Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) vs STAIT

One of the main questions we get asked is about STAIT vs Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT), with people wondering if it’s the same thing, which is better and so on.

The simple answer is that STAIT is not TRT, and which one is more suitable is dependent on many different factors.

First and foremost, this is not to be taken as medical advice, as we are not doctors. Secondly, it’s always best to have your blood hormone levels checked by an expert, and thirdly, it’s always best to do your own research, and find out what resonates best with you and your situation.

What is TRT?

TRT is a process where exogenous (external) testosterone is added to the body, to “replace” testosterone that the body isn’t producing any longer.

As the body is not producing enough of its own hormone, then this replacement needs to be administered on a regular basis, and once it stops being administered, the symptoms of low testosterone reoccur.

In addition to this, the body also has hormonal feedback loops, which it uses under normal circumstances to optimize the hormones within the bloodstream. Any external testosterone will most likely generate a signal in the body not to produce any more of it’s own hormone, so once you start TRT, it’s a lifelong commitment.

Dr Pallais, an endocrinologist and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School says:

“TRT is a bit of a testosterone trap!. Men get started on testosterone replacement and they feel better, but then it's hard to come off of it. On treatment, the body stops making testosterone. Men can often feel a big difference when they stop therapy because their body's testosterone production has not yet recovered."

This wouldn't matter so much if we were sure that long-term hormone therapy is safe, but some experts worry that low-T therapy is exposing men to small risks that could add up to harm over time.

TRT isn’t a decision to be taken lightly, and is not without serious considerations before jumping in.

As Dr Pallais, says:

“because of the aggressive marketing, men have been flooded with information about the potential benefits of TRT, but not the potential risks and costs. Men should be much more mindful of the possible long term complications.”

The side effects – most of which derive from the body recognizing the “external” hormone, and not being able to deal with it completely – increase the longer the therapy is administered. So given it’s a life time commitment, it’s not a magic fix-all pill.

As the Doctor says, TRT is not a fountain of youth!

Some of the listed side effects include:

• Worsening sleep apnea,
• Acne or other skin reactions
• Enlarging breasts (bitch tits)
• Limiting sperm production or causing testicles to shrink (not good if you want to start a family),
• Stimulating too much red blood cell production, which contributes to the increased risk of forming a blood clot,
• Stimulating noncancerous growth of the prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia) and growth of existing prostate cancer.
• Elevating liver enzymes due to the liver working to detox the body of this external hormone,
• Higher risk of cardiovascular issues with long term use
• Increased anger issues if levels get too high and out of balance.

Sounds like a whole bunch of fun!

The body is a complex machine, and trying to play god with hormones is like playing Russian roulette with a fully loaded AK47. To get the hormone balance right, to ensure that any “converted” excess testosterone is processed in the liver, and excreted down the least worse case pathway, via the gut rather than being reabsorbed, are all things people tend to forget.

Indeed, it may take months to get the hormone balance right, and this may most likely also involve the use of  anti-aromatase and estrogen blockers, to prevent some of the above listed side effects.

From our point of view, the worst part about this is the aggressive marketing around it being an easy quick fix, a magic pill for eternal youth. Taking advantage of men’s worst fear, implying we do not have enough male hormone to be able to be a man!

To be clear, TRT is not quick, and it’s not a fix. It’s at best a work around, without actually looking at the holistic situation of that person’s life. What needs to happen is for a full review to be taken of a person’s life, to see if Low T is actually the issue, or if it’s some other factor that isn’t being picked up.

Like what?

TRT looks at one side of the issue – Testosterone levels. It doesn’t look at Free Testosterone level utilization, and most importantly, the levels of cortisol and stress hormone in the body, nor the availability of hormone receptor sites.

Working backwards from the issue, its important that every aspect is looked at, and optimized. To find the solution, we need to work the problem, not just try and fix it partially.

If hormone receptor sites are blocked by xeno-estrogens (found in our food, water and food sources) or phthalates (found in plastics, foods, clothes, personal care products) then it doesn’t matter how much testosterone you put into the body, it won’t be utilized effectively, and the Hypathalmic Pituitary Gonad feedback link will activate, and the body will convert that “excess” testosterone to estrogen, for elimination. That is one factor in most of the side effects.

The key is to limit the exposure to these endocrine disruptors, as well as detoxing, and using products that bind to the excess and escort it out of the body safely.

Think about it – a lifestyle “rich” in endocrine disrupting hormones, and then adding in external testosterone that cannot be used is a recipe for serious side effects, hence why most people on TRT need anti aromatase drugs, and estrogen blockers to minimize the downsides. There’s no free lunch. No magic pill.

