Effects of Ashwagandha on thyroid hormones and its implications for heightmaxing.

[Roge]

blood test is only way to know for sure

can insurance cover it? and should i rely on sympthoms that i can read on the internet about hypo? i think i have almost all of them

 

[Deleted member 49130]

can insurance cover it? and should i rely on sympthoms that i can read on the internet about hypo? i think i have almost all of them

idk i dont live in the USA, just goto ur PCP and say u haave those symptoms and ask for the test

 

[Roge]

idk i dont live in the USA, just goto ur PCP and say u haave those symptoms and ask for the test

I also dont live there and in Czech rn. Anyway, can i test for everything in one bloodwork? Hormones, vitamins etc?

 

[Deleted member 49130]

I also dont live there and in Czech rn. Anyway, can i test for everything in one bloodwork? Hormones, vitamins etc?

vitamins idk, but with those symptoms they should test for TSH at least

 

[Roge]

vitamins idk, but with those symptoms they should test for TSH at least

i want to test vitamins and some hormones too because i think it could be tied together and can cause problems that i have now. and obviously i dont want to take all this at different times, so in theory they can check it all in one bloodwork?

 

[Deleted member 49130]

i want to test vitamins and some hormones too because i think it could be tied together and can cause problems that i have now. and obviously i dont want to take all this at different times, so in theory they can check it all in one bloodwork?

idk how medical system works there, so cant say for sure. Here they would test u for some hormones + thyroid with ur symptoms, if u wanted more u would have to pay privately for that

 

[blonde chad]

Overview of thyroid gland:​

• The thyroid gland produces two hormones, T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (thyroxine)​
• TSH (Thryoid Stimulating Hormone) is released by the pituitary gland to tell the thyroid to make more T3 and T4​
• Hypothyroidism is when your thyroid gland is underactive, in blood tests this can show as a high TSH level and low T3/T4 level​
• Hyperthyroidism is the opposite.​

Effects of Ashwhaganda​

• Ashwhaganda has many effects that may be usefull in heightmaxxing however, I am only going to discuss effects that have an effect on the thyroid hormones​
• It is well known Ashwhaganda decreases stress and decreases cortisol levels. It also acts as something called a "GABA mimetic". This is means it has a calming effect on your brain. GABA is the prominent inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, it promotes relaxation, calmness and sleep​
• In a clinical study following 50 people, ashwhaganda was shown to increase levels of T3 and T4 in the blood while decreasing TSH. This trial was a double blind RCT so it's results are likely legit. The dose used was the common 600mg dose too. It is likely it achieves this effect by lowering corisol.​

Relationship between thyroid hormones and IGF-1​

• IGF-1 is vital if you want to heightmax. You can increase your HGH all you want by gymmaxxing or injecting it or taking peptides etc, but if IGF-1 is not being synthesised in the liver or if your bones are not responding to it - NOTHING WILL HAPPEN​

Let me go into more detail for this. Here is an extract from a research paper: " Growth in Children with Thyroid Dysfunction" full text source is in the sources at the end of this post[3].


This is claiming that without thyroid hormones, IGF1 synthesis will be limited, so you will have lower IGF1 levels to start of with even if you are dosing HGH. And most importantly: ". Cartilage response to IGF1 and osteoblastic/osteoclastic bone remodeling are also regulated by thyroid hormones." This means if you have hypothyroidism, or even subclinical hypothyroidism your bones will simply not respond to the IGF and you will not grow even if your growth plates are still open.

Subclinical hypothyroidism is defined by either borderline high TSH with normal T3/T4 levels or TSH. Unfortunatly many doctors will not treat subclinical hypothyroidism even if you are showing symptomps despite latest evidence saying to treat it. [4]. Alot of people have subclinical hypothryoidism without knowing it.

Relationship between thyroid hormones and growth plate closure​

This is a very important section. Hopefully this emphasises the importance of taking an aromatase inhibitor in your stack. That same research paper has the following claim:


This is very information dense so let me summarise:

• Hypothyroidism / Thyroid resistance slows growth plate senesence which leaves the growth plates open for longer​

​

So then why do we not want that? Growth plates being open for longer is good right?
Not in this case. Despite our growth plates being open for longer, low T3/T4 levels (or resistance to those hormones) will stop the effect of IGF-1 from taking place.
Also, once your thyroid hormones are working again, you will experience something called "catch up growth", where you will be growing at a much faster rate than normal - HOWEVER your growth plates will shut faster as well. So overall, you will grow less than someone without low levels of T3/T4.

