Abstract
BackgroundMaintaining endogenous testosterone (T) levels as men age may slow the symptoms of sarcopenia, andropause and decline in physical performance. Drugs inhibiting the enzyme 5α-reductase (5AR) produce increased blood levels of T and decreased levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT). However, symptoms of gynecomastia have been reported due to the aromatase (AER) enzyme converting excess T to estradiol (ES). The carotenoid astaxanthin (AX) from Haematococcus pluvialis, Saw Palmetto berry lipid extract (SPLE) from Serenoa repens and the precise combination of these dietary supplements, Alphastat® (Mytosterone(™)), have been reported to have inhibitory effects on both 5AR and AER in-vitro. Concomitant regulation of both enzymes in-vivo would cause DHT and ES blood levels to decrease and T levels to increase. The purpose of this clinical study was to determine if patented Alphastat® (Mytosterone(™)) could produce these effects in a dose dependent manner.MethodsTo investigate this clinically, 42 healthy males ages 37 to 70 years were divided into two groups of twenty-one and dosed with either 800 mg/day or 2000 mg/day of Alphastat® (Mytosterone(™)) for fourteen days. Blood samples were collected on days 0, 3, 7 and 14 and assayed for T, DHT and ES. Body weight and blood pressure data were collected prior to blood collection. One-way, repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA-RM) was performed at a significance level of alpha = 0.05 to determine differences from baseline within each group. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA-2) was performed after baseline subtraction, at a significance level of alpha = 0.05 to determine differences between dose groups. Results are expressed as means ± SEM.ResultsANOVA-RM showed significant within group increases in serum total T and significant decreases in serum DHT from baseline in both dose groups at a significance level of alpha = 0.05. Significant decreases in serum ES are reported for the 2000 mg/day dose group and not the 800 mg/day dose group. Significant within group effects were confirmed using ANOVA-2 analyses after baseline subtraction. ANOVA-2 analyses also showed no significant difference between dose groups with regard to the increase of T or the decrease of DHT. It did show a significant dose dependant decrease in serum ES levels.ConclusionBoth dose groups showed significant (p = 0.05) increases in T and decreases in DHT within three days of treatment with Alphastat® (Mytosterone(™)). Between group statistical analysis showed no significant (p = 0.05) difference, indicating the effect was not dose dependent and that 800 mg/per day is equally effective as 2000 mg/day for increasing T and lowering DHT. Blood levels of ES however, decreased significantly (p = 0.05) in the 2000 mg/day dose group but not in the 800 mg/day dose group indicating a dose dependant decrease in E levels.
Highlights
Maintaining endogenous testosterone (T) levels as men age may slow the symptoms of sarcopenia, andropause and decline in physical performance
The process of male aging is associated with a slow progressive decrease in serum testosterone (T) levels as a result of decreased production. It has been designated as T deficiency syndrome (TDS) by the International Society of Andrology (ISA), International Society for the Study of the Aging Male (ISSAM) and European Association of Urology (EAU) [1,2,3]
DHT is implicated in the etiology of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) which is regarded as a global health problem in men over 50 years of age [9]
Summary
Maintaining endogenous testosterone (T) levels as men age may slow the symptoms of sarcopenia, andropause and decline in physical performance. The carotenoid astaxanthin (AX) from Haematococcus pluvialis, Saw Palmetto berry lipid extract (SPLE) from Serenoa repens and the precise combination of these dietary supplements, Alphastat® (Mytosterone(TM)), have been reported to have inhibitory effects on both 5AR and AER in-vitro Concomitant regulation of both enzymes in-vivo would cause DHT and ES blood levels to decrease and T levels to increase. Maintaining endogenous T levels as the male ages may slow the symptoms of sarcopenia characterized by muscle erosion, loss of muscle strength and bone mineral density It may play a key role in eliminating the symptoms of andropause, characterized by sexual dysfunction, lack of energy, increased cognitive impairment and decreased general well being [5,6,7]. A dietary supplement that increases endogenous levels of T while decreasing levels of DHT and ES may be very useful for maintaining physical performance and alleviating the conditions of andropause and sarcopenia while decreasing the risk of BPH
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