kick in (normally you feel it the first day) and how people feel with doses. I have taken other herbs though, and normally I feel the effects the first day or I never do lol, but maybe the metabolism of people plays a role in that.

Nope I don´t really know anyone who go his dark hair back, however you are 30 and if the greying was because of stress (high cortisol points to that, how high btw?) it should improve or at leas stop. I have read dozens of reviews in healhstore websites about this and that supplement (for example fo-ti which it is also said to help with stress but is more like specific for darkening hair) saying how it reversed greying and I am sure if you google it you´ll find someone in forums.

Edited by HoldingTheFaith, 05 February 2014 - 10:04 PM.

[Stefanovic]

Thanks a lot. Would you also take fo-ti? I already take a supplement named turn gray away ( I'm in my 7th week) and it contains fo-ti. To me the proof of ashwagandha seems a lot more reliable.

I've just checked some pics taken in 2011 and no grey hair was noticable. Now it looks like my first gray hair appeared about 40 years ago. I just don't like the feeling that my doctor says grey hair is irreversible but most doctors are like that I suppose.

[niner]

I hope something works out for the grey hair. If you find something that works, let me know. Since your hair went grey very rapidly, you might be in a different category than people who got grey gradually. I have to say, though, if someone has a supplement that reliably makes a significant difference in grey hair, they would make a fortune. This makes me think there's nothing like that on the market. They got pretty amazing results in that Ashwagandha paper, at least as far as standardized test responses and cortisol levels vs. placebo. If your greying is caused by stress, maybe it would help.

[Stefanovic]

Thanks, Niner. What would be a good dosage for an adult man and what brand would be okay? You see lots of differences in prizes.

BTW the topical pseudocatalase seems to work if you're patient. But that's another topic-story I guess.

[Stefanovic]

Got a letter with the results. It's 17,1 in the evening and it should be between 2 and 12 according to that paper.

[HoldingTheFaith]

Mine was 26! Limit here was 19. But I am only 22 years old so no grey hair yet, just a wired person pretty haggard from shitty sleep. I am expecting a lot of improvement from Ash and other things I will be trying.

You should take at least 500 mg per day of a quality product with 5% of whitanolides. The best is said to be KSM-66, Nutrigold, which also has clinical studies.

Yeah I would also take Fo-Ti, but that is me, for me my appearance is priority, is one of the few things I like of myself. The best for that would be Hyperion Herbs, which have a 10:1 extract and they sell it in bulk which is always more bang for the buck.

Good luck!

Edited by HoldingTheFaith, 06 February 2014 - 12:28 PM.

[Stefanovic]

Thank you very much. Are there any scientific reports when it comes to fo-ti?

Some recommend me 5 grams of ashwagandha in powder form. That's a big difference.

[HoldingTheFaith]

That´s up to you, either an extract or large doses of the whole root will have similar effects. The traditional millenary ayurvedic way of taking it is 5 grams 3 times per day. The modern alternative health style uses extract of standarized actives. I don´t know which one is better but I can only get extracts most of the time.

This is what I found: http://www.sciencedi...378874111001644

Edited by HoldingTheFaith, 06 February 2014 - 01:36 PM.

[Stefanovic]

Thank you so much, it's really sweet. So 500 mg once a day would equal 3 times 5 grams of the powder?

In that study they mention topical fo-ti and nothing about color.

[HoldingTheFaith]

Yeah I know. Is worth a shot though, in chinese Ho Whou Shou means "he who has dark hair" and is used traditionally for hair.

Maybe it would be equal, maybe worse, maybe better. Is hard to know. What we know is that at least 300 mg per day of full spectrum extract standarized whitanolides or more is effective that lowering cortisol and improving stress response. Ash does more than that though, it also stimulates neuronal repair etc I said 500 mg because most producst will have that dosage.

[Stefanovic]

Thanks again. Do you think those 500 mg are also sufficient to boost testosterone levels? The brand you mention is hard to order in Europe ( not impossible but I'd rather buy things in Europe). Does anyone know about a good and potent brand you can order here?

Edited by Stefanovic, 06 February 2014 - 05:17 PM.

[HoldingTheFaith]

I am from Spain dude! I told you about that brand because I think it is the best one, but I cannot get it either (technically I can but I don´t want to risk with customs using a new website). Most brands with a root extract that contain 5% whitanolides are good. Personally I am going to try Ayush Herbs. Some people say Sensoril is the best (8% whitanolides), but it is a leaf and root extract, and the leafs are somewhat toxic. Jarrow, Life Extension, those trusted brands carry sensoril, probably is safe.

[Stefanovic]

Thanks a lot. In my country they sell the now foods version and also powder for 6,99. Requested some info.
My testosterone levels were also lowered but that's another topic I suppose.