Taking an aromatase inhibitor has been shown to keep the effects of rapid catch up growth while delaying growth plate closure. A dose of 1mg a day of anastrazole is safe to take with normal estrogen levels without experiencing the side effects (as this was used in the case report I am about to link, however it might be different for you)[5] https://doi.org/10.1210/jendso/bvab025

What should you do?​

• Before starting your heightmaxxing stack ensure you get your thyroid hormones tested. Ensure T3 and T4 is tested as well as TSH, some doctors, especially in the UK will only test for TSH at first as it saves them money​
• If your T3 and T4 is in the lower half of normal and TSH is in the higher half of normal, take ashwhaganda with your heightmaxxing stack, consider taking levothryoxine but that is up to you to look into and decide. As taking too much thyroid hormones can cause a loss in bone density, which is the opposite of what you want for heightmaxxing, ashwhaganda exists as a cheaper, safer and more available alternative.​
• If you have hypothyroidism get it treated by a doctor properly while taking HGH + AI at the same time​
• If all your values are normal, still take ashwaghanda, you could also take levothryoxine but I would be very catious about this as you dont want to fuck up your thyroid permanetly.​
• Make sure you take an aromatase inhibitor.​

Sources:

[1] Pedrón VT, Varani AP, Bettler B, Balerio GN. GABAB receptors modulate morphine antinociception: Pharmacological and genetic approaches. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2019 May;180:11-21.
[2] Sharma AK, Basu I, Singh S. Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha Root Extract in Subclinical Hypothyroid Patients: A Double-Blind, Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2018 Mar;24(3):243-248. doi: 10.1089/acm.2017.0183. Epub 2017 Aug 22. PMID: 28829155.
[3] Saranac L, Stamenkovic H, Stankovic T, et al. (2013) Growth in Children with Thyroid Dysfunction. Current Topics in Hypothyroidism with Focus on Development. InTech. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/55017.*
[4] Calissendorff J, Falhammar H. To Treat or Not to Treat Subclinical Hypothyroidism, What Is the Evidence? Medicina (Kaunas). 2020 Jan 19;56(1):40. doi: 10.3390/medicina56010040. PMID: 31963883; PMCID: PMC7022757.
[5] Juanita K Hodax, Lisa Swartz Topor, Shara R Bialo, Jose Bernardo Quintos, Anastrozole Improves Final Adult Height in Severe Hypothyroidism With Rapid Pubertal Progression, _Journal of the Endocrine Society_, Volume 5, Issue 5, May 2021, bvab025, [https://doi.org/10.1210/jendso/bvab025](https://doi.org/10.1210/jendso/bvab025)

so basically take Aswganadha at 18 yes? i gained 3cm from this 2 month also was taking Aswhaganadha myb cuz of it

 

[Weter]

Overview of thyroid gland:​

• The thyroid gland produces two hormones, T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (thyroxine)​
• TSH (Thryoid Stimulating Hormone) is released by the pituitary gland to tell the thyroid to make more T3 and T4​
• Hypothyroidism is when your thyroid gland is underactive, in blood tests this can show as a high TSH level and low T3/T4 level​
• Hyperthyroidism is the opposite.​

Effects of Ashwhaganda​

• Ashwhaganda has many effects that may be usefull in heightmaxxing however, I am only going to discuss effects that have an effect on the thyroid hormones​
• It is well known Ashwhaganda decreases stress and decreases cortisol levels. It also acts as something called a "GABA mimetic". This is means it has a calming effect on your brain. GABA is the prominent inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, it promotes relaxation, calmness and sleep​
• In a clinical study following 50 people, ashwhaganda was shown to increase levels of T3 and T4 in the blood while decreasing TSH. This trial was a double blind RCT so it's results are likely legit. The dose used was the common 600mg dose too. It is likely it achieves this effect by lowering corisol.​

Relationship between thyroid hormones and IGF-1​

• IGF-1 is vital if you want to heightmax. You can increase your HGH all you want by gymmaxxing or injecting it or taking peptides etc, but if IGF-1 is not being synthesised in the liver or if your bones are not responding to it - NOTHING WILL HAPPEN​

Let me go into more detail for this. Here is an extract from a research paper: " Growth in Children with Thyroid Dysfunction" full text source is in the sources at the end of this post[3].


