Alpha JYM: Analyzing the PhD’s Natural Test Booster

The success of the JYM supplement line has been one of 2014’s great stories in the nutrition industry.

Starting with the award-winning pre workout supplement, Pre JYM (#2 on our Top 10 pre workout supplements list), Dr. Stoppani has been releasing hit after hit, including the industry-first open formula protein powder, Pro JYM.

His next big challenge: Taking on the hard-to-please natural testosterone booster customer base, with his new product, Alpha JYM.

In this post, we’ll analyze every ingredient, decide if this is worth trying, and talk about who should or should not take it.

The TL;DR

Gentlemen: Regain your Alpha Edge

After doing all of the research, this seems like a very solid introductory hormone balancing product. It’s designed for men in their 30s or older who may be starting to lose their alpha edge.

Due to the multitude of anti-cortisol, anti-estrogen ingredients, you will feel fantastic on it, and it should live up its name in terms of Alpha-ness.

With that said, this is most likely not going to skyrocket your testosterone levels, and you shouldn’t expect “steroid-like gains” with it.

Advanced users of testosterone products may want to use this as their estrogen inhibitor for a stronger product, but that’s not officially recommended.

But if you’re new to hormonal products, and you think you’ve lost a step and it’s becoming a bit more difficult to regain that beast mode in your day-to-day life, this is quite possibly the perfect product for you.

Starting off on the right foot

Even though we look at products with no bias, we have to say that right out of the gate, JYM earns points for having a 100% open, non-proprietary formula. This lets you know exactly what you’re getting, and it lets us analyze it properly.

With other new test boosters, it was tougher for us to gauge if it would really work because we didn’t know the dosages. Not the case here. +1 JYM.

The Alpha JYM Ingredients

You can see the ingredients to the right, and the full label lower down.

The ingredients

We’ll go right down the list:

• Fenugreek seed extract (500mg)

  Standardized for 50% saponins, Fenugreek makes the first ingredient in Alpha JYM, so you’ll get 1g throughout a day (500mg of which is the saponins extract).

  How’s this add up?

  Pretty well. Research is mixed, as only one out of three human-based studies showed a significant boost in testosterone at 500mg, so we can consider it weak in terms of hormonal. Each day, you’ll get twice the dosage of the studies below, so it is likely to be a bit more powerful. Nearly all users feel a boost in libido, however.

  The extract is correct, too: The most popular brand of Fenugreek used in similar products is Testofen, which is also a 50% extract. While JYM doesn’t seem to be using them, it is using the same percentage.

  Three human-based studies worth mentioning:

  1. 500mg daily increases testosterone but not DHT or estrogen^[1]

     Interestingly, this study also noted a significant reduction of bodyfat in the men, which can definitely happen “without even trying” when your testosterone is elevated.

  2. 600mg daily boosts libido and arousal in normal men^[2]

     This study used the aforementioned Testofen brand, but testosterone and prolactin levels did not move out of range.

     The good news was that sexual arousal increased, as did other sexual parameters.

  3. 500mg Fenugreek did not significantly alter testosterone, but reduced DHT^[3]

     DHT is the hormone that is most implicated with hair loss. Seeing that two studies have associated Fenugreek with less DHT is a great thing.

  Unfortunately, two of the three human-based studies did not have a hormonal affect, so the hormonal effect with 500mg could be considrered weak.

  The good news that Alpha JYM is using twice the dosage of these studies, which may bring a testosterone level change to significance. This ingredient will also help with anyone concerned about hair loss.

• Damiana (leaf), 500mg

  

  The man behind the Alpha JYM

  This is a leaf that comes from Central America, and has long been used as an aphrodisiac pick-me-up type of tonic.

  Unfortunately, there aren’t many human-based studies regarding testosterone and hormonal levels that use damiana alone. The rat studies have definitely shown it to have aphrodisiac properties, as well as a potential anxiety-reducer.

  A few studies to consider:

  • Aphrodisiac in rats^[4]

    One study showed increased mounting and ejaculation in male rats, and their “post-sexual recovery time” was significantly reduced.

  • Anti-Aromatase activity in vitro^[5]

    In a test tube, the extract was shown to inhibit the activity of the aromatase enzyme. This is important because aromatase is what converts your testosterone to estrogen. Inhibiting it while you’re on a testosterone-boosting stack is incredibly important.

