If you are worried about hair loss or problems with your prostate then read on, we might have an answer. Both of these problems are dierctly associated with Testosterone. Testosterone is a hormone partially responsible for muscle growth, and generally accepted to contribute to muscle strength, lean body mass, energy production and endurance.
95-98% of a men's testosterone level is bound by sex hormone binding proteins (SHBG) and other circulating proteins. Once free from SHBG, testosterone can be easily converted into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It is DHT that is believed to be directly responsible for baldness and BPH. With hairloss, the rate of hair shedding is accelerated up by an over-abundance of DHT within the hair follicle.
The conversion from testosterone to DHT is driven by an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase, which is produced in the prostate, various adrenal glands, and the scalp. Over time, the action of DHT causes the hair follicle to degrade and shorten the anagen phase. In a similar way DHT can bind to prostate tissue causing irregular growth, and in latter years BPH or prostate cancer.The goods news is that there is now a very new, natural product, which might help combat DHT. It is called Linumlife and it contains a group of plant chemicals called lignans that are derived from Flax.
In scientific studies, lignans from flax are reported to have an influence on testosterone metabolism through three mechanisms:
the inhibition of 5-alpha reductase
the inhibition of aromatase
the inhibition of 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase.
5a-reductase
The 5a-reductase enzyme converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Lignans inhibits 5a-reductase by selectively and irreversibly binding with 5a-reductase, and thereby block conversion of testosterone to DHT. Enterolactone is found to inhibit 5a-reductase up to 80%(1).
Aromatase
Lignans inhibit aromatase, a cytochrome P450 enzyme(2). Aromatase is responsible for the alternative conversion of testosterone to 17ß-estradiol.
17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase
17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17ß-OHSD) is another steroid-metabolizing enzyme present in tissue. 17ß-OHSD converts testosterone to androstenedione and estrogens. Lignans demonstrate to be potent inhibitors of 17ß-OHSD.
Anti-oxidant effect
In addition to these regulating effects on the metabolism of testosterone, SDG, Enterolactone and Enterodiol are potent antioxidants. They scavenge reactive oxygen species, like O2-, H2O2, -OH.
Promotes a favourable intestinal environment.
The fiber fraction in flax is preserved in LinumLife®. It is composed of soluble and insoluble fibers, and reported to play a beneficial role in gut microflora. Colonic bacteria influence the conversion of SDG to enterolactone and enterodiol. Moreover, soluble fiber has shown to have cholesterol-lowering properties(3).
Economical.
You might think that such an innovative product is going to highly expensive. Fortunately it isn't. Costing only £19.99 for a 2 months supply it represents incredible value for money. Each daily serving, 2 capsules, provides the same amount of lignans that you would typically obtain from eating about 30-40grams of whole flax seed.
References:
1.Evans B. et al. 1995, Inhibition of 5 alpha reductase in genital skin fibroblasts and prostate tissue by dietary lignans and isoflavonoids, J. of Endocrinology, 147, p.295-302.
2.Mäkelä T. et al. 2000, Synthesis of enterolactone and entrodiol precursors as potential inhibitors of human estrogen synthetase (aromatase), Steroids, 65, p.437-441.
3.Szapary, P et al. 2001, Flaxseed and Flaxseed Oil in Management of Hypercholesterolemia, Alternative Medicine Alert, Dec, p.140- 143.