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[Music] [Music] It's a great pleasure to be here on a lovely warm morning in Brussels with Dr. Terry Hertog. Good morning, Terry, and thank you for finding the time.
Thank you, Phil. I'm very honored to be able to talk with you.
Oh, you're too kind. You're absolutely too kind. A true gentleman. We know that right now, there'll be a lot of people watching who will be very familiar with you, your work, uh, your books, many things that you've been involved in. But perhaps, in your own words, please tell us a little bit about yourself and your background, please.
Well, I'm a doctor who works in hormone therapy and also what is called anti-aging, uh, medicine. Uh, basically, it's more reversing aging medicine. And I'm a very enthusiastic doctor working in this sector. I work with, uh, nine doctors in my center in Brussels. And basically, I'm also the president of the International Hormone Society, which is about 3,000 physicians as members, and the World Society of Anti-Aging Medicine, which has about 8,000, uh, physician members. And I write books. I have a book here, like, called "The Hormone Handbook," which is probably the most sold book on how to do hormone therapy in physicians. And I have also an "Atlas of Endocrinology" for hormone therapy, which is also a good bestseller. And we will probably talk about this, this small book, this one of the small books I wrote about oxytocin, which is, uh, very interesting. So, basically, um, I think I work in a very, uh, medicine that makes people enthusiastic, and me certainly.
That's wonderful. That's wonderful indeed. Indeed, that comes over from you very much. And many people will know, of course, you are one of the leaders in anti-aging medicine. Where do you think, in general, where, where anti-aging medicine is today?
Well, anti-aging medicine is farther than we thought we ever would go, and it's going further on. Um, um, three years ago, for example, I, I, I thought I knew almost everything, and I can say I knew very little. We are now more in what is called reversing aging. And, uh, I think, and I really believe that the dream will come true that in the next 20 or 30 years, or maybe 10, 20% of people will probably be able to totally reverse aging from age 70 back to age 35, for example.
In and out. That's fantastic. That's fantastic news. And I know there's many topics we can cover today, but I think we'll, we'll concentrate on one and two. And would love to talk a little bit more about oxytocin in just a moment. And quite recently, Terry, you wrote a book called "Passion, Sex, and Long Life: The Oxytocin Adventure." Can you tell us a little bit, what is oxytocin?
Well, uh, oxytocin is a hormone, and maybe the only reason why you and I are together here, and the cameraman is there. It's a hormone that brings people together. It, it makes you more affectionate. You want to see people. You're not disturbed by people. You like them. And, uh, it's also a hormone that is very important. It's the hormone of orgasm. Um, if you have a very strong feeling and if you have an orgasm, you have to have a level enough of oxytocin. And there are many more actions of oxytocin that are important that are explained in the book. Uh, for example, um, people with, um, autism, children with autism, or adults with schizophrenia get less schizophrenic or much less autistic with this small molecule.
That's fascinating. Now, I happen to know that, um, you use an expression, you're a man who puts his money where his mouth is. In other words, you try products before you give them to patients. You've obviously tried oxytocin. Could you please tell us what, what your experiences were?
Well, it, it changed my life. So, um, I'm a person who's a hard worker. I can resist to any critic because I don't care about critics. I do take attention, but not really. It doesn't hurt me. Um, because I was low in oxytocin, actually. And, uh, so the time I tried oxytocin was very strange. I, I didn't feel so much difference in the beginning. But I had to go and and buy a horse for, um, my daughter. And I began talking to the people there very easily, asking questions. And I even talked so easily, I was so sociable that I even talked very easily with the horses. So, basically, this was a surprise to me. And, uh, it was also very pleasant. Um, I, I saw this also in other family members that there was a change when they took oxytocin. So I really think this is a very crucial hormone. It makes relationships between people much better.
That's interesting. That could explain, of course, why the press has dubbed it the bonding hormone, or sometimes even the love hormone. We've even heard that expression. And, and does that help to explain some of its medical uses in, say, schizophrenia, where these people need empathy, they need that connection?
Absolutely. Those people with schizophrenia or autism, they not only have low levels of oxytocin, but the receptors where the oxytocin works are not of such good quality. They're low in number and don't work so well. So, basically, I, in my experience, it's the best, uh, treatment they should have. It's not the only treatment, but certainly it's the number one treatment they should have.
I suspect a lot of doctors that might be watching will probably say, "Oh, I know about oxytocin. We use it to aid childbirth." But we're talking obviously about very different uses. And, and we'll get a little bit into the different ways to use oxytocin, different dosages. So it's not obviously, this is way beyond just the, the two classical ways.
