Mario could you tell us why you take Pycnogenol 100 mg, apologies is you’ve already explained this elsewhere.
I didn’t know TMG can raise cholesterol thanks for the update, I have high cholesterol so I guess TMG is off the table for me.
I found a comment about Pycnogenol from someone who has taken this supplement.
“Have been taking this with L’Arginine and after about 2 weeks it has restored “natural” erections and increased sensitivity like I used to have in my youth.”
Has anyone here heard of THEANINE or tried it?
“THEANINE could be a highly useful ANXIOLYTIC, since it DOES NOT function as a GABA RECEPTOR AGONIST but UPREGULATES THE PRODUCTION OF GABA within the brain, functions as a GLUTAMATE RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST, and enhances ALPHA-WAVE production within the brain.”
longecity.org/forum/topic/54 … fectively/
If Propecia has affected our Neurosteriods then that may have impaired GABA production, therefore THEANINE could be useful.
Hi Andy,
Pycnogenol enhances endothelial NOS production (eNOS) which is a good thing. It also restores GSH/GSSG ratio which is also a good thing.
TMG raises cholesterol levels when used in conjunction with Folate and P5P for obese people or those with kidney disease :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trimethylglycine
Although i am not that fat i decided to stop TMG to see how my Cholesterol will change and also whether i will see any other side effects. So far i’ve seen no additional value so TMG is out for me.
I tried L-Theanine previously but did not see any benefit. Whatever raises GABA helps with NMDA excitotoxicity (this is good) but it may cause Anorgasmia and lowers Dopamine activity (not good).
More on the relationship between Dopamine and GABA :
Thanks for the info Mario, very much appreciated. Could you post which Pycnogenol your using, I’m not sure if Pycnogenol and supplements called French Pine Bark Extract are the same thing.
I have been reading posts about Pycnogenol and guys have been mentioning how they felt an improvement in energy on this supplement, this must be the NOX.
I’m reading that Pycnogenol is a favourite in the beauty industry so we could all end up looking younger 
Mario what do you think about Grape Seed for raising NOX?
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20513234
peaktestosterone.com/Grape_Seed_ … ction.aspx
You mentioned lowering cholesterol, apparently Walnut Oil can help with this;
The cardio-protective benefits of walnut oil are primarily due to the high concentration of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is an omega-3 fatty acid that ultimately is converted to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and omega-3 fatty acids that are easily utilized by the body. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that one tablespoon of walnut oil provides 1.4 grams of ALA. Men require 1.6 grams and women 1.1 grams of ALA per day. Walnuts differ from other nuts because they primarily consist of omega-3 fatty acids whereas monounsaturated fats are found in higher levels in most other types of nuts.
whatscookingamerica.net/LindaPos … nefits.htm
Also for those interested in Probiotics, I have been looking into Kefir Grains as you can use these to make your own low cost Probiotic and save £££. About 70% of our immune system comes from our intestine, I’ve found Probiotics really beneficial with elements of my health.
culturesforhealth.com/water- … stions-faq
youtube.com/watch?v=UdLl1i_ … f1cGrySErw
youtube.com/watch?v=9_ar45aTTSI Gillian has a good website on healthy living which I found useful and she will help out with any questions which is cool.
Yes Pycnogenol and French Maritime Pine Bark extract are the same thing. The one i am using is this :
I’ve seen the link about Grapeseed on PubMed (thanks for this BTW) and it looks interesting but for now i will stick to what i am already taking.
I’ve tried L-Theanine, Pynogenol, Grape Seed Extract and and a whole bunch of other nootropics like these. Pynogenol does sometimes seem to bring down anxiety but it has always been hit or miss. Theanine has never done much for me and I’ve tried all kinds of doses, from 100 mg to 800 mg with no apparent effect. Grape Seed Extract the same, I never really felt anything.
Thanks BFB, I’m really looking for something that can control anxiety and also something to help with depression. I thought Lions Mane was the answer but as it’s a DHT inhibitor I stopped taking it.
I’ve just come across this website that provides info on herbs herbwisdom.com/herb-muira-puama.html also MUIRA PUAMA EXTRACT is considered good for libido, erections, I’ve never heard of it, I wonder if it has the ability to raise NOx.
