Mastic Gum etc

[Charles_b]

Hi John, glad you are able to get relief again!  Just had a question about the probiotics: I thought you had previously mentioned taking Jamieson 10billion cfu probiotics.  Did you just recently switch to webber, or was Webber part of your original relief as well?

I ask because the one constant I keep seeing in microbiome research is that particular strains seem to make all the difference.

[John21]

Did you just recently switch to webber, or was Webber part of your original relief as well?

Webber is just the one I happened to buy this time, that is what the store had. I selected the one with the highest number of strains.

[Progecitor]

Somewhat surprisingly mastic gum also works for me. I got the cheapest product possible and yet it still had a relatively good effect. Specifically I took Chios Mastiha lozenges and if anyone was wondering about the specific product here is a link for it:
https://mastihashop.com/en/collections/art-of-nature/products/%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%83%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BB%CE%B9%CE%B5%CF%83-%CE%BC%CE%B5-%CE%BC%CE%B1%CF%83%CF%84%CE%B9%CF%87%CE%B5%CE%BB%CE%B1%CE%B9%CE%BF-2%CF%8710%CF%872-2gr
By taking 4 lozenges per day I can say that it mostly helped with gut issues and the eyes were also certainly clearer. Muscle fatigue or depression were not particularly affected though.
Others haven’t answered my question about its timing, but for me it works just like all the other stuff, meaning the positive changes are most noticeable about 6-12 hours following consumption.
Later I will try to procure a more quality one to see if that may work even better.

[rubden23]

John, do you have a white tongue? Does it clear up when using glutamine / mastic gum / probiotics?

Back when I was getting antibiotic treatment for Helicobacter, my tongue (which usually has a white coating that doesn't go away if I brush) was completely clean. I also felt a lot sharper (brain fog being one of my pois symptoms).

[mike_sweden]

tried it briefly, had no effect

guess it has to be consumed in big quantities, gets very expensive.

[Progecitor]

I find it really intriguing that so many aphrodisiacs are effective in my case. Mastic gum is no exception as it is a traditionally known aphrodisiac. It is however not clear if all of these supplements'  aphrodisiac properties are only due to an increase in testosterone. I can only guess there is a convergence between aphrodisiacs and the mechanisms of anti-inflammatory pathways. Of course I have no clear proof of this, but one still has to wonder about the coincidence.
In the particular case of mastic gum one study proposes that the aphrodisiac effect is due to the zinc released by the gum. Although some members had success with zinc I still don't find it likely as a singular factor, especially as I had problems with pure zinc pills. On the other hand another study claims that mastic gum actually down-regulates androgen receptors (AR) which may be controversial.
Well regardless of the exact mechanism of action on POIS some other capabilities of mastic gum also worth further consideration:

For a long time, mastic has been esteemed for its aphrodisiac properties. The Chios mastic showed a slightly greater zinc content compared to the other analyzed specimens. Among all gums studied, only the Chios mastic released a small amount of about 0.7?mg kg?1 zinc in the mouth and gastrointestinal system after 4?h chewing time.
As-Suyuti (1414) in his "Medicine of the Prophet" drawing from Islamic philosophy of life refers to the mastic, among other things, as promoting sexual desire and beautifying the complexion.
According to Piacenza (1688): Mastic acts as sexual awakening for sleepy or lethargic aphrodisiac desire, and nothing is more efficacious among the many known aromatics.
In some parts of Africa or Asia, especially Hong Kong, mastic has been esteemed for its aphrodisiac properties.
Although mastic has been recorded as an important aphrodisiac material by many authors for hundreds of years, the scientific research in this direction has received little attention, if any at all. This fact prompted us to correlate its aphrodisiac properties referred to in the past with the presence of zinc, because this trace element is important to male sex organ function and reproductive fluids.
Apart from cadmium, zinc is also antagonistic to mercury and lead and can play a role in heavy metal detoxification. Xu et al. showed that the concentrations of elements in seminal plasma were in the following descending order: Zn > Se > Pb > Cd.
The mastic influence on sexual desire, for which stomatal contact is obligatory, is highly related to endorphin mobilization for psychological euphoria and sentimental reflexion.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/13880200903029399

