Three Testosterone Boosters (that actually work)

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated January 2023. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter! Stefan Burns YouTube

Effective natural testosterone boosting herbs exist and can help you reach that next level, whether that’s improved athletic performance and general health, better libido and virility, an amelioration of mental health issues like anxiety and depression, and in general more confidence and swag.

Author Stefan Burns 405 lb Deadlift at 170 lbs bodyweight - 12/28/2022

Testosterone is a hormone produced primarily in the testicles but also in the adrenal glands, and it governs over lean body tissue by increasing muscle mass, bone density, and by reducing and redistributing body fat. Testosterone also has neurocognitive effects and stimulates higher-risk higher-reward seeking behaviors. Testosterone is one of the most important hormones for male development, and while this article is geared towards men, testosterone is also an important hormone for women. Low testosterone levels in women can lead to a loss in libido and reduced bone density as well as hormonal problems. Low testosterone levels in men and women can result in mental health conditions like anxiety and depression.

Testosterone is a vitally important hormone, an average testosterone levels have been declining in men for decades, and it also generally declines with age for men in western populations (1), though age related testosterone decline doesn’t appear to happen when exceptional health is maintained (2). There are many factors which have caused this, the biggest being changing western culture itself which doesn’t incentivize testosterone-stimulating behaviors as much anymore. Other testosterone reducing factors include circadian rhythm disruptions (like excess blue light at night and low light in the morning) and excess xenoestrogens entering into the body from plastics and phthalates.

The same question is often asked by men who have checked their testosterone levels and find that they are low and also by men who in the normal range and are looking to gain every masculine advantage, and it is:

“Is there a natural safe way to raise testosterone levels effectively and noticeably?”

The answer to this question is a definitive YES, and in this article we’ll discuss three herbs which actually boost testosterone levels, and they are cistanche, tongkat ali, and ashwagandha.

In the expandable section below I present some valuable foundational information on the limitations and potentials of hormone modulating herbs, or if you want to get right to learning more about these three herbs which have good scientific evidence supporting their testosterone boosting properties which I have also personally tested, then keep scrolling.

• Important Considerations on Hormone Modulating Herbs

  There is a lot of contradictory information on this topic which makes things confusing for people learning about natural ways to support and optimize hormone levels. It’s a common misconception that no effective natural testosterone boosters exist, and that any herbal supplement labeled as a testosterone booster is a scam. To clear the water in order to find the testosterone boosting herbs that do work, we must first identify what is making the water “cloudy” in the first place:

  1. Well-designed scientific investigations into the biophysiological effects of many herbs are severely lacking, many of the studies that have been done haven’t been replicated by other research groups, and sometimes replication studies showed contradictory effects (possibly due to poor study design, limited sample sizes, and biologic differences amongst research participants).

  2. Few human studies exist, most are done with mice/rats, and often these studies examined just the effect of supplementing with the main active compound in an herb rather than the entire herb, which is a major confounding variable.

  3. Well-known herbs like maca and horny goat weed have libido enhancing effects and can help with erectile dysfunction, which makes people believe it’s raising their testosterone levels, but no strong evidence supports this (3, 4).

  Against this backdrop it’s widely recognized and accepted that plants/herbs like soy and licorice root contain biologically relevant phytoestrogens (5, 6).

  The truth of the matter is that many tens of thousands of unique plant phytochemicals exist, each with their own diverse biologic effects, and some of these are endocrine system adaptogens which raise/lower hormone levels. Estrogenic herbs exist and androgenic herbs also exist.

  The safety of a testosterone boosting herb is also important. For example the South African herb Bulbine Natalensis, traditionally used as an aphrodisiac, appears to be a very potent testosterone booster (in rats, 7), but the 10:1 extract doses used to boost testosterone levels the most (50 mg/kg for rats, human equivalent dose is 8mg/kg bodyweight) have evidence of elevating liver and kidney enzymes which indicates stress to the liver and kidneys, while also causing some unfavorable lobules and tubules to develop (8). More research is clearly needed.

  Boosting testosterone levels is one thing, being healthy is another, and the two don’t have to be in opposition to each other but instead can occur in tandem. Having adequate testosterone levels, especially as a man, is a key part of being optimally healthy and living a long life.

Here are the basic requirements as I see it for any testosterone-boosting herb to fulfill that you’re considering to use:

1. Stimulates testosterone production and increases free testosterone levels while keep estrogen levels healthy

2. Contains phytochemical antioxidants which are health beneficial and keeps the body in a safe anti-inflammatory state

3. Has a long history of traditional use and is safe when used at effective dosages

Cistanche, tongkat ali, and ashwagandha nicely fulfill these requirements, and we’ll start with the herb I have the most personal experience with and I have noticed to be the most potent…cistanche.

Cistanche - A Mega Testosterone Booster

Cistanche is a genus of perennial herbs consisting of 22 known species that grow in arid deserts throughout Eurasia. Cistanche is unique in that it’s a parasitic plant that draws water and nutrients from its host plant. In Traditional Chinese Medicine Cistanche is considered the “ginseng of the desert” and is used primarily to correct yang (androgen) deficiency (9).

Cistanche deserticola and Cistanche tubulosa are the two main species of cistanche that are harvested and prepared into herbal supplements and extracts. They only differ slightly in the composition of their chemical constituents, and Cistanche tubulosa is more commonly found as a supplement than Cistanche deserticola.

Recommended Cistanche Supplement

The most basic form of cistanche is a raw powder made from the stem of the plant. Most cistanche supplements are extracts created from this raw powder, condensing the main active constituents and standardizing them to certain percentages.

Nootropics Depot sells a Cistanche tubulosa supplement, available as a powder or in capsules, which has been standardized to contain minimum 50% echinacoside + 10% acetoside, the two main testosterone-boosting chemicals identified in cistanche.

I have used this specific cistanche supplement many times and prefer it over others on the market because it’s highly effective, isn’t extremely bitter (like others are), and contains the highest percentages of phytochemicals echinacoside and acetoside.

With cistanche I boosted my free testosterone by 53% in just 30 days as part of a self-designed cistanche and cholesterol protocol. Click that link if you’d like to learn more about the protocol (so you can try it yourself) and to see my results which include my before and after free testosterone levels, gym log, and DEXA lean body mass scans.

What does Cistanche do?

In addition to raising free testosterone levels, cistanche also works beneficially with the brain and kidneys, has metabolism boosting effects, simulates the immune system, and is a potent aphrodisiac. Yeah it’s a pretty great combo for most men in the modern world we live in!

• Cistanche and Testosterone

  Cistanche stimulates testosterone production by improving the transport of cholesterol (the base molecule of all hormones) to the testosterone-producing Leydig cells of the testes. Cistanche also appears to increase the gene expression which signals for greater testosterone production. Acteoside also has an antiestrogenic effect by modulating the conversion of testosterone into estrogen, a necessary feature for an effective and safe testosterone booster. Learn more about how cistanche boosts testosterone with this article that goes in-depth.

• Cistanche Brain Interactions

  Cistanche improves brain health by preventing neuron cell death, promotes neurogenesis, limits amyloid plaque deposition, and increases dopamine, noadrenaline, and serotonin neurotransmitter concentrations in the brain. These factors make cistanche useful for the treatment of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease as well as for mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and brain fog. It’s a combination of cistanche’s effects on the brain and sex organs that make it one of the best natural libido enhancing herbs.

• Cistanche Metabolic Interactions

  Cistanche improves metabolism by enhancing mitochondrial function, remedying Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction (aka chronic fatigue syndrome), improving the resiliency of lactic acid and blood urea nitrogen pathways, and in general by increasing autonomic nervous system activity. The adrenal glands produce both cholesterol and testosterone, and it’s not uncommon for certain testosterone boosters to overly stress the adrenals, leading to chronic fatigue, and this makes cistanche’s protective effect on the adrenal glands highly valuable.

• Cistanche and Immunity

  Cistanche improves immunity by increasing the kill rate of cancer cells, stimulating the proliferation of antibodies, beneficially modulating memory T cells, and by activating the phagocytic (engulfing) function of macrophages. As a herb containing powerful antioxidants cistanche prevents DNA damage and unwarranted cellular apoptosis (cell death).

• Cistanche as an Aphrodisiac

  Cistanche has a notable aphrodisiac effect because it triggers the release of dopamine in parts of the brain responsible for sexual arousal, by improving the functions of the testes, by reducing latency periods in-between erections, and through its general vaso-relaxing properties. Cistanche increases sperm count, increases their motility, and reduces the amount of abnormal sperm.

How does Cistanche Work?

Cistanche has these many different and beneficial biologic effects because of the unique phytochemicals it contains. The most notable of these are phenylethanoid glycosides, echinacoside, acteoside, and tubuloside B.

Firstly, these compounds and others like flavonoids are strong antioxidants. An antioxidant is a compound has the ability to give away a free electron to stop an electron-deficient free radical compound from oxidizing something. This process makes the body more stable at the atomic scale. Antioxidants keep certain chemicals which are naturally more unstable (because they have multiple receptors they need to be able to bind to, like dopamine and testosterone) protected from oxidation and this improves cellular signaling and functioning. It’s partly because cistanche (and the other two herbs tongkat ali and ashwagandha) keep the body in a more anti-inflammatory state that the body is then able to secrete valuable hormones and neurotransmitters like testosterone and dopamine without fear of them being oxidized and therefore squandered.

Cistanche also alters gene expression to upregulate steroidogenesis and cholesterol transport which results in more testosterone being produced by the Leydig cells of the testes. Testosterone can be better protected from oxidation by being bound to SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin), and in a more overall anti-inflammatory environment, more free testosterone can safely float around allowing for greater androgenic masculinization effects to occur. In effect, men can better be men, and for women this can improve fertility and make pregnancy possible.

Phytochemicals also interact directly with cells and the microbiome, which adds another layer of depth to how cistanche works that is still poorly understood and requires more scientific research.

Dosing Instructions for Cistanche

If using the Nootropics Depot Cistanche Supplement, the serving size is 200 mg, and that is a good dose to begin with. Take the cistanche on a relatively empty stomach in the morning or at night. I typically stir it into my morning coffee alongside other herbs like chaga mushroom, cinnamon, and cacao.

If you are a larger individual (>200 lbs, 90 kg), or you’re not noticing the effects of the cistanche after a week or two, you can increase the dose to 400 mg, taken either once daily or split into two 200 mg doses morning and night.

Personally while I find the masculinizing effects of cistanche quite obvious, I also find that it’s a gentle herb that the body tolerates well and can be used for extended periods of time. Its effects build up smoothly and leisurely and are harsh and sudden like other tonifying yang herbs.

For first time users I recommend cycling off cistanche for the duration of your first use. For example if you supplement with cistanche for thirty days, then refrain from using it or any other testosterone booster for thirty days afterwards. It’s better to play it safe and this allows you to more clearly establish what effects you felt/noticed.

Cistanche is well-tolerated and safe in larger doses, which allows for megadosing in the 600-800 mg range (with the Nootropics Depot supplement), as I have done myself, but this should only even be considered by experienced users and for those with larger bodyweights (>75 kg).

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If you’re interested in learning more about cistanche, which I would recommend if you plan on purchasing and using the herb, then click the button below to be taken to the main herb encyclopedia page for cistanche.

Tongkat Ali - A Popular Testosterone Booster

Tongkat ali (Eurycoma longifolia) is a plant native to the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia with a long history of use in the traditional medicine use. Tongkat ali is also known as Malaysian ginseng or “long jack”, and its traditional uses are for improving libido and as an aphrodisiac, and for the treatment of malaria (10).

The roots and bark of Tongkat ali contain the highest levels of its main active compound, eurycomanone, and its typically the roots that are harvested and prepared for use. As with any herb, it’s the entourage effect of Tongkat Ali’s unique phytochemical flavonoids, quassinoids, terpenes, and others that determine its biologic effects.

Recommended Tongkat Ali Supplement

Tongkat ali supplements range from a raw powder to highly concentrated and standardized extracts. Tongkat ali contains a lot of bitterants (i.e. plant compounds that are highly bitter tasting) and thus the best tongkat ali supplements strike the right balance of retaining their raw phytochemistry while also undergoing a level of extraction which increases the concentration of eurycomanone while reducing bitter flavors.

Nootropics Depot sells two versions of tongkat ali to consider. They sell a tongkat ali powder supplement standardized to contain 2% eurycomanone, also available as capsules, and then they also sell a more potent tongkat ali capsule supplement which contains 10% eurycomanone.

If you plan on supplementing tongkat ali daily for an extended period of time for its testosterone boosting, cognitive enhancing, and immunity properties, then I recommend you use the 2% eurycomanone powder as many herbs have a U-shaped efficacy curve. What that means is that the sweet spot for the greatest biologic effects is in the middle dosing range, and if more is administered beyond that it becomes less effective.

I recommend the 10% eurycomanone tongkat ali capsules if you are specifically interested in the aphrodisiac and libido-enhancing properties of tongkat ali. For this type of use-case, you could take it 2-3 hours before you expect the fun to begin, so for example at the beginning of a date night. Alternatively the more highly concentrated tongkat ali supplement sold by Nootropics Depot would also be good to take as a one-off before an event where additional masculine energy would be beneficial, say for a sales presentation, night on the town, or before a fitness event.

What does Tongkat Ali do?

The most notable effects that tongkat ali has is its ability to raise testosterone levels while keeping estrogen levels in-line and its general libido-enhancing effect. Like cistanche and ashwagandha though, tongkat ali has other beneficial biologic effects you may be interested in and wish to use it for.

• Tongkat Ali and Testosterone

  Tongkat ali is such an effective testosterone booster because its improves androgen steroidogensis across multiple pathways. Evidence shows that tongkat ali raises total testosterone levels by directly enhancing steroidogenesis in testicular Leydig cells. Additionally tongkat ali unbinds testosterone from SHBG (or inhibits its binding), allowing a greater quantity of free testosterone to circulate throughout the body. The eurypeptides of tongkat ali, most notably eurycomanone, stimulate dihydroepiandosterone (DHEA) which initiates the conversion of precursor hormones into testosterone and estrogen. It’s also been shown that tongkat ali influences the aromatization of testosterone into estrogen by limiting the actions of aromatase, thereby keeping testosterone levels elevated in the body.

  All of these factors together make tongkat ali one of the best natural testosterone boosters currently known to man.

• Tongkat Ali Brain Interactions

  Tongkat ali interacts with the brain and nervous system in a few ways, most notably through neurotransmitter modulation. Tongkat ali increases dopamine concentrations in the cerebral cortex and hippocampal regions, the parts of the brain responsible for higher cognitive processes and memory & learning respectively. Higher dopamine concentrations enhances muscular control, motivation and reward circuits, and improve intra-cellular communication.

  Tongkat ali contains many plant antioxidants, many of which are able to pass through the blood-brain barrier, and through this mechanism tongkat ali has a neuroprotective effect.

• Tongkat Ali Immunity Improvements

  In general antioxidant phytochemicals improve the functioning of the immune system, and tongkat ali has been shown to be cytotoxic and have antiproliferative properties on certain cancer cell lines and tumors such as breast, gastric, cervical, and lung cancers.

  One of the main traditional uses of tongkat ali is to help fight off a malarial infection, malaria being caused by a parasite introduced to the body by mosquitoes. Eurycomanone and other phytochemicals found in tongkat ali in research settings have shown significant antimalarial properties by inhibiting the growth of P. falciparum malaria parasite strains.

• Tongkat Ali for Male Infertility

  Tongkat helps remedy male infertility, an increasing problem, through a variety of mechanisms. First through its modulation of brain neurotransmitter concentrations it stimulates arousal pathways in the brain which trigger the autonomic nervous system to stimulate an erection. Tongkat ali is useful to remedy erectile dysfunction, can make erections bigger and harder, and it reduces the latency period in-between erections.

  Not only does tongkat ali help improve the functioning of male “hardware”, but it also increases semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm motility, and improves sperm morphology (aka reduces defective sperm).

How does Tongkat Ali Work?

Tongkat ali contains a rich assortment of plant phytochemicals which have various biologic effects, the most prominent being quassinoids like eurycomanone. These phytochemicals interact with the microbiome of the gut and cells directly, influencing the biologic activities that happen at the cellular level. Through electromagnetic interactions phytochemicals like eurycomanone alter gene expression. Herbs assist the body in upregulating the activation of genetic instructions it already has, and in this way you can see how tongkat ali or the other testosterone boosters cistanche and ashwagandha simply unlock your latent genetic potential. With good diet and lifestyle habits in place, it’s possible that natural herbal testosterone boosters permanently upregulate androgen steroidogenesis, even after cessation of the herb, though this is speculation of a “water tends to flow down a well-cut stream” nature and research is needed to confirm the effect.

The abundant antioxidants found in tongkat ali support this whole process and help maintain a stable cellular and atomic environment throughout the body. Put simply, tongkat ali is an herb that makes it easier to be masculine while not being dangerous like exogenous steroids are.

Dosing Instructions for Tongkat Ali

The serving size for the Tongkat ali powder sold by Nootropics Depot is 200 mg, standardized to 2% eurycomanone but overall containing >2% eurypeptides as eurycomanone is just one of many eurypeptides. If using this brand of tongkat ali start supplementation with 100 mg for 1 week and then increase to 200 mg afterwards. If no noticeable effects are felt at the standard serving size or you’re a larger individual then the dosage can be increased to 200 mg twice daily (morning and night). One way to know it’s working as a guy is if you’re waking up frequently with a stiffy.

Since tongkat ali contains so many bitterants you may find its taste unpleasant. For this reason I either mix it into a small shot glass of water or milk and shoot it back. I find that following that with a shot of apple cider vinegar, followed by another of just water, helps. Slightly unpleasant but over quickly, and having a shot of apple cider vinegar daily is good for the microbiome and metabolism.

Like with cistanche, tongkat ali also goes well with a cup of coffee, with any bitterness being easily dealt with by the addition of a sweetener like honey. Cistanche is the testosterone-boosting herb I add to my nootropic coffee, but tongkat ali works well here too as the two are very similar to each other.

It’s best to take tongkat ali on a relatively empty stomach so it is absorbed into the bloodstream effectively and without delay.

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If you’re interested in learning more about tongkat ali, which I would recommend if you plan on purchasing and using the herb, then click the button below to be taken to the main herb encyclopedia page for tongkat ali.

Ashwagandha - A Mild Testosterone Booster

Ashwagandha is a well-known adaptogenic herb in ayurvedic medicine also known as “Indian ginseng”, understood to be a powerful tonic, aphrodisiac, anti-parasitic, and useful for various brain disorders (11). The roots are the most common part of Withania somnifera to be used, with the word ashwagandha meaning “odor of a horse” and it’s also traditionally believed that consuming ashwagandha imbues one with the power of a horse.

The main active phytochemicals found in ashwagandha are alkaloids, lactones, and saponins, with the most notable being withanolide lactones. Together these phytonutrients and others broadly influence the function of the cognitive, immune, metabolic, digestive, and reproductive systems via the entourage effect. If you are only interested in mildly raising your testosterone levels, balancing out your overall hormone profile, while also enjoying many other health benefits all from one supplement, then ashwagandha is one of the best herbs to use.

Recommended Ashwagandha Supplement

Ashwagandha is a very popular supplement and thus many different types of the herb exist on the market, from chopped root and raw powder to highly extracted versions like KSM-66 ashwagandha.

It’s not uncommon to find anecdotal reports online of people who supplement with ashwagandha to help with their libido for example only to find it completely disappear on them, and from my observations it seems this happens most commonly with the highly extracted versions of the herb like the KSM-66 ashwagandha. As stated earlier, the most effective doses typically lay in the middle of the U-shaped efficacy curve, and it’s mostly likely over-supplementation of ashwagandha that causes these unexpected oppositional effects.

For this reason I recommend taking either a raw ashwagandha powder like that sold by Mountain Rose Herbs or just a lightly extracted version like that sold by Nootropics Depot. The 12% withanolides ashwagandha powder sold by Nootropics Depot sits nicely in the U-curve “sweet spot” and is easily dosed up or down depending on your needs.

If you are interested in an ashwagandha supplement that has a higher concentration of withanolides, then Nootropics Depot also sells a 35% withanolide Shoden ashwagandha powder. As long as you are precise with your dosing, either version can be used.

Some quick back-of-the-napkin calculations show that at current prices (01/2023), the 12% withanolide powder comes out to 300 mg withanolides per dollar if purchasing the 60 gram tub (the largest), whereas the shoden 35% withanolide powder comes out to 260 mg withanolides per dollar if purchasing the 30 gram tub (the largest).

Withanolide percentages can vary widely between different ashwagandha products (12) depending on a variety of factors like their cultivation and processing, and for this reason a standardized extract ashwagandha from a reputable supplier is typically preferable over a raw powder.

What does Ashwagandha do?

One of the main effects of ashwagandha is that it increases parasympathetic nervous system activity. If you’re stressed and/or engaged in energetic pathways, then your sympathetic “fight or flight” nervous system is dominant. This causes the adrenal glands to release cortisol and changes the expression of the overall hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The average person in western society engages their sympathetic nervous system more often than their parasympathetic nervous system, and over the long term this autonomic nervous system imbalance leads to many chronic health conditions such as sleep issues, heart disease, thyroid problems, chronic fatigue syndrome, and more. Learn how to balance the autonomic nervous system.

Ashwagandha is such a valuable natural herbal supplement because it assist in balancing the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. The reason ashwagandha has only been shown to increase testosterone levels on average by 10-15% is because it’s primary action is on the adrenal glands, which in addition to producing cortisol also produce testosterone in small quantities. Ashwagandha for example has been shown to reduce the cortisol response of stressful situations (13), like an endurance event to complete exhaustion, thereby destressing the adrenal glands which improves their resource management and functioning. Through its modulation of cortisol and other hormones, ashwagandha improves sleep, makes it easier to rest and relax,

In addition to this ashwagandha also benefits the brain, immune system, and the digestive system.

• Ashwagandha and the Brain

  Ashwagandha is a powerful cognitive aid because it interacts with the brain in a variety of beneficial ways. Ashwagandha has a balancing action on neurotransmitters GABA and serotonin and normalizes dopamine levels to normal. Ashwagandha inhibits nerve cells from over-firing and intensifies acetylcholine, glutathione, and secretase enzyme activity. Overall ashwagandha has been shown to be comparable to pharmaceutical drugs in its ability to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety and to stabilize mood. Ashwagandha also inhibits the production beta amyloid plaques and reverse neural decay by promoting neurogenesis and through the creation of new synaptic connections.

• Ashwagandha and Immunity

  Ashwagandha improves the functioning of the immune system by returning it to a state of normal functioning. It does this by bringing white blood cells back to normal ranges if overly elevated or suppressed while also having a powerful anti-cancer effect which inhibits the reduces the growth of tumors. The phytochemicals that ashwagandha possesses also have general antimicrobial properties.

• Ashwagandha and Digestion

  Ashwagandha improves digestion, a very important aspect of overall health and wellness as readers of Wild Free Organic should know. Ashwagandha does this by having antimicrobial and anti-parasitic properties which beneficially shift the microbiome towards greater symbiosis with its host (you). Ashwagandha also simulates digestive action, reduces flatulence, and has a strong effect in preventing and healing stress-induced gastric ulcers.

How does Ashwagandha Work?

Ashwagandha has these many health benefits because of its unique phytochemical profile which confer upon it adaptogenic properties which promotes balances between the different systems of the body. Overall ashwagandha is considered a tonic which revitalizes the body by correcting deficiencies and over-abundances, whether they are yin/yang or hot/cold as classified in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The benefits received from supplementing with ashwagandha depend on how long it is used for and how consistently. A single large dose of ashwagandha is useful before an endurance event, improving stamina and reducing the following stress response and cortisol dump. A large one-off dose many also be all that’s needed to stimulate an aphrodisiac effect, though that may require more consistent supplementation depending on your individual physiology. The longer term health and wellness benefits of ashwagandha, especially the neurocognitive and immunity effects, take a few weeks to begin to manifest and will be more pronounced over a 6+ month long time span.

As for it’s hormone modulation and testosterone boosting effects, it takes 2-3 months of ashwagandha supplementation to observe favorable increases in body-weight and testosterone levels.

Dosing Instructions for Ashwagandha

The most common part of Withania somnifera to use is the roots, and the dosing instructions here are for the roots (though the leaves are of a similar amount). Raw ashwagandha root is typically dosed at 300-600 mg daily for general health and wellness benefits, while it was a 5 gram raw ashwagandha root powder dose taken daily that was effective at boosting testosterone levels in men with fertility issues. This high dose of 5 grams daily for a few months showed no health complications. A sweet spot in-between these two dosage recommendations is 1 gram of ashwagandha taken daily and this is what I would recommend to athletes.

If using the Nootropics depot 12% withanolide ashwagandha supplement, start with the recommended 300 mg serving size for a few weeks before considering increasing it further to two servings taken daily, and that should only be done if no effect is observed. For the 35% withanolide Shoden Ashwagandha supplement, stick to the normal 120 mg serving size for a few weeks before any consideration of increasing the dose.

