Good Hematocrit Results from Grapefruit Seed Extract but low SHBG

[Vince Carter]

I may try your brand. I thought I was having some decent results with bulk supplements version even had a CBC where I was below HCT what I had expected but this latest CBC (with no donation in 6 months) had me back up to an HCT of 54

 

[Ardoc]

VC, FYI this is the only one I've tried and I am encouraged but much like you, I may find it was a co-incidence or doesn't work long-term? The thing I don't like about this (or the other GSE products I've seen) is that they don't state the active ingredients or amounts of them. If you try it please let me know your results. And for reference I switched to ED injections at the same time as I started GSE due to ongoing low SHBG concerns. Not sure if that contributed to the results.

 

[HealthMan]

I could swear GSE + grapefruit juice was working for me. But then i switched to daily injections and my hematocrit soared. I donated blood last weekend and switched back to E3.5D protocol with a higher dosage (one of the reasons i switched to daily injections was to try to increase my total testosterone without increasing my testosterone dosage too much. A complete failure to me). I am still using GSE + grapefruit so lets see if back to my E3.5D schedule hematocrit goes back to normal with GSE

 

[Sakuraba39]

I changed my dosing to EOD, too, and started including GSE. My hemoglobin got so high that I couldn't even donate without a Rx. It's possible that I was dehydrated, but to be sure, I quit all injections for 3 days, quit eating meat for that time, and drank water like a fish. I went back a few days later and just made the cutoff.

I'm switching back to E3D and reducing dose by 20% to see how that influences my hemoglobin. I live 3 blocks away from the blood bank and they do not charge for testing.

So, if GSE has made an impact, it's too insignificant to tell.

 

[Gman86]

Hey has grapefruit impacted E2 levels at all for you guys? I've read sooo many forums of grapefruit working to lower HCT, so I'm pretty sure it works. But i've read it can increase E2 by messing with the way our body metabolizes estrogen. Any truth to this? Anyone monitor their E2 while eating grapefruit daily?

 

[HealthMan]

Hey has grapefruit impacted E2 levels at all for you guys? I've read sooo many forums of grapefruit working to lower HCT, so I'm pretty sure it works. But i've read it can increase E2 by messing with the way our body metabolizes estrogen. Any truth to this? Anyone monitor their E2 while eating grapefruit daily?

E2 umchanged for me while taking grapefruit

 

[Gman86]

Awesome. I might try eating 1/2 to a whole grapefruit a day then. I don’t want to totally rely on blood donations to keep HCT in check due to lowering ferritin too much. So if grapefruit works without any side effects to other hormones it would be a perfect addition

 

[Gman86]

Any noticeable changes to ur testosterone levels?

 

[HealthMan]

Any noticeable changes to ur testosterone levels?

I think it was a coincidence but my testosterone levels dropped over 300. I think it is a coincidence because no one here seems to have their testosterone levels affected by grapefruit extract

 

[Gman86]

It could of been coincidence I guess. However, I do remember Nelson Vergel asking another member, that was using grapefruit to lower HCT, how it effected his testosterone levels, and the member said it had dropped his testosterone by a large portion. I forget the exact amount but it was at least 300 points if I remember correctly. I'll try to find the thread.

And I agree, i've researched this topic pretty good and I haven't really heard of anyone's testosterone levels being effected by grapefruit other than that one guy, but then again when grapefruit and HCT is being discussed I never see them talking about how it effects testosterone levels. So maybe we're not seeing testosterone being lowered in these men simply because it's just not being discussed or considered when it comes to using grapefruit to lower HCT.

 

[captain]

If you want to lower your hematocrit 1.6 you can do that by drinking a bottle of water. If you don't want to drink water you can move to sea level. Maybe that's why the bodybuilders are at the beach all the time. If you don't want to live at sea level you can supplement with O2. Head out to the local oxygen bar.

 

[Hoosier52]

It could of been coincidence I guess. However, I do remember Nelson Vergel asking another member, that was using grapefruit to lower HCT, how it effected his testosterone levels, and the member said it had dropped his testosterone by a large portion. I forget the exact amount but it was at least 300 points if I remember correctly. I’ll try to find the thread.

