supporting info for the rosemary extract here:
http://www.whitelotusclinic.ca/blog/dr-f...en-excess/
but do read the whole article, especially the section:
Adrenal Androgen Excess: Anti-androgen Therapeutics:
"Once the effects of the patient’s individual HPA axis have been addressed, it is often helpful to then incorporate natural anti-androgenic therapies. Many significant clinical problems related to excess adrenal androgens occur due to their conversion to testosterone or DHT. Anti-androgen therapies may be particularly beneficial for women with androgen-related hirsutism, acne, androgenetic alopecia, and androgen-related menstrual irregularities, who wish to avoid the side effects of conventional approaches such as spironolactone or finasteride.
•Spearmint Tea: At a dosage of 1 cup BID, spearmint tea has been shown in 2 studies to have anti-androgenic properties.29,30 Over a 30-day period, spearmint tea brought about a significant reduction in free and total testosterone levels in a group of 42 women with confirmed PCOS and hirsutism.30
•Glycerrhiza glabra: Licorice was found in a 2004 trial to significantly decrease testosterone levels in healthy female patients after 1 month of treatment.31 The study concluded that licorice may exert its anti-androgenic action through blocking 17-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and 17-20 lyase. The glycyrrhizin and glycyrrhetic acid constituents of licorice have significant anti-androgen effects,32-34 which may be helpful in reducing androgenic symptoms in women with PCOS.
•Paeonia lactiflora: Peony is another popular anti-androgenic herb. It is often combined with Glycyrrhiza glabra in a ratio of 1:1 in Traditional Chinese Medicine for the treatment of PCOS. Studies have found that this combination is able to decrease the production of testosterone without altering the production of androstenedione and estradiol.34
•Camellia sinensis: For patients with androgenetic alopecia, hirsutism, or acne, Camellia sinensis (green tea) may be of benefit. Epigallocatechins in green tea are 5α-reductase inhibitors, which decrease the production of DHT.35 As green tea can also increase sex hormone-binding globulin, it can be helpful in patients with elevated free androgens.36
•Serenoa repens: Saw palmetto is a well-known plant-derived anti-androgen. By moderately inhibiting the enzyme 5α-reductase, saw palmetto shows promise in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia.37
•Ganoderma lucidum: Among its many health benefits, reishi mushroom exerts a significant anti-androgenic action.38 Research suggests that its triterpenoid fraction in an ethanol extract is able to inhibit both type 1 and type 2 5α-reductase.39 In addition, it appears to suppress the growth of cells that are stimulated by testosterone itself, suggesting that it may also have a role to play as an androgen receptor blocker.39
•Rosmarinus officinalis: As a topical therapy for androgenetic alopecia, rosemary leaf extract was found in a 2013 study to improve hair regrowth in mice with androgen-induced hair-growth interruption.40 The extract showed inhibitor activity upwards of 82.4% in inhibiting 5α-reductase, and also decreased the binding of DHT to androgen receptors.40"