Ashwagandha is safe and well-tolerated with few if any side effects at normal dosages which provides it a degree of “wiggle room” which is useful in catering it to your unique needs and biology. If you find you respond well to lower doses of ashwagandha then stick with low doses, and if you find you require higher doses then that’s fine too so long as you’re careful and mindful of how your body is feeling.

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If you’re interested in learning more about ashwagandha, which I would recommend if you plan on purchasing and using the herb, then click the button below to be taken to the main herb encyclopedia page for ashwagandha.

Optimize your Testosterone

Cistanche, tongkat ali, and ashwagandha are three well-proven and effective testosterone-boosting herbs that are well-tolerated and safe. Comparing them side by side it’s easy to see their similarities, not only in their names of “ginseng of the desert”, “Malaysian ginseng”, and “Indian ginseng” respectively, but also in how they influence the body biologically.

All three of these herbs work simultaneously with the brain, nervous system, immune system, endocrine system, and reproductive organs. They all have energy enhancing effects whilst simultaneously promoting parasympathetic activity (feed and breed, rest and digest) which results in vaso-relaxation.

Ashwagandha helps to blunt the cortisol and stress response from extremely stressful and strenuous events, and cistanche and tongkat ali both help promote recovery and increase lean body mass. If you are cautiously interested in raising your testosterone levels, then ashwagandha is the herb to choose as it only boosts them moderately, by 10-15% on average according to the research that has been done. Tongkat ali is more potent and in my experience cistanche is the most potent testosterone booster of the three, though your individual response and results may vary.

You can purchase high-quality cistanche, tongkat ali, and ashwagandha supplements from Nootropics Depot. If you decide to make an effort to boost your testosterone levels using either of these herbs, be mindful of your lifestyle and ensure that you’re getting adequate sleep every night, eating a healthy diet, and are limiting your stressors (both internal and environmental). If you are primarily interested in boosting your testosterone levels as a way to increase your libido, then read my guide on how to increase your libido naturally.

Please share your experiences with any of these herbs in the comments below for others who may be interested in your anecdotal findings.

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11. Singh N, Bhalla M, De Jager P, Gilca M. An overview on ashwagandha: a rasayana (Rejuvenator) of ayurveda. Afr J Trad Compl Alt Med. 2011;8(5S).

12. Sangwan, R. S., et al. “Phytochemical Variability in Commercial Herbal Products and Preparations of Withania Somnifera (Ashwagandha).” Current Science, vol. 86, no. 3, 2004, pp. 461–65. JSTOR,

13. Singh N, Nath R, Lata A, Singh SP, Kohli RP, Bhargava KP. withania somnifera (Ashwagandha), a rejuvenating herbal drug which enhances survival during stress(An adaptogen). International Journal of Crude Drug Research. 1982;20(1):29-35.

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More Articles on Performance

Stefan Says #1 | Q&A on Fasting for Gut Health

Today’s questions from Wild Free Organic readers, and my responses, are centered on fasting. They are:

Can I add psyllium husks to a fast?

Will fasting help with Eczema?

What to eat before and after a fast during a IBD colitis flareup?

This is the first Wild Free Organic Q&A, and I wish I had thought to do this sooner as it’s a direct way to provide my best guidance on those questions which are difficult to find answers for, and guaranteed many more people than just these three are asking these questions.

To submit your questions please contact me. With that we’ll begin!

Fasting and Psyllium Husks

Reader Susie writes:

“Thank you for your wonderful article! I am wondering if during a fast can I take psyllium husk. Psyllium doesn't have calories or sugar and it is a prebiotic and helps keep peristalsis of the gut. Also taking coconut oil, and slippery elm during fasting? Maybe an approach is an initial 48hr fast, then introduce the above for longer fasting? Thank you, eager to hear your thoughts.”

Hi Susie, I am glad you have found my writing so useful!

Yes you can take psyllium husk during a fast. You’re right in that it’s a fiber which contains no sugar, acts as a prebiotic for the microbiome, and normalizes the movement of food through the gut (aka improves gut motility). As psyllium husk contains zero calories it won’t break a fast. Sounds like an excellent fasting aid!

An important consideration to make is that anything consumed is a deviation from the alternative of nothing going through the gastrointestinal system. Certain things, like herbal teas, can help during a fast tremendously, providing food to the symbiotic microbiome. As beneficial microbes metabolize flavonoids and other plant phytochemicals, they produce short chain fatty-acids which makes fasting easier by improving energy metabolism, and the body is also provided with abundant antioxidants (1). Drinking herbal teas during a fast like a dandelion and chamomile blend aids symbiotic microorganisms which want to work with you, and selects against harmful pathogenic microorganisms which produce toxins harmful to your body.

Though I have yet to use it during a fast, psyllium husk would have many of those same benefits as herbs as it’s a fermentable carbohydrate rich in phytochemistry. Give it a try and take observations!

According to the Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism, Slippery Elm (Ulmus rubra) bark is a laxative and can be used for the treatment of diarrhea. Slippery elm is useful following gastrointestinal illness. One of its main components is mucilage (2). Mucilage is a gel-like polysaccharide that soothes and protects inflamed mucous membranes like digestive linings. If you have symptoms of leaky gut and feel your digestive mucosal linings are thin, then using slippery bark is worth a try.

As for the coconut oil, that may or may not be useful depending on the health of your liver, gallbladder and overall bile production. I would try psyllium husk and slippery bark independantly during a fast before combining them, as psyllium can slow or stimulate gut motility while slipper elm appears to only increase it.

Certainly you can fast to 48 hours easily without anything, so if you’re aiming for 72 hours or greater, then introducing different herbal components at different types in my experience keeps the fast progressing smoothly.

Does Fasting help Eczema

Reader Lexxa writes:

“Hello I have been battling a spreading eczema for almost a year now. I have spent thousands on doctors visits, creams, medicines etc. I do not want to take steroids anymore and am much more interested in healing my condition naturally and from within. I have a feeling my gut flora is off, as I deal with some mild digestive issues and now this eczema. I practice intermittent fasting in the form of a 16/8 fast, so I think a longer fast will be doable. Is this topic something you can help me on?

Hi Lexxa, I am sorry to hear that you’re been struggling so much with eczema.

Your intuition is correct, poor gut health and inflammatory skin conditions like Eczema are absolutely linked together. It very well could be that your microbiome contains pathogens which are producing endotoxins which have your immune system and detoxification pathways in a tizzy. One way the body can deal with toxins is to push them out through the skin.

Intermittent fasting is useful for healing the digestive system and reducing inflammation, and you may be able to make further inroads on reducing your endotoxin exposure by performing a longer fast. Symbiotic microorganisms survive periods of nutrient deprivation better than pathogens, and during longer 48+ hour fast, memory t-cells retreat into bone marrow, the birthplace of blood, for regeneration (4). By lightening or even reducing the endotoxin load that may be the cause behind your eczema, and by resetting the harmful auto-immunity memory t-cells have developed, you may experience a significant improvement in your eczema after a 48-72 hour fast, or longer if it can be performed safely. What you eat after the fast is very important in further cultivating a healthy microbiome, I recommend nutrient rich plant-based meals. More on that in the next question.

Remember to treat eczema from the outside in too. Aloe vera gel is very soothing and anti-inflammatory, and anti-inflammatory essential oils like peppermint will also help; dilute in a carrier oil as necessary.

Fasting for IBD Colitis

Reader Vera writes:

“I’m having a terrible flare of colitis at the moment and I’m willing to try the 24 or 48 hr fast.. I need to heal, I’m scared.. if I start after my meal tonight what foods do I begin to eat when it’s over? More importantly what food do I NOT eat?”

Hi Vera, unexpected gut health flareups can be a sign that it’s time to perform a fast. The body experiences its most profound regenerative and healing state when fasting. Intestinal bowel disease and inflammation of the colon points towards severe gut dysbiosis, and your intuition is correct that the meal that you eat before and after a fast are of critical importance in determining microbiome composition.

The best foods to eat to break a fast are nutrient and fiber rich. If a fast is longer than 24 hours then foods higher in fat are also preferred. With these recommendations avocado is highly recommended, as are mushrooms which are 50% fiber and 50% protein. Sautéed dark leafy greens are excellent to eat before or to break a fast, and I am also a big fan of brown rice and beans. All together you can see how that would be quite a delicious and nutritious meal!

Most importantly you need to focus on your microbiome and get the inflammation in your colon down immediately. Herbal teas are one of the best ways to accomplish this task in addition to strictly observing a good diet for you.

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I hope you found this useful, and if you’re new to fasting then I recommend you read the article Fasting for Beginners.

For more comprehensive support and education on gut health, fasting, and herbal remedies, I recommend you purchase my Holistic Gut Health Guide.

Submit your questions and they may appear in a future Q&A, and I hope to see you there!

Heal Your Gut Naturally

sale

Holistic Gut Health Guide eBook

Sale Price:$12.95 Original Price:$18.95

Together the digestive system and microbiome are the foundation of health from which everything else is dependent on.

The Holistic Gut Health Guide contains all the information you need to identify and understand the gastrointestinal and microbiome problems you may have while also providing you the most effective natural methods you can use to heal your gut. No gut health problems are unsolvable, give yourself every possible advantage along your gut health journey by reading an implementing the advice shared in the Holistic Gut Health Guide.

Purchase

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References:

1. Cassidy A, Minihane AM. The role of metabolism (And the microbiome) in defining the clinical efficacy of dietary flavonoids. Am J Clin Nutr. 2017;105(1):10-22.

2. Malcom Stuart, et al. The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism. Crescent Books, New York.

3. Sánchez B, Delgado S, Blanco-Míguez A, Lourenço A, Gueimonde M, Margolles A. Probiotics, gut microbiota, and their influence on host health and disease. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2017;61(1):1600240.

4. Collins N, Han SJ, Enamorado M, et al. The bone marrow protects and optimizes immunological memory during dietary restriction. Cell. 2019;178(5):1088-1101.e15.

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

Essential Oils for Acne

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated November 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter! Stefan Burns YouTube

Widespread acne is a sign of a health imbalance. It mainly originates from hormonal imbalances, poor diet, low sleep, stress, or a combination of the above.

Acne: Lesions in the skin filled with puss, a mixture of oils, white blood cells, and pathogens

To overcome consistent acne requires fixing the source of the problem, and aiding the bodies ability to clear out the infection and heal the skin expedites the process.

Essential oils from plants like peppermint contain powerful antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds (1) that aid the skins ability to heal and regenerate.

Skin is healthiest when it receives the least amount of contact with chemically reactive substances. A lot of modern body products oxidize and damage instead of support and heal due to the instability of some of the compounds they use.

A pimple is a hotspot of free-radical activity, the immune systems way to clean everything up, and applying essential oils to these micro-injuries reinforces immune activity and stimulates cellular regeneration. Cold therapy and earthing helps with skin problems too.

In my experience the best essential oils for acne are peppermint and tea tree (2). They smell nice, can be used directly (trial this first before widespread usage), and are relatively inexpensive.

You can purchase organic essental oils ate fair prices through Mountain Rose Herbs. I recommend their peppermint essential oil, their tea tree essential oil, vetiver essential oil for aromatherapy, and blue chamomile essential oil for muscle soreness, sleep, and lucid dreaming

Reducing the skin care routine to essential oils and aloe vera has saved me a lot of money and my skin health has never been better.

Skin care is made out to be more complex than it is. Treat your skin with respect, splash it with cold water and sunlight from time to time, and use minimal natural products.

Essential oils are also very useful in underarm care, acting as a natural deodorant and armpit microbiome and lymph node cleanser.

My elimination of most acne is mostly in thanks to great gut health, of which I share everything I’ve learned about in the Holistic Gut Health Guide.

sale

Holistic Gut Health Guide eBook

Sale Price:$12.95 Original Price:$18.95

Together the digestive system and microbiome are the foundation of health from which everything else is dependent on.

The Holistic Gut Health Guide contains all the information you need to identify and understand the gastrointestinal and microbiome problems you may have while also providing you the most effective natural methods you can use to heal your gut. No gut health problems are unsolvable, give yourself every possible advantage along your gut health journey by reading an implementing the advice shared in the Holistic Gut Health Guide.

Purchase

Improving microbiome symbiosis and diversity is a key aspect to healing and managing acne (3). In all things health make sure to consider the state of your microbiome.

With positive thoughts and consistency clear skin is possible!

---

References:

1. Tsai M, Wu C, Lin T, Lin W, Huang Y, Yang C. Chemical composition and biological properties of essential oils of two mint species. Trop J Pharm Res. 2013;12(4):577-582.

2. Winkelman WJ. Aromatherapy, botanicals, and essential oils in acne. Clinics in Dermatology. 2018;36(3):299-305.

3. Lee, Byun, Kim. Potential role of the microbiome in acne: a comprehensive review. JCM. 2019;8(7):987.

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

How to Increase Libido

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated November 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter! Stefan Burns YouTube

Libido is your life force, a wellspring of heat, passion, and creativity that adds growth and color to all aspects of your life.

Depending on your state of physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual health, you may be unable to feel or connect to your libido. Being disconnected from your innate libido is not healthy if sustained, and it can have long-term damaging effects.

The beautiful aspect of libido is that it’s easy to connect with at anytime with the rights information, tools, and experience. Libido is stimulated in the brain by the thalamus, which regulates consciousness, sleep, and alertness. The thalamus is a sensory hub for the cerebral cortex, the decision making part of the brain. Without the activation of the thalamus, motor signals to the cerebral cortex are delayed or changed.

By reducing inhibition of the thalamus, the cerebral cortex is exposed to more information, and now realizing a greater amount of opportunities, consciousness is attuned to chose the best outcome. Sometimes the problem with failure to get aroused is the inability to see that the possibility exist.

As much society tries to make it normal, and it is, sex is a “taboo”. It touches the deepest parts of our body and energy. Sex is energy work, and unforeseen events can occur when creating energetic bonds with others at certain levels. Therefore any sexual act is a ritual of serious responsibility, and how it’s performed speaks a lot about who we are and how we are changing.

Sex may be “taboo”, but it’s the ultimate gift if done consciously, and when you’re more consciousness you’re more likely to take opportunistic riskier behaviors as you’re most self-assured of a favorable outcome. It’s this mindset that guarantees you have a healthy libido that can activate on command, if the situation presents itself and it’s to your benefit.

Libido isn’t just an important aspect of sex, but an integral part of human willpower, creativity, and drive.

“Sex is energy work, it touches the deepest parts of body and soul”

I write this as a male in touch with my yin and yang nature, and it should resonate with everyone at some level as we each have a divine feminine and divine masculine part of ourselves. One reason libido shuts down and is one day realized lost by a lot of people is that they haven’t connected to any energy sources that feed the source of their libido, the root chakra. Is your root chakra open or closed, in what situations and with who? Is the energy of your root chakra being drained by your actions or energetic bonds you have with others? These are important questions to ask yourself and answer honestly when seeking to restore your natural libido.

Energy connections at the root Chakra are the most rooted in the deeper energetics of the planet <2 Hz, and it’s there that you can begin to reclaim your sovereign root chakra energy. To create a 2 Hz or lower frequency at the root chakra, aka the hips, then you need to practice muscular exercises for that part of the body known as kegels.

Kegels for Increasing Libido

To make kegels easier, lay on a earthing sheet connected to the Earth. Contract your glutes, squeeze your rectum, breathe up into your diaphragm, and perform this pattern of breathing, contraction, and relaxation for the musculature you want at a slow rhythm of your choosing. Once you have a regular pattern going, explore the frequency range. Being electrically connected to the Earth, you will attune yourself to the electrical currents of the Earth known as tellurics at whichever frequency you are pulsing at. Change your frequency slowly around 0.5 to 3 Hz and find the cycles per second that’s easier to maintain unconsciously because that is where the Earth frequency is strongest. If you accomplish this, and it’s possible because I do it, you can turn your focus to breathing and visualization and let the magic happen all on its own. You may experience auto-orgasm if the stimulation enough, even without using your hands in any way. If this occurs consider it a crowning accomplishment of connecting to your libido.

I have been performing deep work on my hip to level it out, and I find that before I fall asleep I naturally begin to exercise with kegels, and it’s in this space that I have my best insights into sexual health and romance. When I lay down to sleep I keep my hands to the side as recommended with dream Yoga. When I practice kegels consistently and work deep around the sexual organs I find it is good for my energy metabolism, the endocrine system and having healthy hormone levels, sexual reproduction, and for stimulating creative energies.

Hormones and Libido

For men, a lot of libido boils down to prolactin levels. Having low prolactin levels means a stronger libido, harder and longer erections, a short refractory period (time in-between ejaculations), and determination/willpower. Dopamine can be high only when prolactin is low, and after ejaculation dopamine goes down while prolactin goes up. For women prolactin is elevated during breast feeding and is associated with breast development. The ideal arrangement for health and reproductive evolution is for women to have high prolactin levels and for men to have low prolactin levels.

Herbs that reduce prolactin levels over time are blue lotus flower and cannabis. More nuance on that in the following section. For men and women another very important aspect for having healthy libido is to have balanced testosterone and estrogen levels.

Beneficial hormone changes that are governed by behavior (engaging in manly or feminine activities, flirting and socializing, etc) are long lasting and stable, and when building those healthy habits there are herbs that can help the process greatly by changing your brain and hormone chemistry.

Herbs for Increasing Libido

There are various herbs that stimulate and enhance libido through distinct but overlapping pathways. Any of the herbs below can be used to increase libido, and I have a safe and synergistic natural libido enhancing stack I will describe how to use at the end that is comprised of these herbs.

Blue Lotus Flower

The African blue water lily Nymphaea caerulea contains rich plant pharmacology and was used by the ancient Egyptians for thousands of years as one component in an elixir of life known as didi.

How does it work? Blue lotus flower contains alkaloids apomorphine and nuciferine which modulate the parasympathetic nervous system, dopamine levels and transport, and serotonin levels and transport. Activates the thalamus and is a potentiator for psychedelics in my experience and as recorded throughout history. Lowers prolactin which helps in the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

Cautions: Blue lotus flower is sedative and liver produced metabolites from its alkaloids can be toxic to the kidneys. Do not consume in excess, pairs exceptionally well with the herb cistanche due to cistanche’s renal benefits and antioxidant nature as observed in the brain. Under conditions of stomach sensitivity, high consumption may trigger the urge to vomit.

Cistanche

Cistanche C. tubulsa, C. deserticola, C. phelypaea, sometimes referred to as the ginseng of the desert or in Traditional Chinese Medicine Rou Cong-Rong is a potent activator of the male hormonal system.

How does it work? Cistanche has a libido boosting effect through its interactions with cholesterol transport, cholesterol being the building block for all hormones. Cistanche boosts testosterone (free and total) by working directly with the gonads. Cistanche also have neurocognitive antioxidant benefits and protects the renal system, which as described above alleviates some of the renal stress created by blue lotus flower.

Using cistanche can make you horny, increase the frequency of erections, cause morning erections, and with long term use (1+ month) enlarge the size of the penis permanently.

Cautions: Cistanche powerfully activate the male hormonal system and for best health and wellness it should be used carefully, being cycled on and off at a 1:1 frequency. For example if you run a cistanche and cholesterol protocol for 2 months, cease using cistanche for 2 months afterwards before using again if desired. Since cistanche increase free testosterone so dramatically (>50% in my case), it can cause increased inflammation throughout the body as the testosterone molecule, like dopamine, isn’t the most stable. This can show as acne, and to help keep the circulatory system and blood free of inflammation I recommend concurrent usage of dandelion root powder. Flavonoids like apigenin found in herbs dandelion and chamomile also reduce the conversation of testosterone to estrogen via aromatase.

Cannabis

Cannabis C. sativa, C. indica, C. ruderalis contains cannabinoids like THC, CBD, and CBN which influence brain chemistry and increase sensory awareness by acting on CB1 and CB2 receptors. Cannabinoids are sticky and are easily absorbed into the blood stream when dry-vaporized.

How does it work? As a mild-psychedelic, cannabis can connect you to parts of your being that you are currently only weakly connected to, like your libido and sexual nature. Cannabis use lowers prolactin and increases sensory pleasure of the sex organs.

Cautions: Heavy long-term cannabis usage can lead to brain changes that while not permanent take time to reverse. Video: Does Smoking Weed Permanently Mess with the Brain? Cannabis, specifically the cannabinoid THC increases heartrate by 10-20 bpm and reduces blood pressure. Cannabis has interactions with the thyroid and adrenal glands and long term usage may lower testosterone production (easily offset by cistanche usage if desired).

Chaga Mushroom

Chaga Mushroom Inonotus obliquus contains a wide variety of beneficial biologic compounds that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects such as polysaccharides, beta-glucans, terpenes, mycoflavonoids, melanin, and other myconutrients.

How does it work? Chaga mushroom is an adaptogen and can slightly boost testosterone on its own in addition to the protective effects it has on the organs and the neuroprotective effects it has in the brain. Modulates the activity of the nervous system, specifically the autonomic nervous system, a critical component of the libido and sexual systems.

Cautions: Chaga mushroom in high doses can destabilize heart rhythms

Chamomile Flower

Chamomile Matricaria chamomilla is one of nature’s best herbs for overall health and wellness. Contains many antioxidant and anti-inflammatory plant phytochemicals.

How does it work? Chamomile guides the autonomic nervous system to increase parasympathetic activity, relaxation being a key requirement to arousal. Increases endogenous flow state alpha brainwave rhythms which have a frequency of 8-12 hz.

Cautions: Chamomile is a very safe herb and can be used in large quantities. Chamomile may trigger an allergic reaction if an existing ragweed allergy exist. Additionally since chamomile reduces platelet clumping, care should be taken with chamomile if already using a blood thinner.

Natural Herbal Aphrodisiac Stack

Cistanche | 200-400 mg daily. Can be split into two doses

• Why? Natural testosterone booster, aphrodisiac, neuroprotective, and protects the kidneys

• Purchase Cistanche Powder from Nootropics Depot.

Dandelion root | 1 gram daily. Take it with the cistanche and at the same daily frequency

• Why? Blood purifier with broad antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, possible aromatase inhibitor (flavonoids)

• Purchase Dandelion Root Powder from Mountain Rose Herbs.

Chaga Mushroom | 500 - 1000 mg. Take it with the cistanche and dandelion root powder

• Why? Antioxidant/anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, endocrine adaptogen, normalizes the nervous system

• Purchase Chaga Mushroom Powder (course) from Mountain Rose Herbs. Good for brewing with coffee or into tea.

• Purchase Chaga Mushroom 1:1 Extract Powder (fine) from Nootropics Depot. Good for taking with tea/water.

Blue Lotus Flower | For tea use 1-2 grams of ground flower. For vaporization mix with other herbs, only a small amount (100 mg) is needed due to the highly efficient extraction. Can also be smoked.

• Why? Promotes parasympathetic activity, aphrodisiac, neuroprotective, lowers prolactin and raises dopamine

• Purchase Blue Lotus Flower from Schmerbals Herbals.

Cannabis | The effect from blue lotus flower is felt the strongest when its bioavailability is increased when consumed alongside cannabis. The important alkaloids of blue lotus flower are highly lipid soluble and cannabinoids are sticky lipids and carry into the bloodsteam easily. Both cannabinoids and alkaloids pass the blood-brain barrier easily.

• Why? Increases dopamine and reduces prolactin, aphrodisiac, increases sensory awareness and pleasure

• Purchase CBD cannabis (in the USA) from Tweedle Farms.

• Purchase THC cannabis (if legal where you live) from a dispensary or grow it yourself ;)

Chamomile | Chamomile tea activates the parasympathetic (rest and digest, feed and breed) nervous system and is a good carrier for the cistanche, dandelion root, chaga mushroom, and blue lotus flower.

• Why? Promotes parasympathetic activity, stabilizes heart and brain rhythms, antioxidant/anti-inflammatory

• Purchase Chamomile Flowers from Mountain Rose Herbs. Blue Chamomile Essential Oil can also be applied topically where desired (forehead and pubic area is best for libido); highly effective!

*Aphrodisiac Tea | 2:1:1:1 ratio of chamomile flowers, dandelion root, chaga mushroom, blue lotus flower. Add the cistanche powder to the tea after steeping. Course-grained chaga mushroom powder and dandelion root can be steeped with the chamomile flowers, or the fine-grained powders of each can be added after steeping the chamomile and blue lotus flower tea alongside the cistanche.

• Purchase Bodum French Press from Amazon.

*Aphrodisiac Dry-Vaporization Blend | 2:2:2:1:1 ratio of blue lotus flower, THC cannabis, CBD cannabis, damiana leaf, chamomile flower.

• Purchase Fury Edge Dry-Vaporizer from Healthy Rips.

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If you find the advice and science shared in this article useful, share it where it can also help others rediscover and connect to their natural libido.

If you use any of the herbs above, specifically if you try the who Aphrodisiac Stack, please share your experiences in the comments below.

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References:

1. Malcom Stuart, et al. The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism. Crescent Books, New York.

2. Ober C, Sinatra S, Martin Z. Earthing. Second Edition. Basic Health Publications, Inc.; 2014.

3. Emboden W. The sacred journey in dynastic egypt: shamanistic trance in the context of the narcotic water lily and the mandrake. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. 1989;21(1):61-75.

