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DHEA Supplements and The Supposed Fountain of YouthDHEA Supplements Here're some of the topics this page will cover. The links will take you to various points on the page corresponding to the topic you're interested in... • An Intro • Current Studies Involving DHEA Before I start with this, it’s important to remember that DHEA is a hormone. Providing yourself with more DHEA than you need will put your body into a hormonal imbalance resulting in physical, mental and possibly social problems any of which can be lethal. It’s important to use extreme caution when using such a supplement – you should only do so when supervised by a physician. There’s no such thing as a magic pill or supplement and DHEA is no exception (there are no exceptions!). Now that we have that info in our heads, let’s try to get an understanding of what DHEA is… DHEA (short for dehydropiandosterone) is one of the many prohormones that your body produces. A prohormone is a precursor to other hormones. In other words, your body makes other critical hormones from DHEA such as testosterone, estrogen and corticosteroids. Out of the hundreds of hormones and prohormones produce by the adrenal glands (an endocrine organ that literally rests on top of each kidney), DHEA is the most abundant. Once released, DHEA travels through the bloodstream and localizes to tissues that present a need for the prohormone (such as the prostate or ovum). A minute amount of DHEA is also made by nerves in the brain, so DHEA supplementats may also have effects on brain function. Unfortunately, as with all other hormonal supplements, DHEA has been hyped up beyond belief and has become popular among bodybuilders and recreational weight lifters. You’ll even read on bodybuilding websites that it’s safe, along with all other types of testosterone or hormone-boosting supplements. The fact is that they’re also trying to sell you the product – they want you to click on their affiliate links to generate income and fatten their own wallets. In this case, there’re obviously no side effects. Companies claim that DHEA can “supercharge” your hormonal system to help build muscle, burn fat, reduce your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other age-related disorders. This is just a nice way to say “hormonal imbalance” that can have serious side effects. DHEA has been unrightfully celebrated as a sort of “fountain of youth”. I actually find it kind of amusing as to how this came about. Basically, it was found that as one ages, the level of DHEA in the blood gradually decreases. Therefore, DHEA must be related to the effects of aging. It would seem natural to believe that DHEA supplements would reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, wrinkles, mounting debt, having grandchildren and the progression of time. Einstein may of discovered the fourth dimension and the relationship between space and time, but remember, he never came up with the time machine! I know I’m poking a little fun at it, but it’s just like saying that the increasing height of a child increases his or her risk of getting a job. The point I’m trying to make here is that things happen naturally when we age. What about inactivity? Doesn’t this correspond with obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease? As we age, we also become more sessile individuals – this is because our bodies become tired! The aorta (the large artery coming directly out of the heart) becomes less elastic, meaning increasing blood pressure leading to hypertension. Your cartilage cushioning your bones deteriorate, making certain movements more painful (arthritis). Immune function decreases because the thymus, which produces all of your T cells when you’re young, deteriorates before we’ve reached the age of 20. There’re tons of reasons why we age – there’s no single pill or supplement that will reverse this natural progression of time and how it relates to bodily function. When you start messing with hormones, your body does not know how to respond. There are side effects to taking DHEA – is it really worth it to you? Granted there are medical studies out there looking for ways to use the hormone in the treatment of certain conditions such as adrenal insufficiency and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). But, taking DHEA as a hormonal supplement with the prospect of feeling or looking younger and stronger is definitely not recommended at this time. Let’s say you’re man supplementing DHEA to help yourself build muscle (by increasing your levels of testosterone). The increased level of sex hormone in your body can result in acne, increased male breast size, decreased sperm count, agitation (as in “roid rage”), hair loss, promotion of tumor growth (a.k.a. cancer) along with a heightened risk of prostate cancer. But, after all, you’re building about 5% more muscle than you would without the supplement, so it must be worth it! What happens when you stop taking DHEA? Well, your body will become accustomed to being given the hormone. In other words, your hormone-seeking tissues will be expecting to see DHEA at certain times in the day (depending on when you take the supplements). So, in essence, what’s the point of your body wasting energy to make DHEA when it already gets enough in your supplements? Your body is adapted to survival and no energy is wasted. There’s no reason for your body to produce DHEA when you’re taking supplements – so your adrenal glands and nerves stop producing the prohormone. Remember that DHEA is a precursor to other hormones? When you stop taking DHEA, what