Does anyone have any experience with Stabilium or know if it’s safe to add to our regimen, apparently it can help with anxiety and does work via the GABA receptors.
Gents does anyone here feel sleepy or fall asleep after eating a meal? I eat mostly fresh wholegrain foods in terms of pasta, rice, oats, bread accompanied by a salad and or some fruit. For a while I was eating cottage cheese for lunch and didn’t feel tired afterwards so I’m pretty sure it’s the wholegrains causing the problem. However, trying to get a days worth a calories without the wholegrains is difficult when I’m at work. One possible reason is my blood glucose levels are spiking and causing this tiredness as my body isn’t producing enough insulin. I have been tested for diabetes and passed within range but I could be in the low end of the range. Of course if I eat a meal after 7pm I don’t seem to feel sleepy it’s mainly during the daytime when you want to be awake.
Recent tests showed
Glucose 83 mg/dL (60-110)
Insulin 5.7 mUI/L (3-22)
Cortisol free (8AM) 10.1 ng/mL (10-30)
Cortisol (8hr) 18 ug/dL (7-25)
I was wondering if there are any glucose friendly foods/meals or any supplements that could help with this problem? Thanks
Guys, please dont derail the topic, its about low basal no/nox levels.
I thought it was all interlinked? How do I or anyone else create a good environment for NOx to increase energy levels when you fall asleep after meals, you have two opposing energies within the body sorry but I thought it was obvious. I doubt I’m the only person here with this problem.
I tried Pycnogenol today and I felt pretty good mentally. I think I’ll order your brand because the one I bought cost me 25 dollars for just 30 capsules of 50 mg (it was the cheapest I could find).
UPDATE
I continue to have constantly good morning erections. Some neurological side effects every 2-3 days which are barely noticeable (mostly Brainfog). Sleep is much more normalized (now 8 hours of sleep),constipation, nerve pains and irregular heartbeat are non-existent.
I also realized that my blood became more coagulated after stopping Rocket consumption and i have some incidences of numbness. I had no tinnitus despite several cases of weather deterioration but i had a severe tinnitus incident because i went away from my town and forgot to take CoQ10 with me. The tinnitus was so profound that i lost my hearing for 10 minutes (this has happened to me before). As previously discussed, high dose CoQ10 may be essential for many of us.
Here are some comments regarding my regimen. It consists of :
a) Methylation support (Methylcobalamin, P5P, Metafolin)
b) Oxidative Stress support : High dose CoQ10, High Dose Pycnogenol, Selenium
c) VDR Receptor + BH4 (Tetrahydrobiopterin) Support : Vitamin D3, Vitamin C
d) NO/NOx support : Frequent Rocket/Spinach consumption, Glucine Propionyl-L-Carnitine (GPLC), D3
e) Mitochondrial Support : GPLC
f) GSH/GSSG ratio optimization : High dose Pycnogenol
REGIMEN
Morning : Metafolin 800 mcg, CoQ10 100mg,Methylcobalamin (1000 mcg - twice weekly), P5P (50 mg - twice weekly), D3 5000 IU, Vitamin C 1000mg
11:00 AM Pycnogenol 100 mg
Lunch : (After food) : CoQ10 100 mg, NOW Foods GPLC 2 tablets (gives 1000 mg GPLC + 60 mg CoQ10)
Night (23:00) : Pycnogenol 100 mg
-Eat frequently Spinach and Rocket for proper NO/NOx levels. Unfortunately i cannot suggest any dose for that. From my experience 60 mg of Rocket per day should be enough.
Please notice that i stopped Ashwagandha so i can see how my thyroid will react (Blood tests in 2 weeks from now). Notice also the high doses of CoQ10 (260 mg per day) and Pycnogenol (200 mg per day).
