Licorice root

[Bowsa]

Saw one guy in a recovery say licorice root really helped his libido? Wondering if anyone has tried this? I’ve been following protocol for past 2 months was thinking of starting the prohormones in a couple of weeks.

[barbaar]

I think he later said he overstated the importance of licorice root in his recovery. I've tried it before I got on the protocol and it didn't do anything significant for me.

[Mineiro-up]

That’s champster if I remember. He was almost recovered by the time he took licorice once a week for few months (or weeks) and he described having ups and downswing during a week time until he reached a baseline and considered himself recovered.

I personally took 1 pill of licorice based on his story, not more than that, since I read it is 5AR inhibitor. I also mistaken took pygeum africanum once, another 5AR inhibitor that people claims to be a libido booster.

The further you are on your recovery, the less you will feel those effects, but can be dangerous using it several times at the risk of ruining your progress.

[JoeP26]

Licorice Root and Red Clover are very good. But only under specific circumstances. You have to have the lab work to back it up. They are progesterone receptor antagonists, similar to Ella (woman's birth control). Because the 5ar inhibitors are progesterone substrates (progesterone in high doses greatly inhibits 5ar, which is why they designed it that way), they not only inhibit the enzyme but also bind to the progesterone receptor acting as a strong agonist. In some guys, this fucks up their progesterone receptor making it dulled to serum progesterone and mimicking low progesterone symptoms (also causes a syndrome called estrogen dominance). Only way to fix it is to reset the receptor to make it sensitive to progesterone again.

The problem is, we just tend to have low to no progesterone. Based on multiple clinical studies published, we stop producing progesterone to a severe degree (which is also why we're neurosteroid deficient). This can be caused by a 3b-HSD enzyme deficiency or a P450 enzyme deficiency. The way you can easily find out is if you get progesterone and pregnenolone tested. If progesterone is low but pregnenolone is normal or high, you have a 3b-HSD deficiency. If you have both low, it's your P450, which metabolizes cholesterol into pregnenolone and creates all other hormones downstream. If both are normal, then things like Licorice Root, Red Clover, or even Ella are worthwhile in trying if you suspect a progesterone receptor issue (again, same symptoms as low progesterone).

[Cdsnuts]

Licorice Root and Red Clover are very good. But only under specific circumstances. You have to have the lab work to back it up. They are progesterone receptor antagonists, similar to Ella (woman's birth control). Because the 5ar inhibitors are progesterone substrates (progesterone in high doses greatly inhibits 5ar, which is why they designed it that way), they not only inhibit the enzyme but also bind to the progesterone receptor acting as a strong agonist. In some guys, this fucks up their progesterone receptor making it dulled to serum progesterone and mimicking low progesterone symptoms (also causes a syndrome called estrogen dominance). Only way to fix it is to reset the receptor to make it sensitive to progesterone again.

The problem is, we just tend to have low to no progesterone. Based on multiple clinical studies published, we stop producing progesterone to a severe degree (which is also why we're neurosteroid deficient). This can be caused by a 3b-HSD enzyme deficiency or a P450 enzyme deficiency. The way you can easily find out is if you get progesterone and pregnenolone tested. If progesterone is low but pregnenolone is normal or high, you have a 3b-HSD deficiency. If you have both low, it's your P450, which metabolizes cholesterol into pregnenolone and creates all other hormones downstream. If both are normal, then things like Licorice Root, Red Clover, or even Ella are worthwhile in trying if you suspect a progesterone receptor issue (again, same symptoms as low progesterone).

Again, here we have an example of seeing the trees rather then the whole Forrest. While specifics in a very few certain circumstances can be helpful, the bottom line is bringing the entire organism into balance is the goal. This in and of itself will rid you of most, if not all issues. I know this is a lame analogy, but we are not cars and we cant pick and choose what things to focus on when it comes to overall health. Focus on the whole and the parts will all fall into place. Natural law.

Most guys I've coached haven't used licorice root, myself included. You can obviously do what ever you see fit. I'm just trying to guide you based on my almost ten plus years of helping others in this realm. Nothing more, nothing less. Honestly, I don't think it's necessary.