As well as this, stress hormone also competes with testosterone in the blood stream, and fight / flight always trumps fornication. So in daily life, with people suffering from the chronic stress of paying bills, family, work, and the like, their stress hormones are likely to be out of whack, and limiting the ability of the sex hormone testosterone to work as it should do.

Again, no amount of TRT will compete successfully against excess cortisol, so all that testosterone floating around in the blood stream will trigger the negative feedback loop, and be converted and processed out of the body, or serious side effects will occur.

That’s why making the decision to jump on TRT just because your mates do it, is not the wisest choice. Nor is reading the marketing blurb. It needs to be right for you, and that requires a detailed assessment of what the actual issue is, not just the perceived one. And, as we do at STAIT, what can that person do to optimize their own hormonal system, to make use of the hormones produced, as well as stimulating the optimal level of that hormone naturally.

Final point – it’s not cost free! The average cost of TRT annually ranges between $2000 - $2600, and whilst medical insurance may cover some of this, there is no such thing as a free lunch. This is even before the risk of any more serious side effects arising, especially with long term use.

You will end up paying for it in one way or another. And because it’s for the rest of your life, is that something to be acted upon quickly?

How is STAIT different?

STAIT works from the root cause of the issue, rather than trying to “fix” a symptom.

Stress is the main testosterone killer, in that as mentioned above, if cortisol (stress hormone) is out of balance, it will compete (and win) with testosterone for the hormone receptor sites.

No amount of testosterone will work, if it cannot bind to a site and activate. STAIT looks to balance out and strengthen the adrenal function, so that cortisol levels are optimized. Not too high, and also not too low.

Secondly, STAIT Superfood contains plant extracts that optimize stress hormones, and also strengthen the body to deal with stress. These plant extracts also act as estrogen binders, so that any excess estrogen is caught and escorted out of the body. With STAIT Superfood the liver function is supported, as is gut health, so that any converted “excess” testosterone is effectively eliminated, rater than being converted and reabsorbed, which isn’t good for the overall hormone profile.

Finally, the plant extracts in STAIT allow the body to do what it does best, rather than trying to force it to do what it cannot accept.

Testosterone levels will be optimized, to the body’s own level.

We all have unique testosterone levels, so the body will produce up to that level without triggering issues. There’s no activation of the HPG feedback loop, no conversion to estrogen, and no shutting down of the body’s own hormonal system. In fact, STAIT energizes the body to do what it does best, and in many cases, people have reported that after a few months of STAIT, their body has changed noticeably, feeling more like when they were 18.

The key difference between STAIT and TRT is that there are no side effects with STAIT, due to the body doing what it knows how to do, rather than having some external procedure enforced upon it. The herbs in STAIT haven been used safely and effectively in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda for thousands of years. Long term use of STAIT only improves the body – I can testify to that, as can many of our long term community members.

TRT is a bit like putting 110 octane fuel into a 1967 mustang without upgrading the rest of the car. Unless the engine, tyres, suspension and brakes have all been brought up to condition, the fuel is likely to do more harm than good.

STAIT prepares the body to do what it has evolved over millennia to do, by optimizing all hormones, ensuring receptor sites are available, and then and only then, providing the body what it needs to produce and use it’s own Testosterone.

Whilst its not a magic pill, the herbs used are the exact herbs used in the Human Clinical trials, in their exact dose. Reason being – it has to work. Nothing “extra” is added to pad out the capsule, yet it contains all you need to optimize the body.

One final point – as stressed above, it is not a quick fix.

Think about it – it’s taken you years to be at the point in life you are at now, so any changes to amend that will also take time. TRT can take months, and even then, it requires close monitoring, adjusting and tweaking. It also has that nagging feeling of “what is it doing long term to my body?”

The recommendation with STAIT is that it should be taken for at least 8 weeks before assessing, because that’s the duration the herbs underwent in the Human Clinical Trials. Of course, the longer you optimize your body, the better the results. It’s not a quick fix, more a long term healthy solution to life’s challenges. Ask yourself, is a long term investment in your health worth $4 per day?

In summary

• STAIT works with the body to optimize it to do what it has evolved to do best.
• TRT adds in external chemicals, to force the body to respond.
• One has zero harmful effects, one has a range of potential harmful effects.
• One gets better with long term use. One can create problems with long term use.
• One is a train you can never stop if you’re not wanting those side effects of low T to come back. 

As ever, it's your body and your choice. your choices will create your reality.

Reference

Is testosterone therapy safe? Take a breath before you take the plunge.; Harvard Medical School