I'm sure many of you are hearing the name of this metabolite of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) for the first time. It's actually an important marker that determines both a person's behavior and the status of androgen metabolism in tissues (for example, it's often important in skin). This marker can be tested at any lab, but doctors often don't know about it and prescribe trivial markers (such as DHT, testosterone, and estradiol), which aren't always relevant to certain problems.
Neurosteroid. Libido.
As a neurosteroid ( 3α-androstanediol , a glucuronide derivative used for analysis), this molecule primarily regulates libido and behavior—the higher the 3-alpha-diol, the higher the libido and related behavior, in both men and women. Excessive amounts of this metabolite can lead to sexual obsession (like Hank Moody's sex addiction). This is because this neurosteroid has euphoric and anticonvulsant effects (modulating GABA-A receptors), and also enhances feelings of confidence, sexuality, and dominance. Incidentally, all similar effects from testosterone intake ultimately stem from this metabolite, as testosterone becomes DHT, and DHT becomes 3α-androstanediol.
Excess 3-α-diol.
So, why do you need this information? The fact is, some people have high levels of this metabolite on their own, and it causes problems. In addition to sex addiction, these people may have acne, increased oiliness and hair growth on their face and body, and even baldness—in other words, signs of hyperandrogenism in various forms (the picture is not the same for everyone!) . For example, the most common sign of elevated levels of this metabolite that I see is oily skin (which sometimes leads to acne).
This is most likely due to genetics—the enzymes that break down testosterone into other metabolites. It's also linked to detoxification genes, as phase II detoxification enzymes are responsible for the utilization of these hormones in tissues, and therefore for the clearance of hormones in the blood serum.
What to do if there is excess?
Therefore, for such people , calcium D-Glucarate supplementation at doses of 1-2 grams per day is appropriate. It's a stable source of glucuronic acid, which will enhance the second phase of detoxification and reduce the levels of certain hormonal metabolites in the blood. This supplement may be useful for uninformed psychiatrists, especially for patients with sexual obsessions (I can't call them anything else, since they essentially prescribe nothing but antihypertensives and antipsychotics).
Also, the blood concentration of this metabolite decreases with finasteride, which is often prescribed to men for hair loss—hence its strong side effects on libido and mood in men. While calcium-D-glucarate does this gently and with health benefits in terms of detoxification, finasteride is rather harmful and I do not recommend systemic use (topical use is fine).
