[Lotus]

Great post, but I have a few questions. Which brands of Saw Palmetto or Pygeum should I buy? Does it matter? Is there some particular (important) detail that varies between brands?

Also, are any of these bad to mix, and what sort of dosages should one take?

Hi Trixy,

The ones that are standardized (basically, tested fur purity) and from a reputable manufacture is about the best way to go for herbals.

There are so many variables here it will make your head spin when embarking on NBE. For example Nettle Root goes after DHT but it also increases T and E and some other confusing things (aka-SHBG), so depending what you are dominate in, its the resulting factor, so you'd have to counter with another supplement, (ie White Peony Root). I know total confusion.

Another is saw palmetto, again it's targeted for BPH and lowering DHT, however it also lowers prolactin levels making it anti-estrogenic.

Pharma's no better, the health risks are a scary thought, all you have to do is read the side effects and testimonials to be informed there.

So it helps to have a current set of labs indicating the test results first, have you had one done recently?

Easy fixes are diet, some of which has been listed and with other info in the FAQ-Herbal Section, (foods and herbs). There's also a herb-interaction thread made by Peggy linked with WEBMD.

The choice is ultimately yours, my opinion these days is to go directly after DHT leaving total T and Free T unopposed and left to be converted by Aromatase to E.

Again, that's just my opinion.

And so far White Peony and Reishi are the only ones imo (more research is still needed though) to solve it. No Guarantee's there either.