There is now an emerging body of evidence to support the anti-inflammatory activity of Chios mastiha. This anti-inflammatory action seems to be performed via the inhibition of the production of pro-inflammatory substances. In particular, administration of both solid and liquid types of mastiha seems to inhibit prostaglandin secretion along with inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression by macrophages at both protein and mRNA level in animal experimental models.
In a small clinical study including 10 patients with mild or moderately active Crohn’s disease recruited to treatment with mastic caps for 4 weeks (2.2 g/day), a significant decrease in the activity index of the disease and the plasma levels of interleukin-6 and CRP compared to baseline was observed, while no significant side effects were reported. In the same patient cohort, a remarkable reduction in TNF-a secretion following treatment with mastic caps was later reported, suggesting an additional inhibitory mechanism of monocyte chemotaxis, thus providing more support to the role of mastiha as immune system regulator. When the same protocol was applied to 68 patients with inactive inflammatory bowel disease for 6 months, in contrast to controls, patients allocated to mastiha as add-on treatment to standard medication presented no increase in interleukin-6 or in faecal biomarkers calprotectin and lactoferrin, which are neutrophil-derived proteins whose concentrations typically rise in patients with gastrointestinal mucosal inflammation. Recent data support that mastiha treatment interferes in the regulation of Th17 cell function and differentiation, resulting in increased serum levels of interleukin-17A that is considered to play a protective role in the development and relapse of inflammatory bowel disease. The antioxidative properties are mainly driven by a downregulation of CD36 expression in macrophages along with an increase in the intracellular antioxidant glutathione levels.
Mastic demonstrates a protective effect on intestinal epithelial cells, largely determined by its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. This action has been more thoroughly investigated in inflammatory bowel diseases, where mastic has been found to decrease the cytokines tumor necrosis factor-a, malonaldehyde, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and interleukin -6, -8 and -10, both in preclinical and clinical studies; thus, efficiently inhibiting intestinal damage. In addition, mastiha supplementation promotes a partial but respectable recovery of microbial diversity, acting as a natural probiotic factor.
There is an accumulating body of evidence suggesting that the topical application of mastic ointment attenuates inflammatory and/or pruritic responses in animal experimental models of allergic dermatitis.
Mastiha attenuates cellular superoxide production by downregulating NADPH oxidase through the inhibition of protein kinase C pathways, a process that is possibly triggered by TNF-a, again underlining the close interaction between inflammation and oxidative stress.
Mastic attenuates the expression and function of the androgen receptor, which has a central role in the development and progression of prostate cancer. In addition to this, through the suppression of NF-k? activity and the NF-kB signaling pathway, mastic inhibits the cell cycle progression in prostate cancer cells.
Mastic is rather characterized by a wide spectrum of antimicrobial activity, which extends beyond the H. Pylori eradication that has already been mentioned. A small number of individual reports suggests an antifungal action of mastic. Of note, there is now evidence supporting the antimicrobial action of mastic against several clinical isolates of Candida species, which are frequently resistant to conventional antimicrobial treatments. Different concentrations of mastic were also found to inhibit Trichomonas vaginalis multiplication, a protozoan parasite that causes trichomoniasis, a cosmopolitan sexually transmitted disease.
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/3/590/htm