4. Li Z, Lin H, Gu L, Gao J, Tzeng CM. Herba cistanche (Rou cong-rong): one of the best pharmaceutical gifts of traditional chinese medicine. Front Pharmacol. 2016;7.

5. Shashkina MYa, Shashkin PN, Sergeev AV. Chemical and medicobiological properties of chaga (Review). Pharm Chem J. 2006;40(10):560-568.

6. Andre CM, Hausman JF, Guerriero G. Cannabis sativa: the plant of the thousand and one molecules. Front Plant Sci. 2016;7.

7. González-Castejón M, Visioli F, Rodriguez-Casado A. Diverse biological activities of dandelion. Nutrition Reviews. 2012;70(9):534-547.

8. Miraj S, Alesaeidi S. A systematic review study of therapeutic effects of Matricaria recuitta chamomile (Chamomile). Electron physician. 2016;8(9):3024-3031.

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

Best Supplements for Brain Fog

and for Optimizing Cognitive Performance

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated September. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

If you have brain fog you know how helpless it can feel at times to remedy the problem, as the very symptoms of brain fog like an inability to concentrate and focus limit your ability, energy, and drive to find and implement useful helpful solutions.

When this is the case, using the best supplements for focus and concentration can provide some relief from brain fog and mental fatigue and help bring in enough energy and clarity of mind to kickstart the lifestyle changes that need to be made to permanently solve the problem.

Brain fog can be experienced all on its own, or it can be part of a larger health problem like chronic fatigue syndrome. The best supplements that help with mental fatigue aren’t ones that simply stimulate the brain but instead are ones that beneficially target the stressed and dysfunctional parts of the body that are creating the mental fatigue in the first place.

There is no perfect brain fog cure, but with the right supplemental support and then the corresponding necessary lifestyle changes, mental fatigue can be recovered from and brain function can be returned to normal. In this article I share with you my favorite remedies for combatting brain fog and why they work.

Chronic vs Acute Mental Fatigue

There are two types of mental fatigue, chronic and acute. Temporary mental fatigue that is the result of one night’s bad sleep is quite different in effect and in its treatment from daily mental fatigue brought on from excessive stress, constant sleep deprivation, or neurocognitive conditions. When people ask for solutions that help alleviate their brain fog and mental sluggishness, most often they are seeking help for chronic mental fatigue.

Symptoms of Brain Fog

A term commonly used to describe mental fatigue is brain fog. Just like with sleep deprivation, where after a few continuous days of insufficient sleep you begin to not notice your symptoms of sleep deprivation (though they still exist), brain fog has a similar desensitizing effect. A lot of people who have mental fatigue do not realize they have it as they have become used to their chronically sluggish mental processes. It’s usually only when brain fog lifts temporarily for some reason, and clear lucid awareness is experienced before the brain fog returns, that people realize that they’re not functioning at their best. The symptoms of brain fog are subtle, especially when desensitized to the effect, so if you have any of the symptoms below, especially more than one, then it’s worth closely examining the functioning of your brain, your lifestyle, and perhaps taking one or more of the supplements below to see if you experience a noticeable before and after improvement.

Common symptoms of mental fatigue and brain fog:

• You have difficulty focusing and concentrating on one task. High distractibility

• You get lost in unconscious behavioral patterns (like endlessly scrolling on social media)

• Its a struggle for you to hold onto multiple thoughts/ideas at once in order to understand a greater concept, follow a conversation, etc.

• You get tired easily, especially with a cognitively demanding task like studying, learning a language, etc.

• You experience frequent mood swings, and these mood swings can be triggered from small relatively insignificant events

• Your short and/or long term memory isn’t good

• You don’t have much patience

• You get triggered and angered easily

If mental performance needs to be raised while experiencing acute mental fatigue, like from a poor night’s sleep, then it can usually be treated successfully with a stimulant like caffeine. Chronic mental fatigue is quite different though, and treating chronic brain fog with a stimulant like caffeine can further exacerbate the problem.

Treating long-term brain fog is best done with things that activate the parasympathetic “rest and digest” nervous system. Resting more often, improving sleep, engaging in restorative exercise like yoga, grounding, meditation, breath work, and more are all things that activate the parasympathetic nervous system and help reduce chronic mental fatigue. This article will mostly stick to supplemental measures that help with mental fatigue, so if you wish to examine and treat the very important lifestyle component of the problem, then I suggest you read my article How to Balance Sympathetic and Parasympathetic States.

Sometimes brain fog and mental fatigue is so severe that it can be difficult to even think about let alone implement lifestyle changes that will help and reverse the issue, and when this is the case supplements are a convenient and useful way to jumpstart the turnaround process.

Chamomile for Brain Fog

One of the best things for treating chronic brain fog and mental fatigue is also a very well-known herb, and that’s chamomile!

Chamomile is one of the most ancient and well-known medicinal herbs known to mankind, the two most common varieties being Roman chamomile and German chamomile. Chamomile is identified by its small white flower petals that surround its yellow center, and it’s the chamomile flower that’s used in herbal practices because the flowers contain a wide range of biologically active chemicals such as terpenes, flavonoids, and azulenes that have been shown to be health promotive.

Chamomile is so useful in treating chronic mental fatigue because it provides multi-targeted treatment to the systems which are under the most stress and are causing the symptoms of brain fog as described above.

Chamomile Increases Parasympathetic Activity

First, chamomile helps promote more balanced autonomic nervous system by increasing parasympathetic activity throughout the body, and this helps reduce systemic stress and regenerate the bodily systems that are most worn down, like the adrenal glands.

Chamomile does this by improving heart rate variability (HRV), reducing erratic heart rhythms and instead shifting heart rhythms to be more sinusoidal and coherent in nature (see right half of figure 1). Heart rate variability is the measure of the time interval between heartbeats, and HRV is a key measure of cardiac health, stress, and sudden mortality risk.

Figure 1 - Change in heart rate when emotionally reframing from feelings of frustration to appreciation

CC - McCraty R. The Energetic Heart. HeartMath Institute; 2003

Chamomile’s ability to improve HRV and overall cardiac function is more important than most people realize, because the functioning of the brain is determined to a large degree by the health and functioning of the heart.

Chamomile Increases Alpha Brainwaves

Every heartbeat creates a pressure wave that travels through the circulatory system, and it has been shown that when this blood pressure pulse reaches the brain it generates 8-12 Hz alpha brainwaves. Put another way, the change in blood pressure 1-2 times every second (depending on heart rate) in the brain is the timing signal the brain uses to generate and synchronize alpha brainwaves that cycle 8-12 times per second.

Alpha brainwaves are so important because they are the middle frequency brainwave that sit in-between slow rhythm 0-4 Hz delta and 4-8 Hz theta brainwaves and 12-30 Hz beta and 30+ Hz gamma brainwaves. How well your brain is functioning can be measured quite clearly via brainwave patterns across the head, with the most important factors being brainwave frequency, power, and synchronicity.

There aren’t many (if any) studies that directly show this, but enough evidence exists to greatly suggest that those suffering from mental fatigue and brain fog have weak non-synchronous brainwave activity without clear frequency bands of activity. Chamomile’s ability to increase alpha brainwaves is so important because alpha rhythms are the dominant brain rhythm from which other brainwaves can then be switched to. When alpha brain rhythms are propagating strongly throughout the brain, there’s sense of calm, patience, creativity, and a feeling of relaxed alertness. Sounds like a good resting state of mind eh?

If alpha rhythms are propagating strongly throughout the brain, then it’s easier for the brain to rev up and begin propagating higher frequency beta and gamma brainwaves, which are associated with focus, productivity, and ingenuity. By supporting the stable functioning of the heart and the overall cardiovascular system, chamomile also improves brainwave activity and overtime trains the brain to establish these patterns of activity on its own.

How to Use Chamomile for Brain Fog

There are a few ways chamomile can be used in the treatment of mental fatigue, an important factor to known is that chamomile in my experience acts like an adaptogen for this purpose. If you’re overly tired then chamomile will help to stimulate and gently pick you up because it’s increasing your brainwave frequencies and their coherence of propagation, whereas if you’re overly stimulated and scattered then chamomile will help calm you down by increasing the power of lower frequency brainwaves. In many ways alpha brainwaves are the base from which all brain activity shifts up or down from, and building a strong base of alpha brainwave activity is incredibly useful in coping with stress and for clearing the haze of brain fog.

The three main ways chamomile can be used are as a tea, as an essential oil in aromatherapy, and by dry vaporizing or smoking the herb.

Chamomile Tea: This is the most common way to use chamomile as brewing chamomile tea is simple and very effective. Chamomile tea is also really helpful for gut health, and we’ll discuss further down why the gut-brain axis and the microbiome are really important to address when combating mental fatigue. Bring water to a temperature of 75-100 C (170 - 212 F) and steep dried chamomile flowers for 5-15+ minutes. Chamomile is a pleasantly sweet herb and it can be steeped for hours without the resultant tea becoming bitter. Chamomile makes for a great iced tea, and when endeavoring to remedy brain fog, drinking chamomile tea throughout the day is one of the best things you can do, and it’s so simple! Just brew a large batch of the tea once everyday and drink it often. I usually make 1 liter of chamomile tea (often with other herbs, more on that at the end) at night by bringing water to a boil and then letting the herb steep overnight in the fridge. When I wake up delicious iced tea is waiting for me every morning!

Chamomile Essential Oil: Chamomile essential oil is an ultra convenient and effective way to enjoy the beneficial parasympathetic effects of chamomile. You can simply smell the essential oil from the bottle, place a few drops into a diffuser, or apply it directly to parts of your body like your temples, forehead, the back of the neck, and your chest. I find chamomile essential oil if applied directly to the body to be more sedative in effect than chamomile tea, so it’s best used at night or when you quickly need to calm down and relax.

Chamomile Herb for Vaporizing or Smoking: Dried chamomile flower can also be shredded by hand or with a herb grinder and vaporized or smoked for a relaxant effect. I recommend dry herb vaporization because no carcinogenic smoke is produced in the process, but if you’re already a smoker then incorporating chamomile into your tobacco cigarettes, cannabis joints/bowls, or herbal smoking blend is really simple. Vaped or smoked cannabis has a pleasant sweet taste and has an nice overall calming effect that lasts quite a while.

For those who are struggling with chronic mental fatigue and the symptoms of brain fog, chamomile is my top recommendation for helping with the problem. Chamomile is an amazing herb for overall health and wellness, and while it won’t fix brain fog in one day, if chamomile is used consistently then it will almost certainly have a large positive effect.

Chronic mental fatigue takes time to develop, it sometimes develops over many years, and it’s the beneficial habits that can be done daily for long periods of time that will prove the most useful in reversing brain fog, and chamomile is one of the best herbs for this.

Organic dried chamomile flower and blue chamomile essential oil can be purchased from Mountain Rose Herbs. I like to use and combine both in my self-care practices, and if you pick up one then I recommend you purchase the other too.

Medicinal Mushrooms for Brain Fog

Not all mushrooms are poisonous or cause psychedelic effects, and the medicinal mushrooms I have listed below are safe and have a bunch of great wellness benefits. Every medicinal mushrooms varies in their chemical composition, but in general they contain phytochemicals like polysaccharides, beta-glucans, and triterpenoids which benefit your brain as well as other parts of the body.

Reishi Mushroom

Reishi mushroom is one of my favorite “herbs” for helping with brain fog not only because it’s very effective in doing this but also because in my neighborhood Ganoderma sessile, a type of reishi mushroom, grows everywhere and I have a lot of personal experience in using this mushroom.

Reishi mushroom is polypore mushroom nearly impossible to misidentify once its distinguishing features are known, and it has broad effects throughout the body. One of the main benefits of reishi is that it activates the parasympathetic nervous system, just like chamomile, thereby promoting rest and relaxation after use. In fact you can brew reishi and chamomile together into a tea and just like as described above and drink this tea throughout the day to help remedy long-term brain fog.

Reishi mushroom can be purchased from Mountain Rose Herbs in a variety of formats from whole cap to slices to powder to extract, and 1:1 reishi mushroom supplement capsules and 8:1 reishi mushroom supplement capsules that are more concentrated in active ingredients can be purchased from Nootropics Depot.

I wrote a full article on using reishi mushroom for stress, chronic fatigue, and anxiety, and if you’d like to learn more about the many other health benefits of reishi mushroom then you can read the reishi mushroom herbal page. You can also watch my video below!

Chaga Mushroom

Chaga mushroom is very useful in the treatment of mental fatigue and brain fog because it contains many powerful antioxidants, is anti-inflammatory, and optimizes the cardiovascular and nervous systems by calming erratic heart rhythms and increasing the contractile power of the heart. Chaga also contains antimicrobial compounds which benefit the microbiome of the gut by selecting against harmful pathogens while simultaneously supporting good symbiotic bacteria.

As you can see, these natural products are all similar in their ability to help treat mental fatigue because they target not only the brain, but also the heart and gut . Stress destabilizes the proper functioning of the heart, nervous system, and digestive system, and the herbs that support the actions of these parts of the body, in addition to any direct cognitive benefits they have, improve the functioning of the brain.

Chaga mushroom can be purchased from Mountain Rose Herbs as a course powder which can easily be brewed alongside coffee to create a chaga coffee. Nootropics Depot also sells a 1:1 chaga extract powder which is more concentrated in active ingredients and mixes very easily into any beverage.

Chaga is an ingredient that’s part of a nootropic coffee blend that I absolutely love, and if you’re a regular coffee drinker then I recommend you learn more about the best nootropic coffee, as that provides an easy route to creating a daily habit which will help reduce your brain fog and also dependence on coffee. One cup of this nootropic coffee is enough to power you throughout the day without any need for additional cups of coffee, which helps to reduce the possibility of a caffeine tolerance building up, something which commonly occurs with people who are trying to stimulate away their brain fog. More on that below.

Cordyceps Mushroom

Cordyceps mushroom is another medicinal mushroom that has broad health benefits, it’s especially well-known for its physical endurance and stamina promoting effects. The exact mechanisms for how cordyceps improves energy metabolism isn’t known, but its thought to interact and improve the functioning of mitochondria, the energy powerhouses of our cells. By improving mitochondrial function, cordyceps not only improves physical energy levels but also mental energy levels, especially if taken daily.

I supplemented with cordyceps mushrooms extensively to aid in my weight training a few years back, and I could tell one of the reasons it improves physical endurance is by increasing mental focus. It’s easier to push through something when you’re more focused on your desired outcome, and if chronic mental fatigue is a problem during work or any other time of the day where focus is required, then cordyceps will help. Cordyceps can also be used to help treat acute fatigue, it’s a supplement that can be used for both acute and chronic tiredness and brain fog.

I share my full experience with cordyceps mushroom and talk about it more with my friend Rob in this video interview.

Cordyceps mushroom can be purchased from Mountain Rose Herbs, and Nootropics Depot also sells a 1:1 cordyceps mushroom powder as well as a 10:1 cordyceps mushroom powde, both of which are concentrated in cordyceps’s main active ingredients.

Lion’s Mane Mushroom

Lion’s mane mushroom is another medicinal mushroom useful in improving the functioning of the brain, but it’s a bit different than the others because it has been well shown that lion’s mane promotes neurogenesis! Neurogenesis is the growth of new neurons, and any brain under stress and experiencing chronic fatigue is a brain that is losing brain cells due to increased inflammation and apoptosis. One way to turn around overall neurocognitive conditions, either minor like brain fog or more major like dementia, is to increase neurogenesis in the brain.

Supplementing with lion’s mane mushroom, either with a lion’s mane extract like the one sold by Mountain Rose Herbs, or with more condensed supplements like the 1:1 lion’s mane mushroom powder or the 8:1 lion’s mane mushroom powder sold by Nootropics Depot, is an excellent way to incorporate the neurogenesis benefits of lion’s mane into your everyday life.

My friend Rob from Secrets of the Underground made a good video which explores the benefits of these four medicinal mushrooms along with turkey tail (another good one), and you’ll see a cameo of me starting at 07:44 ;)

Note - Yes lots of YouTube videos in this article from myself or my friend Rob, and if you want to reinforce what you’ve learned in this article then I suggest you add these videos to your watch later playlist and enjoy them at some future point in time.

Gut Health for Brain Fog

While this recommendation isn’t a supplement, for your best success in overcoming mental fatigue it’s necessary to mention the very important role gut health has in the development of mental fatigue and mental health problems. The gut and brain are linked via what’s known as the Gut-Brain Axis, and when the digestive system is functioning poorly and microbiome is pathogenic in nature, then the functioning of the brain suffers. Once you learn of how this connection works, then it becomes much easier to consciously make choices which improve the functioning of your gut-brain axis and therefore your mental health and overall wellness.

Gut-Brain Axis

The gut-brain axis is a bidirectional connection pathway that exists between the gut microbiome and nervous system + brain, and not only does the microbiome effect the functioning of the brain, but conditions of the nervous system and brain like stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and more in-turn effect the microbiome and gut.

Put simply, if you want your brain to work optimally, then attention must be given to gut health and the condition of the microbiome. The gut and brain are connected together via four main pathways:

1. Neurologic - Neurologic signals are sent between the gut and brain via the vagus nerve, with neurologic signals being the fastest mode of information transfer between the gut and brain.

2. Endocrine - The digestive system is a key component of the endocrine (hormone) system, and changes in the functioning and expression of the gut alter the overall status of the endocrine system and hormonal secretion as a result.

3. Metabolic - Compounds with metabolic functions that the microbiome produce like short-chain fatty acids influence overall metabolism which then affects cognitive ability. Having unstable blood sugar levels for example can result in periods of focus-scattered hyperactivity followed by energy crashes and brain fog.

4. Immune - The immune system protects the body from foreign microorganisms and unwanted compounds, and in the cleanup process they produce inflammatory cytokines. If the immune system is overly stressed then inflammation becomes rampant throughout the body and brain, which effects physical, mental, and emotional status.

Cultivate a Healthy Microbiome

Humans have co-evolved with microorganisms for millions of years, and having a healthy microbiome is so important for overall health and wellness in many different ways. The types of microorganisms that inhabit the gut have a big impact on general brain health, neurocognitive and neurodegenerative disorders, and brain performance.

To explain the relationship in more detail, microorganisms produce chemicals that are either useful or harmful to the body. In the large intestine where most of the gut microbiome resides, symbiotic (helpful) and pathogenic (harmful) microorganisms reside. Symbiotic and pathogenic microorganisms compete against each other for resources and space, and to survive pathogens produce and release toxins into their immediate environment. These toxins hurt symbionts, degrade gut tissues, reduce overall digestive function, and if absorbed into the bloodstream create inflammation throughout the body and brain. Symbiotic microorganisms on the other hand produce natural antimicrobial compounds which keep pathogens in check, and if symbiotic microorganisms are fed with fiber and flavonoids, they respectively produce short-chain fatty acids and beneficial secondary metabolites which are biologically beneficial for metabolism, cognitive health, and gut health.

A microbiome with too many pathogens exposes you to greater levels of toxins than your body can normally cope with and handle without much fuss, and a common result of having this type of microbiome is poor gut health, chronic inflammation, and brain fog.

Luckily shifting the microbiome towards greater symbiotic function is relatively simple! It’s outside the scope of this article but if you’d like to learn how you can do this you can read my article How to Restore Healthy Gut Flora or purchase the Holistic Gut Health Guide which covers how to improve gut naturally in-depth.

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Ashwagandha for Brain Fog

Ashwagandha is a powerful adaptogenic herb well-known in the ayurvedic system of medicine that contains many beneficial compounds such as alkaloids, lactones, and saponins. Ashwagandha is an herb that can be used to treat both acute or chronic mental fatigue. Ashwagandha has the following cognitive benefits:

• Ashwagandha leaf and root extracts reduce symptoms of anxiety, comparable to pharmaceutical drugs

• Ashwagandha inhibits nerve cells from over firing

• Slows, stops, and even reverses neural decay by promoting the growth of new neurons and by creating new synaptic connections

• Comparable to pharmaceutical drugs in reducing symptoms of depression, stabilizes mood

• Normalizes dopamine levels to normal, increasing dopamine levels in those suffering from Parkinson’s disease

• Intensifies acetylcholine, glutathione, and secretase enzyme activity

• Inhibits the production of amyloid beta plaques in those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease

• Helps to reverse addiction through its balancing actions on neurotransmitters GABA and serotonin

All of these cognitive benefits help with mental stress, and ashwagandha further helps with mental fatigue through how it supports the functioning of the adrenal glands. An interesting effect of ashwagandha is if it is supplemented before a stressful event/task, the stress response and the amount of cortisol that is secreted after the stressor is greatly blunted, allowing for faster recovery.

Mental fatigue and the corresponding brain fog is often a result of a dysfunctional Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis. the endocrine glands of the HPA-axis influence a lot of biologic functions throughout the body and one’s physiological status, and when the HPA-axis is constantly loaded with greater demands due to stress, it becomes deficient in necessary nutrients and changes its secretion of hormones in response to the demands placed upon it. By stopping the adrenal glands, and the HPA-axis in general, from generating a strong reaction to a stressful event, it provides an opportunity to the body to recharge and begin returning to normal physiological function.

For treating acute bouts of mental fatigue, ashwagandha is best used before the stressful event is to occur, or as soon as possible after it’s happened, and for helping with chronic brain fog ashwagandha should be used daily at a lesser dose.

Various ashwagandha products can be purchased from Mountain Rose Herbs, and ashwagandha can also be purchased form Nootropics Depot in a variety of formulations, the two I recommend being the standard ashwagandha powder and the other being the shoden ashwagandha powder.

Caffeine for Brain Fog

Lastly we arrive at caffeine, probably the most well-known and abused compound used to help with brain fog and mental fatigue. Caffeine has been well-studied in how it affects the brain and how it improves certain measures of mental performance like focus, attention span, reaction speed, and more, and caffeine also helps reduce sleepiness. For these reasons caffeine is very effective in ameliorating some of the effects of acute mental fatigue if a preexisting caffeine tolerance doesn’t exist, and what’s common is after people first notice some success with caffeine they begin to consume too much caffeine too often in hope of treating not the acute but the chronic brain fog they have. Caffeine is not useful in treating chronic mental fatigue because its stimulatory, and if overused in this manner it’ll usually make the situation worse.

If you have chronic daily brain fog and mental sluggishness, then I recommend you reduce your caffeine intake (if you’re consuming it) to under 100 mg a day, the equivalent of 1 cup of coffee or a couple cups of tea. To learn more on the science behind how caffeine works and how to do, this read my Caffeine Usage and Tolerance Reset Guide.

With that disclaimer said, caffeine is very effective for helping alleviate an acute bout of brain fog brought on from one-off events like a poor night’s sleep or temporarily increased mental and/or emotional stress. The feeling of brain fog can also sometimes descend when dealing with/studying a very mentally complex and demanding subject, and caffeine can also be used in these situations to assist with the increased information processing demands.

One important note with caffeine is that it blocks the binding of adenosine to adenosine receptors in the brain. If caffeine is consumed too early after waking up, adenosine builds up in the brain, and then when the caffeine wears off the flood of adenosine then causes an energy crash. A better method of using caffeine is to wait 90+ minutes after waking up to consume it, which allows the brain to process a lot of the adenosine in that first 90 minutes, and then when the caffeine wears off later, not as much adenosine is pooled up and ready to activate adenosine receptors.

The most common ways to ingest caffeine are by drinking tea or coffee, though caffeine pills are also a viable alternative.

Green Tea

Green tea is my favorite way to consuming caffeine because each cup of green tea only contains about 30-45 mg of caffeine versus 95 mg per cup of coffee, and green tea also contains plant polyphenols known as green tea catechins which have many beneficial health effects. Green tea also naturally contains L-theanine, an amino acid that helps to stabilize the energy increasing effect of caffeine while simultaneously promoting better sleep. Green tea is a wonderful beverage with a broad holistic effect for treating acute mental fatigue, and with each cup of caffeine containing much less caffeine than a cup of coffee, it’s easier to carefully dose caffeine upwards in a sequential manner with green tea to avoid a caffeine overload and subsequent energy crash.

A variety of green teas can be purchased from Mountain Rose Herbs, Nootropics Depot sells a green tea extract powder and a green tea extract + piperine supplement (piperine is another cognitive boosting compound), and Pique Tea sells green tea crystals that are super convenient and dissolve easily in both hot and cold water.

Coffee

Coffee is the classic beverage of choice fueling millions of people around the world day in and day out, and for good reason! Coffee contains a bunch of beneficial plant phytochemicals, and at ~95 mg of caffeine per cup, one cup of coffee is a significant pick-me-up which can reduce brain fog and the feelings of mental fatigue. Since coffee contains more caffeine than tea, it’s best to stop coffee consumption after 4pm in order to not deviate the circadian rhythm and cortisol secretion (remember caffeine simulates cortisol) too far off normal. The beneficial effects of caffeine greatly taper off after 300 mg, so if you are going to drink more than one cup of coffee, stick to a maximum of three cups in the ideal 90 minutes after waking up to 4pm drinking window.

Other nootropics mix well with coffee, and if you want to experiment with boosting the beneficial mental effects of coffee, then read my article on the best nootropic coffee.

