[bernadette]

 AHCC undergoes a unique fermentation process which reduces the molecular weight and makes it absorbable, so I don’t think whole mushroom in supplement form will have the same effects you’re looking for. 

[bernadette]

 ok, so some reasons that can cause high testosterone are:   
• High insulin which pushes the Theca cells to make more testosterone
• Stress. If the HPA axis is ramped up and making lots of cortisol, the body can make lots of testosterone too.
• PCOS but not always 

Her insulin seems optimal from these results. How is her stress level? Has she ever done a multi-sample salivary/cortisol test to check? Has her ACTH been measured? Has PCOS been ruled out? Does she consume fenugreek by any chance? All of these can push higher testosterone production.

Now to help lower higher testosterone, here are some points of consideration:
• Liver detox support (important for thyroid conversion too)
• White peony (paeonia lactiflora)
• Green tea extract
• Licorice
• If she’s 5 alpha-pathway dominant (this can be shown in a DUTCH hormone test), it can be blocked with things like saw palmetto, nettle root, EGCG, zinc, pygeum, spearmint tea, and reishi mushroom

[bernadette]

 does she experience symptoms of high testosterone like anger, aggression, irritation, quick to snap, scalp hair loss, body hair growth, facial hair, acne?

[bernadette]

 just letting you know that I’m finally able to log into the account. But unfortunately, we won’t be using them as a lab testing service provider for B Better at this time. We are working on finding a way for members to order their own labs through 3rd party testing service providers and will let you know when we achieve that.

[bernadette]

 Ok, thanks for resharing. Now that I can see her thyroid values, it’s clear she’s not converting her T4 to T3 properly. Her Free T3 level is suboptimal low compared to the clinical reference range.

This T4 to T3 conversion requires nutrients; iron, zinc, vitamin A, selenium. It also requires good liver function which is where most of the conversion takes place. Her AST seems to be a little on the higher end of the optimal range, so there could be a connection there as well.

I encourage you to go through the Thyroid course or as a minimum the following video on reasons for low T3 (functionally low – not clinically low).

You can then watch foods for a healthy thyroid and supplements for a healthy thyroid for additional support.

[bernadette]

 Again, it’s a very wide question. Probiotics are like food and food can help a wide variety of conditions.

I already shared some of the benefits of the probiotic containing L reuteri, so let me share some possible benefits of the second one you shared with those specific bifido and lacto strains:

Those strains could potentially help with:
• bad breath
• gas and/or foul odor
• diarrhea/constipation problems
• infections by enhancing immune function
• acne
• inflammatory conditions

Hope this helps

[bernadette]

Hi  another member asked about pregnancy related nausea recently so you can read about that thread and our detailed replies here. I’ll also summarize a few key points below:
• Estrogen rises quickly during the first trimester of the pregnancy which can lead to nausea.  This meta analysis from 2014 concluded that the use of ginger (∼1 g daily) for at least 4 days is associated with a 5-fold likelihood of improvement in nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy.

-> Do you know how much ginger she was taking? Maybe it’s not a high enough dose?
• The increase in hormones does also put more strain on the liver to detoxify the spent hormones, thus removing anything that can strain the liver can help (cleaning up personal hygiene products, eating more organic if possible, eliminating anything that requires liver detox like caffeine, artificial sweeteners, etc), as well as balancing blood sugar levels (how’s her diet?). Sleep quality is important too since good liver and hormone function rely on quality sleep.

In addition to ginger tea/supplements, here are some foods that support liver/gallbladder health:

• Beet kvass (recipe in in handouts in Resources section)
• Beets cooked any way served with a little coconut oil, butter or extra virgin olive oil
• A squeeze of lemon in water
• Turmeric in dishes
• Garlic, lightly cooked
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, etc
• Greens (dandelion, turnip, beet, arugula)

Other issues may be associated with nausea:
• Estrogen and progesterone imbalances
• Thyroid levels
• Serotonin and leptin levels
• Immune system dysregulation
• H pylori infection and pregnancy induced changes to the upper GI
• High histamine levels (if this is the reason, trying a DAO enzyme supplement like Seeking Health’s Histamine Block may help)

Also, many prenatal vitamins could be the cause of nausea in pregnancy. Do you know what brand she’s using? If it contains iron, this could be causing nausea too.

Some people are also sensitive to methylated forms of B vitamins so choosing one that is methyl-free can often help reduce nausea. I like Seeking Health’s Optimal Prenatal Methyl Free

Stopping her prenatal for a few days could help her see if it’s contributing to her symptoms, and then maybe shop around for another form that is methyl-free, and perhaps a different form of iron.

More tips were shared in the member’s post I linked above.

Hope this helps her! And please ask her to join us here in B Better. We’d be happy to support her too.

