Interesting, keep us updated.
Where on earth did you find that chart of DHT levels in feces?
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From this study which I posted here a long while ago that somehow flew under the radar: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6962501/
In conclusion, the findings in the present study demonstrate that the GM in the cecum deglucuronidates high levels of glucuronidated DHT and T found in the small intestinal content. This results in remarkably high free levels of the potent androgen DHT in the distal intestinal content of healthy young mice of both sexes and men. We propose that treatments with probiotics or changes in the diet affecting the GM composition might modulate intestinal androgen metabolism and thereby affect the risk of androgen-related diseases mainly in the distal intestine, but potentially also at extraintestinal locations. Further studies are needed to evaluate the physiological and pathophysiological roles of the high levels of free DHT in the distal intestine.
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Could you please explain the graph? Does it mean the concentration of T & DHT are higher in feces than serum? I learned the hard way the frequent BMs are tied to worse symptoms. I’m still unsure what’s messing with my frequency and stool consistency. That said, I’m on Activia yogurt (contains Bifido lactis) and Culturelle (contains L. Rhamnosus GG) so they may also have something to do with this. I’ll stop both for now. I’ve cut the black tea already.
Intriguingly, I notice higher libido when I have less BMs and when ever I tend to be constipated.
Sure thing
Same here. The harder my poops are and less frequent I go poopie, the more libido.
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Exactly @Sawproblemo I observed that for a long time. The graph @Mercked shared may explain this happenstance. All active hormones (including T; E2 & DHT) in the circulation are deactivated, as part of their metabolism, by the liver and certain enzymes and are excreted from the body via feces and urination. For example, nearly all testosterone (unless it is continuously produced) would be gone from the body in less than about 50 minutes to 8 hours, being destroyed by degradative enzymes, such as by those in the liver. This is why having optimal SHBG level is critical because it binds most of the sex hormones so that they could last longer in the circulation but that’s for another topic.
The interesting part though, gut microbiome is able to restore some of the excreted hormones, through certain enzymes produced by bacteria, back into the circulation. I suspect loose and/or frequent stools may lead to less recycling efficiency causing lower serum levels and hence lower libido. Neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin are also made in the gut from breaking down protein into individual amino acids, which are precursors to the said neurotransmitters.
The gut mediates countless bodily processes and when messy, everything falls apart.
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Thanks.
It’s surprising they didn’t include androstanediol and androstanediol-glucuronide in the study since it represents the lowest energy form of androgen (only chemically speaking) and has been quoted in literature as representative of the average sum of DHT in the body, in addition to having some estrogenic activity and acting as a DHT precursor in some tissues through oxidative activity of 3a-HSD/3a-HSOR enzymes. The relevance of androstandediol to this study would be conversion between it and DHT occurring in the gut, if at all.
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Can you please post links describing this? I have a bad habit of collecting studies.
Likewise @Dubya_B 
I recall this was elucidated in great detail by renowned TRT doctor ( Dr. Marianco) on PeakTestosterone forum. That said, this NCBI citation explores the half-life of TT, FT, Bioavailable T, Albumin-Bound T, & SHBG-Bound T correlated with T injections in 14 healthy men. They used a special methodology to block T production from gonads and adrenals to estimating elimination time.
Synopsis:
"Slow-phase T half-lives were highest for SHBG-bound T (32 min) and total T (27 min) with the former exceeding that of free T (18 min), bioavailable T (14 min) and albumin-bound T (18 min)[ P < 0.001]. Collective outcomes indicate that (a) the rapid phase of T disappearance from point sampling in the circulation is not explained by T dose; (b) SHBG-bound T and total T kinetics are prolonged; and © the half-lives of bioavailable, albumin-bound and free T are short."
It’s a long read but provides a great insights.
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Thanks. That sounds brutal what they put those guys through.
You’re welcome. Yep it’s striking how some healthy individuals agree to go through this, voluntarily.
I drink 4-5 cups a day and it’s good for brain fog no other use
Have you tried eating a lot of watermelon, that might help you go right away.
A cup of green tea every day or even 3-4 times a week does wonders for my bowel movements and subsequently feel much better - it’s weird but I almost need a cup of green tea, peppermint tea or lemon tea in order to go to the toilet
Have you tried black tea extract yet? Anyone has experience with it? Its interesting since we might have AR overexpression, anything down regulating it could be a promising treatment
No I haven’t tried it yet.
The down regulating thing might not be true though, there aren’t many studies on it. And if it is it probably won’t make a difference.
OK thanks for the information!
UPDATE: Black tea is fine. I think it gave me frequent bowel movements in the past due to:
- Caffeine content
- Shifting microbiome
Black tea seems to raise my libido, if anything 
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I’ve been drinking decaffinated black tea and I’m not feeling anything anymore.
I’m considering trying the extract sometime this year or next year maybe. My prostate is getting worse too, I’ll need to do something about it eventually, but I read urolift isn’t guaranteed to be an option depending on the size. And the only other options are fucking 5AR drugs or surgery. I’m so fucked, god damn life is trash.