Comment · Thu, February 17, 2022 · ND Owner
Cistanche vs Shilajit as test booster?
Original post in this thread
PachoCali · 16 points
My bloodwork showed that my testosterone has gone to the lower end at 391 ng/L.
I have already started taking vitamin D (also tested), ashwagandha and boron, which were available locally. I will be ordering Tongkat Ali 10% from ND. I have some budget left for either Cistanche or Shilajit. I am leaning more towards Cistanche for the testosterone, but I would love to hear some opinions.
What they were answering
Spirited_Gap7644 · 5 points
Take it after food. I found I had the same issue till I started using it after a meal..
u/MisterYouAreSoDumb · ND Owner
Yes, this is one that will be helped by taking it with a meal. The ironic thing is that is because the actives are very polar, or water-soluble. Because they are so water-soluble, they have trouble absorbing through the mucous membranes of the GI tract. Eating a meal with some fat will signal to your body to release bile salts, which will then in turn help the absorption of the water-soluble compounds. This is usually the opposite of what people suggest. They say to take fat-soluble things with a meal, but the reality of it is the exact opposite. You want to take water-soluble things with a meal. It's not because of the meal, or because of the fat itself. It's because of the bile salts that get released when you eat.