Brain Fog Treatment

How you treat brain fog and mental fatigue is dependent on whether the effect is acute or chronic in nature. Chronic mental fatigue is best treated supplementally with herbs and medicinal mushrooms that activate the parasympathetic nervous system and support the HPA-axis, whereas acute brain fog can be treated preventatively by supplementing with ashwagandha or by using a stimulant like caffeine.

Each of the herbs and mushrooms listed above can be used independently for the treatment of chronic brain fog, but my recommendation would be to brew a tea from a combination of these herbs, for example a 1:1:1 blend of equal parts chamomile:reishi mushroom:green tea would be broadly supportive to the body and brain and overtime will help greatly in reducing chronic fatigue.

If you suspect your mental fatigue is just a symptom of a larger problem like chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as adrenal fatigue, then I suggest you read my article on adrenal fatigue to learn more about the condition and what you can holistically do to turn the issue around.

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Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

References:

1. Miraj S, Alesaeidi S. A systematic review study of therapeutic effects of Matricaria recuitta chamomile (Chamomile). Electron physician. 2016;8(9):3024-3031.

2. McCraty R. The Energetic Heart. HeartMath Institute; 2003

3. Batra P, Sharma AK, Khajuria R. Probing lingzhi or reishi medicinal mushroom ganoderma lucidum (Higher basidiomycetes): a bitter mushroom with amazing health benefits. Int J Med Mushr. 2013;15(2):127-143.

4. Shashkina MYa, Shashkin PN, Sergeev AV. Chemical and medicobiological properties of chaga (Review). Pharm Chem J. 2006;40(10):560-568.

5. Das SK, Masuda M, Sakurai A, Sakakibara M. Medicinal uses of the mushroom Cordyceps militaris: Current state and prospects. Fitoterapia. 2010;81(8):961-968.

6. Ryu S, Kim HG, Kim JY, Kim SY, Cho KO. hericium erinaceus extract reduces anxiety and depressive behaviors by promoting hippocampal neurogenesis in the adult mouse brain. Journal of Medicinal Food. 2018;21(2):174-180.

7. Zahiruddin S, Basist P, Parveen A, et al. Ashwagandha in brain disorders: A review of recent developments. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2020;257:112876.

8. Cooper R. Green tea and theanine: health benefits. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. 2012;63(sup1):90-97.

9. Smith A. Effects of caffeine on human behavior. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2002;40(9):1243-1255.

10. Papadopoulos, A., Cleare, A. Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis dysfunction in chronic fatigue syndrome. Nat Rev Endocrinol 8, 22–32 (2012).

How Cistanche Boosts Testosterone

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated August 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

When it comes to natural testosterone boosting supplements, there are generally two schools of thought.

1. There are the people that don’t think it’s possible to boost androgenic hormones like testosterone naturally using herbs. These people almost always have never tried using the natural testosterone boosters that exist and do work.

2. Then there are the people who have used natural testosterone boosters like cistanche and saw the benefits from it such as increased confidence, more muscle, a strength boost, and an increase in other androgenic traits.

Interestingly the people in group 1 have no trouble believing that estrogenic hormones like estradiol can be increased using certain herbs and by eating foods like soy. Increasing testosterone naturally using herbs may not be as well studied scientifically as is the opposite of how to boost female hormone levels (in an effort to help with menopause and post-menopause symptoms), but just as it’s possible to increase circulating levels of female hormones in the body, it is possible to increase circulating levels of male hormones too.

I speak from personal experience here because I’ve successfully used cistanche to increase free testosterone by 53% in the span of one month before, and every time I’ve used cistanche since the effect was similar physiologically.

Cistanche growing in the desert

In this article we discuss how to boost testosterone naturally using a special little-known herb known as cistanche, and some other herbs, foods, and supplements that can be used simultaneously to increase the overall androgenic effect while also reducing any side-effects that may occur.

How to Boost Testosterone

To understand how total and free testosterone levels can be increased naturally, a general understanding of the endocrine (hormone) system is required.

All hormones are synthesized from cholesterol. Cholesterol is a very valuable biologic compound, produced by the body and also available via dietary sources like eggs. For men testosterone and other androgenic hormones are synthesized from cholesterol by leydig cells in the testes. In the diagram here I’ve outlined cholesterol and testosterone in red.

For any testosterone booster to work, it needs to make the steroidogenesis process more efficient, fill in some critical nutrient deficiency that is limiting steroidogenesis, or it has to trigger a greater increase in steroidogenesis.

Common nutrients that are well-known to raise testosterone levels if deficient in them are vitamin D, vitamin C, magnesium, zinc, and boron, and making sure you intake enough of these nutrients is also simply good for overall health and wellness.

Then there is cholesterol. By increasing cholesterol levels in the body more hormones can be produced. Depending on your size and sex the amount of cholesterol produced naturally by the body varies, but it’s on average about ~1000 mg a day. If you want to increase the amount of cholesterol your body has access to, then the easiest way I can recommend is to eat eggs. One large egg contains ~200 mg of cholesterol, and eating 3-5 eggs a day will by itself have a notable positive impact on your hormone system.

With these base optimizations done, if you’re still interested in raising your testosterone levels beyond normal physiological levels, then supplementing with the safe & natural herb cistanche is highly effective.

Is Cistanche the Best Natural Testosterone Booster?

Cistanche is a genus of perennial herbs consisting of 22 known species that grows well in extremely arid desert climates. One of the reasons that cistanche is still a relatively obscure herb is because it’s an endangered wild species and only found in select parts of central and east Asia. Cistanche supplement is made from the ground up stem of the plant, which contains it’s main active compounds: the plant glycosides echinacoside and acteoside.

Cistanche is popular in Chinese Traditional Medicine for its wide-ranging beneficial health effects such as:

• Enhanced cognitive function

• Improved metabolism

• Strengthens the immune system

• Is a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant

• Supports the renal system (kidneys)

Cistanche Male Benefits

For men specifically cistanche is a useful herb because of its androgenic effects. Male hormone levels and sperm counts have been declining for decades, and cistanche can be used to reverse that trend. Whether you’re interested in boosting your testosterone, to improving your fertility, or you want to upgrade your performance in the bedroom, cistanche is a safe and natural herb than can help.

For a more detailed look at the health and androgenic benefits of cistanche check out the cistanche herb page.

How does Cistanche Work?

No human studies exist yet for cistanche, but the androgenic effects of cistanche have been studied in mice/rats and in other more isolated ways. The principal beneficial constituents of cistanche are echinacoside and acteoside, and it’s these compounds that are primarily responsible for the testosterone boosting effects of cistanche. It’s not a single pathway that cistanche activates that increase testosterone production by Leydig cells, but rather a selective activation of a few different genes and pathways that combined together to have a dramatic androgenic effect. There are also a few lifestyle factors that if done alongside cistanche supplementation greatly boost the overall effect.

The Liver and Cholesterol

To start, cistanche has been shown to significantly reduce serum cholesterol levels in mice which were fed a high-cholesterol diet. Cistanche does this by enhancing cholesterol transport from the digestive system to the liver. The liver is the primary chemical factory for the body, and it’s at the liver that cholesterol is encapsulated into lipoproteins made of lipids (fats) and proteins. Lipoproteins travel in the bloodstream to deliver cholesterol and triglycerides to the cells of the body. In addition to hormones, cholesterol is a major component of cell membranes, and cells throughout the body require cholesterol for their regular upkeep and biologic functions.

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is the main lipoprotein responsible for transporting cholesterol throughout the body. As LDL cholesterol reaches tissues in need of cholesterol it binds to the tissue’s LDL receptor and the cholesterol is released from the lipoprotein. The now depleted LDL compound is processed by the liver or taken up by macrophages.

Leydig Cells and Cholesterol

Leydig cells where hormones like testosterone are produced require an efficient and constant supply of cholesterol for their biologic functions. Under normal conditions testicular Leydig cells produce a lot of the cholesterol they need endogenously (themselves) for testosterone production, with any additional demand for cholesterol being mostly supplied by serum LDL cholesterol floating about.

The key in how cistanche works in raising testosterone levels is if Leydig cells have an additional demand for cholesterol. If you’re living a sedentary lifestyle with little physical activity and you’re not engaging in testosterone-stimulating social behaviors, cistanche will still boost your testosterone levels to some degree, but the effect is made much more significant when “alpha-male” lifestyles factors are in place like working out and engaging in varied social interactions. When those lifestyle factors are in place and there is a demand for testosterone in order to increase chances of success, whether that’s lifting a heavy deadlift, closing a sales deal, being in a leadership position, or attracting the cute girl, then Leydig cells respond to the increased need for testosterone and look abroad for the extra cholesterol they need. If cistanche is being supplemented alongside an increased consumption of dietary cholesterol from a source like eggs (say 4 a day), then the extra dietary cholesterol is being efficiently packaged into lipoproteins and circulated to Leydig cells which take up the cholesterol and create extra testosterone from it.

Acteoside, one of the main active constituents of cistanche seems to play a major role in enhancing cholesterol metabolism and transport, and acteoside also has an antiestrogenic effect. All that’s required for testosterone to be converted into estradiol, the strongest estrogen hormone, is for it to be converted by the aromatase enzyme (see steroidogenesis graphic above). The exact anti-estrogenic mechanisms of how acteoside are still not fully known, but it seems to stop the conversion of excess testosterone into estrogen. That’s one problem with a lot of testosterone boosters, they increase testosterone but do nothing to stop aromatase enzyme so the body ends up having high levels of testosterone and estrogen, which isn’t a good thing.

The exact mechanisms of how cistanche boosts testosterone isn’t 100% clear, but the overall biologic process is known and can be confirmed for yourself by supplementing with cistanche and experiencing the testosterone boosting effects yourself. And by knowing the above biology it’s possible to improve the effect further with the addition of some other natural compounds like dandelion, zinc, and vitamin D.

Cistanche Testosterone-Boosting Supplement Stack

To make supplementing with cistanche as effective as possible in boosting testosterone, the following is required:

• A high-quality cistanche supplement with sufficient acetoside concentrations, like Nootropics Depot Cistanche supplement

• Testosterone-boosting lifestyle factors like lifting weights, engaging in sports, being a leader, or social interactions

• Increased consumption of dietary cholesterol

• Dandelion for its high levels of flavonoids which function as aromatase inhibitors

• Zinc, magnesium, vitamin D, and vitamin C

I’ll cover the dosing requirements for each and provide you my recommended supplements, and then at the end put it all together for you so you can try your own 1-2 month cistanche testosterone-boosting protocol.

Cistanche Dosing

If using the Cistanche tubolsa powder (recommended) sold by Nootropics Depot, then start with the recommended dose of 200 mg and increase up to a maximum of 600 mg if desired.

In my experience the higher the dose of cistanche the greater the testosterone boosting effect, but the side-effects like more acne can also manifest, which is why I recommend dandelion root is also used alongside cistanche.

Dandelion Dosing

The entire dandelion plant is edible and incredibly safe, and supplementing with dandelion root, usually by brewing it into a tea, reduces some of the unwanted side-effects that can occur when supplementing with cistanche. Dandelion is a blood purifier and will keep inflammation and acne under control, and the flavonoids that dandelion contains are aromatase inhibitors, which means less of the testosterone that is being produced thanks to the cistanche is being converted into estrogen. You can harvest and dry your own dandelion root or organic dandelion root can be purchased from Mountain Rose Herbs.

Apigenin is flavonoid that has strong aromatase inhibiting properties, and the liposomal apigenin powder sold by Nootropics Depot could also be used in the place of or alongside the dandelion tea if desired.

Cholesterol Dosing

Alongside 200-600 mg of cistanche you should also increase your cholesterol by 600-1000 mg. To increase your dietary cholesterol you can simply begin eating more eggs, I recommend 3-5 a day. For the best nutrition purchase pasture-raised eggs.

Micronutrient Dosing

Vitamin D is another very useful chemical for hormone health and overall health and wellness, and if you’re unable to get some safe sun exposure daily, then you can take a 5000 IU vitamin D supplement.

Vitamin C is important for the health of your adrenal glands and necessary for the production of cortisol, and in order to avoid placing any undue stress on the adrenals from the cistanche supplementation I recommend you increase your vitamin C intake by consuming more citrus, like one lemon a day. Skip the vitamin C supplements, they’re junk and not readily bioavailable.

Zinc is a key part of the androgenic pathway, and if you’re deficient in zinc then you’re limiting your bodies ability to produce testosterone and recover from workouts. Zinc is found in high concentrations in oysters, nuts and seeds, and some other foods, or you can supplement with a safe level of zinc by taking a 15 mg zinc balance supplement. Taking too much zinc (>35 mg) can be dangerous and lead to toxicity and also severe nausea if taken on an empty stomach.

Magnesium is another mineral important for testosterone production as well as being needed throughout the body. Magnesium is the second most common nutrient deficiency and can be consumed in greater amounts by eating more nuts and seeds, dark leafy greens like spinach, dark chocolate, by drinking spring water than contains dissolved magnesium, or by taking a 500 mg magnesium supplement.

Note - An easy way to increase your consumption of zinc, magnesium, and other valuable minerals like manganese is to eat pumpkin seeds. Five health benefits of pumpkin seeds

Boost your Testosterone Fast

So here’s how I recommend you supplement with cistanche. Split your daily dose into two and consume half in the morning and half at night. If you’re taking 400 mg of cistanche that means 200 mg before breakfast and 200 mg before dinner. Every morning brew a couple cups (16 oz) of dandelion tea by steeping a couple grams of dandelion root in boiling water for 15 minutes, and once the tea is ready you can stir the cistanche directly into the tea. Take the zinc, magnesium, and vitamin supplements at the same time and then 30-60 minutes later eat breakfast. If you’re intermittent fasting then this can be done before lunch. Save the second cup of dandelion tea in the fridge for later that night, again stirring the cistanche directly into it.

Use this testosterone boosting supplement stack consistently for thirty days while also having a strength training routine in place, good sleep, and a healthy diet and you’ll be blown away by the androgenic changes you experience! If you really want to be scientific and qualitatively see how your body adapted to the supplements and changes implemented, get a total and free testosterone test before and after the 30-60 day supplement period.

60 days is the upper limit I’d recommend for supplementing with cistanche, and then make sure to not use cistanche or any other testosterone booster again until you wait the same amount of time you used it for. This is the 1:1 rule and its highly recommended to follow in order to keep your endocrine system healthy and functioning normally.

I notice that much of the increased androgenic expression that’ll be experienced from supplementing with cistanche “sticks”, so in my experience it seems to help upregulate natural testosterone production permanently to some degree, likely through the activation and increased expression of certain genes.

If you follow this natural testosterone boosting protocol please share your experiences in the comments below.

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References:

1. (2014). "Diagram of the pathways of human steroidogenesis". WikiJournal of Medicine 1 (1). DOI:10.15347/wjm/2014.005. ISSN 20018762. - Häggström M, Richfield D

2. Shimoda H, Tanaka J, Takahara Y, Takemoto K, Shan SJ, Su MH. The hypocholesterolemic effects of cistanche tubulosa extract, a chinese traditional crude medicine, in mice. Am J Chin Med. 2009;37(06):1125-1138.

3. Papoutsi Z, Kassi E, Mitakou S, et al. Acteoside and martynoside exhibit estrogenic/antiestrogenic properties. The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. 2006;98(1):63-71.

4. Azhar S, Reaven E. Regulation of leydig cell cholesterol metabolism. In: Payne AH, Hardy MP, eds. The Leydig Cell in Health and Disease. Humana Press; 2007:135-148.

5. Jeong HJ, Shin YG, Kim IH, Pezzuto JM. Inhibition of aromatase activity by flavonoids. Arch Pharm Res. 1999;22(3):309-312.

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

Apigenin is Nature's most Powerful Flavonoid

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated May 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

In the English Ballad Scarborough Fair, most well-known as sung by Simon and Garfunkel in their album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme, a man and women ask of each other impossible tasks so the other may demonstrate their true love, and sprinkled throughout the song is the refrain of “parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme”.

To many curing cancer and other chronic inflammation-based diseases likewise seems an impossible task, but if the herbs of the ballad are sprinkled liberally throughout life then true healing is no longer out of reach thanks to the presence of a unique and very powerful anti-cancer phytochemical contained in all those herbs known as apigenin.

In this article we discuss the health benefits of apigenin, what foods to eat to receive more apigenin into the diet, and other high-density ways of supplementing apigenin so you can enjoy all the amazing health benefits of this unique flavonoid phytochemical.

Curly parsley from my 2021 summer garden, zone 7a. Yum!

Pharmacology of Apigenin

Apigenin is a phytochemical flavonoid (more specifically a flavone) naturally produced by plants shown to exhibit several biologic activities such as being an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-cancer, neuroprotective, and cardioprotective.

Apigenin is synthesized in a number of plants as secondary metabolite via the shikimate pathway* (how all flavonoids are synthesized). Once apigenin has been produced by a plant it’s bound to sugar molecules in various ways creating what are known as glycosides which are another class of powerful health-promoting phytochemicals. Flavonoids like apigenin are produced by plants for functions like protection against ultraviolet light, defense against insects, fungi, and microorganisms, as antioxidants, and as plant hormone controllers. Just as plants use flavonoids to improve their lot in life, so too can we, with flavonoids like apigenin and quercetin (among many others) raising the efficiency and stable functioning of biologic systems.

Note* - The reason pesticides like glyphosate are so effective at killing bacteria, fungi, and plants is because they turn off the shikimate pathway. Non-organic produce having been grown with disrupted shikimate metabolism will therefore contain much less of the valuable phytochemicals that our bodies crave! Something to consider next time you’re purchasing vegetables and are wondering whether to buy conventional (sprayed with glyphosate) or organic (not sprayed with glyphosate) fruits and vegetables.

Apigenin Bioavailability

Apigenin glycosides are more bioavailable than free apigenin as free apigenin has very poor water solubility.

In the intestines, apigenin is extensively metabolized into forms more readily transported to the liver before being distributed out to tissues of the body. Any apigenin that makes it past the small intestine transits to the colon where it also has biologic effects before eventually being eliminated from the body. Remaining apigenin from the tissues (and some from the liver) are eventually processed by the kidneys and excreted via urine.

From the whole-food source of parsley (the densest source of apigenin known), the excretion half-life for apigenin was observed to be about 12 hours. There exist significant individual variation in the bioavailability and excretion of apigenin, but in general apigenin is absorbed slowly by the body and eliminated slowly by the body (important to discuss further, see side effects section below). No difference in the mean excretion of apigenin has been observed between men and women.

If apigenin is taken in reasonable amounts the long half-life of apigenin proves to be one of its main benefits as a wellness promoting phytochemical. The longer a chemical can stay in the body, the more time it has to exert biologically-relevant effects, and by eating a diet high in apigenin, over time the body builds up consistent levels of apigenin in the bloodstream that keep inflammation low, among many other health improvements.

Apigenin Benefits and Uses

If you’ve read through the herb section of Wild Free Organic, you’ll have found that the theme of many health-promoting herbs is that they are always possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. Antioxidants help neutralize free radicals in the body which otherwise would cause oxidative stress and DNA damage. Inflammation isn’t bad per-say as it is vitally important in the healing process, but the out-of-balance modern lifestyle has inflammation elevated way beyond normal levels chronically for many people. And the natural antimicrobial properties of herbs keep the gut’s microbiome healthy and in-check while also sweeping the bloodstream clear of pathogens which increases immunity.

When antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial properties are combined together thanks to flavonoids like apigenin, and biologically relevant amounts are consumed consistently, beneficial actions at the cellular scale are felt at the human scale for example as reductions in cancer, improved sleep and less anxiety, better gut health, and optimized hormone levels for men and women. Apigenin is most popularly known for its anti-cancer, anti-mutagenic, and chemoprotective effects so we’ll start there when discussing the health benefits of apigenin.

Apigenin for Cancer

In most situations when a cell undergoes a genotoxic mutation DNA repair mechanisms kick in and repair the damage or the cell undergoes apoptosis (programmed cell death) and is terminated. If the DNA damage isn’t fixed and the cell doesn’t undergo apoptosis then the mutated cell begins to deviate from its normal behaviors and becomes cancerous.

Apigenin plays an important role in cancer prevention by inducing apoptosis and inhibiting cell proliferation in mutated cells. Apigenin triggers various anti-cancer pathways and activates tumor suppressive genes. Apigenin also further combats the rise and spread of cancer through its binding action to certain proteins and also in how it adjusts certain cellular receptors in their expression and density. Apigenin bolsters all of these anti-cancer effects but also inhibiting excessive platelet adhesion thereby improving the transport of oxygen, nutrients, and immune cells throughout the body.

One special trait of apigenin is that it is able to overcome the multi-drug resistance some tumor cells have by inhibiting the viability of the mutated cells while increasing their cellular uptake of doxorubicin (a chemotherapy medication).

Apigenin is one of the most powerful anti-cancer phytochemicals currently known and for anyone who has cancer reading this I would suggest you read the full research paper linked as the sixth reference for this article (see end).

Apigenin for Sleep

Apigenin binds to benzodiazepine receptors in the brain which, if taken in high enough doses, can trigger muscle relaxation and sedation.

Chamomile is a common source of apigenin, and chamomile is well-known for it’s relaxation and sleep benefits, which can be partly ascribed to apigenin’s neurochemical interactions. Not only does chamomile activate the "rest and digest” parasympathetic nervous system, it also improves day-time functioning because 8-12 Hz alpha brainwaves are increased in power. Alpha brainwaves are the gateway between wakefulness and sleep, and strong alpha brainwave activity in general is correlated with higher levels of consciousness.

Apigenin for Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety, depression, insomnia, and other mental health issues are central nervous system (CNS) related disorders, and apigenin’s influence over the CNS is beneficial in reducing these mental health issues. There is increasing awareness surrounding the effectiveness of phytochemicals like apigenin or sulforaphane in treating mental health issues, and an important thing to know then if seeking to use natural alternatives for mental health treatment is the effectiveness of a bioactive compound is determined in part by its ability to pass through the blood-brain barrier. Of the many flavonoids that exist, apigenin is near the top of the list in its ease of penetration of the blood brain barrier.

Apigenin reduces anxiety, depression, and other central nervous system disorders through a few different factors. Apigenin upregulates the production of brain-derived neurotropic factor, an important protein for nerve cell growth and survival. Apigenin lowers stress-induced alterations in the brain and it reverses mild stress-induced increases in corticosteroid hormones. Apigenin possibly has a role in modulating the neurotransmission activity of noradrenalin, dopamine, and serotonin, and by doing this apigenin helps to prevent abnormal behavior.

The beneficial neuroprotective effects of apigenin listed in the next section are also applicable to this section.

Apigenin is Neuroprotective

As a neuroprotective agent, apigenin reduces oxidative damage, neural inflammation, and activation of the central nervous system’s immune microglial cells. Apigenin has been shown to cause a reduction in amyloid deposits in the brain and it has an ameliorating effect on Alzheimer’s disease. Apigenin causes improvements in memory, most notably spatial learning and memory.

Possibly one of apigenin’s most important effects is that is has a neurovascular protective effect, helping to keep the brain well supplied with oxygen and nutrient-rich blood. Not only does apigenin have an easy time passing through the blood-brain barrier, its presence also maintains the healthy status of the brain’s vascular network, which is a win-win.

Apigenin for Gut Health

Not all flavonoids will be absorbed in the small intestine, and any flavonoids (like apigenin) that reach the colon beneficially interact with the microbiome there. Flavonoids and their metabolites alter the microbiome by inhibiting the growth of various pathogens while increasing the beneficial genera such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. Through these actions gut health is improved because endotoxin production is reduced, the conversion of primary into secondary bile acids is increased, and overall nutrient absorption increases. Flavonoids are one of the best things to ensure you’re getting adequate amounts of in your diet if looking to heal gastrointestinal issues or maintain good gut health. Flavonoids improve intestinal barrier function by strengthening epithelial tight-junctions which has a big impact on reducing gut inflammation.

If you are experiencing gut health problems then the Holistic Gut Health Guide is the all-in-one-guide you need to begin healing your digestive system and microbiome.

Apigenin for Women

As women age hormone levels decline, notably progesterone which affects the functioning of various neurotransmitters like GABA. Women with lower progesterone levels at any age have a greater likelihood of experiencing depression, anxiety, irritability, and insomnia. Headaches, migraines, and mood changes are more common, as is irregularity in the menstrual cycle. Apigenin has some effect in improving progesterone levels and thus can help mitigate the effects of low progesterone levels in women of all ages.

Apigenin for Men

The two main ways apigenin specifically helps men is in regards to their hormonal and prostate health.

Apigenin and Testosterone

Apigenin broadly improves the function of Leydig cells, the cells responsible for testosterone production in the testes. Apigenin also reduces heat-induced damage to the extremely heat sensitive Leydig cells. Apigenin enhances steroidogenesis by increasing the sensitivity of Leydig cells to cAMP stimulation.

In addition to improving steroidogenesis, apigenin can promote skeletal muscle hypertrophy and myogenic differentiation of muscle cells through its actions as a potent aromatase inhibitor (like most plant flavonoids). Aromatase is an enzyme that converts androgens like testosterone into estrogenic hormones like estradiol, and by inhibiting the action of aromatase enzymes throughout the body more androgenic hormone levels can be maintained.

