“DHEA gives you energy and makes you feel stronger, more focused, and even happier. These benefits at this point are already well documented.”
Dr. Regelson
Author of The Super-Hormone Promise
DHEA is a “precursor” hormone – that is, it is the mother hormone that the body can convert into over 50 essential hormones, including testosterone, estrogen, progesterone and cortisone to name a few. DHEA levels plummet as much as 80% as we age.
In the introductory remarks in the book The Biologic Role of DHEA the authors state “ DHEA modulates diabetes, obesity, carcinogenesis, tumor growth, neurite outgrowth, virus and bacterial infection, stress, hypertension, collagen and skin integrity, fatigue, depression, memory and immune responses.
DHEA Key Benefits Summary:
Low DHEA Levels Can Predict Coronary Heart Disease
DHEA Improves Bone Health
Helps the Midlife Onset of Depression
Tames Stress & Enhances Immunity
Cancer Fighter & Protector
DHEA and Diabetes Protection – the Insulin connection
Can help with Weight Loss as we age
Can help Build Muscle Mass
Below you will find the main benefits of DHEA, along with its supporting research:
Low DHEA Levels Can Predict Coronary Heart Disease
According to a study published in the October Issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, low DHEA levels seem to predict an increased risk of Coronary Heart Disease.
According to Professor Claes Ohlsson, "While the study establishes a clear correlation between DHEA in the blood and coronary heart disease, the discovery does not indicate whether or not treatment with DHEA will reduce the risk in individual patients." MORE>
DHEA Increases Sex Drive & Helps with Hot Flashes
A small-scale study from the University of Pisa in Italy shows that DHEA may help as an alternative to traditional Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for women who are effected by menopause. This study concluded that DHEA in small does can elevate sexual interest and help reduce the hot flashes that are so common among menopausal women.
According to lead author, Andrea Genazzani, "This is the first time that a controlled trial has shown that low doses of the hormone DHEA may be able to help women deal better with menopausal symptoms, as well as helping their sex life. The work shows that DHEA has potential, especially for those women who may have problems in taking more conventional HRT. But this is a small study, a proof of concept. What we need to do now is to look at a larger study, to confirm that these initial results are valid". MORE>
DHEA Supplementation Improves Bone Health
Higher DHEA Levels appear to be linked to higher bone density. Edocrine Today in June 2009 reported that Edward Weiss Phd associate professor of nutrition and dietics at Doisy College of Health Sciences at Saint Louis University reported that “Our data provide compelling evidence to suggest that older women with osteoporosis or those at high risk for developing osteoporosis should discuss with their physicians the possibility of taking a 50-mg per day DHEA supplement to improve bone health,
DHEA Supplements Appear Effective in Treatment of Midlife Onset Depression
The over-the-counter hormonal therapy known as DHEA may be an effective treatment of midlife-onset minor and major depression, according to a study in the February issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), an adrenal androgen and neurosteroid is available as a supplement in the U.S.
DHEA has been previously reported to have antidepressant-like effects. ( also see DHEA & depression )
The current study was designed to evaluate DHEA as a treatment for depression with a midlife onset. In conclusion of the study,the authors wrote, "At present, there are no predictors of response, and with a 50 percent response rate one would obviously select more reliable first-line treatments for this condition. However, in the 50 percent of depressed outpatients who do not respond to first-line antidepressant treatment, or in those unwilling to take traditional antidepressants, DHEA may have a useful role in the treatment of mild to moderately severe midlife-onset major and minor depression."
Despite all the info on the benefits of DHEA for women and men; it is important to note that there are some Dhea dangers that you should be aware off. Also we do not recommend taking over 25mg a day unless closely monitoring your DHEA blood levels on a regular basis. (see DHEA dosage levels )The latest research seems to show that to maximize your benefits from dhea and other hormones, it is best to take small doses of several natural hormones. This is mainly because hormones interact with each other, and if you are only boosting one this may effect your production of other hormones.
DHEA Tames Stress & Enhances Immunity
People who take DHEA often talk about being better able to handle stress, feeling calmer and having a better outlook on life.
As levels of DHEA decline in the body, we begin to suffer the damaging effects of stress hormones. Regelson in his book the Super-Hormone Promise, states that “ DHEA has an inverse relationship with stress hormones – meaning that as levels of stress hormones rise, levels of DHEA drop….When young people are under extreme or chronic stress, their DHEA levels tend to plummet to levels much like those of older people!” Interestingly enough their thymus gland also shrinks and looks like the thymus of an older person.
When we are under stress our adrenal glands produce corticosteroids, chemicals that pump the body up for action. As DHEA declines with age you are losing the buffer against the stress-related hormones.
DHEA may bolster our body's ability to fight disease and may have some unique disease fighting abilities of its own.
DHEA as Cancer Fighter & Protector
Cancer is very much a disease of aging; it is no coincidence that cancer usually strikes when we are older. Some scientists now believe that a person's risk of cancer may be correlated with the level of DHEA or DHEA-S, which is the form of DHEA that is found in the bloodstream. An interesting study done by Dr. Daynes showed that when he implanted cancerous tumors into elderly mice with high DHEA, they were actually able to fend off the cancer. Other cancer studies have shown that women with breast cancer and ovarian cancer have extremely low levels of DHEA. MORE>
DHEA and Diabetes Protection – the Insulin connection
In a recent study, diabetics who had taken DHEA had 50% less oxidative stress and glycation and significantly more antioxidants in the blood, including 35% more glutathione and 76% more vitamin E. The placebo group had no significant changes. Study authors concluded that DHEA might prevent cell damage from high blood sugar and counteract the complications in type 2 diabetes. MORE>
DHEA & Weight Loss
A number of animal studies and several human studies have shown that DHEA has positive effects on lipid levels and body fat content; especially around the abdominal region. DHEA also protects against insulin resistance another contributing factor to gaining weight. MORE>
Helps Improve Muscle Mass
Sports organizations like the NCAA have added DHEA supplements to their banned list, which seems unecesaary as it is not a synthetic steroid or performance ehancer in the normal sense. DHEA is a precursor homrmone that the body can covert into progesterone and testosterone to name a few. Several studies have tested the effects of DHEA on building muscle mass and have had mixed results. A more recent study has shown that the effects of DHEA on muscle mass work best if people have a regular work out regimen, similar results have been shown with hgh releasers as they also work best when you exercise regularly.
The Anti Aging Effects of DHEA
DHEA levels are directly related to the probability of dying in humans and is therefore considered the main anti aging hormone.
Like most hormones the body secretes or produces much less as we age. In the case of DHEA by the time we reach 70 to 80, levels have plummeted by 80% in men and approximately 70% in women.
Dr. Ronald Klatz in his book Stopping The Clock mentioned that “studies have shown that DHEA prolongs life expectancy up to an amazing 50% in laboratory animals. If animal results hold true in humans, then supplemental DHEA may prevent disease, reduce mortality, and extend life span. MORE>
Despite all the above benefits; it is important to note that there are some potential side effects that you should be aware of. Almost all the potential risks are eliminated if you take a proper dosage of DHEA. We do not recommend taking over 25mg of Micronized DHEA a day; unless closely monitoring your blood levels on a regular basis.
