Andrew Huberman· PhD
a friend somehow knew that curcumin could inhibit 5-alpha reductase. It converts to testosterone to DHT, as you pointed out.
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The evidence is convergent. Multiple independent sources reach the same conclusion, the underlying mechanism is well-characterized, and even the field's most cautious voices treat it as worth doing.
a friend somehow knew that curcumin could inhibit 5-alpha reductase. It converts to testosterone to DHT, as you pointed out.
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Curcumins, certain curcuminoids, depending on the structure, will inhibit the enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase that converts testosterone to DHT. - Turmeric? - Yeah. Turmeric. Black pepper extract. So it's used often to increase bioavailability. It's also called BioPerine. It's also a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor.
So a lot of it is put with black pepper fruit extract, which is also known as bioperine, which is actually also a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor and it affects liver cytochrome. And so many supplement companies put this black pepper fruit extract-- bioperine-- in almost everything.
Perhaps the only thing on that list that makes logical sense with respect to the biochemistry is that curcumin is known to, in some people, be a potent inhibitor of 5-alpha reductase and DHD so much so that I can personally say for me I once took curcumin, turmeric, it's also called in high dosage.
Yeah, turmeric, black pepper extract.