Derek
More Plates More Dates
Derek is the creator behind More Plates More Dates (MPMD). His work centers on fitness and endocrine health topics, including natural testosterone optimization, testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), and the evaluation of health supplements. The provided context does not include any academic publications.
97 claims checked on air: 5 context 3 contradicted 5 overstated 73 supported 11 unverified
What they said on air - contradicted
Tongkat Ali suppresses SHBG and upregulates steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) to transport cholesterol into mitochondria for testosterone production.
"The main mechanism that people seem to agree on that it does do suppression of SHBG to some extent as well as the upregulation of steroidogenesis intratesticularly, so like locally upregulating I believe it's steroidogenic acute regulatory protein that basically incorporates cholesterol into the mitochondria to actually undergo these enzymatic cleaving sequences that result in the production of testosterone locally." (said at 1:15:36)
The claim asserts that Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia) suppresses SHBG and upregulates steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) in Leydig cells to stimulate testosterone production. Randomized controlled trials evaluating Tongkat Ali in healthy young men and aging men found no significant changes in SHBG levels compared to placebo. Furthermore, mechanistic research on Eurycoma longifolia's active quassinoid, eurycomanone, indicates that intratesticular testosterone increases occur primarily via inhibition of aromatase (decreasing the conversion of testosterone to estradiol) and phosphodiesterase, rather than an established primary upregulation of StAR.
- partial: Eurycomanone, the major quassinoid in Eurycoma longifolia root extract increases spermatog… (Journal of ethnopharmacology 2013) · cited 96x in the literature
"Eurycomanone enhanced testosterone steroidogenesis at the Leydig cells by inhibiting aromatase conversion of testosterone to oestrogen, and at a high concentration may also involve phosphodiesterase inhibition." (abstract, conclusions, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi) - contradicts: The effect of Eurycoma Longifolia on the regulation of reproductive hormones in young male… (Andrologia 2021) · cited 12x in the literature
"Blood analysis using repeated measures analysis of variance showed significant interaction and time effects for testosterone (F 1,30 = 9.04, p = .005), free testosterone (F 1,30 = 7.13, p = .012) and estradiol (F 1,30 = 8.07, p = .008) levels in favour of the treatment group, while luteinising hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone and sexual hormone-binding globulin did not." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi) - contradicts: Effect of Eurycoma longifolia standardised aqueous root extract-Physta ® on testosterone l… (Food & nutrition research 2021) · cited 19x in the literature
"There were no significant changes in SHBG." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi)
Supplements like tribulus, D-aspartic acid, and fenugreek have been disproven as effective testosterone boosters.
"I think a lot of those have been disproven, like tribulus, D-aspartic acid, fenugreek." (said at 1:20:10)
The speaker bundles three supplements into the claim that they have been disproven as testosterone boosters. While the evidence against Tribulus terrestris and D-aspartic acid supports the speaker's statement, the assertion regarding fenugreek is contradicted by published systematic reviews and meta-analyses:
1. Tribulus terrestris: Systematic reviews demonstrate that clinical trials in humans fail to show an increase in testosterone levels (e.g., PMID 24559105, PMID 37697053).
2. D-aspartic acid: Systematic reviews of human randomized trials show inconsistent or absent effects on testosterone concentrations in healthy men (PMID 28280794, PMID 37697053).
3. Fenugreek: In contrast to the claim, systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials have found that standardized fenugreek seed extract produces statistically significant increases in total and free testosterone concentrations in men (PMID 32048383, PMID 33150931).
Because the least accurate component of the bundled claim (fenugreek) is directly contradicted by meta-analytic evidence showing efficacy, the overall claim is graded contradicted.
- supports: A systematic review on the herbal extract Tribulus terrestris and the roots of its putativ… (Journal of dietary supplements 2014) · cited 86x in the literature
"Evidence to date suggests that TT is ineffective for increasing testosterone levels in humans, thus marketing claims are unsubstantiated." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi) - supports: The putative effects of D-Aspartic acid on blood testosterone levels: A systematic review. (International journal of reproductive biomedicine 2017) · cited 34x in the literature
"Our results showed that exogenous D-Asp enhances testosterone levels in male animal's studies, whereas studies in human yielded inconsistent results." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmed - contradicts: Effect of fenugreek extract supplement on testosterone levels in male: A meta-analysis of … (Phytotherapy research : PTR 2020) · cited 27x in the literature
"Fenugreek extract has a significant effect on total serum testosterone. Results from clinical trials suggest that fenugreek extract supplement has an effect on serum total testosterone levels in male." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi) - contradicts: Examining the Effects of Herbs on Testosterone Concentrations in Men: A Systematic Review. (Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) 2021) · cited 57x in the literature
"The main findings of this review indicate that 2 herbal extracts, fenugreek seed extracts and ashwagandha root and root/leaf extracts, have positive effects on testosterone concentrations in men." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi)
Finasteride inhibits two of the three 5-alpha reductase isoenzymes, resulting in approximately 60 to 70% inhibition of systemic DHT.
"versus only 60 to 70% via finasteride, which only inhibits two of the three isoenzymes in the scalp." (said at 2:49:00)
The speaker bundles two assertions: the extent of systemic DHT suppression and the selectivity of finasteride for 5-alpha reductase (5-AR) isoenzymes. While it is true and well-established that finasteride reduces serum DHT by approximately 70%, the claim that finasteride inhibits two of the isoenzymes is incorrect. Finasteride is a selective inhibitor of only the type 2 5-AR isoenzyme at clinical doses (having negligible affinity for type 1), whereas dutasteride is the dual inhibitor that targets both type 1 and type 2 isoenzymes.
Fact-checked episodes
Publications
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