And I agree, i’ve researched this topic pretty good and I haven’t really heard of anyone’s testosterone levels being effected by grapefruit other than that one guy, but then again when grapefruit and HCT is being discussed I never see them talking about how it effects testosterone levels. So maybe we’re not seeing testosterone being lowered in these men simply because it’s just not being discussed or considered when it comes to using grapefruit to lower HCT.

I am using GSE and Metaformin in an effort to lower my HCT. Last labs 6 months ago showed that HCT was same as 3 months earlier. First time it hadn't gone up. Testosterone was still up. No significant change. I'm due for labs and will find out in a week or two if the numbers have changed. I have lived at 1 mile elevation for 34 years which doesn't help my HCT.

 

[HealthMan]

I am using GSE and Metaformin in an effort to lower my HCT. Last labs 6 months ago showed that HCT was same as 3 months earlier. First time it hadn't gone up. Testosterone was still up. No significant change. I'm due for labs and will find out in a week or two if the numbers have changed. I have lived at 1 mile elevation for 34 years which doesn't help my HCT.

Any update on your HCT?

 

[Deleted member 16042]

And for reference I switched to ED injections at the same time as I started GSE due to ongoing low SHBG concerns. Not sure if that contributed to the results.

Very possibly. I think this actually undermines the conclusion "Good Hematocrit Results from Grapefruit Seed Extract" pretty much entirely.

There are numerous accounts of switching to ED reducing HCT.

 

[Hoosier52]

Any update on your HCT?

My latest lab showed HCT of 53. Up from 52.5 six months ago. I consider that unchanged which in itself is a positive. The ratio between hemaglobin and HCT is supposed to be 3 to 1. My hemaglobin was 17.5. The Defy nurse said anything over 3 to 1 is caused by dehydration. That would account for .5 increase. I live at a mile high elevation in the desert. Both contributing factors to HCT.

I will continue using GSE or Naringin or just eat grapefruit. The Metaformin I've been taking may have skewd things as I was only taking half the prescribed dose. Empower sent me 500 mg tabs instead of 1000 mg. I never noticed the change until the nurse pointed it out to me. I will also make a conscious effort to drink more water.

 

[HealthMan]

My latest lab showed HCT of 53. Up from 52.5 six months ago. I consider that unchanged which in itself is a positive. The ratio between hemaglobin and HCT is supposed to be 3 to 1. My hemaglobin was 17.5. The Defy nurse said anything over 3 to 1 is caused by dehydration. That would account for .5 increase. I live at a mile high elevation in the desert. Both contributing factors to HCT.

I will continue using GSE or Naringin or just eat grapefruit. The Metaformin I've been taking may have skewd things as I was only taking half the prescribed dose. Empower sent me 500 mg tabs instead of 1000 mg. I never noticed the change until the nurse pointed it out to me. I will also make a conscious effort to drink more water.

Tks for the update!

 

[Leo Spaceman]

I recently ran an experiment to see if Grapefruit Seed Extract (GFSE) would have any affect on my hematocrit levels. I took 125mg twice daily for the past 5 months. My hematocrit remained unchanged at 48.

3 possible conclusions.

1. GFSE has no affect on HCT.
2. 250mg of GFSE is insufficient to affect HCT.
3. A HCT of 48 isn't high enough for GFSE to work.

 

[Nelson Vergel]

I recently ran an experiment to see if Grapefruit Seed Extract (GFSE) would have any affect on my hematocrit levels. I took 125mg twice daily for the past 5 months. My hematocrit remained unchanged at 48.

3 possible conclusions.

1. GFSE has no affect on HCT.
2. 250mg of GFSE is insufficient to affect HCT.
3. A HCT of 48 isn't high enough for GFSE to work.

If you took it with TRT, it means that it worked.

 

[Leo Spaceman]

If you took it with TRT, it means that it worked.

I have been on TRT for a few years. I believe my HCT has stabilized at 48. It's possible my HCT could have kept rising had I not taken GFSE. I've discontinued using it for now. It will be interesting to see if my HCT rises next time I have labs done.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Bumping an old thread. I’m going to try grapefruit seed extract to see if it brings my hematocrit and hemoglobin lower. Anyone else have updates?

Edit: I don’t know why my writing is in italics...Lol