Apigenin for Prostate Health

Plant flavonoids like apigenin induce apoptosis in prostate carcinoma (epithelial cancer) cells by inhibiting fatty acid synthase, a long chain fatty-acid synthesis enzyme that is over-expressed in prostate cancer cells. Apigenin also changes various cellular pathways the inhibits the growth of prostate cancer. One of these pathways is the uptake and accumulation of apigenin in the nuclear matrix of a cell, binding apigenin to DNA which reduces oxidative DNA damage and apoptosis in healthy prostate epithelial cells.

One of the main concerns regarding any chemotherapy treatment is how it also damages and kills healthy cells alongside mutated ones. By protecting healthy cells and by fighting cancer in its own way apigenin is truly a miracle flavonoid that is easily and safely added alongside existing cancer treatment options.

What is Apigenin Found In?

As a plant-created flavonoid apigenin is found in a variety of herbs, fruits, and vegetables. Most commonly apigenin isn’t found in its free form but bound as one of its various glycosides. For example apigenin does not occur in living chamomile flowers, instead residing in the plant as apigenin 7-glycoside and its derivatives. Once harvested some of the apigenin glycosides convert into free apigenin.

Whether an apigenin containing food is eaten fresh or dried (a denser source), the apigenin will be absorbable.

Herbs High in Apigenin

Parsley is the richest known source of apigenin and there is nothing else that comes close. Fresh parsley contains ~2.2 mg of apigenin per gram of fresh parsley. With its water content removed dried parsley is an even denser source of apigenin coming in at ~45 mg/g.

Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) is another source of apigenin that’s well-known, with dried chamomile flower containing 3-5 mg/g.

Peppermint contains 0.055 mg of apigenin per gram of fresh leaves, and the apigenin density is higher in dried peppermint.

Thyme contains ~0.025 mg of apigenin per gram of fresh leaves, and dried thyme has a higher apigenin density.

Oregano contains ~0.025 mg of apigenin per gram of fresh leaves, and dried oregano is an even denser source of apigenin.

Sage, rosemary, and tea leaves are other sources of apigenin. Lastly one important thing to note regarding the apigenin content of herbs, and this also applies more broadly to all polyphenols found in herbs, is that there typically is a significant increase in total polyphenols from April to September, so the apigenin content of food does vary with the seasons.

Fruits and Vegetables High in Apigenin

Since apigenin is a common flavonoid it’s found in some concentration in most fruits and vegetables.

Celery is a vegetable known for its high apigenin content, and all parts of the celery plant contain apigenin in different ratios. Celery seed has the densest concentration of apigenin at 0.8 mg/g, whereas celery hearts have a lower density of 0.02 mg/g, and celery stalk is even lower still at only 0.003 mg/g.

Other fruits and vegetables known for their apigenin content are rutabaga, green chili peppers, onions, and oranges.

Liposomal Apigenin

The health benefits of apigenin are becoming more well-known in the medical field and it’s common to be recommended liposomal apigenin for a variety of health reasons. A liposome is a spherical drug delivery vehicle made of a lipid bi-layer that increases bioavailability of the nutrient encapsulated within it into the bloodstream. Apigenin is already very bioavailable and liposomal apigenin is only really useful in the context of shuttling the majority of the apigenin into the bloodstream, whereas normally the tissues of the digestive system will absorb and use some apigenin themselves, some apigenin will make it into the bloodstream, and some apigenin will also make its way to the microbiome of the large intestine.

There are benefits to letting apigenin naturally be distributed throughout the body, specifically having apigenin make it to the microbiome is very valuable for the gut-brain axis, metabolic health, and the cardiovascular system. The microbiome produces biologically useful secondary metabolites from flavonoids like apigenin, and for this reason supplementing with a natural source of apigenin like dried parsley is preferred.

Apigenin Side Effects

There is some concern that exist regarding apigenin and its potential to build up in the body based on its half-life in rats, which is 92 hours. The half life of apigenin in humans though is 12 hours, and there is little evidence to suggest that apigenin builds up to dangerous levels or promotes adverse metabolic reactions when consumed as part of a normal diet.

Direct supplementation of high doses of isolated apigenin can result in liver toxicity over time, and its for this reason that I believe its best that those who wish to supplement with apigenin capsules don’t supplement with them daily and instead follow a more holistic approach, sticking with whole foods and herbal teas. Information for those interested in supplementing with high doses of apigenin and for others who want to follow the holistic approach is below.

Supplement Apigenin

There are two main methods to follow when supplementing with any compound or chemical. The first method is to supplement with the desired chemical just 1-3x at a high dose for an acute effect. The second method is to incorporate into the diet natural sources of the desired chemical for much broader long term health benefits. With good understanding of what a chemical does and its safety profile methods 1 and 2 can be combined. We’ll start with the low-dose daily way to add apigenin into the diet and then progress upwards towards the most potent forms available.

Chamomile, Dandelion, Peppermint Tea for Apigenin

An excellent way to add extra apigenin to the diet is to drink a 1:1:1 chamomile, dandelion, and peppermint herbal tea. This herbal tea blend is so powerfully healthy for you because of the presence of flavonoids like apigenin, quercetin, and hundreds of other health-promoting phytochemicals.

All three of these herbs are powerful antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and natural antimicrobials. Drinking this tea will boost your immune system and help you get over a cold/flu/covid faster, will reduce symptoms associated with inflammation-based and autoimmune diseases, and is excellent for healing the digestive system and keeping it functioning at a high level. I’ve writen more about the benefits of drinking herbal teas for improving gut health and for use during fasting, and if you’re currently facing gut health problems I highly encourage you to learn more.

Drinking herbal teas is one of the best preventative health strategies that exists. Each cup is packed with biologically useful phytonutrients that the body craves, and with so many different herbs that exist it never gets boring. Drink a cup or two of chamomile/dandelion/peppermint tea a day and with the 12 hour half life of apigenin it’s not an issue if a few days are missed every now and then. All three of these herbs are extremely safe with no known toxicity concerns.

Mountain Rose herbs sells organic dandelion root, chamomile flowers, and dried peppermint leaves.

Dried parsley for Apigenin

Dried parsley is a ridiculously dense source of apigenin coming in at ~45 mg/g. While pure apigenin supplements do exist as you’ll see below, dried parsley is the best way to supplement with high amounts of apigenin because in addition to receiving the apigenin you also receive all the other useful vitamins, nutrients, and phytochemicals that parsley has to offer. Parsley is a dense source of vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, calcium, and iron. All of the components that make up parsley aid in the bioavailability and health effects of the other components in what’s known as the entourage effect. So when using dried parsley to intake higher levels of apigenin (for example to aid in the fight against cancer), you not only receive abundant apigenin but lots of other health promoting goodies that would not come when supplementing with apigenin in a standardized pill form.

You can purchase dried parsley in the spice section at the local supermarket or save some money by buying dried parsley online. You can purchase dried parsley on amazon, where it’s usually sold in greater quantities and cheaper in price than the supermarket, or from my favorite supplier of herbs, essential oils, and other health and wellness products Mountain Rose Herbs who also sells organic dried parsley leaf.

Easy ways to incorporate dried parsley into your diet is to mix it into different spreads like cream cheese and hummus, to sprinkle it liberally on top of meals like a grain bowl, mix it into soup or paste-type dishes, you get the idea.

Pure Apigenin Supplements

Highly standardized apigenin supplements can be useful under certain circumstances. For example if someone is having severe gut health issues and even dried parsley is likely to cause too much gastrointestinal upset, then a pure apigenin supplement can be useful combined alongside herbal teas. Nootropics Depot sells a few different supplements that contain apigenin, most notably they sell a raw 98% apigenin powder that’s also available as 98% apigenin capsules.

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Try Herbalism

A final message to leave you with is to never underestimate the healing power of natural remedies, a great introduction being herbal teas. A lot of supplements are very expensive and have poor safety and quality testing. For the same price or less as a few different health supplements an entire assortment of health-promoting herbs can be acquired through a supplier like Mountain Rose Herbs. Try natural herbal remedies at least once and see if they can help you. A good place to start learning more about herbs is on the herbs section of this website.

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References:

1. Ali F, Rahul, Naz F, Jyoti S, Siddique YH. Health functionality of apigenin: A review. International Journal of Food Properties. 2017;20(6):1197-1238.

2. Nielsen SE, Young JF, Daneshvar B, et al. Effect of parsley (petroselinum crispum) intake on urinary apigenin excretion, blood antioxidant enzymes and biomarkers for oxidative stress in human subjects. Br J Nutr. 1999;81(6):447-455.

3. Salehi B, Venditti A, Sharifi-Rad M, et al. The therapeutic potential of apigenin. IJMS. 2019;20(6):1305.

4. Pei R, Liu X, Bolling B. Flavonoids and gut health. Current Opinion in Biotechnology. 2020;61:153-159.

5. Higdon J. Flavonoids. Micronutrient Information Center, Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/dietary-factors/phytochemicals/flavonoids

6. Shankar E, Goel A, Gupta K, Gupta S. Plant flavone apigenin: an emerging anticancer agent. Curr Pharmacol Rep. 2017;3(6):423-446.

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Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

Articles on Herbalism and Nutrition

The Best Nootropic Coffee

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated March 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Your life will never be the same after trying out this secret nootropic coffee recipe because afterwards you’ll never go back to a regular cup of coffee.

In the United States of America where 146 billion cups of coffee are enjoyed per year, and worldwide where that number is MUCH larger, this coffee drink might even change the world.

One reason coffee is so popular is because each cup contains ~100 mg of caffeine. Caffeine is a mild stimulant that increases alertness and focus, wards off sleep, and boosts the metabolism. Caffeine is the most widely used nootropic worldwide and coffee makes it easily to consume a physiologically and psychologically relevant dose. So how do you improve upon the world’s most widely consumed nootropic beverage?

Well in my quest to make the perfect coffee, one that’s smooth, not too bitter, packed with micronutrients, and doesn’t create any anxiety or jitter I turned to herbalism, experimenting with many different recipes, and one day I blended together the ultimate cup of joe.

This super coffee is such a health and productivity hack that I honestly shouldn’t share it with anyone, but I’m feeling magnanimous so here goes.

The Dark Mocha Rises

One of the main drawbacks of coffee is that it can sometimes cause jitteryness and anxiety, especially when multiple cups are consumed and when plenty of extra sugar is added. Instead of creating a triumphant feeling of focus and productivity, you’re left feeling worn and emotionally snappy.

Bulletproof coffee was the first to address this issue by replacing sugar with a fat like butter or coconut oil, in the process taking the paleo community by storm. The blend of fat and coffee nicely enhances alertness and focus while boosting fat metabolism, providing all day energy without any blood sugar crashes. Why stop with one improvement when we can go one step further with what I call the dark mocha.

A typical mocha combines coffee with steamed milk and chocolate, delicious. A dark mocha is different.

Instead of mixing in cream and sugar, a dark mocha starts with a cup of black coffee and mixes in 100% pure cacao along some honey and a few synergistic herbal supplements.

Pure cacao powder contains a good blend of fat, fiber, and protein which together function better than butter or coconut oil in stabilizing blood sugar and without creating an oily coffee. Cacao also has a delicious flavor and melts easily into a warm cup of coffee. Add to that some honey to cut some of the bitterness, Ceylon cinnamon for flavor and for it’s insulin sensitizing effects, and chaga mushroom and cistanche for a wealth of health and longevity benefits, and you have the ultimate cup of coffee. Here’s the recipe.

Dark Mocha Recipe:

• 1 cup (8oz) black coffee

• 1 tbsp cacao powder

• 1 tsp honey

• 1/2 tsp ceylon cinnamon

• 1/8 tsp chaga mushroom powder

• 1/8 tsp cistanche powder

Instructions:

Brew a cup of black coffee using your favorite coffee beans and pour into a shaker bottle.

Add cacao honey, cinammon, chaga, and cistanche

Blend together for 1-2 minutes until the cacao and honey are fully dissolved. Drink from the bottle or pour into a mug.

Some of the cinnamon, chaga, and cistanche will slowly settle out over time, so give the coffee the occasional swirl or stir with a spoon to keep everything suspended.

The Health Benefits of a Nootropic Coffee

It’s common knowledge that many herbals exist which are great for health and wellness, and incorporating cacao, cinnamon, chaga, and cistanche into coffee (is it a coincidence they all start with the letter C?) makes it real easy to boost the beneficial energetic and cognitive effects of coffee and one’s overall health at the same time.

No messing around with pills or brewing a pot of tea to practice herbalism, simply turn on the coffee machine, scoop the different powders into the cup, and mix. This nootropic blend is so good that it can also help curb a coffee dependency, because a second, third, or fourth cup of coffee won’t be needed to keep alertness, focus, and productivity high. To better understand why this is, let’s learn about the health benefits of each herbal ingredient in the dark mocha.

Health Benefits of Cacao

Cacao is best known for it’s voluptuous flavor and mood-boosting effects, widely considered an aphrodisiac by many. Cacao contains procyanins which are strong anti-inflammatories and have been shown to increase longevity and be neuroprotective. Cacao flavonols reduce mental fatigue and improve cognition during sustained mental effort, also reducing anxiety and depression. Cacao is also good for the heart and cardiovascular system at large and has insulin-sensitizing effects.

The balanced combination of fat, fiber, and protein in cacao also makes it an excellent addition to coffee helping to stabilize it’s more jittery effects.

Health Benefits of Ceylon Cinnamon

Ceylon cinnamon has great flavor and is a well-known anti-diabetic herbal. Cinnamon reduces blood sugar spikes, improves glucose utilization in cells, and can reduce fasting blood glucose alongside cholesterol levels.

Using Ceylon cinnamon instead of cassia cinnamon is important because ceylon cinnamon contains much lower levels of coumarin, a compound that is toxic to the liver in high doses. To receive a concerning dose of coumarin more than an ounce (28 grams) of Ceylon cinnamon would have to be consumed, which is nowhere close to the 1/2 tsp amount recommended in the dark mocha recipe above.

Health Benefits of Chaga Mushroom

Chaga Mushroom is typically found growing on birch trees and is best known for it’s immune system boosting and anti-cancer properties. Chaga mushroom fortifies the cardiovascular system, helps with digestive upset, increases work capacity, and is a potent antioxidant with gene-protecting properties. Chaga is well tolerated in large doses and therefore has a strong safety profile.

Chaga is also a general immune system enhancer which possesses anti-tumor properties. Chaga has been used for thousands of years in traditional Chinese medicine and is now used the world over.

Health Benefits of Cistanche

Cistanche is a plant found growing in arid deserts that contains a wealth of plant compounds such as glycosides, lignans, polysaccharides that boost health across the board. Cistanche fortifies the kidneys and renal system at large, increases learning and memorization ability, protects against neurodegenerative diseases, improves immunity, increases longevity, is an endocrine adaptogen (often boosting testosterone levels), and helps with chronic fatigue syndrome. Cistanche has a strong safety profile and has been used for thousands of years, first in traditional Chinese medicine and now worldwide.

Cistanche also strengthens the cardiovascular system and improves endurance, prevents bone loss, and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in general. Cistanche is one of the ultimate herbs for increasing general longevity and vitality, and it goes great with coffee.

Note - I’ve used cistanche (at greater doses than what’s in this recipe) to boost my free testosterone levels over 50+%. Learn more about the Cistanche and Cholesterol Protocol.

The Best Super Coffee

The combination of coffee, cacao, cinnamon, chaga, and cistanche is a match made in heaven. All are dark brown and ready to please your palate, together enhancing your energy, mental cognition, and health in a way few supplements can match. If you want to make the dark mocha 100% plant-based and vegan, substitute the honey for a sweetener like agave syrup.

If you’re consuming more than 300 mg of caffeine per day, switching to a dark mocha will help in reducing daily coffee consumption simply because more cups of coffee won’t be needed. The synergistic effects of the cacao, cinnamon, chaga, and cistanche make one dark mocha all that’s needed to maintain all-day focus and cognitive performance.

Alternatively if you are struggling with your high consumption of coffee and running into negative symptoms as a results, I recommend undergoing a coffee tolerance reset in order to resensitize to the beneficial effects of coffee. Lucky for you I’ve written the complete guide below, check it out!

Nootropic Coffee Ingredients

The ingredients needed to blend together a dark mocha are sold from Mountain Rose Herbs and Nootropics Depot.

Raw Cacao Powder

Ceylon Cinnamon

Chaga Mushroom Powder

Organic Raw Cacao Powder

Mountain Rose Herbs grinds raw whole beans harvested from the tropical plant Theobroma cacao to produce their raw cacao powder. It is not roasted as is typically done.

Standard dose is 2 - 5 grams.

Organic Ceylon Cinnamon Powder

Ceylon cinnamon is true cinnamon and is preferable to use compared to cassia cinnamon because it contains dramatically lower levels of coumarin as discussed earlier.

Standard dose is 0.5 - 2 grams.

Organic Chaga Mushroom Powder

The Mountain Rose Herbs chaga powder is milled from the entire sclerotia. As a whole milled powder it contains the full spectrum of beneficial health compounds found in chaga such as beta-glucans and triterpenes.

Standard dose is 0.5 - 3 grams once daily.

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Cistanche is not available from Mountain Rose herbs and instead can be purchased from Nootropics Depot, as can a more finely milled chaga powder.

Cistanche Tubulosa Powder

The cistanche product sold by Nootropics Depot is highly standardized, containing a minimum of 50% echinacosides and 10% acetoside, overall delivering more echinacosides and acetoside per gram than most other cistanche products.

Standard dose is 200 mg once daily.

Chaga 1:1 Mushroom Extract Powder

The chaga mushroom powder sold by Nootropics Depot is very finely milled which makes it excellent for stirring directly into a drink like coffee without creating any unpleasant clumps or graininess.

Standard dose is 500 mg once daily.

Beta-Glugan (β-Glucan) minimum content: 8%

Contains Triterpenoids

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References:

1. Malcom Stuart, et al. The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism. Crescent Books, New York.

2. Latif R. Health benefits of cocoa: Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care. 2013;16(6):669-674.

3. Ranasinghe P, Pigera S, Premakumara GS, Galappaththy P, Constantine GR, Katulanda P. Medicinal properties of ‘true’ cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum): a systematic review. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2013;13(1):275.

4. Shashkina MYa, Shashkin PN, Sergeev AV. Chemical and medicobiological properties of chaga (Review). Pharm Chem J. 2006;40(10):560-568.

5. Li Z, Lin H, Gu L, Gao J, Tzeng CM. Herba cistanche (Rou cong-rong): one of the best pharmaceutical gifts of traditional chinese medicine. Front Pharmacol. 2016;7.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

Turmeric Curcumin Bioavailability and Supplement Guide

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated June 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Turmeric is a flowering plant (Curcuma longa) of the ginger family and the bright orange rhizome it grows is used as a spice, most notably in India. Turmeric has many medicinal properties due to it’s unique blend of essential oils, plant polyphenols, and it’s main active ingredient curcumin which is a pigment chemical that gives turmeric its bright orange color.

Turmeric and its main active ingredient curcumin have become popular supplements worldwide because of their anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and antioxidant capabilities (1). There are many different ways turmeric and curcumin supplements are formulated, and some formulations are more effective than others because of their superior bioavailability.

This turmeric and curcumin buyers guide discusses the health benefits of turmeric, the science of how to increase it’s bioavailability, and the characteristics the best turmeric and curcumin supplements share.

Whole turmeric rhizome, slices, and powder

What Are Turmeric Supplements Good For?

The different active compounds of turmeric are known as curcuminoids, and for thousands of years Ayurvedic and Tradition Chinese Medicine have held turmeric root in high esteem due to its healing properties. Turmeric and its curcuminoids are helpful for a variety of health conditions such as cognitive ailments, pain, poor digestive function, and diseases that are inflammation based. I recommend incorporating turmeric spice into the diet for a generalized heath benefit and to also keep a curcumin supplement readily available so it can be used whenever pain or inflammation is experienced in excess. Curcuminoids are especially excellent at relieving pain, such as joint pain, a headache, or generalized discomfort. For those with ongoing health conditions which curcuminoids would help with, using a turmeric and curcumin supplement daily is a safe and practical option.

The drawback to turmeric is curcuminoids are not very bioavailable under normal circumstances. There have been many different attempts made to find a way to increase the bioavailability of curcumin, and this has flooded the supplement market with different turmeric and curcumin formulations some of which are well formulated and effective, and others which will have minimal health effect.

Without reading the research papers directly, detailed information regarding how to best take turmeric and curcumin supplements is hard to find, and this comprehensive guide to turmeric/curcumin supplements solves that problem by explaining the different type of turmeric supplements that exist on the market, their bioavailability and effectiveness, and the health benefits different formulations have on different systems of the body.

Curcuminoids

Curcumin is the yellow to orange pigment found in turmeric. The more alkaline the curcumin the darker the color. Curcumin has a massive catalogue of studied health benefits (2). It's anti-inflammatory, anti-depressive, a minor antioxidant, dramatically reduces symptoms of osteoarthritis, improves prostate health, reduces mucositis, and so much more. Curcumin is one of the most well researched supplements known, and more is still being discovered. It is mostly the curcuminoids in turmeric that give turmeric its noted health benefits.

Most pure curcumin supplements consist of a blend of different types of curcuminoids, such as curcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin (BMC), and demethoxycurcumin (DMC), which all together usually total around 500 - 750 mg per serving. When analyzed, curcumin is the dominant curcuminoid at 60%, with BMC and DMC coming in around ~20% each.

The issue is that curcumin has nearly zero physiological effects on the body if taken by itself. Like turmeric powder, curcumin has terrible bioavailability, measured at less than 1%. Curcumin’s bioavailability is limited due to its poor solubility in the aqueous phase of the digestive tract. The body also rapidly metabolizes and excretes it. Bioavailability is also different between the sexes, with women on average reaching double the blood concentrations of curcumin compared to men. The reason for this difference in bioavailability between the sexes is unknown.

To fix the bioavailability problem, scientists have various methods to increase the bioavailability of curcuminoids in the body, and supplement manufacturers have created different formulations based on these scientific studies.

Turmeric and Curcumin Bioavailability

The reason so many different types of turmeric and curcumin supplements exist is because turmeric isn’t highly bioavailable in the human body under normal circumstances. If taking a supplement consisting of pure turmeric powder and nothing else, only 1-2% of the curcuminoids that make up part of the turmeric spice will enter into the bloodstream. Curcuminoids make up about 6% of turmeric by dry weight, so if taking a 1000 mg turmeric supplement, then ~1mg of curcuminoids will enter into the bloodstream, an insignificant effect.

Curcumin’s bioavailability is limited due to its poor solubility in the aqueous phase of the digestive tract. Furthermore, curcuminoids are rapidly absorbed by the tissues of the digestive system, limiting their ability to enter into the bloodstream. The digestive system, particularly the small intestine, is under constant stress from having to digest food and being in contact with the microbiome, and as a result it’s inflamed to some degree. Curcuminoids being potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds are quickly absorbed by the tissues of the gut for their own use.

Bioavailability is also different between the sexes, with women on average reaching double the blood concentrations of curcumin compared to men. The reason for this difference in bioavailability between the sexes is unknown.

If interested in using turmeric for its digestive healing effects, then taking plain turmeric without any bioavailability enhancement is desirable because it will specifically target the tissues of the gastrointestinal system and little else.

If curcuminoids are able to enter into the bloodstream in large quantities, then they exert their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects throughout the body, reducing pain and inflammation and enhancing cognition.

Methods of Increasing Curcumin Bioavailability

Curcumin is the main active ingredient found in turmeric responsible for its potent health and wellness benefits. Increasing its bioavailability increases its medicinal effect. That said, other compounds exist in raw turmeric that are health promoting, such as turmeric essential oils. Extracting more curcuminoids from turmeric increases the potency of its health effects, but for the complete benefits of turmeric, whole turmeric must also be consumed. The methods below describe how curcumin bioavailability can be increased, but keep in mind that the most effective curcumin supplement will also be one that incorporates some portion of powdered turmeric into its formulation.

Turmeric Dual Spectrum X:1 Extract

One way to achieve the synergistic health effects of raw turmeric while still receiving enough curcuminoids is to take a turmeric supplement concentrated through extraction.

Extraction is used to refine and purify a product. An extract is prepared using alcohol or water, and at the end of the concentration process the resulting extract is more potent. Depending on the level of extraction, curcuminoids can be much more heavily concentrated or just lightly more concentrated. With the right extract formulation, it is possible to create a turmeric supplement which retains all of the beneficial compounds of the turmeric rhizome while still increasing the potency and concentration of the main active curcumin compounds.

Curcumin with Piperine Supplements

Piperine is an enzyme inhibitor found in black pepper, giving black pepper its iconic pungency, and it has been shown to increase the bio-availability of curcumin (and by extension, turmeric) by 20x (3). Piperine works synergistically with curcumin, inhibiting curcumin's rabid absorption by the liver and intestinal wall. This inhibition allows curcumin to circulate into the blood stream for full body anti-inflammatory effects. Curcuminoids and piperine together enter into the blood stream rapidly peaking sharply about an hour after ingestion before being fully metabolized about 2-3 hours later.

