[GoneGirl]

Okay, I have been pondering something. Understand, sweethearts, that dear Sammie is long on empathy but short on science, tee hee. My brain now hurts, and all I want to do right now is go shopping (perfect time since everyone else will be going to silly super bowl parties! tee hee), but I really wonder if this is important or if Sammie just doesn't get it (well, hee hee, we KNOW Sammie isn't getting it anymore, but that's another story, and shame on you for thinking that way... nasty little minds that I am sure you all have! ).
I get it that T is converted to E through aroma-something. I also get it that older males produce less T. I am pretty sure most T is produced in the ...boy bits...so, IF, as occurs to ...um ...some girls... those boy bits have...shrunken ... somewhat over time due to high levels of PM and SP (does the term "shooting blanks" mean anything, dear ones?), then would it not make sense that those same ...boy bits...are now producing very little T if any at all? And if that is true, would it be possible that the overall system in question is now so lacking in T that very little E is able to be converted from it? And, by extension (no pun intended...nasty little minds), that there may not any longer be enough E to properly facilitate breast growth, even when supplemented by PM?
I am probably being totally silly (what a shocker!), but I would dearly love a little help on this from my more learned sisters. Please help Sammie's brain stop hurting. Single syllable words are appreciated.
I will take my answer off the air.
Hugs

What a great question, and a great opportunity to test my understanding of all that Lotus has taught me; or find out how little I've been paying attention in Hormones 101.

My understanding is that most of our testosterone is locked up in two proteins: sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and albumin. SHBG binds with excess T making it unavailable to the body. The body needs a certain amount of testosterone, say, roughly 2% of our total T. If the boy bits are impaired, so less T is produced, the body spits out less SHBG so that less T is taken out of circulation. Thus, the amount of free T and, hence, DHT and estradiol stays stable.

When we inject herbals into the body, we are disrupting the normal endocrine mechanisms that try to achieve stasis (balance). Taking an herb, say, Spearmint that increases the amount of SHBG in the blood will pull down the T level. The body tries to compensate by releasing less SHBG to try to restore the needed T level.

Okay that's as far as I've gotten. Grade me, Miss Lotus.

Clara