It is for breastfeeding. It improves breastfeeding, and, uh, it improves also childbirth delivery. It makes the uterus contract more, so their, uh, the delivery will be quicker, and the baby gets out of the uterus.
Yes, yes. Well, that's great. And, uh, I think I'm sure our viewers are going to look forward to us discussing more about the, um, how we might call the current off-label uses for oxytocin.
Yeah, that's fascinating. And I think that a lot of people, um, their main interest, let's be honest, is from the sort of sexual perspective. I read some research a little while ago that showed that when women who are suffering from severe fibromyalgia and in a lot of pain, they noticed that they had no pain when they orgasmed. Has that got something to do with oxytocin?
Yes, uh, oxytocin is the hormone of orgasm. And that actually makes men sleep after they don't have pain after orgasm. And women, they are wide awake, but they don't feel any pain. They really just feel a very pleasant feeling in them. H, it has been even used as an anti-pain, uh, as a painkiller in, uh, by injecting into the spine. Um, so people have back pain, they, they lost the back pain with oxytocin. It's, um, very interesting. And actually, it does. But this is a sort of mechanism. It increases your morphine inside, so you have more opioids. That's our own morphine that we make. And, uh, so that's a better way than actually to take drugs. Take oxytocin.
Indeed. Much safer. Much more pleasant experience as well.
Absolutely.
So obviously, we hear about women having multiple orgasms. Is there any benefit for men in this regard?
Well, for men, um, it will help ejaculation, which is orgasm of men. I had, for example, um, um, a patient who, during five years, didn't have any ejaculation, but he had, uh, relationships, no problem for erections. And actually, when he took oxytocin, small doses, uh, he said eight times out of 10, he could ejaculate when he had intercourse. So, basically, it's fundamental for men for orgasm in ejaculation, but it does not really improve in humans, in men, uh, erections. I see. It does in animals, but not in humans. I see.
Oh, that's very interesting. We'll talk a little bit more later on about dosages and applications. Sometimes, as a pharmacist, I've been approached by patients who said they tried oxytocin and it didn't seem to do very much for them. Is there any, any reason that we could explain that?
Yes, um, one of the reasons is if you have a wrong diet. As soon as your diet is wrong, and that's basically the Western diet with a lot of sweet sugars, carbs, it doesn't seem to work. Um, and this is the case, actually, for most hormones and most peptides. If you take a treatment and your food is wrong, it doesn't work. The only good food is a paleo diet. It's a diet that exists when our ancestors were hunter-gatherers, and ate meat, vegetables, and fruits. That's the good diet. Drinks also, if you drink alcohol or drink Coca-Cola, it works less well. And we don't always know why, but it's so. So, basically, the most, the main reason is that. And the other reason that could be is that you have other deficiencies. And when you're deficient in another hormone that is so prevailing in your symptoms that even you give oxytocin, it doesn't work, or it even aggravates the situation by decreasing a hormone level like cortisol, for example. So, basically, you need to, to check also the other hormones when you have, uh, want to have a super treatment.
That's interesting. So that's almost like a warning sign for the patient. If you're not getting an effect from oxytocin, go see your anti-aging doctor because you're probably deficient elsewhere.
Yes.
Fascinating. Thank you. And we'll talk shortly about dosages and applications. Thank you, Terry. So, Terry, I'd like to ask, if I may, um, what about dosages? What do you normally recommend?
Well, let's say in a normal person who takes mainly oxytocin for sociability, to be more sociable, uh, it's taking a five units international, uh, in the morning. For children, it will be smaller, even sometimes a fraction, one or two units for autism, for example. Um, and then when they have, for example, intercourse, they could take, or they go to a party, uh, they can take an additional dose of five units, uh, in the evening. So this could be occasional. Mhm. Um, and, uh, I wouldn't go higher amounts, or then in very, very special situations, because if you take much higher than that, you lower your adrenal glands, and people get tired, etc. Like, uh, better in bed and not out walking. So, basically, I, I think stick to those doses for usual, um, usages.
That's very interesting. Um, are there any particular applications that you prefer? I mean, do you like sublingual or intranasal, or do you think there is a difference between those applications?