[bernadette]

 I usually recommend my clients stop at least 2 days before testing to get a baseline level

[bernadette]

 with probiotics, it’s not a question of which is better, but instead what is it best needed for. It’s like comparing lettuce and broccoli and asking which is better. Well, they’re both useful but each has a unique property that can assist with different health outcomes.

Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 for example has quite a bit of clinical research in being an effective treatment for H Pylori infections in adults. It can also help with halitosis (bad breath), constipation, IBS, gum disease and dental caries. And in infants, it can help with colic, management of asthma symptoms, IBS/constipation, and much more.

It might be easier to let us know what you’re hoping to achieve with your probiotic, and perhaps we can help offer researched strains that can do so.

[bernadette]

can I ask you to please resubmit the labs. They are sideways and very blurry. Thanks

What I could see is a suboptimal TSH (above 2) but the range of her T4 isn’t clear. Is her result on the lower end of the clinical reference range? It would be great to get a full thyroid panel to be able to have a clearer picture of her thyroid function.

Here’s a video explaining the markers in a complete thyroid panel.

If her T4 is on the lower end of the range, it might mean that her medication dosage needs to be adjusted/increased since TSH is also slightly elevated. Suboptimal thyroid function will definitely make it difficult to lose weight, and can even lead to weight gain.

Was a blood sugar panel ever taken? Here’s a video with suggested markers to check. High insulin will also make losing weight very difficult because insulin in itself is a fat storage hormone and affects thyroid function. Here’s a video to better understand how insulin affects thyroid function.

If stress is high, elevated cortisol can also be part of the picture and affecting thyroid function. Here’s a video to understand that dynamic.

And I can see that sex hormones were measured (which can affect thyroid function) but I can’t see the numbers clearly. In any case, here’s the video on how sex hormones can impact thyroid function.

After watching these videos, please let us know which of these players you feel is at play and we can better guide you from there.

And perhaps your sister be interested in joining B Better so we can better guide her?

[bernadette]

 appreciate the initiative in calling them on my behalf. I have tried logging in ever since I got approved and still get the same error: 
• ERROR: Your account has to be confirmed by an administrator before you can log in.

They said they are looking into the issue for me so hopefully they’ll respond soon enough. I will let you know when it’s sorted.

[bernadette]

I’m sure it’s frustrating having to deal with this especially when you’re already conscious about healthy living.

It’s interesting that you bring up MMS because as a last resort after both conventional and natural treatment options, my mother has personally used it to clear a very stubborn case of H Pylori and feels better than ever!

She has recently sent me an eBook by Jim Humble (and told me to keep it hush-hush because he’s being silenced) which I plan on reading to learn more about it. I cannot offer more information at this point however, except for my mother’s personal experience.

What I can offer is the clinical success and research of AHCC supplementation on clearing HPV.

The study used 3g per day on an empty stomach using this particular QOL labs supplement. It’s not a cheap supplement, but I’ve had colleagues report its success in clearing high risk HPV in 4-5 months, and there’s some science to back it up.

Mimi on Instagram also dedicates her time to educating people about the benefits of AHCC and has more information about it in her bio link. She also has her own AHCC product as another option.

Active hexose correlated compound (AHCC) are chemicals that come from fungi, such as shiitake mushrooms that have been found to help normalize/modulate the immune system.

Most likely one reason why AHCC may work in some people is due to the polyphenols which can (along with others) calm down IL-6 (a strong pro-inflammatory cytokine). Since IL-6 can be stimulated by many sources (glyphosate/pesticides, mycotoxins, EMF, Lyme, lipopolysaccharides from bacterial overgrowth, smoking, sodium sulfate in coffee, heavy metals, higher omega 6 to omega 3 ratio, oxalates, histamine, dopamine, virus, anxiety, over exercise, high homocysteine, etc) this is usually not a ‘1 stop approach’. Remember if the root is not addressed, symptoms will come up in a different area.

So “eating clean and taking supplements” may not actually be addressing environmental threats that is challenging your immune system.

Have you looked at environmental factors (as well as emotional stress or undealt trauma) mentioned above? Also, have you measured vitamin A, vitamin D and RBC zinc to make sure they’re optimal? Folate deficiency and B12 can also be at play.

[bernadette]

 just noticed I didn’t reply. Did the doctors tell you what type of blepharitis it is? Is this chronic or first time happening? Do you have any other symptoms you can share?

For rapid relief of the eyes, I’ve recommended this homeopathic eye relief formula to clients before.

[bernadette]

 I’m glad it was helpful! 

Yes correct, typically in a man, higher insulin pushes aromatization so correcting diet/lifestyle can help improve testosterone levels as well. 

Other things that push aromatization to keep in mind are obesity and inflammation, quercetin, white peony and licorice root, rutin, forskolin, atrazine.

[bernadette]

 yes definitely make adjustments to diet and lifestyle/sleep/stress. I encourage you to make time to watch the blood sugar regulation course if you have time to get a better idea of how to make tweaks to the diet/lifestyle.

Let us know if you have any other questions.