This is claiming that without thyroid hormones, IGF1 synthesis will be limited, so you will have lower IGF1 levels to start of with even if you are dosing HGH. And most importantly: ". Cartilage response to IGF1 and osteoblastic/osteoclastic bone remodeling are also regulated by thyroid hormones." This means if you have hypothyroidism, or even subclinical hypothyroidism your bones will simply not respond to the IGF and you will not grow even if your growth plates are still open.

Subclinical hypothyroidism is defined by either borderline high TSH with normal T3/T4 levels or TSH. Unfortunatly many doctors will not treat subclinical hypothyroidism even if you are showing symptomps despite latest evidence saying to treat it. [4]. Alot of people have subclinical hypothryoidism without knowing it.

Relationship between thyroid hormones and growth plate closure​

This is a very important section. Hopefully this emphasises the importance of taking an aromatase inhibitor in your stack. That same research paper has the following claim:


This is very information dense so let me summarise:

• Hypothyroidism / Thyroid resistance slows growth plate senesence which leaves the growth plates open for longer​

​

So then why do we not want that? Growth plates being open for longer is good right?
Not in this case. Despite our growth plates being open for longer, low T3/T4 levels (or resistance to those hormones) will stop the effect of IGF-1 from taking place.
Also, once your thyroid hormones are working again, you will experience something called "catch up growth", where you will be growing at a much faster rate than normal - HOWEVER your growth plates will shut faster as well. So overall, you will grow less than someone without low levels of T3/T4.

Taking an aromatase inhibitor has been shown to keep the effects of rapid catch up growth while delaying growth plate closure. A dose of 1mg a day of anastrazole is safe to take with normal estrogen levels without experiencing the side effects (as this was used in the case report I am about to link, however it might be different for you)[5] https://doi.org/10.1210/jendso/bvab025

What should you do?​

• Before starting your heightmaxxing stack ensure you get your thyroid hormones tested. Ensure T3 and T4 is tested as well as TSH, some doctors, especially in the UK will only test for TSH at first as it saves them money​
• If your T3 and T4 is in the lower half of normal and TSH is in the higher half of normal, take ashwhaganda with your heightmaxxing stack, consider taking levothryoxine but that is up to you to look into and decide. As taking too much thyroid hormones can cause a loss in bone density, which is the opposite of what you want for heightmaxxing, ashwhaganda exists as a cheaper, safer and more available alternative.​
• If you have hypothyroidism get it treated by a doctor properly while taking HGH + AI at the same time​
• If all your values are normal, still take ashwaghanda, you could also take levothryoxine but I would be very catious about this as you dont want to fuck up your thyroid permanetly.​
• Make sure you take an aromatase inhibitor.​

Sources:

[1] Pedrón VT, Varani AP, Bettler B, Balerio GN. GABAB receptors modulate morphine antinociception: Pharmacological and genetic approaches. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2019 May;180:11-21.
[2] Sharma AK, Basu I, Singh S. Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha Root Extract in Subclinical Hypothyroid Patients: A Double-Blind, Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2018 Mar;24(3):243-248. doi: 10.1089/acm.2017.0183. Epub 2017 Aug 22. PMID: 28829155.
[3] Saranac L, Stamenkovic H, Stankovic T, et al. (2013) Growth in Children with Thyroid Dysfunction. Current Topics in Hypothyroidism with Focus on Development. InTech. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/55017.*
[4] Calissendorff J, Falhammar H. To Treat or Not to Treat Subclinical Hypothyroidism, What Is the Evidence? Medicina (Kaunas). 2020 Jan 19;56(1):40. doi: 10.3390/medicina56010040. PMID: 31963883; PMCID: PMC7022757.
[5] Juanita K Hodax, Lisa Swartz Topor, Shara R Bialo, Jose Bernardo Quintos, Anastrozole Improves Final Adult Height in Severe Hypothyroidism With Rapid Pubertal Progression, _Journal of the Endocrine Society_, Volume 5, Issue 5, May 2021, bvab025, [https://doi.org/10.1210/jendso/bvab025](https://doi.org/10.1210/jendso/bvab025)

can i take ashwagandha without t3 and t4 tests and without AI as those are unavailable in my area( I'm 15 and i am trying to have a healthy lifestyle and diet