GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
DHEA, the most abundant steroid in the human body, has been dubbed the ‘mother of all
hormones’; it has many roles within the body and plays an
important role in the manufacture of the hormones
testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, and corticosterone.
The decline of DHEA with age parallels that of HGH, so by age 65, our bodies make only 10 to 20%
of what they did at age 20.
ROLE FOR ANTI-AGING:
DHEA appears to be a potent
immune system booster. Dr. Raymond
Daynes, head of the division of cell biology and immunology
at the University of Utah at Salt Lake City, found
that it rejuvenated many measurements of immune function in mice, including the production of
T-cells and other immune factors, which declines with age.
In mice with viral encephalitis, administration of DHEA was
shown to ease some symptoms, reduce the death rate, and postpone both the onsets of the
disease and death. It is well-established that older people
do not respond as well to vaccines as younger people,
however when Daynes gave old mice vaccines laced with
DHEA, their ability to mount defenses to diseases
such as hepatitis B, influenza, diphtheria, and tetanus equalled that of a young animal. According to Daynes, the animals he placed on DHEA
replacement therapy also looked “far, far healthier in their
later months.” DHEA may also be beneficial in autoimmune disease, where the body’s immune system attacks its own tissue
as through it were a foreign invader. In a clinical
trial of 57 women with the autoimmune disease system lupus erythematosus, researchers at Stanford
University Hospital found that DHEA relieved symptoms, such
as skin rashes, joint pain, headaches, and fatigue. Many also reported a higher tolerance for
exercise and better concentration. Human studies have also
found an inverse relationship between cardiovascular
mortality and DHEA levels, in that higher DHEA levels
were found to be associated with a lower incidence of death from cardiovascular disease. Both
human and animal studies have also found that
DHEA protects against arteriosclerosis, improves cardiac function, and lowers blood
pressure.
Animal studies have also revealed that DHEA
supplementation helps to reduce
inflammatory processes in the brain, this finding implies that the hormone may have a role
in protecting against neurological diseases, for example
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, whose pathology has been linked to chronic inflammation. Finally, DHEA has also been shown to
prevent fat accumulation in animal models fed a
high-fat diet, and may be of some benefit in preventing
age-related weight increase. Results of
a study published in 2002 revealed that DHEA also has potent
anti-mutagenic and anti-cancer properties. In rats fed the
breast carcinoma inducing carcinogen 7, 12-dimethylbenz (alpha) anthracene (DMBA), a daily dose
of DHEA inhibited tumor formation and reduced the incidence
of cancer.
Furthermore, in animals that did develop tumors, mean tumor volume was reduced by 92% in those
given DHEA. The same study also showed that DHEA reduced
UV-induced DNA damage by 90%. These findings suggest
that DHEA may help to prevent against chemically
and physically-induced DNA damage.
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS:
may include persisting fatigue, depression, anxiety,
hypersensitivity to noise, loss of libido, dry eyes, skin,
and hair, loss of head hair, axial (armpit) hair, and pubic
hair.
THERAPEUTIC DAILY AMOUNT:
Exact dosages have not been clearly established.
Daily dosages range from 5 to 10 mg to
as much as 2000 mg. Tablets or capsules usually contain 5,
10, 25, or 250 mg of the hormone.
MAXIMUM SAFE LEVEL: Not established SIDE EFFECTS/CONTRAINDICTIONS:
Children, adolescents, pregnant and lactating
women, and people suffering from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), cancer, and endometriosis should not take DHEA. The hormone can
interfere with dihydrotestosterone and estrogen levels and
large doses can cause liver damage. Women taking
doses in excess of 100mg per day may experience facial hair growth.