[HoldingTheFaith]

NOW is not bad I guess, but with that one I would take two capsules then, has less whitanolides. I have had success with NOW Maca and Horny Goat weed (aphrodisiacs). Their products are cheap, and the quality is poor, but some of them are good enough to do its job. You can always buy in the internet, it is a very good option that I use.

Ashwagandha I doubt has any significant impact on testosterone, at least people don´t take it for that, although in human studies indeed increases test.

Edited by HoldingTheFaith, 06 February 2014 - 09:02 PM.

[Jeoshua]

I would like to corroborate the recommendation of Ashwagandha, from a different point of view.

My stacks, as of late, have included a lot of substances that increase catchecolie levels and metabolism. This is a good thing for my mental state, but some of the mechanisms that cause it are not. Cortisol and Adrenaline levels are primary among those. So in the hunt for something that would alleviate these symptoms, and thereby reduce anxiety and anger, I found Ashwagandha.

I do not "belive in" adaptogens. As a rule, every one I've tried has been less than satisfactory, and the supposed mechanism of their action seems extremely unscientific, to me. But Ashwagandha has a lot of evidence behind it that shows that it does decrease Cortisol levels, and western science even offers a mechanism for it's action that makes sense (21-hydroxylase inhibition and hormonal mimicry). There are also some other neurological effects, but for the purposes of this discussion, they are moot.

Anecdotally, when taking 250mg Ashwagandha KSM-66 extract (standardized to 8% withanolides from the root portion), I feel very much level headed, calm, peaceful, and the anger and anxiety that my stack usually causes is effectively eliminated. I still get upset at things when they are upsetting, but that is no longer followed by the rush of Adrenaline and the following crash of Cortisol.

[Stefanovic]

I've gone through a lot of stress lately and now many people tell me: well if you'd have much stress, your cortisol should be low, but mine is too high and my hair has gone grey. I just don't get it the cortisol principle.

[Jeoshua]

Cortisol is used by the body when you are going through stressful situations, either emotional or physical. So the people saying that it should be low are wrong, unless they don't see how you are stressed.

[nowayout]

Cortisol is used by the body when you are going through stressful situations, either emotional or physical. So the people saying that it should be low are wrong, unless they don't see how you are stressed.

Agreed, and it should also be abvious from this that just lowering cortisol itself with medication isn't a good idea - you will still be stressed and your body will be able to deal with the stress even less.

[HoldingTheFaith]

Well Ash and similar herbs are not medication, and they don´t directly or plainly lower cortisol which would be detrimental; rather they modulate/improve the HPA axis activation aka stress response. Then this reflects as a lower level of cortisol in blood.

Today I found another white hair in my head! This will be resolved soon hopefully with the adaptogens I am gonna try... I am only 22.

Edited by HoldingTheFaith, 07 February 2014 - 04:30 PM.

[Stefanovic]

I wonder if wheatgrass adds something extra to ashwagandha.

[chung_pao]

Phosphatidylserine + Fish oil does wonders for cortisol. (400 mg + 1-2g DHA)

If I'm in a bad mood, stressed, or just generally speedy on caffeine, eating a small can of mackerel (100g), which contains 400 mg PS and 1-2g DHA does wonders.
It can literally turn me from raging to blissful, in 30 minutes. It's amazing.
I recommend PS+DHA because I assume those are the active ingredients responsible for the effect.

Ashwagandha worked for me in the past, but I developed tolerance. The nutrients I mentioned didn't have that side-effect.
IMO, try both. See what works for you in the long run.

Edited by chung_pao, 07 February 2014 - 05:10 PM.

[HoldingTheFaith]

Hey chung, good point. How much did it take to develop tolerance from Ash? I have read we should cycle adaptogens, the same happens with herbal test boosters,

[Stefanovic]

Thanks.

How about work outs to get cortisol back to normal? Some say power training plus interval is the best and not more than 2-3 sessions a week?

[Stefanovic]

PLUS: I'm looking to buy fo ti in Europe in bulk, just dont know what I should be aware of, should look out for,.....

[Stefanovic]

Okay after a good two weeks of taking now foods ashwagandha, I've had my blood checked again. This time in the morning. My cortisol was 23 and should be in the 7-28 range which is normal. The effects on hair are not yet visible. I pulled many white hairs and they were still white at the roots. My B12, copper, zinc and iron were normal.

[HoldingTheFaith]

That is still high IMO but looks like soem slight improvement.

[Stefanovic]

Last time it was taken in the evening and then it was not in the normal range, now it is but maybe it's still too high to have an impact on hair color. I'm also taking fo-ti.
I don't know what number 17 in the evening would equal in the morning on an empty stomach?

Blood was checked after two weeks, so that's not a long time to have major changes IMHO?