When used in supplements, piperine is most often listed as biopiperine. Most studies which have researched the effect of piperine on curcumin absorption have used 20 mg of piperine per 2 grams of curcumin, and most curcumin/piperine supplements use 5 mg of piperine per 500 mg of curcuminoids, which is the same ratio.

Piperine is a bioavailability enhancer for more than just curcuminoids, and it has it’s own long list of health benefits (gastrointestinal aid, cognitive enhancer, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory) that overlap quite a bit with curcumin. Ancient Ayurveda knew this, and it’s why black pepper and turmeric spice are paired together for some many dishes in India.

Nootropics Depot sells a curcumin + piperine supplement which contains 1000 mg of 95% standardized curcuminoids and 6 mg of piperine.

Micellar Curcumin Supplements

Micellar curcumin is a special type of curcumin supplement shown to have better bioavailability that curcumin paired with piperine. Curcumin is a lipophilic molecule, meaning it is poorly water soluble, and that in large part is why curcumin is so poorly bioavailable. A micelle as shown to the left is a collection of lipid (fat) molecules that can simultaneously interact with water and lipids.

When curcuminoids are encapsulated in micelles, their ability to enter into the bloodstream skyrockets, and they stay active in the body for much longer

Through a special chemical process, curcumin molecules can be contained inside micelles. Protected by the micelles which are able to interact with water soluble materials and membranes, the curcumin is much more easily transported though the digestive system and into the blood stream.

Micellar curcumin is incredibly bioavailable (4), more so than curcumin taken with piperine, and curcumin concentrations in the blood stream stay elevated for up to a day as compared to a few hours with curcumin and piperine supplements. This approach to increase curcumin bioavailable is completely independent of enzyme inhibition which is how piperine works.

Because the addition of micelles increases the bioavailability of curcumin so dramatically, its health effects can be too potent at times, and caution is recommended. In a study measuring micellar curcumin’s bioavailability (4), the researchers took note of the side effects observed. Out of 13 women and 10 men total, 7 women and 3 men experienced mild nausea. Since curcumin is ~2x more bioavailable in women in men, we’d speculate that more women experienced nausea than men because they received too much curcumin. 1 woman even vomited! The nausea prevalent with use of micellar curcumin did not occur when those same men and women used the other two formulations (Micronized Curcumin and Meriva® type formulation). Unless you have a serious health condition that would benefit from all day elevated curcumin blood levels, I would stick to the safer and more widely available curcumin with piperine supplements.

Nootropics Depot sells a Longvida curcumin supplement which uses micellular technology to dramatically increase the bioavailability of curcuminoids.

Micronized Curcumin Supplements

Micronized curcumin is effectively “crystallized” curcumin. The method one study used to create micronized curcumin involved mixing 25% curcumin powder with 58.3% triacetin (an anti-fungal) and 16.7% panodan (an emulsifier) and spraying and soaking the solution onto porous silicon dioxide crystals (basically glass, inactive physiologically) (5). The resulting micronized curcumin powder contained ~15% curcumin.

Micronized curcumin was found to be 9x more bioavailable than regular standardized curcumin averaged between men and women. Micronized curcumin was also shown to be more bioavailable in women compared to men. Compared to regular curcumin, the micronized version was more bioavailable, but still less so than curcumin with piperine.

Micronizing curcumin is a complex process which uses a lot of chemicals, and I would stay away from micronized curcumin supplements for these reasons.

Curcumin with Turmeric Essential Oils Supplements

As discussed, it is turmeric/curcumin’s poor water solubility that negatively affects its bioavailability. When taken with fats, curcumin’s bioavailability improves.

It is also usually the case that when an herb or root with medicinal properties is taken in its original whole form a type of entourage effect occurs. With the entourage effect, the secondary compounds which are normally standardized out can now contribute to and boost the overall health effect, and the benefits of supplements that take this into account this holistic nature are broader in their beneficial medicinal effect.

The essential oils found within the turmeric root are some of those secondary compounds, and it’s been shown that when standardized curcumin is taken with turmeric essential oils the bioavailability of curcumin improves significantly (6). This increase in bioavailability is because of the synergistic effect these plant compounds exhibit, and also the fact that the essential oils add fat to the supplement, aiding assimilation into the blood stream.

One formulation that employs this tactic is known as BCM-95 (Biocurcumax), and it’s been shown to be 7x more bioavailable than standard curcumin (7). BCM-95 is more bioavailable than curcumin with piperine, and with piperine added to a BCM-95 curcumin formulation, I think the bioavailability would be improved even further, possibly rivaling or surpassing the bioavailability of micellar curcumin due to the entourage effect.

Curcumin with Emulsifiers (lecithins)

Emulsifiers such as lecithins have also been used in an effort to increase the bioavailability of curcumin. The idea is that the emulsifiers help to carry the curcumin through the gut and into the bloodstream. Meriva is one such formulation, and overall bioavailability is improved compared to just curcumin, but not by much. In one study, a reference dose of 1800 mg of standardized curcuminoids, was compared to a Meriva formulation (8). Compared to the reference dose, the Meriva formulation was 5.5x more potent and stayed in the bloodstream for longer. Interestingly, the Meriva formulation dramatically boosted the bioavailability of demethoxycurcumin (DMC), a less prominent curcuminoid.

The specific physiological effects of just DMC are not well studied yet, and it is unknown why the addition of lecithins to standardized curcuminoids dramatically increases the bioavailability of DMC compared to the other curcuminoids.

Fermented Turmeric Supplements

Fermented turmeric is yet another supplement type. During fermentation curcumin is metabolized by bacteria into a different yet similar compound called tetrahydrocurcumin (THCC). Typically chemical reactions result in more stable compounds, and it’s been observed that THCC is more stable than curcumin. Likely as a result of it’s increased stability, THCC has a longer half-life of 323 minutes in plasma versus 111 minutes for curcumin.

One study which measured the effect of fermented turmeric observed that 36 hours of fermentation using Aspergillus oryzae at 25°C reduced regular curcumin levels from 2.0 mg/g to 0.79 mg/g (9). The reduction in curcumin in fermented turmeric is offset by the creation of THCC, though the exact ratios of how fermentation converts curcumin to tetrahydrocurcumin is unknown.

With rats, tetrahydrocurcumin appears to be more bioavailable than curcumin (10). In general its been observed that rats absorb curcumin much easier than humans. Like curcumin, THCC was found to primarily be absorbed by the intestine and liver. No studies have been performed measuring tetrahydrocurcumin’s bioavailability in humans or rats when paired with piperine or encapsulated in micelles.

Fermented turmeric is highly experimental and as of now it’s medicinal effects are poorly quantified. Fermented turmeric doesn’t appear to be unsafe in any way considering normal usage, but the effects on your body are not well researched. Below are two non-comprehensive lists laid out in layman’s terms outlining some of the benefits of curcumin over THCC, and vice versa. Nootropics Depot sells a Curowhite curcumin supplement which is standardized to 25% to contain dura, hexa, and octa curcuminoids.

Curcumin Benefits over Tetrahydrocurcumin:

• Curcumin was more effective than THCC in preventing skin tumors in mice

• Curcumin was more effective than THCC as an antioxidant

• Curcumin induced apoptosis (cellular death) of leukemia cells but THCC did not

• Curcumin, but not THCC, was effective in reducing amyloid plaque burden and amyloid aggregation (think Alzheimers)

• Curcumin, but not THCC, inhibited Ca(2+) influx through CRAC for activating immune cells

• Curcumin, but not THCC, inhibited entry of hepatitis C virus genotypes into human liver cells

• Curcumin inhibited type A influenza virus infection to a greater extent than THCC by interfering with viral hemagglutination activity (red blood cell clumping)

Tertahydrocurcumin Benefits over Curcumin:

• THCC was more active than curcumin as an antioxidant

• THCC was more active than curcumin for suppression of LDL oxidation

• THCC was equal to curcumin in potency for suppression of histamine release

• THCC was more active than curcumin in normalizing blood glucose and improvement of altered carbohydrate metabolic enzymes in diabetic animals

• THCC was more active than curcumin in increasing plasma insulin in diabetic rats

• THCC was more active than curcumin for antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic (blood lipid lowering) effects

• THCC was more active than curcumin in a hepatoprotective role in CCL4-induced liver damage in rats and alcoholic liver disease model rats

• THCC was more active than curcumin as an antihypertensive

Comparing Curcumin Supplement Effectiveness

Below are the different well studied curcumin supplements compared across three markers, Cmax, AUC, and Tmax.

• Cmax is the peak concentration reached in blood plasma, expressed in nmol/L.

• AUC (area under the curve) is the concentration in blood plasma over time, expressed as nmol/L * H

• Tmax is the time it took to reach Cmax. Higher values for Cmax and AUC are typically better.

A lower value for Tmax is preferred if you are looking for a fast acting curcumin supplement for immediate pain relief. A higher Tmax value indicates a broader effect.

Cmax (nmol/L)

• 7.1 - 2g Curcumin

• 41.6 - 410mg Micronized Curcumin

• 489 - 2g Curcumin, 20mg Piperine

• 1240 - 2g BCM-95®

• 1765 - 297mg Meriva

• 3228 - 410mg Micellar Curcumin

AUC (nmol/L * H)

• 65.6 - 2g Curcumin (measured for 24 hours)

• 217.2 - 2g Curcumin, 20mg Piperine (measured to zero after 3 hours)

• 582.7 - 410mg Micronized Curcumin (measured for 24 hours)

• 1460.4 - 297mg Meriva (measured for 24 hours)

• 8690 - 2g BCM-95® (measured for 8 hours)

• 12147.7 - 410mg Micellar Curcumin (measured for 24 hours)

Tmax (H - hours)

• 0.69 - 2g Curcumin, 20mg Piperine

• 1.1 - 410mg Micellar Curcumin

• 3.0 - 2g BCM-95

• 3.8 - 297mg Meriva

• 7.5 - 2g Curcumin

• 7.5 - 410mg Micronized Curcumin

If choosing a turmeric/curcumin supplement based purely off of the blood markers above, micellar curcumin is the clear winner, with the BCM-95 formulation coming in second and the Meriva formulation coming in third.

There are other important considerations besides just Cmax and AUC values though. Anytime a drug, supplement, or food is ingested, body chemistry is altered. Care must be taken when taking supplements, as too much of even a good thing can have negative health effects. Take for example that curcumin strongly activates AMPK (adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase), an very important enzyme which governs metabolism (aka fat oxidation or fat storage).

With micellar curcumin, curcumin concentrations in the blood are elevated very strongly and for a long time, overly activating AMPK and other systems throughout the body. If using a curcumin supplement everyday as many people do, using a micellar curcumin supplement will strongly influence AMPK 24/7, and over a long duration the effect this will have hasn’t been studied yet. Positive or negative, the effects are currently unknown. The high reports of nausea from the use of micellar curcumin is also troubling. With a supplement to be used often, exerting caution is always the best approach. Start conservatively, gauge how it affects your body, both physiologically and psychologically, and tweak the dosing from there.

Micellar curcumin was the front runner based on having the highest Cmax and AUC values, but with these concerns noted, I recommend a more conservative approach, and a curcumin formulation that is more holistic in nature.

Where to Buy Curcumin Supplements

After studying into the health benefits of curcumin and how its bioavailability can be increased, the best marketplace I have found for curcumin supplements is Nootropics Depot. They carry three different types of curcumin supplement, each having their unique bioavailability differences which are worth trying separately.

Curcumin + Piperine Capsules

The standard curcumin supplement they sell is a blend of 1000 mg of 95% standardized curcuminoids and 6 mg piperine derived from black pepper. This is a good curcumin supplement that is readily bioavailable and can be used for a wide range of purposes, from treating headaches to joint pain or to boost metabolism.

Longvida Curcumin Supplement

Nootropics Depot also carries a Longvida curcumin supplement. Longvida curcumin has been coated in a blend of highly purified fatty acids and phospholipids, which increases greatly increases curcuminoid bioavailability into the bloodstream. Each capsule contains 400 mg of the Longvida opimized curcumin extract.

Curowhite Curcumin Supplement

Lastly Nootropics Depot carries a Curowhite curcumin supplement which is a blend of tetra, hexa, and octa-curcuminoids standardized to at least 25%. These hydrogenated curcuminoids have differing effects physiologically than regular curcuminoids and are worth experimenting with.

1-2 servings of the any of the curcumin supplements sold by Nootopics Depot will be enough to use for digestive relief, pain relief, headaches, inflammatory diseases, and for general health and wellness purposes.

Mountain Rose Herbs also sells a variety of turmeric products, from the rhizome itself to different supplements and teas.

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References:

1. Hewlings SJ, Kalman DS. Curcumin: A Review of Its' Effects on Human Health. Foods. 2017;6(10)

2. Kamal Patel. Curcumin. Examine

3. Shoba G, Joy D, Joseph T, Majeed M, Rajendran R, Srinivas PS. Influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin in animals and human volunteers. Planta Med. 1998;64(4):353-6.

4. Schiborr C, Kocher A, Behnam D, Jandasek J, Toelstede S, Frank J. The oral bioavailability of curcumin from micronized powder and liquid micelles is significantly increased in healthy humans and differs between sexes. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2014;58(3):516-27.

5. Schiborr C, Kocher A, Behnam D, Jandasek J, Toelstede S, Frank J. The oral bioavailability of curcumin from micronized powder and liquid micelles is significantly increased in healthy humans and differs between sexes. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2014;58(3):516-27.

6. US Patent 7883728B2

7. Antony B, Merina B, Iyer VS, Judy N, Lennertz K, Joyal S. A Pilot Cross-Over Study to Evaluate Human Oral Bioavailability of BCM-95CG (Biocurcumax), A Novel Bioenhanced Preparation of Curcumin. Indian J Pharm Sci. 2008;70(4):445-9.

8. Cuomo J, Appendino G, Dern AS, et al. Comparative absorption of a standardized curcuminoid mixture and its lecithin formulation. J Nat Prod. 2011;74(4):664-9.

9. Kim SW, Ha KC, Choi EK, et al. The effectiveness of fermented turmeric powder in subjects with elevated alanine transaminase levels: a randomised controlled study. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2013;13:58.

10. Pianpumepong Plangpin, Et al. Study on enhanced absorption of phenolic compounds of Lactobacillus‐fermented turmeric (Curcuma longa Linn.) beverages in rats. International Journal of Food Science & Technology 47(11). November 2012.

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

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Other Articles on Natural Supplements

Health Benefits Of Elderberry

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated September 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Elderberries are known for their many health effects, most notably for their ability to fight the cold and flu, and they have been used medicinally for thousands of years. Elderberries are harvested from Sambucus, a flowering plant found throughout the world in temperate and subtropical regions that can form large shrubs or small trees. Uncooked elderberries and all other parts of the plant are poisonous, but when the berries are cooked the cyanides are nullified. Elderberries contain notable amounts of vitamin C, vitamin B6 and iron.

Elderberries have many health effects because of their rich concentration of anthocyanins (1). Elderberry syrups, powders, and extracts have powerful effects on the gut, help reduce the length and severity of colds and the flu, and might have muscle building and fat burning effects by improving nutrient partitioning.

Elderberry for Cold, Flu, and Covid Viruses

The common cold is causes by the rhinovirus, the flu is caused by the influenza virus, and SARS-CoV-2 is caused by a coronavirus. Common symptoms of all these virus include fatigue, aches and pains, temperature increases, upper respiratory issues, and digestive issues such as diarrhea and vomiting. The common cold is the least severe of the three, with influenza and coronaviruses being worse, potentially life threatening.

Whereas pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and parasites will attack human tissues, viruses attack the immune system directly, which is what makes them so troubling. When the body is stressed, the immune system becomes stressed, and now weakened, the chance of getting a viral infection goes up dramatically.

“All disease begins in the gut”

— Hippocrates (460 - 377BC)

If you get infected, typically through the digestive system or the lungs, the immune system now ramps up production of antibodies and cells to protect itself from a fast replicating pathogen. Other pathogenic microorganisms which before were being held in check add to the stress by exploiting the hosts weakness. It can become a downward spiral if left unchecked.

One way to fight back against this unfortunate turn of events is by using elderberry! Elderberry reduces cold duration by 50% and the severity of symptoms by 50% or more (2), and elderberry was found to substantially reduce upper respiratory symptoms when sick (3). Elderberry flavonoids bind to and prevent H1N1 infection in vitro (4), and compare favorably to the known anti-influenza prescription medications like Tamiflu (5). Elderberry can also be taken as a preventative to support and strengthen the immune system due its unique natural pharmacology.

Viral infections are often treated with over the counter drugs, antibiotics, and antiviral medications which can have bad side effects and long term health consequences. Because of the covid-19 pandemic, mainstream scientific researchers are starting to better understand the relationship between diet and nutrition, inflammation and oxidative stress, and the immune system (6). What makes elderberry such a powerful natural medicine is because it’s rich in flavonoid phytochemicals, specifically anthocyanins, which exert potent anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory effects throughout the body which strengthen the immune system via interactions with the gut. To understand more lets learn about anthocyanins and the digestive system.

Elderberry is Rich in Anthocyanins

Anthocyanins are favonoid polyphenol phytonutrients (plant pigments) that can range in color from red, blue, purple, or black.

Elderberry is very high in anthocyanins due to its dark purple to black color, and 66% of the phenolic components of elderberry juice are anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are biologically desirable because they have strong antioxidant effects. Foods rich in anthocyanins include elderberries, blueberries, raspberries, purple cauliflower, black “forbidden” rice, black beans, among many other foods that have red, purple, and black coloration.

Elderberry has an anthocyanin profile that differs from other berries, which includes cyanidin-3-glycoside, cyanidin-3,5-diglucoside, cyanidin-3-sambubioside, and cyanidin-3-sambubioside-5-glucoside. The high concentration of cyanidin-3-glycoside (C3G) is unique, as cyanidin-3-glycoside is a relatively rare anthocyanin, and C3G has unique and desirable physiological effects on the body.

Upon consumption, anthocyanins have a tough time reaching the blood stream because they are rapidly metabolized by the digestive system. Like turmeric and curcumin, the beneficially health effects of elderberry are primarily felt by the bodily tissues that metabolize them. Once ingested, some of the anthocyanins are metabolized by the epithelial cells of the digestive system, and for the anthocyanins that make it through to the bloodstream, elderberry anthocyanins are incorporated by endothelial cells, the cells which make up the inner lining of blood vessels. As anthocyanins are transported, more and more will be absorbed until some finally reach muscle or brain tissues.

Like curcuminoids, anthocyanins that are micro-emulsified into lipid-micellar structures are able to penetrate deeper in the body and can exert their effects on a wider range of bodily tissues.

In the graph below the bioavailability of elderberry anthocyanins cyanidin-3-glycoside (C3G) and cyanidin-3-sambubioside can be seen over 24 hours.

Plasma anthocyanin concentrations after consumption of 720 mg elderberry anthocyanins. Sample size of four elderly women. The point at 24 hr represents all three lines

For C3G, a peak plasma concentration (Cmax) of 42.5 +/- 4.5 nmol/L is reached at the 1 hour mark. The half life is ~100 minutes, and most anthocyanins from elderberry are excreted after 4 hours.

Overall, anthocyanins appear to be absorbed in their unchanged glycosylated forms in humans (7).

Elderberry Improves Digestive Function

Because elderberry contains a lot of flavonoids like cyanidin-3-glycoside and is rapidly absorbed by the the gut, elderberry has potent health effects for the gut. The gastrointestinal tract is the physical barrier that stops the diffusion of foreign materials from the lumen from entering into the circulatory system. The lumen is the soup of microorganisms and digestive fluids always slowly moving through your gut. With a properly functioning gut, only fully digested macronutrients like carbs, fats, and protein, along with small chemicals like micronutrients and phytonutrients, can pass through the intercellular tight junction shield and into the blood stream via guided mechanisms.

Cross-section view of epithelial cells of the digestive system. The tight junctions are where the membranes of the cells press up against one another. Notice the villi up top and how the lumen can filter through them.

Impairment of epithelial tight junctions is associated with various diseases caused by inflammation and immune system stress. This stress is created when partially digested foods and potentially pathogenic microbes enter into the blood stream, requiring cleanup by the immune system but now over a much larger area as compared to just the lining of the digestive system.

Dietary flavonoids, which is what elderberry is rich with, reduce oxidative stress and help to heal the epithelial tight junctions of the digestive system (8). Anthocyanins have been directly shown to improve intestinal barrier function and regulate the gut microbiome in mammals (9). When tight junctions are repaired, the barrier between microbiome, nutrients, and body tissues is reestablished, and normal function can resume. The immune system is still very active with the gut under healthy circumstances, but when the digestive system is compromised, the immune system needs to ramp up and better protect the circulatory system, a much larger and more diffuse area that covers the entire body. As a metaphor, no longer is the fighting solely at the trenches, but it is spread out through the countryside, and civilian casualties begin to occur.

Overtime, this increase in the duties of the immune system is chronically stressful and can lead to disease. To reduce the stress to the immune system and to all the other tissues of the body, the digestive system needs to be strong and intact, forming an impenetrable barrier between the microbiome and the rest of the body.

If you have gut problems like IBS, IBD, chron’s disease, celiac disease, or you just know your digestive system functions poorly, considering using fasting to reset your digestive system. Fasting has very powerful healing effects on the gut and throughout the body, though it is not to be done lightly. Short 24-hour fasts are easier and can also be used to understand and curb food cravings, an important distinction to understand which will improve your food choices and health. Overall elderberries are excellent overall for gut health.

Elderberry for Improved Nutrient Partitioning

Elderberry anthocyanins that make it into the bloodstream are then absorbed to some degree by endothelial cells, which like with the gut, increases protection against oxidative stress (10). In the bloodstream, anthocyanin-rich elderberry extracts enhance glucose and oleic acid uptake into human skeletal muscle cells (11), and anthocyanins, more specifically cyanidin-3-glycoside, increase fat burning and decrease fat storage through altering gene expression (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18). Over time these effects of anthocyanins improve blood glucose markers, saturate muscle tissue better with glycogen, and can heal dysfunctional fat cells.

Overall, once anthocyanins are in the bloodstream they can be considered nutrient partitioners. They aren’t nutrients themselves, but they direct carbs and fats preferentially to muscle and skeletal tissue rather than adipose or visceral fat tissue.

The dosages required for anthocyanins to exert strong nutrient partitioning effects are quite high, and this is still an area that requires more human research.

Elderberry Sources

There are a ton of elderberry products out there, and below are my favorites which I have used and recommend.

Elderberry Juice

Elderberry Juice from Biotta is available in a lot of different grocery stores and has a great flavor. This product is pasteurized and the heat sensitive nutrients will have been destroyed.

Elderberry Lozenges

Therazinc Elderberry Lozenges by Quantum Health. These lozenges can be found nearly anywhere and at the first thought that I might be getting sick I reach for one of these. The combo of zinc and elderberry is great for fighting infections, and caught early can reduce the length and severity of the infection.

Elderberry Powder

Lost Empire Herbs has a 64:1 Full-Spectrum Extract Elderberry Powder, and their extract contains 13-18% anthocyanins. This is the most potent elderberry option of the list, and if you really want to experiment with how high-dosage elderberry makes you feel, this is the elderberry supplement I recommend.

Elderberry Tea

Dried Elderberries like those sold from Mountain Rose Herbs can be steeped in a tea using water anywhere from 170 - 212 F (75-100 C). Water temperature on the lower end of that range will degrade less anthocyanins and for better extraction more time is required. Steep dried elderberries for 10 minutes at 75 C for best effect.

Elderberries from Nature

Should you choose to prepare elderberry juice or syrup yourself, rather than to purchase a supplement, remember that the berries must be properly dried or cooked, since raw elderberries can cause nausea or in large amounts cyanide toxicity. Only ever use the berries — the rest of the plant is poisonous and should not be consumed in any form.

Elderberry Dosing

If using the Therazinc Elderberry Lozenges, the following dosing protocol can be used:

• 1 lozenge daily for general health and immune preventative effects. The lozenge can replace a daily zinc pill like from a zinc balance supplement.

• 3 lozenges daily while experiencing a viral infection, take one lozenge morning, afternoon, and night. This will provide throughout the course of the day 21 mg zinc and 108 mg elderberry powder. The bigger impact here will be from the zinc, not the elderberry.

If using the more potent Lost Empire Herbs 64:1 elderberry powder, the following dosing protocol can be used:

• 350 mg (1/8 tsp) powder daily for general health and immune preventative effects.

• 1 gram daily for viral infections. One serving (1/8 tsp, 350 mg) taken morning, afternoon, and night will keep the anthocyanin levels elevated throughout the body.

• 4 grams daily for glucose improving nutrient partitioning effects, spaced out as 1 gram every four hours (8 am, 12 pm, 4 pm, 8 pm).

If using elderberry tea using the following dosings:

• General Wellness - 1 Tbsp steeped in 8 oz of 75 C water for 10 minutes

• Viral Infection - 1 Tbsp steeped in 8 oz of 75 C water for 10 minutes morning, noon, and night.

For daily preventative strengthening to the immune system elderberry and dandelion is a powerful combination, combine them into a herbal tea and enjoy their many synergistic health benefits.

Reduce your Chance of Getting Sick with Elderberry

Elderberry can reduce your chance of getting sick, and if you do get sick, elderberry can also be used to shorten the duration and reduce the severity of the viral infection. As a natural remedy, elderberry won’t damage your liver like regular cold and flu medications.