  We really wish there was more research on humans, but this is likely added as an aromatase inhibitor, which will go well with another ingredient discussed below, DIM

• Ashwagandha root extract (500mg, 5:1 standardization)

  

  Ashwagandha significantly reduces cortisol

  Also known as withania somnifera on other labels, Ashwagandha is a crowd favorite with us. This is an adaptogenic herb that helps regulate all sorts of hormonal levels in your brain and body — including testosterone.

  It’s most frequently used as an anti-anxiety agent, so you might get in a great mood with Alpha JYM.

  It really shines when it comes to its anti-cortisol effects, which was successful in dosages of 300mg, 250mg, and 500mg.^[6,7,8] Alpha JYM will have double that.

  Focusing on the testosterone effects, there is one study worth noting: 5g of unstandardized powder used on infertile men significantly boosted testosterone levels.^[9]

  We’re not sure what will happen with normal, healthy men — there really isn’t a testosterone-based study on that — but it’s safe to say that a strong, standardized dosage like what’s in Alpha JYM will yield some incredible effects on your alpha mentality.

  This is currently a “hot” supplement ingredient, and we can now see why: properly extracting it gets you far more than the anti-anxiety / anti-cortisol effects that it is normally sold for.

• Diindolylmethane (DIM – 250mg)

  Normally found in broccoli, DIM is commonly used as an aromatase inhibitor, and will work well alongside the damiana extract. This one-two punch makes Alpha JYM look like quite the estrogen-fighter, which many of us will gladly take in our quest to becoming better, stronger men.

  DIM is the main constituent is I3C, or indole-3-carbinol, which is also used as an estrogen inhibitor. But DIM is the more “purified” ingredient that gets right to the source.

  Studies have shown 100mg to be effective in altering estrogen levels – a daily dose of Alpha JYM will yield 500mg.

  DIM works in a few different ways, all of which ultimately result in lower estrogen levels. The this includes acting upon Phase I enzymes^[10], activating AhR in order to get more “good estrogen” and less “bad estrogen”^[11], and increasing 2-hydroxyestrone (good estrogen)^[12].

  JYM explains this as an ingredient that coverts “stronger” estrogens to “weaker” estrogens, and by weaker, he mean estrogens that have less estrogen-like activity.

• Quercetin (250mg)

  Quercetin is one of those wonder-bioflavonoids found in berries that has implications in everything from fat loss to endurance to allergy relief.

  Through its antioxidant activity, it prevents a decline in testosterone levels in the testes.^[13,14]

  There was an interesting study in which rats were fed onion juice (very high in quercetin), and their testosterone levels went up significantly, as did their sperm mobility.^[15]

• Eurycoma Longifolia Root Extract (100mg, 100:1 standardization)

  Last but not least is Eurycoma, also known as Tongkat Ali or LongJack.

  This is a known aphrodisiac that also has some great anti-estrogen effects in vitro. Unfortunately, there’s surprisingly very little quality research on normal humans, and very little showing any significant hormonal changes in terms of testosterone. The rat research is no better.

  The most noteworthy human study had 12 weeks of 300mg extract used on normal men, and the men noted improvements in libido, weight loss, and semen parameters. Unfortunately, it did not change hormone levels.^[16]

  Men with hypogonadism (extremely low testosterone levels, possibly due to not fully establishing puberty) did, however, receive increases in testosterone.^[17]

  Overall, the jury is still out on this ingredient’s ability to affect testosterone levels in healthy men. It’s hopeful that Alpha JYM’s 100:1 extract has identified the right part of it that may induce a boost.

The Alpha JYM Label

Who should use this?

Looking at the ingredients and research, this seems to be well-designed for Jim’s demographic: aging males (in their 30s or older) whose testosterone levels are dipping and estrogen levels are rising for any number of factors.

This will work great as an introductory hormonal product – if you’ve never tried one before, this is definitely a place to start. It doesn’t seem so strong that you need to worry about side effects, and focuses more on getting rid of bad estrogens than driving your testosterone to unreasonable levels.

Younger users can use it, but they’ll likely get less of an effect. You must be 21 years or older to use it.

Can women use it?

Yes, but it’s really been designed for men. Some of the ingredients, such as fenugreek, are great for women, but should NOT be used if you’re pregnant or attempting to get pregnant (or at risk of getting pregnant…)

How to use it

This is to be taken twice a day, with food: three caps in the morning, three caps at night (an our or two before bed). On workout days, try to take it 30-60 minutes pre workout.

It can be stacked with the other JYM products, and it doesn’t need any assisting PCT (post cycle therapy). In fact, it doesn’t really need to be cycled since it’s not that strong in terms of increasing testosterone levels.