I think there's a difference also in working. Um, if you take a sublingual one, it often, um, will be absorbed quickly, and you get two hours after, sort of, climax of effect. So that's perfect if you go somewhere, you meet people, you have to negotiate something, and you should be friendly in that moment. Well, take oxytocin before. You'll see it will work much better. Um, then there are forms that are oral, and there are, um, sometimes in a long-acting form, and those work much slower, and, and they are more persistent. So it could work in a person with a pain syndrome like fibromyalgia. But it's very difficult to get those products. And you can also take a sublingual that you would repeat. And then you have also injectables, and injectables are probably even quicker in action, uh, than the sublingual. They can be stronger, uh, but they're very uncomfortable. So it's more in cases where the sublingual won't work. There is on the market a lot of intranasal, but many studies have shown that it doesn't seem to work as well. So you are missing often the effects. You have to take much more of the spray to get some of the efficacy, but it may help people.
Yes, that's, it might be interesting to ask as well, are there any natural ways that you can stimulate your own oxytocin production?
Yes, there are. If you just meet a person, and you're able to make oxytocin, because an autistic child will not be able to, you will increase your oxytocin by meeting people. Um, if you touch a person, that person's oxytocin will increase, and yours too. If you go to a massage, for example, you will have an increase of oxytocin. And even if you sing, if you're singing, will also improve your oxytocin.
I won't see protected. It won't be beautiful. It will increase yours, but not ours.
Oh, it's fascinating. And, and it explains a lot. I mean, I think everyone would agree that a massage is a very pleasant experience. Yes. But there are women, for example, who are not very sociable. Well, their oxytocin will not increase much. So, you, it works mostly in those who already have a lot of oxytocin.
That's very interesting. And what about side effects and contraindications? Is there anything we should look for?
There's, um, one big side effect is that when you take a dose that is too high, uh, you lower your adrenal glands. The cortisol goes down, and you feel burned out, and you can be irritable, etc. So taking it too high a dose does change the hormone balance and can get adverse effects. So don't take a week on a row 40 international units, for example, like they do in some autistic children. And I'm not sure it's a good long-term treatment.
I see. Thank you for that. It's interesting. Well, thank you again, Terry. And I'm sure a lot of people watching will be really interested in this subject. And I'd like to recommend to them your book, which is called "Passion, Sex, and Long Life: The Oxytocin Adventure." And one of the great things about your books, if people aren't familiar with them, is that they're a real how-to guide. You're a very practical person, and it's not just the background, and it actually gets into detail, tells people how to take a product, what to look for. You know, I think in America they're called the "chicken soup guides." You know, it's a really nice practical thing. And your books, as I say, they follow that trait. Are you working on any new books or new subjects at the moment?
Working on a book that on how to reverse physical aging. I believe really that we have come to the time where we have very important information. It's also very practical with pictures, so you can recognize what, uh, nutritional or hormone treatment can do. Uh, and it will come out very soon. And I'm also, um, working on a, um, textbook of hormone therapy. So that will really be the, the, the big book that has everything from A to Z. Uh, uh, also the theoretical things, not only the practical things. Yes. And there will be also a book coming out on how to reverse mental aging. And, uh, we had very interesting results in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease recently, and also in reversing paralysis. So I think there will be a lot of, uh, very interesting things in, in those books.
My goodness. I don't know where you find the time, because apart from your books, you're also, uh, going to many congresses, and indeed, you have your own, uh, medical training school. And I believe you have hundreds of doctors who've taken, participated in that. And you have, uh, a meeting coming up, I believe, in, um, in November. Would you like to tell us a little bit about that?
Yeah, November, I think it's what we have in Europe as the most cutting-edge, um, um, Congress. It's called Pro-Aging Europe Congress. And basically, we give workshops where people are learn, physicians actually learn intensively how to treat, treat, uh, how to reverse aging, or how to give hormone therapy, or how to give a nutritional treatment. And then we have a session of one day Congress where you, we have a lot of the, the best speakers, and the best authorities in their domain of what is called pro-aging. We prefer the name pro-aging than anti-aging, because we're not against aging. We just want to make things much better for people who are aging. Quite.
No, fascinating. And I have attended some of your, um, congresses in the past, and they really are well worth going to. So I do advocate anyone likes to come to lovely Brussels and to enjoy themselves and to really learn something in a great deal of detail, which often isn't the case at other congresses. Uh, so do you have a website here that we could tell people where they could go and stay informed with what you're doing?
Yes, I have a website for patients called, uh, Hertog.be. And, um, and then I have a website for training for physicians, mostly, but also where the books can be, um, um, bought by the general public and the physician books, which is called HertogSchool.be.
Fantastic. Well, we'll put those up on, on the film, and I encourage everyone to go and have a good look and, uh, to come and meet you soon, just like I have today. Dr. Terry Hertog, thank you so much.
Thank you, Phil.
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