Elderberry will always help but it’ll never completely heal you

Elderberry is just a supplement, it can never truly heal you. To heal at a deep level other considerations beyond a “magic” powder are required. Are you…?

• Eating a healthy diet

• Drinking plenty of water

• Minimizing exposure to sick people

• Sleeping every night

• Mindful of stress

• Exercising (weights, calisthenics, yoga, running)

• Washing your hands when dirty

• Aware and considerate of your emotions?

Keep some elderberry lozenges in the cabinet and drink elderberry tea as often or needed as desired. Elderberry is a great preventative herb, fantastic for health if used regurarly.

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References:

1. Ulbricht C, Basch E, Cheung L, et al. An evidence-based systematic review of elderberry and elderflower (Sambucus nigra) by the Natural Standard Research Collaboration. J Diet Suppl. 2014;11(1):80-120.

2. Tiralongo E, Wee SS, Lea RA. Elderberry Supplementation Reduces Cold Duration and Symptoms in Air-Travellers: A Randomized, Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. Nutrients. 2016;8(4):182.

3. Hawkins J, Baker C, Cherry L, Dunne E. Black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) supplementation effectively treats upper respiratory symptoms: A meta-analysis of randomized, controlled clinical trials. Complement Ther Med. 2019;42:361-365.

4. Roschek B, Fink RC, Mcmichael MD, Li D, Alberte RS. Elderberry flavonoids bind to and prevent H1N1 infection in vitro. Phytochemistry. 2009;70(10):1255-61.

5. Zakay-rones Z, Thom E, Wollan T, Wadstein J. Randomized study of the efficacy and safety of oral elderberry extract in the treatment of influenza A and B virus infections. J Int Med Res. 2004;32(2):132-40.

6. Iddir M, Brito A, Dingeo G, et al. Strengthening the Immune System and Reducing Inflammation and Oxidative Stress through Diet and Nutrition: Considerations during the COVID-19 Crisis. Nutrients. 2020;12(6)

7. Milbury PE, Cao G, Prior RL, Blumberg J. Bioavailablility of elderberry anthocyanins. Mech Ageing Dev. 2002;123(8):997-1006.

8. Suzuki T, Hara H. Role of flavonoids in intestinal tight junction regulation. J Nutr Biochem. 2011;22(5):401-8.

9. Li J, Wu T, Li N, Wang X, Chen G, Lyu X. Bilberry anthocyanin extract promotes intestinal barrier function and inhibits digestive enzyme activity by regulating the gut microbiota in aging rats. Food Funct. 2019;10(1):333-343.

10. Youdim KA, Martin A, Joseph JA. Incorporation of the elderberry anthocyanins by endothelial cells increases protection against oxidative stress. Free Radic Biol Med. 2000;29(1):51-60.

11. Ho GT, Kase ET, Wangensteen H, Barsett H. Phenolic Elderberry Extracts, Anthocyanins, Procyanidins, and Metabolites Influence Glucose and Fatty Acid Uptake in Human Skeletal Muscle Cells. J Agric Food Chem. 2017;65(13):2677-2685.

12. Sasaki R, Nishimura N, Hoshino H, et al. Cyanidin 3-glucoside ameliorates hyperglycemia and insulin sensitivity due to downregulation of retinol binding protein 4 expression in diabetic mice. Biochem Pharmacol. 2007;74(11):1619-27.

13. Guo H, Ling W, Wang Q, Liu C, Hu Y, Xia M. Cyanidin 3-glucoside protects 3T3-L1 adipocytes against H2O2- or TNF-alpha-induced insulin resistance by inhibiting c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase activation. Biochem Pharmacol. 2008;75(6):1393-401.

14. Tsuda T, Ueno Y, Aoki H, et al. Anthocyanin enhances adipocytokine secretion and adipocyte-specific gene expression in isolated rat adipocytes. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2004;316(1):149-57.

15. Tsuda T, Ueno Y, Kojo H, Yoshikawa T, Osawa T. Gene expression profile of isolated rat adipocytes treated with anthocyanins. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2005;1733(2-3):137-47.

16. Tsuda T, Ueno Y, Yoshikawa T, Kojo H, Osawa T. Microarray profiling of gene expression in human adipocytes in response to anthocyanins. Biochem Pharmacol. 2006;71(8):1184-97.

17. Tsuda T, Horio F, Uchida K, Aoki H, Osawa T. Dietary cyanidin 3-O-beta-D-glucoside-rich purple corn color prevents obesity and ameliorates hyperglycemia in mice. J Nutr. 2003;133(7):2125-30.

18. Grace MH, Ribnicky DM, Kuhn P, et al. Hypoglycemic activity of a novel anthocyanin-rich formulation from lowbush blueberry, Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton. Phytomedicine. 2009;16(5):406-15.

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

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Other Articles on Herbalism, Nutrition, and Natural Supplements

Daily Supplements for General Health

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated December 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Some nutrients are absolutely essential for good health, and with a healthy, balanced diet, it is possible to get enough of them to avoid any health issues. The Standard American Diet (SAD), the diet most common in the western world, is high in sugar, acellular carbs, heavily processed and oxidized oils, unknown additives, and chemical contamination; it’s a diet disaster. And if you do follow a healthier diet predominately featuring unprocessed foods, you won’t be eating as nutritious as you believe. Modern agricultural practices have reduced the micronutrient loads of most fruits and vegetables over the past 50-100 years (1). Even if you follow a healthy diet you might not be receiving the micronutrients your body needs to function at its best due to declined soil nutrition.

When switching from a Standard American Diet (SAD) to a healthier diet consisting primarily of organic, micronutrient-rich unprocessed foods, there is an awkward transition period that can be stressful mentally, physically, and emotionally. During periods of stress it is doubly important to make sure you are getting enough of the most commonly deficient micronutrients, as this will improve your stress response. Otherwise if your diet is overall good and you’re really trying to optimize your health, then I recommend taking the following daily supplement to cover common nutrient imbalances and deficiencies.

Again the goal should be to get all nutrients from a healthy diet over the course of a week, but with a modern lifestyle that’s not always possible. Having these supplements on hand allows you to intelligently supplement these key nutrients when needed for a healthier lifestyle.

Optimize Health with Five Supplements

All values listed for the minerals are in reference to the elemental form. The weights listed on a supplement bottle are always in reference to the elemental weight per serving, not the overall chemical weight per serving.

Take every morning/early afternoon (with a meal):

• 5000 - 10000 IU Vitamin D3

• 15:1 mg Zinc:Copper

• 1.5 - 3 grams EPA + DHA Omega-3 Fatty Acids (fish oil or algae oil)

Take every evening (with a meal):

• 200 - 400 mg Magnesium

• 3 -10 mg Boron

Supplement with Vitamin D

Vitamin D is produced endogenously through sunlight exposure. How long you need to stay in the sun to synthesize your daily amount of vitamin D depends on the color of your skin, but this ranges from 10-60 minutes. Darker skin colors need more time in the sun to produce the same amount of vitamin D as lighter skin colors.

Vitamin D is the most common micronutrient deficiency worldwide, affecting an estimated 50% of the global population (2). Even “healthy” adolescents are commonly vitamin D deficient (3), and that’s a big deal when vitamin D is critically important for growth and development during adolescence (4). A vitamin D deficiency can have wide ranging negative effects on your health, such as increased risk of infection, fatigue, depression, muscular pain, bone loss, hair loss, and more.

If you are experiencing very cloudy weather, live in a low-sun area, or can’t work some sun exposure into your schedule for whatever reason, supplementing with vitamin D3 is a good thing to do.

A Note on RDA’s: The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin D is 600 IU’s of vitamin D a day for adults, and 800 IU for those 70 and older. Keep in mind though that the RDA for a micronutrient isn’t set based on optimal health outcomes, but rather the bare minimum of that micronutrient required to prevent disease for 97.5% of the populace. Preventing disease =/= optimal health, as anyone can tell you. The RDA for vitamin D is the minimum amount needed to prevent rickets.

So what is optimal then? The Vitamin D Council recommends vitamin D blood levels between 40 and 80 ng/mL to be optimal. 40 to 20 ng/ml are classified as normal, and levels below 20 ng/mL are deficient. Vitamin D levels beyond 80 ng/ml are not achievable naturally, instead requiring supplementation, and levels beyond 150 ng/ml are classified as being toxic. After testing your vitamin D blood levels, use the graphic below to determine the amount of vitamin D needed to reach the recommended 70 ng/ml via supplementation.Without blood testing, most people average vitamin D levels of 15 - 30 ng/ml.

Vitamin D blood levels and the amount of vitamin D supplementation to reach them.

I recommend taking the vitamin D in the morning, as vitamin D is typically synthesized via sun exposure. Vitamin D with it’s link to the circadian rhythm is stimulating, and taking vitamin D at night might impact sleep quality. I recommend the Vitamin D3 5000 sold by Nordic Naturals . I like their supplement because they suspend the vitamin D3 in extra virgin olive oil instead of lesser quality expeller-pressed soybean oil which is common practice for most Vitamin D3 supplement manufacturers.

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Supplement with Zinc + Copper

Zinc deficiency, defined as a lower intake than the RDA, can be caused through reduced dietary intake, inadequate absorption, or increased body system utilization (i.e. gaining muscle, bodybuilding). The most common cause of zinc deficiency though is reduced dietary intake, which illustrates just how little of this micronutrient most people consume. Remember the RDA is the bare minimum needed to not enter a diseased state.

Copper and Zinc are synergistic and antagonistic, and if too much zinc is consumed, a copper deficiency can occur, or vice versa.

Most common is copper excess, with zinc being deficient. In order to stay balanced, it is recommended to take a supplement which balances both minerals.

An excess of copper can lead to a variety of serious health issues (5), and a zinc deficiency leads to many of the same health issues:

Copper Excess Health Issues

• Learning disabilities

• ADHD, Autism

• Anxiety, Depression

• Acne, Hair loss

• Allergies

• Anemia

• Poor Immune function

• Sleep problems

• Poor concentration and focus,

• Chronic fatigue, and much more.

Zinc Deficiency Health Issues

• Compromised immune system

• Delayed growth

• Psychological and cognitive disorders

• Decreased testosterone levels

• Loss of appetite

• Wounds that won’t heal

• Lack of alertness

• Increased rates of anorexia.

Copper and zinc are absolutely essential to the proper functioning of the immune system, the endocrine system, and the nervous system, and an imbalance of copper and zinc throws those systems out of balance. The optimal ratio of zinc to copper to 10:1, but in the context of a copper rich diet, a supplement containing zinc to copper at a 15:1 ratio is more desirable. Jarrow’s Zinc Balance supplement (pictured above) contains 15 mg of zinc and 1 mg of copper, and I recommend to most people to take it daily to mitigate any zinc deficiencies and to help balance out their immune and endocrine systems. Have digestive issues? Zinc helps by healing epithelial tight junctions.

I find zinc to have a slight stimulating effect, so it’s best taken in the morning, and also with a meal. Zinc taken on an empty stomach can cause nausea. The higher the dosage, the greater then nausea, and that’s one of a few reasons why I don’t recommend 50 mg zinc supplements. 50 mg is above the tolerable upper limit (TUL) of 40 mg per day, and taken daily can quickly lead to a copper deficiency. Even with a zinc-demanding lifestyle (intense exercise, regular sex, heat therapy like a sauna), 15 mg supplemented is sufficient, and paired with a zinc rich diet, one zinc balance pill a day should balance out zinc and copper levels nicely.

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Supplement with Magnesium

Magnesium is the second most common micronutrient deficiency (6) behind vitamin D, and it’s critically important for a variety of processes throughout the body, such as cognition, high blood pressure, asthma, osteoporosis, muscle cramps and twitches, fatigue and muscle weakness, and an irregular heartbeat. In fact, low levels of magnesium have often been found to be a contributing factor for people with chronic diseases.

Magnesium is high in foods like pumpkin seeds, cashews, avocado, dark chocolate, bananas, and black beans.

Magnesium Breakthrough by biOptimizers

Magnesium Breakthrough by biOptimizers

The RDA of magnesium for adults (7) is 300 mg for women and 400 mg for men. If you exercise a lot an experience changing pressure in your ears, you have a magnesium deficiency. Magnesium citrate is a common supplemental form of magnesium, but magnesium citrate can cause diarrhea at higher dosages of 200+ mg.

Magnesium glycinate is a better alternative, and taken before bed can also help get the body relaxed and ready for sleep. Both magnesium and the amino acid glycine have been shown to increase deep restorative sleep when supplemented with.

Start with 200 mg of magnesium glycinate per night and see how you feel after a couple weeks, then bump to 400 mg and if there is a noticeable improvement, stay at that nightly dosage. Magnesium glycinate is a low-cost, widely available supplement. I recommend Magnesium Breakthrough by biOptimizers, they sell a highly absorbable magnesium supplement containing seven different bonded forms of magnesium that is highly bioavailable and easy on the stomach. If you prefer a natural food source, pumpkin seeds have lots of magnesium, with a 1/4 cup containing nearly 200 mg.

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Supplement with Boron

For modern agriculture, Boron is the second most common micronutrient deficiency in plants, and therefore deficient in everything else moving up that food chain. This is very important because we know boron is essential for the growth and maintenance of bone tissue, greatly improves wound healing, beneficially improves hormone levels (estradiol and testosterone), improves vitamin D status, and is cancer protective, just to name a few.

If you want to experience some of Wolverine’s superpowers, you can easily supplement with boron yourself.

On average most people ingest about 2 mg of boron a day, which is under the 3 mg or greater ideal dietary intake. For a person with a diet low in plant products such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts, their dietary intake of boron could be lower than even 1 mg of boron per day.

As more research is done on Boron, its importance as a trace micronutrient is becoming better understood. In the meantime, take zero chances and add boron to your daily supplement stack. You can either buy a boron supplement which is mostly filler, or use borax. Borax (sodium borate) has the same safety as table salt (similar LD50 as NaCl for Rats, and by extension, humans), and since it is a salt, borax is highly bioavailable. Buy a box from 20 Mule Team which is pure and nicely refined, and save a small jar for personal use. Use a 0.5 ml scoop (G82 Ultra Small Measuring Spoon), to dose ~10 mg boron per scoop.

Most studies on boron supplementation use a dose of 3 mg of elemental boron often through a compound like borax. Occasionally boron fructoborate has been used in studies on boron, but I prefer borax as it orders of magnitude cheaper, easier to use, and extremely bioavailable. I’ve supplemented with 10 mg a day for years, and that dosage covers all the scientifically supported beneficial effects boron has, and I’ve never experienced any negative health effects.

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Supplement with Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), and there are three main types of Omega-3 fatty acids: α-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The two Omega-3 fatty acids that humans require are EPA + DHA. ALA is an Omega-3 fatty found in plant foods such as flax meal and chia seeds, and while it’s not necessarily bad for you, only approximately 5% converts into EPA and DHA, the primary Omega-3’s shown to have wide ranging health benefits.

Omega-3 fatty acids are a necessary and incredibly important fatty acid needed throughout the body, from the cardiovascular system to the brain. DHA and EPA have slightly different functions throughout the body, but overall Omega-3’s are essential for pre- and postnatal brain development, have a major influential on behavior and mood, are critical for cardiovascular health, reduce inflammation, and are required for the building of various tissues throughout the body (skin, brain, etc).

In the context of the overall diet, the higher your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio, the better. And don’t worry about an Omega-3/Omega-6 ratio that is too high. It’s very difficult to achieve a 1:1 ratio in the context of modern society, and it would be nearly impossible to consume a diet dangerously rich in omega-3’s (over 10:1 possibly). Unless you are already consuming a seafood heavy diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids and also minimize your omega-6 intake, the best way to ensure a good omega-3 to omega-6 ratio is through supplementation.

Algae Omega by Nordic Naturals is the best balance between price, purity, and environmental impact. Being derived from algae, each Algae Omega pills contains a higher amount of DHA Omega-3 fatty acids that is typically found in fish oil, which is better for brain health. Vitamin D3 is best taken in the morning because of it’s energizing impact due to circadian rhythm pathways.

Omega-3’s are also synergistic with turmeric and curcumin supplements, with both taken together reducing pain and inflammation more than if taken separately. For a curcumin supplement I recommend BioSchwartz Turmeric Curcumin Supplement.

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Live Healthier with Five Supplements

Before starting supplementation of any of the above micronutrients, please consult your health practitioner, and ideally get blood work done for reference to see if you are below the levels suggested for optimal health. If your vitamin D, zinc, an omega-3 levels are low but your magnesium is fine, then you can skip the magnesium supplementation!

There are a few ways to implement this supplementation routine. If you really wish to feel the unique effects of each supplement, and learn the most about how each of these compounds can improve your general health, energy, and mood, introduce one new supplement into your routine weekly. Take notes of how you feel and any positive or negative symptoms you experience. I would introduce them in this order.

Week 1 - 5000 IU Vitamin D

Week 2 - 200 mg Magnesium

Week 3 - 10 mg Boron

Week 4 - 15 mg Zinc + Copper

Week 5 - 2 grams of EPA + DHA Omega-3’s

If you want to dive in head first, taking all five supplements simultaneously at their prescribed dosages and timings, will cause a noticeable effect. It will be harder to determine which supplements fixed the most glaring nutrient deficiencies compared to if you follow the weekly plan above.

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References:

1. Donald R. Davis. Declining Fruit and Vegetable Nutrient Composition: What Is the Evidence? American Society for Horticultural Development.

2. Nair R, Maseeh A. Vitamin D: The "sunshine" vitamin. J Pharmacol Pharmacother. 2012;3(2):118-26.

3. Gordon CM, Depeter KC, Feldman HA, Grace E, Emans SJ. Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among healthy adolescents. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2004;158(6):531-7.

4. Kremer R, Campbell PP, Reinhardt T, Gilsanz V. Vitamin D status and its relationship to body fat, final height, and peak bone mass in young women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009;94(1):67-73.

5. Judy Tsafrir M.D. Copper Toxicity: A Common Cause of Psychiatric Symptoms. Psychology Today.

6. Guerrera MP, Volpe SL, Mao JJ. Therapeutic uses of magnesium. Am Fam Physician. 2009;80(2):157-62.

7. Magnesium Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. National Institutes for Health, Office of Dietary Supplement

Disclosure: Amazon affiliate links are used throughout the article. Wild Free Organic makes a small commission when a purchase is made through those links. This does not affect the purchase price and the proceeds go towards the growth of Wild Free Organic.

Boron supplementation

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated January 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Boron is the fifth element of the periodic table, and trace amounts can be found in the Earth’s crust. Though boron is a trace element, it is critical for a variety of plant and animal metabolic processes. In fact, boron deficiency in plants is a major concern for farmers, being the second most common micronutrient deficiency (1). With boron micronutrient deficiency common in crops, it’s likely that most people are likewise deficient in boron, and that’s a cause for concern.

A quick summary of boron’s effects on health can be best described as Wolverine’s superpowers! Boron improves wound healing, builds stronger bones, balances hormone production, strengthens the immune system, and more.

Before we cover all of boron’s amazing health benefits, lets first understand the interactions of vitamin D, magnesium, and testosterone, and how boron has major positive effects on these three systems.

Vitamin D, Magnesium, and Testosterone

For the general populace, vitamin D and magnesium are the first and second most common micronutrient deficiencies. It has been estimated that as many as 1 billion people around the world are vitamin D deficient (2). A vitamin D deficiency has many negative effects on health such as a weakened immune system, poor energy metabolism and fatigue, increased chance of mental health issues like depression and anxiety, muscular pain, loss of bone mass and strength, dysfunctional hormone production, hair loss, and more.

Insufficient magnesium is the second most common micronutrient deficiency, and the possible symptoms are likewise unpleasant, ranging from high blood pressure and asthma to mental disorders and weak bones. Against this nutrient deficiency backdrop, testosterone levels have been decreasing in men for decades (3, 4) due to a variety of factors such as the use of plastics, overuse of antibiotics, and artificial hormones. Vitamin D and magnesium are micronutrients critical for proper hormone health for men and women. The altering of androgenic hormones like testosterone on a population level mean that large swathes of men are experiencing the side effects of low testosterone which include loss of muscle and bone mass, crippling fatigue, severe mood changes, a greatly diminished sex drive, and increased body fat (5).

It has been clearly demonstrated that when vitamin D, magnesium, and testosterone levels are out of balance serious health problems arise. Luckily it has been found that supplementing with mere milligrams of boron everyday greatly improves vitamin D and magnesium absorption.

Does Boron Increase Testosterone?

Because boron aids in the absorption of vitamin D and magnesium, both micronutrients being very important for the functions of the hormonal system.

For young healthy men, boron supplementation has conflicting results on its ability to raise testosterone levels. In one study with young male bodybuilders, though boron supplementation raised plasma boron values, no significant effect was observed on testosterone as compared to the boron-free control group (6). The group using boron did see their total testosterone level increase to a greater degree than the control group, but the increase wasn’t to significance, likely due to the small sample size. An interesting observation from this study is that by the end of the 7 week training protocol the bodybuilders went through for the study, the boron-free control group had significantly lower levels of boron in their plasma that they started with. Both the boron supplementation group and the control increased their lean body mass, total testosterone, and free testosterone, and it’s conceivable that the study duration was not long enough to observe the beneficial effects of boron on testosterone, and that the control group was able to achieve similar results as the boron supplemented group because they made use of the boron already in their body, depleting their reservoirs right as the study ended. If the study was lengthened, it’s possible that different results regarding boron supplementation for testosterone levels would have been observed.

With another study, eight healthy men who supplemented with 6 mg/day of boron for a week increased their free testosterone levels by 28% from 11.83 pg/mL to 15.18 pg/mL, and their estradiol (E2) decreased 61% from 42.33 pg/mL to 25.81 pg/mL (7). In a different study on eight men, 10 mg of boron per day supplemented for four weeks increased E2 levels from 51.9 to 73.9 pmol/L, and total testosterone levels increased from 17.4 to 19.4 nmol/L (8). It is unclear why estradiol levels decreased overall in the subjects in one study and increased overall in the other.

One explanation for boron’s changing effects on hormones is that boron is a hormonal adaptogen, balancing hormone levels for optimal wellness. There are so many factors that influence the hormonal system, from stress to micronutrient levels throughout the body, that it is difficult to determine boron’s effect on testosterone levels in men even with a study designed to observe just that.

Considering the extremely low cost and ease of boron supplementation (details below), for anyone interested in boosting testosterone levels I recommend supplementing with 6-10 mg boron daily for 1-2 months while also taking careful observations of libido and general well-being. Basic testosterone tests can also be schedule at the beginning and end of the personal experiment for the most conclusive results. Individual results will vary, and it’s also individual results that matter. Beyond testosterone, having adequate boron levels has many other health benefits.

Boron Health Benefits

Summarized from the research paper Nothing Boring About Boron by Lara Pizzorno, boron has been proven to be an important trace mineral for the following known reasons (9):

Boron is essential for the growth and maintenance of bone

• Boron was found to reduce calcium excretion in boron deficient post-menopausal women by 44%. Also at play was magnesium, and when magnesium levels were adequate, women lost 22 mg/day of calcium, while those low in magnesium lost 52 mg/day (10).

• In vitamin-D deficient animals (chicks and rats), boron supplementation helped stimulate bone growth (11).

Boron greatly improves wound healing

• One study found that when a 3% boric acid solution was applied to deep wounds, the time required in intensive care was reduced by two-thirds, 20 versus 55 days (12). For the 12 patients applied the boric acid solution, this collectively resulted in approximately $350,000 1990 USD in reduced medical expenses.

• The mechanisms responsible for this dramatic improvement in wound healing was further investigated, and it was found that boron has direct actions on specific enzymes found in fibroblasts (13). Fibroblasts are the most common cells found in animal connective tissue, responsible for synthesizing the connective tissues extracellular matrix and collagen. If you have bad joints, boron supplementation can be paired with a connective tissue regrowth protocol to help speed up the healing process.

Boron beneficially improves hormone levels in post-menopausal women

• In a study on post-menopausal women, boron supplementation of 3mg/day in the magnesium deficient group almost doubled serum estradiol levels, increasing E2 from an average of 21.1 pg/mL to 41.4 pg/mL, and testosterone nearly tripled, rising from an average of 0.31 ng/mL to 0.83 ng/mL. For the magnesium adequate group, E2 rose from an average of 15.5 pg/mL to 38.0 pg/mL, and testosterone increased from 0.38 ng/mL to 0.65 ng/mL (10).

Boron greatly improves Vitamin D status, the most common micronutrient deficiency

• In a clinical trial, five men and ten women were placed on a low-boron diet (regular western diet, also marginal in magnesium and copper) for 63 days. Afterwards, 3 mg of boron was supplemented per day for 49 days. Vitamin D levels increased from an average of 44.9 nM after boron deprivation to 62.4 nM after the 49 days of boron repletion, a 39% increase (14).

• During the winter months, 13 middle-aged individuals predetermined to be extremely vitamin D deficient (serum vitamin D3 < 12 ng/mL), were given 6mg of boron per day for 60 days. The study took place beginning in October and concluded by January, a seasonal time period when vitamin-D status would be expected to worsen due to reduced daylight hours. After 60 days of boron supplementation, vitamin D3 levels rose by an average of 20% even during reducing sunlight conditions, which is phenomenal (15).