Just FYI mariovitali, CoQ10 is an 5-alpha reductase inhibitor, though i don’t have links at the hand (atm) or dunno about the potency of it.
and andyuk, you really want to do an extended fast on water, with plenty of rest no stress cos you might be pr fatigued and unable to move around a lot or think much at worst. likewise fixed my sleepiness in the evening + brainfog + anxiety. i suggest you try dropping the processed grains (pasta etc) and replace with fruits protein fat. don’t worry about calories, focus on your blood sugar stability.
likewise mariovitali… you might want to consider an extended fast as a part of your recovery experiment/way to fix oxidative stress. POINT ON INTEREST: guess what? any time i switch into full-gear water fast… i get a STRIKING tinnitus every time. when i know i’m detoxing/feeling stress from detox, the tinnitus increases. >:-) coincidence…i don’t think so…
Shit, well my bad, I’ll look into it! I’m fairly sure I heard/read about it somewhere but maybe I’m wrong/misunderstood… Don’t worry about it too much, only divert if I find any proof at all (cos i’ve been avoiding Q10 due to this and LOL if there is no problem taking it…!). EDIT: LOL looks like you already debundked THAT myth. Med Busters!
Anyways, After I posted that I thought that well, maybe you are still willing to go for a 5arI since the gains from supporting mitocondria outweights the cons & you could possibly keep up the new homeostasis with your supplements.
People constantly use coconut oil, mushrooms, mangos, red peppers (or peppers in general), creatine is in every meat (unless the way it is assimilate from hydrogen makes it different (creatine monohydrate)), broccoli is anti-aromatose… If you can buffer oxidative stress from these then there’s something to gain from consuming these (IF you can buffer that is). (Why milk thistle is 5arI is beyond my comprehension though, it’s supposed to help liver, not friggin block the enzyme in liver responsible for healthy hormone metabolism lol!)
EDIT the only mention of Q10 problems I find in the forums is nate99 in this topic saying that Jarrow’s Q10 brand caused a mini-crash. Could be either of the two additives in that one too, it’s a super cheapo product.
mario
I have read that the herb jiaogulan can increase nitric oxide levels.
I purchased some on ebay recently and started taking it yesterday. Will update you on progress.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gynostemma_pentaphyllum
From wikipedia:
In vitro studies indicate that jiaogulan stimulates the release of nitric oxide in isolated heart cells; this is one proposed mechanism by which jiaogulan reduces high blood pressure.[17] In a double-blind study, gypenosides administered to those with Grade II hypertension showed 82% effectiveness in reducing hypertension
@Pff Thank you for the video.
UPDATE
The weather has deteriorated where i live with a drop of more than 10 Celsius. Yesterday we had very strong North winds, rain and the only side effect i had was some incidences of irregular heartbeat. No tinnitus (this would happen to me every time autumn was starting) , no problems with libido and i sleep a good 7 and a half hours. Very often i wake up because of morning wood which occurs more or less at the same time every night.
I will post soon a summary on a theory of what i believe is going on, at least for me.
If you are doing the regimen please add Vitamin K (either by eating spinach or supplement it with MK-7 100 mcg per day). It appears that Vitamin K is the single most efficient supplement that stops Glutamate excitotoxicity.
In a nutshell our bodies are on an “oxidative stress” mode as Droit suggested. However i don’t believe that Methylation supplementation alone can help us. I had to :
a) Stop Glutamate excitotoxicity
b) Support my body with potent antioxidants
c) Support Methylation
d) Increase NO/NOx to normalize endothelium function
e) Support BH4 and VDR
Every time you have panic attacks, feeling depressed, wake up early or don’t have wood this is because Oxidative Stress.
I will say more about this on the post that i am writing. On Monday i will have a new round of Blood tests and a normal Thyroid function outcome (along with normal Free T) will confirm my recovery.
Mario i have a couplr questions:
Have you read on this subject? selfhacked.com/2014/06/16/supple … dominance/
Glad to hear ur doing good
I never had exams on inflammation. Some times however C-Reactive Protein was found slightly incrased from normal levels.
I do not take any supplements for inflamation. I decided to take Ashwagandha to lower cortisol and boost my thyroid function. As already discussed, i will see shortly how my thyroid is functioning. I do not remember any immediate benefit from taking it.
I have heard about BNDF b ut ireally don’t know if/how it affects us.
On the link you sent me i had a look for symptoms of Th1 or Th2 dominance but i couldn’t find some other symptoms -typical of CFS- on the list.
I will post the summarized text on what i believe is happening and hopefully this will clear things a little more.