| | |
| | | Diet |  Weight Loss
  | As weight loss will improve insulin resistance, and insulin resistance can be measured by low SHBG, weight loss should help normalize low SHBG levels. |
 Gluten-free Diet
| | Substituting rice for wheat, which generally has a lower amylose content, can raise SHBG levels via lowered insulin levels. However, starches should generally be restricted when trying to lower insulin levels. |
|
Drug |
Conventional Drugs / Information
| | Selection of an OC formulation that maintains increases in SHBG may be important in minimizing androgenic effects in general, and especially important in hyperandrogenic women, who may benefit most from reductions in levels of free testosterone.
SHBG's may be lowered by two of the artificially generated progesterones, norgestrel and norethisterone. If you are a woman who may be susceptible to androgenetic alopecia, that is, hereditary hair loss (female pattern baldness), or you have a naturally low SHBG level, you should avoid any contraceptive pills or hormone replacement therapy that contains synthetic progesterone. |
|
Extract |
Not recommended:
 Diindolylmethane DIM / Indole 3 Carbinol IC3
| | Aromatase inhibitors like DIM (diindolylmethane), Indole 3 carbinol, and chrysin should be avoided, as they will enhance any preexisting androgen / estrogen dominance. |
|
Hormone |
 Estrogen Replacement
| | The use of estrogen to increase SHBG and hence reduce biologically free testosterone may lessen acne and hirsutism. This mechanism is commonly operative in women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. With estrogen replacement, estrogen levels are higher and liver production of SHBG increases. With pregnancy or some birth control pills, you will have high SHBG, and you will have high levels of circulating hormones, but they will be mostly bound (including testosterone). |
|
Lab Tests/Rule-Outs |
Test Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG)
|
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GLOSSARY
Acne: A chronic skin disorder due to inflammation of hair follicles and sebaceous glands (secretion glands in the skin).
Androgen: Any steroid hormone that increases male characteristics.
Chronic: Usually Chronic illness: Illness extending over a long period of time.
DHT: Dihydrotestosterone - a highly active form of testosterone, which influences many aspects of manly behavior, from sex drive to aggression. The conversion from testosterone to DHT is driven by an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase, which is produced in the prostate, various adrenal glands, and the scalp.
Diabetes Mellitus: A disease with increased blood glucose levels due to lack or ineffectiveness of insulin. Diabetes is found in two forms; insulin-dependent diabetes (juvenile-onset) and non-insulin-dependent (adult-onset). Symptoms include increased thirst; increased urination; weight loss in spite of increased appetite; fatigue; nausea; vomiting; frequent infections including bladder, vaginal, and skin; blurred vision; impotence in men; bad breath; cessation of menses; diminished skin fullness. Other symptoms include bleeding gums; ear noise/buzzing; diarrhea; depression; confusion.
Enzymes: Specific protein catalysts produced by the cells that are crucial in chemical reactions and in building up or synthesizing most compounds in the body. Each enzyme performs a specific function without itself being consumed. For example, the digestive enzyme amylase acts on carbohydrates in foods to break them down.
Estrogen: One of the female sex hormones produced by the ovaries.
Hormones: Chemical substances secreted by a variety of body organs that are carried by the bloodstream and usually influence cells some distance from the source of production. Hormones signal certain enzymes to perform their functions and, in this way, regulate such body functions as blood sugar levels, insulin levels, the menstrual cycle, and growth. These can be prescription, over-the-counter, synthetic or natural agents. Examples include adrenal hormones such as corticosteroids and aldosterone; glucagon, growth hormone, insulin, testosterone, estrogens, progestins, progesterone, DHEA, melatonin, and thyroid hormones such as thyroxine and calcitonin.
Hypothyroidism: Diminished production of thyroid hormone, leading to low metabolic rate, tendency to gain weight, and sleepiness.
Insulin: A hormone secreted by the pancreas in response to elevated blood glucose levels. Insulin stimulates the liver, muscles, and fat cells to remove glucose from the blood for use or storage.
Protein: Compounds composed of hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen present in the body and in foods that form complex combinations of amino acids. Protein is essential for life and is used for growth and repair. Foods that supply the body with protein include animal products, grains, legumes, and vegetables. Proteins from animal sources contain the essential amino acids. Proteins are changed to amino acids in the body.
Steroid: Any of a large number of hormonal substances with a similar basic chemical structure containing a 17-carbon 14-ring system and including the sterols and various hormones and glycosides.
Testosterone: The principal male sex hormone that induces and maintains the changes that take place in males at puberty. In men, the testicles continue to produce testosterone throughout life, though there is some decline with age. A naturally occurring androgenic hormone.