• Boron increases vitamin D levels by suppressing the activity of 24-hydroxylase, the microsomal enzyme primarily responsible for the catabolism (breakdown) of vitamin D. The suppression of this enzyme increases the half-life of vitamin D in serum, therefore increasing vitamin D levels overall (15).

Boron is cancer protective and reduces the adverse effects of chemotherapy

• On a broad scale, boron-rich diets (from regions where the soil and water are rich in boron) correlate with lower risks of several types of cancer, including breast, cervical, prostate, and lung cancers. Boron-containing compounds have a roll in a variety of fundamental cellular mechanisms, negatively effecting the reproduction and physiology of cancer cells (16).

• In one study, men whose diets supplied more than 1.8 mg of boron per day lowered the risk of prostate cancer by 52% lower compared to men whose dietary boron intake was 0.9 mg per day or less (17).

• In one ten year study on post-menopausal women, those who were not on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and had a boron intake of 0.77 mg or less per day had a 95% increased odds of developing lung cancer compared to women on HRT who had a dietary intake of 1.25 mg of boron per day (18).

• One of boron’s main anti-cancer mechanistic effects is a result of how boron directly interacts with cancer cells. With a boron rich diet (3-10 mg), sugar-borate esters transport borate in greater quantities inside cells, increasing the intracellular concentration of borate. High intracellular borate concentrations keep cancerous growth in check and stimulate apoptosis (cellular death). In normal cells not yet ready to undergo apoptosis, the borate is easily exported. Cancer cells however commonly over-express sugar transporters as a way of fueling their growth, and are less effective at reducing intracellular levels of borate. As a result, a boron-rich diet exerts a protect anti-cancer effect, sparing healthy cells but killing cancer cells (19).

Adequate boron levels in the body contributes to stronger bones, faster wound healing, higher vitamin D and testosterone levels, and is cancer protective.

In addition to the more well known effects above, boron has also been shown to have the following beneficial effects:

1. Boron reduces levels of inflammatory biomarkers, such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α)

2. Boron raises levels of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase

3. Boron protects against pesticide-induced oxidative stress and heavy-metal toxicity

4. Boron improves the brains electrical activity, cognitive performance, and short-term memory for elders

How to Supplement with Boron

On average most people ingest about 2 mg of Boron a day (20), which is under the 3 mg or greater ideal dietary intake. With a diet low in plant products such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts, someone’s dietary intake of boron could be much less than 3 mg per day. Following a plant-based diet will increase boron consumption.

To increase boron concentrations in the body, the simplest and most economical way to supplement is with borax, chemically known as sodium borate. With a similar LD50 as NaCl for rats (similar for humans), sodium borate is safe and as a salt it’s highly bioavailable. Many studies on boron use sodium borate, and borax is many times cheaper than the typical boron fructoborate supplement. A box of 20 Mule Team borax is highly refined and pure, simply set aside a small jar for personal use and use the rest for cleaning applications if you'd like!

Most studies on boron supplementation use a dose of 3 mg of elemental boron (again through a compound like borax).

To supplement with 10 mg of elemental boron via borax, ~88.5 mg of borax is required based on the chemical formula of Na2[B4O5(OH)4]·8H2O and elemental molecular weights. To estimate the volume of the scooper needed, we need to know the density of borax. Borax has a density of 1.73 g/cm³, so 88.5 mg of borax (10 mg boron) requires approximately a 0.05 ml scoop. I used to use this G82 Ultra Small Measuring Spoon (pictured) when dosing boron, but now I simply take a pinch of equivalent size and dissolve it into a drink.

With no taste and the ability to fully dissolve, supplementing with borax couldn't be easier. Add the scoop to a glass of water, a smoothie, or a post-workout drink, it won’t be noticed.

Another way to supplement with boron is with nettle. Stinging nettle contains high levels of boron in addition to other valuable nutrients such as vitamins A, C, K and minerals calcium, iron, and manganese. Brewing nettle leaves into a tea individually or as part of a blend is easy, and in addition to providing the body boron it acts as a diuretic and lowers blood sugar and blood pressure slightly. Purchase nettle leaf products from Mountain Rose Herbs.

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Foods Highest in Boron

With it’s wide ranging health benefits, extreme safety, beyond cheap price, and unbelievable ease of supplementation, boron is a micronutrient everyone should make sure to get enough of. If you’d rather pass on the borax and stick to whole foods, then make sure to consume the following high boron foods from organic and biodynamic farmers who grow from healthy micronutrient rich soils.

Fruits, vegetables, and nuts are your best sources of boron. Dried fruits like raisins and apricots are loaded with boron. Nuts like almonds, hazelnuts, and walnuts are also packed with boron, and legumes such as peanuts and kidney beans also contain significant amounts of boron. Another high boron food is avocado which has many other beneficial micronutrients as well.

Make an effort to get more boron in your diet whether that’s by supplementation, diet, or a combination of both, and take note of how you feel. Boron can be supplemented with daily at doses of 3-10 mg, and care should be taken when dosing higher amounts for it’s possible testosterone boosting effects.

References

1. Importance of Boron in Plant Growth - Crop Nutrition

2. Sahota O. Understanding vitamin D deficiency. Age Ageing. 2014;43(5):589-91.

3. Travison TG, Araujo AB, O'donnell AB, Kupelian V, Mckinlay JB. A population-level decline in serum testosterone levels in American men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007;92(1):196-202.

4. Andersson AM, Jensen TK, Juul A, Petersen JH, Jørgensen T, Skakkebaek NE. Secular decline in male testosterone and sex hormone binding globulin serum levels in Danish population surveys. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007;92(12):4696-705.

5. Traish AM, Miner MM, Morgentaler A, Zitzmann M. Testosterone deficiency. The American Journal of Medicine. 2011;124(7):578-587.

6. Ferrando AA, Green NR. The effect of boron supplementation on lean body mass, plasma testosterone levels, and strength in male bodybuilders. International Journal of Sport Nutrition. 1993;3(2):140-149.

7. Naghii MR, Mofid M, Asgari AR, Hedayati M, Daneshpour MS. Comparative effects of daily and weekly boron supplementation on plasma steroid hormones and proinflammatory cytokines. J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2011;25(1):54-8.

8. Naghii MR, Samman S. The effect of boron supplementation on its urinary excretion and selected cardiovascular risk factors in healthy male subjects. Biol Trace Elem Res. 1997;56(3):273-86.

9. Pizzorno L. Nothing Boring About Boron. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2015;14(4):35-48.

10. Nielsen FH, Hunt CD, Mullen LM, Hunt JR. Effect of dietary boron on mineral, estrogen, and testosterone metabolism in postmenopausal women. FASEB J. 1987;1(5):394-7.

11. Hunt CD. The biochemical effects of physiologic amounts of dietary boron in animal nutrition models. Environ Health Perspect. 1994;102 Suppl 7:35-43.

12. Blech MF, Martin C, Borrelly J, Hartemann P. Treatment of deep wounds with loss of tissue. Value of a 3 percent boric acid solution. Presse Med. 1990;19(22):1050-2.

13. Nzietchueng RM, Dousset B, Franck P, Benderdour M, Nabet P, Hess K. Mechanisms implicated in the effects of boron on wound healing. J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2002;16(4):239-44.

14. Nielsen, Forrest & Mullen, L.M. & Gallagher, S.K.. (1990). Effect of boron depletion and repletion on blood indicators of calcium status in humans fed a magnesium-low diet. Journal of Trace Elements in Experimental Medicine. 3. 45-54.

15. Miljkovic D, Miljkovic N, Mccarty MF. Up-regulatory impact of boron on vitamin D function -- does it reflect inhibition of 24-hydroxylase? Med Hypotheses. 2004;63(6):1054-6.

16. Scorei RI, Popa R. Boron-containing compounds as preventive and chemotherapeutic agents for cancer. Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2010;10(4):346-51.

17. Cui Y, Winton MI, Zhang ZF, et al. Dietary boron intake and prostate cancer risk. Oncol Rep. 2004;11(4):887-92.

18. Mahabir S, Spitz MR, Barrera SL, Dong YQ, Eastham C, Forman MR. Dietary boron and hormone replacement therapy as risk factors for lung cancer in women. Am J Epidemiol. 2008;167(9):1070-80.

19. Scorei RI, Popa R. Sugar-borate esters--potential chemical agents in prostate cancer chemoprevention. Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2013;13(6):901-9.

20. Devirian T, Volpe S. The Physiological Effects of Dietary Boron. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 2003;43(2):219–231

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

The Science of Why Hydrolyzed Whey Protein is BEST

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated May 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

After finishing a workout, the standard recommendation is consume some protein to help build lean body mass. The faster the post-workout protein is absorbed the better, and as long as you have a healthy digestive system, this is true.

One of the latest advancements in the protein supplement industry is whey hydrolysate. Whey hydrolysate is absorbed by the body very rapidly because its whey protein peptides have been broken down into smaller chunks via hydrolysis.

Whey hydrolysate is rapidly absorbed by the body and it has been shown to improve the growth of muscle after a training stimulus as compared to other types of protein drinks.

What is Whey Protein?

Whey is a type of protein found in dairy milk, found to be highly bioavailable (1), and with cows milk 22% of the protein is whey. Casein protein makes up the remaining 78% of protein found in cows milk. It is almost exclusively cows milk that whey protein supplements are derived from.

Depending on the level of the extraction process, manufacturers make three different types of whey protein: whey concentrate, whey isolate, and whey hydrolysate.

Whey concentrate supplements are the least processed, still containing some fat, cholesterol, and lactose, with most modern whey concentrate supplements being 80-89% whey protein by weight. Whey isolate supplements are more processed, containing 90-99+% whey protein, being effectively lactose, carbohydrate, fat, and cholesterol free.

Whey hydrolysate is whey isolate that has been further processed to improve absorption by breaking down the whey protein chains into smaller pieces via enzymatic reactions. Whey isolate and whey hydrolysate are the same except whey hydrolysate has been predigested so it absorbs faster by the body.

For those looking to improve their health, have more energy, build muscle, and burn fat, what are the advantages to using hydrolyzed whey protein compared to a whey isolate or whey concentrate? Is hydrolyzed whey more anabolic than non-hydrolyzed whey protein?

To properly answer these questions, let’s examine more closely what whey hydrolysate is.

How is Whey Protein Hydrolyzed?

Whey hydrolysate is whey protein isolate which has been subjected to hydrolysis. Hydrolysis is a reaction involving the breaking of a bond in a molecule using water. In regards to protein, hydrolysis is the process of breaking down a protein into smaller peptides*. Protein hydrolysis typically occurs in the gastrointestinal tract after protein consumption (i.e. stomach and small intestine) through the use of acid and enzymes, but enzymatic protein hydrolysis can also be performed in the lab. Enzymatic protein hydrolysis, where food-grade enzymes are introduced to whey protein, is how whey protein hydrolysates are produced for the supplement industry.

In order to be absorbed by the body, all dietary protein is hydrolyzed during digestive enzymes to either free form amino acids or di- and tripeptides*.

*Note - Peptides are short chains of amino acid monomers (small molecules) linked by peptide bonds. A dipeptide is composed of two amino acids linked by peptide bonds, and likewise a tripeptide is composed of three amino acids linked together. A free form amino acid is a single amino acid molecule.

Any protein can be hydrolyzed, but typically only whey isolate is hydrolyzed to make whey hydrolysate supplements for economic reasons. There are three objective measures which can be used to determine the quality of a whey hydrolysate: percentage of hydrolysis, degree of hydrolysis, and average molecular weight.

Percentage of Hydrolysis

The percentage of hydrolysis is simply the amount of the protein which has been subjected to the hydrolysis process. A protein powder which is 50% hydrolyzed means that 50% of the protein has undergone some degree of hydrolysis, and the other 50% of the protein hasn't been hydrolyzed at all. Most whey hydrolysates which are sold are 100% whey hydrolysate, as they hydrolyze the whole batch of whey isolate at once.

Degree of Hydrolysis (DH)

Considering most whey hydrolysate supplements are 100% whey hydrolysate, the main determining factor in whether a whey hydrolysate is good or not is the degree of hydrolysis (DH). The degree of hydrolysis is the amount of hydrolysis that the protein has undergone, and this can range from no hydrolysis (DH0) to complete hydrolysis (DH100). A whey protein isolate which has a degree of hydrolysis of 10 (DH10), means that 10% of the whey protein has been successfully hydrolyzed (i.e. peptide bonds broken) to smaller di- and tripeptides and free form amino acids, and the other 90% of the whey protein isolate peptides are still tetrapeptides or larger. The higher the DH value of a hydrolyzed protein, the faster the whey protein is absorbed by the body.

Average Molecular Weight (AMW)

Related to the DH is the average molecular weight (AMW) of hydrolyzed whey. Molecular weights are measure in daltons (Da) and kilodaltons (kDa). Just as a whey hydrolysate with a high DH will have more di- and tripeptides and free form amino acids than a whey hydrolysate with a low DH, a more completely hydrolyzed protein will how a lower average molecular weight for the protein chains. This is important, because even if all the protein chains haven’t been completely hydrolyzed, any amount they have broken down is an improvement and will allow them to absorb faster.

Free form amino acids and di- and tripeptides have lower molecular weights than intact proteins, so the lower the average molecular weight of a whey hydrolysate, the faster it can be digested and absorbed into the blood stream. It is necessary to analyze the AMW of hydrolyzed protein supplements (if possible) because free form amino acids which have the lowest molecular weights are not as anabolic as di- and tri-peptides as they are directly absorbed by the gut at a greater rate and regulated by the liver to a much greater degree (2). Di- and tripeptides have a much easier time passing directly into the bloodstream than free form amino acids due to how they are transported (3). A low average molecular weight and a low free form amino acid percentage ensures that a hydrolyzed protein product is high in di- and tripeptides and not cheaper free-form amino acids.

To sum up, a DH30 whey hydrolysate will have a lower average MW than a DH10 whey hydrolysate.

As the DH increases, the protein which is being hydrolyzed becomes more and more bitter, and the broken protein molecules are reduced in molecular weight. A DH100 whey hydrolysate would be nearly impossible to manufacture. A typical 100% whey hydrolysate has a DH value ranging from 1-9%. A DH10 or greater is considered a high DH value, and the best protein hydrolysate supplements max out at ~DH30. If you are curious as to the degree of hydrolysis of a specific whey hydrolysate supplement, request a product specification sheet from the producer, as this information is usually not advertised.

Whey Hydrolysate Digestion

When it comes to the muscle building effects of any protein, four specific qualities must be analyzed to determine the protein’s impact on anabolism. These qualities are:

• Rate of gastric Emptying

• Gastrointestinal Absorption

• Amino Acid Profile - Muscle Protein Synthesis

• Insulin Response

The faster protein is able to exit the stomach into the small intestine for absorption, the better it is in acutely increasing circulating free form amino acids and di- and tripeptides in the bloodstream. More efficient gastrointestinal absorption also allows more protein fractions to enter into the bloodstream, creating a more anabolic environment. The level of muscle protein synthesis which is stimulated by a protein is important, and the ability of a protein to increase insulin secretion upon consumption also is important in creating an anabolic muscle building environment.

Hydrolyzed Whey has a Faster Rate of Gastric Emptying

Whey hydrolysate solutions empty with a half-time rate of 17 ± 6 minutes (4). The half-time rate is the time required by the stomach to empty 50% of the ingested meal. For reference, a standard glucose solution, which has a very fast rate of gastric emptying, has a half-time rate of 9.5 ± 1 minute and milk protein, which has a slow rate of gastric emptying, has a half-time rate of 26.5 ± 10.0 minutes (4). When it comes to quickly creating an anabolic state by delivering whey protein peptides into the blood stream, the faster the rate of gastric emptying, the better.

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Hydrolyzed Whey is More Efficiently Absorbed

Whey hydrolysate is able to be absorbed by the body more rapidly than intact proteins, such as whey protein concentrate and isolate, thus quickening nutrient delivery to muscle tissues. Dipeptides and tripeptides, and less-so free form amino acids, are absorbed extremely rapidly since they are already broken down and can pass through the intestinal wall passively or via transporters. Peptides larger than tripeptides, such as tetrapeptides, cannot be directly absorbed by the body unless they undergo further digestion into smaller peptides or free form amino acids.

Studies (5, 6, 7) strongly suggest that ingestion of a protein hydrolysate results in a less efficient uptake by the splanchnic bed. The splanchnic bed is comprised of the tissues of the liver, stomach, intestines, pancreas, and spleen, and they have their own nutrient requirements. For the purpose of building muscle, the more proteins can avoid being absorbed by the splanchnic bed and flow into the blood stream, the better. With whey hydrolysate the acute increase of amino acids entering into the blood stream is greater than with protein isolate or concentrate, which should help with triggering muscle protein synthesis higher and build more muscle.

Amino Acid Profile - Muscle Protein Synthesis

Increasing muscle protein synthesis (MPS) is the main reason protein powder supplements are popular, as it leads to greater muscular gains, and compared to other protein sources such as casein and soy, whey protein is the best at acutely increasing MPS (8). The amino acid profile of whey protein compared to other proteins such as soy and casein is responsible for its greater ability to increase MPS, and the 2:1:1 ratio of branched chained amino acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine found in whey protein is responsible for this (9).

Whey Hydrolysate has a Stronger Insulin Response

Whey protein has been shown to greatly stimulate insulin release once the various di- and tripeptides and free form amino acids enter the bloodstream (10), and insulin is a major contributor to muscle anabolism* under certain conditions. The one-two punch of increased muscle protein synthesis from whey protein and increased insulin levels makes whey protein a very anabolic supplement, and considering whey hydrolysate is the quickest and most efficiently absorbed whey protein available, whey hydrolysate will stimulate insulin release to a greater degree than whey isolate or concentrate.

Compared to other versions of whey protein and casein hydrolysate, whey hydrolysate increases skeletal muscle glycogen levels to a greater degree over a similar time period (11, 12). Higher muscle glycogen stores and fast absorption make whey hydrolysate a great ingredient to use in a intra-workout drink.

*Note - Insulin allows nutrients in the bloodstream, such as whey protein fractions and glucose, to enter into a muscle cell. Insulin also stimulates muscle protein synthesis and increases blood flow to muscles.

Should you Buy Whey Hydrolysate?

Whey protein hydrolysate is more effective than whey protein isolate and concentrate, but since whey protein concentrate and isolate are already highly bio-available, the increased ability of whey protein hydrolysate to be absorbed into the blood stream, increase muscle protein synthesis, and build muscle might be overplayed.

A whey hydrolysate supplement with a degree of hydrolysis of 3, which is typical for the industry, only offers a small competitive advantage over regular whey protein isolate, but the current science shows that a DH10+ whey hydrolysate definitely confers significant anabolic advantages over regular whey protein isolate or concentrate.

Whether the increased price of whey protein hydrolysate is worth the extra premium is up to you the buyer. I personally like to afford myself every advantage I can, and whey hydrolysates are not that much more expensive than standard whey isolate.

To answer the question of whether consumption of a hydrolyzed whey protein produces a more anabolic environment compared to a non-hydrolyzed whey protein, the answer is yes (13). Consumption of a high DH, low AMW whey hydrolysate supplement has significant benefits over traditional whey isolate and concentrate supplements.

Is Whey Hydrolysate Right for You?

If you are already buying a whey protein supplement for pre, peri, or post workout nutrition, I would recommend you buy whey hydrolysate instead of whey isolate or concentrate as long as the degree or hydrolysis value of the hydrolysate is 10+.

When buying a protein powder for general health reasons, such as getting sufficient protein in the diet or to have an easy meal replacement on hand, I would stick with a less allergenic plant based protein, which also adds fiber to your diet.

Lower DH (<10) whey hydrolysates still offer unique advantages over typical whey protein supplements, but the higher price per pound doesn't make low DH whey hydrolysates worth the extra cost compared to whey isolate in my opinion.

If you are mildly lactose intolerant but whey isolate consumption causes no health issues, whey hydrolysate is a great choice. Whey hydrolysate is virtually free of lactose, fat, and cholesterol, and it shouldn't cause any adverse effects. Caution is always recommended though, and if you are unsure if you can consume whey protein safely with no gastrointestinal issues please consult with your doctor or wellness practitioner.

Whey Hydrolysate Buying Recommendations

Overall, I would give whey hydrolysate a big BUY recommendation considering you buy the right type (aka DH10+, AMW & ~10,000 Da). Below I have two brands I recommend and have tried, and there are other supplement companies which sell comparable products. Armed with the knowledge provided in this article, it should now be easy to determine whether any whey hydrolysate supplement you run across is high quality and legit or a marketing gimmick.

The high DH whey hydrolysate I recommend can be purchased from True Nutrition. True Nutrition sells dozens of different types of supplement powders and pills, rigorously third party tests them, and then retails them at competitive prices. You can even create your own custom protein blend, which is basically a combination of whichever bulk powders you want in your desired ratios. They charge extra for flavors, the bags used to hold the protein, and shipping, but even after all of that you still come out ahead.

The Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Ultra Grade sold by True Nutrition is approximately the same price as Optimum Nutrition’s Platinum HydroWhey, but it’s degree of hydrolysis is clearly listed at 13%, which is exceptional, and True Nutrition’s Hydrolyzed Whey isn’t spiked with lower quality BCAA’s like Optimum Nutrition’s HydroWhey. Optimum’s brand also uses artificial sugars which disrupt gut health.

True Nutrition powders can also be blended in the factory with other protein, carbohydrate, or fat powders for a customized shake blend, and you can customize the flavoring too, which is pretty great. Create your own peri-workout drink, meal replacement, protein shake, or more!

If you don’t care about hydrolysis, then Isopure’s Unflavored Whey Isolate is a great whey protein. I give it my highest recommendation because it is easy to digest, isn’t loaded up with any junk artificial sugars or chemicals, and comes at a reasonable price. Hydrolyzed protein can give you an extra edge, but for 99% of the populace, a whey isolate is a better choice of protein and will be just as effective in building muscle and increasing strength.

Boost Testosterone and Build Muscle with Cistanche

Whey protein confers quite an advantage in maintaining and building lean body mass compared to other proteins, and if you want to make sure every gram of protein goes to proper use and to really give yourself an extra edge with strength training, I recommend trying a Cistanche and Cholesterol Protocol.

Combining the testosterone boosting herb cistanche with high cholesterol sources of food like eggs primes the body for muscular growth by providing it everything it needs to increase steroidogenesis. Combining cistanche and eggs together caused me to increase my free testosterone levels by 53% in just 30 days. You can purchase cistanche from Nootropics Depot.

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References

1. Hoffman JR, Falvo MJ. Protein - Which is Best?. J Sports Sci Med. 2004;3(3):118-30.

2. Matthews, David M. et al. Peptide Absorption. Gastroenterology, Volume 71, Issue 1, 151 - 161

3. Frenhani PB, Burini RC. [Mechanisms of absorption of amino acids and oligopeptides. Control and implications in human diet therapy]. Arq Gastroenterol. 1999;36(4):227-37.

4. Calbet JA, Holst JJ. Gastric emptying, gastric secretion and enterogastrone response after administration of milk proteins or their peptide hydrolysates in humans. Eur J Nutr. 2004;43(3):127-39.

5. Manninen AH. Protein hydrolysates in sports nutrition. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2009;6:38.

6. Kim W, Egan JM. The role of incretins in glucose homeostasis and diabetes treatment. Pharmacol Rev. 2008;60(4):470-512.

7. Paddon-jones D, Sheffield-moore M, Aarsland A, Wolfe RR, Ferrando AA. Exogenous amino acids stimulate human muscle anabolism without interfering with the response to mixed meal ingestion. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2005;288(4):E761-7.

8. Tang JE, Moore DR, Kujbida GW, Tarnopolsky MA, Phillips SM. Ingestion of whey hydrolysate, casein, or soy protein isolate: effects on mixed muscle protein synthesis at rest and following resistance exercise in young men. J Appl Physiol. 2009;107(3):987-92.

9. Hulmi JJ, Lockwood CM, Stout JR. Effect of protein/essential amino acids and resistance training on skeletal muscle hypertrophy: A case for whey protein. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2010;7:51.

10. Frid AH, Nilsson M, Holst JJ, Björck IM. Effect of whey on blood glucose and insulin responses to composite breakfast and lunch meals in type 2 diabetic subjects. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005;82(1):69-75.

11. Morifuji M, Kanda A, Koga J, Kawanaka K, Higuchi M. Post-exercise carbohydrate plus whey protein hydrolysates supplementation increases skeletal muscle glycogen level in rats. Amino Acids. 2010;38(4):1109-15.

12. Kanda A, Morifuji M, Fukasawa T, et al. Dietary whey protein hydrolysates increase skeletal muscle glycogen levels via activation of glycogen synthase in mice. J Agric Food Chem. 2012;60(45):11403-8.

13. Manninen AH. Hyperinsulinaemia, hyperaminoacidaemia and post-exercise muscle anabolism: the search for the optimal recovery drink. Br J Sports Med. 2006;40(11):900-5.

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

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