In Persian traditional medicine, Persicaria bistorta and Punica granatum have been used as astringents in the treatment of "Sahj" digestive disorders, particularly diarrhea and internal bleeding. On the other hand, Myrtus communis leaves have been demonstrated to be hemostatic in any organ (anti-hemorrhagic), and have also been implicated in the treatment of diarrhea, hemorrhoids, prostatitis, bronchitis, sinusitis, tuberculosis, and cold. Also, in Iranian traditional medicine, Pistacia lentiscus and Boswellia have been used for more than 2,500 years, for the treatment of stomach and intestinal disorders such as gastric ulcers, dyspepsia, and peptic ulcer. Some pre-clinical and clinical studies have documented the antioxidant, wound healing, and anti?inflammatory properties of herbs used in Persian traditional medicine for "Sahj" treatment. These properties are capable of changing the underlying molecular mechanisms of the oxidative and inflammatory conditions active in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients based on the ingredients present in the plants. Flavonoids and polyphenols which are the major compounds in this "Sahj" tablet can modify UC by ameliorating the derangement of intestinal microbiota, normalizing mucosal permeability, and ROS scavenging. These lead to the suppression of mucosal inflammation.
Generally, polyphenols protect UC through the following actions. They increase endogenous antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT and GPx), diminish plasma levels of NO, PGE2, LTB4, and colonic mucosal MPO. They also modulate TNFalpha, NF-kappaB, IkappaBalpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-17, IL-22, COX2, IFN-gamma, and down-regulate the p38 MAPK and JNK pathways.
https://www.rjpharmacognosy.ir/article_119313_193c112070dbe330d58290cdccc52dd0.pdf

Beta-asarone from A. calamus, amygdalin from A. communis L. var. dulcis, boswellic acids from B. serrate, guggulsterone from C. mukul, crocin and crocetin from C. sativus, isomasticadienolic acid from P. lentiscus, and cyclotides from V. odorata are among the most important phytochemicals present in Traditional Persian Medicine plants with GI protective activities. These phytochemicals along with many other bioactive compounds play pivotal role in alleviating GI disorders through exhibiting numerous activities including anti-spasmodic, anti-ulcer, anti-secretory, anti-colitis, anti-diarrheal, antibacterial, anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress properties.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5378958/

This was also the case when a pharmacophore-driven approach led to the identification of novel PPARG partial agonists from mastic gum (Pistacia lentiscus L.).
https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-0031-1282116

[Progecitor]

Beta-asarone from A. calamus, amygdalin from A. communis L. var. dulcis, boswellic acids from B. serrate, guggulsterone from C. mukul, crocin and crocetin from C. sativus, isomasticadienolic acid from P. lentiscus, and cyclotides from V. odorata are among the most important phytochemicals present in Traditional Persian Medicine plants with GI protective activities. These phytochemicals along with many other bioactive compounds play pivotal role in alleviating GI disorders through exhibiting numerous activities including anti-spasmodic, anti-ulcer, anti-secretory, anti-colitis, anti-diarrheal, antibacterial, anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress properties.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5378958/

In my case Guggul (Commiphora mukul) provided about the same benefit as mastic gum. Similarly to mastic gum guggul is also an oleo-gum-resin with potent effects on health. The following review goes into great detail about them. Table 1. and 2. are especially informative. Some factors that guggul may decrease: nF-kB, COX-2, FXR, ERK1/2, MDR, ERalpha, androgen receptor (AR), Wnt/B-Catenin, cyclin D1, c-myc, PARP, DNMT, RAS, PI3K/Akt, STAT3, HIF-1a, P-gp, PGE2, CPY7A1, MMPs, TGF-B1, VEGF, mTOR, MAPK, PPARG, PPARG2, TLR-3,-4, AChE, NO, iNOS, IL-1B, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-17, IFN-g, XO, ROS etc., or increase: p21, NRF-2, HO-1, JNK, PSA, caspase -3,-8, CREB-BDNF, SOD, iodine uptake etc.

Guggul is the gum resin obtained from two different plants Commiphora and Boswellia, produced by drying the white sap of 15–20 years old tree for a year. The main ingredients of guggul are guggulsterone (GS) and boswellic acid (BA) which are obtained from Commiphora and Boswellia respectively. It also contains a huge number of lignans and ketosterols, which contributes to the vivid health beneficiary effects of guggul.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2018.00686/full

It is interesting that they are both considered aphrodisiacs while they also antagonize the androgen receptor.