do you think happens to the hormones it produces (testosterone, progesterone, aldosterone, estrogen, and so on)? That’s right, it drops significantly. This is never a good thing. The fact is that there’re very few studies that show any sort of improvement after supplementing with DHEA. The potential for serious problems seriously hinders any potential progress. It’s simply not worth the risk! If you already have normal levels of DHEA and start supplementing, expect to see some problems. Some of these include… • Heart palpitations and arrhythmia: potentially lethal • Increased risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer • Extensive acne due to the increased dosage of androgens (sex hormones) • Possible dermatitis of the scalp • Frequent agitation (as in “roid rage”) or sleepless nights • Irregular menstrual cycles • Hair loss (due to the increase in dihydrotestosterone in the hair follicles) These are typical side effects to taking daily DHEA supplements, especially in large doses in excess of 10mg per day. When people stop taking the supplement, the side effects cease. When they start taking the supplement again, the side effects reappear. You may head into the supplements factory and find bottles of 7-keto DHEA, regular DHEA, or pregnenalone (which has similar functions as DHEA). You’re going to see bottles of 10, 25, 50, 100 and even 200 mg DHEA tablets. I simply can’t fathom the ignorance of this – people need to understand that too much is simply too much! I don’t care what any drug company, doctor, sports nutritionist or any other professional says – taking high doses of DHEA is not safe and will result in adverse side effects if you take them for more than a week or two and already have normal levels of DHEA. More is not better! DHEA supplements may have some potential to being helpful for a training program when used properly. However, this doesn’t sell the bottles of DHEA for the dietary supplement company. They want you to believe that more is always better when, in fact, this is almost never the case. Overdosing and misuse of delicate items like DHEA supplements is a major cause for concern in society – misleading information can lead to serious illness. Be careful where you get your information from! If you do end up taking any over-the-counter DHEA supplements, even though it’s potentially dangerous, limit it to 5mg per day on occasion! Do not exceed this amount. Any more than that and you will see some of the dangerous side effects I’ve mentioned. With this in mind, chop up your DHEA tablets into smaller chunks (preferably 5mg or less) since most companies don’t supply 5mg tablets. Are There Any Benefits to Taking DHEA Yes, and most of these are medical benefits. For example, individuals with adrenal insufficiency that have low-levels of DHEA in their blood might have a DHEA supplement program in their future. But remember, this is prescribed and monitored by a physician only Here’re some of the ways that DHEA can help an individual who is clinically deficient in the hormone... • Increased libido • Improved mood • Improved sleep • May improve symptoms of depression Other supposed benefits of DHEA supplements such as increased muscle mass, fat burning capacity and strength, in the addition of being safe, are doubtful. There isn’t any research out there concluding that DHEA supplements show the wanted benefits of strength training along with being safe. The evidence just isn’t there. I’d recommend staying away from it unless you’re advised by a physician. Current Studies Involving DHEA There’re many potential uses for DHEA in a clinical setting…here’re some of the studies that are being conducted. Obesity There’s been an apparent correlation with decreased DHEA levels and obesity in both rats and double-blind studies. In short, they gave a group of individuals a placebo (like a vitamin pill or sugar pill), gave DHEA to another group and watched them for results. After a period of 3 or 6 months, a decrease in android fat (fat located around the abdomen) was observed. It turns out that more android fat is also related to insulin insensitivity which is one of the causes of type 2 diabetes. There’s some potential here, but the results are not conclusive. Stick with the good ole balanced diet and exercise and you’ll be fine! Menopause The cause of menopause is hormonal imbalance that results when a woman stops her menstrual cycles. Small studies indicate that supplementing with DHEA may ease some of these symptoms. The problem is that it’ll also cause imbalances of other hormones not directly related to menopause that can result in other problems. Again, the jury is still out on this stuff. Depression In comparison to a placebo, some symptoms of depression may be alleviated with a DHEA supplement. In fact, only about half of the subjects given DHEA to alleviate depression saw any results. Again, more research is needed to determine the long-term effects of DHEA supplementation. This is the main problem we’re facing with this hormone at the present time – we don’t know the long term effects! Osteoporosis There really isn’t much of a result here, except that DHEA didn’t do anything for bone density in normal adults. It’s not really known yet what DHEA supplements can do for older women who already have bone density problems. What I mean is, the prospect of preventing osteoporosis is doubtful while helping those who already have bone density problems is slightly more promising. Some research, however, indicates an increased bone mass and density for women with SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) when taking DHEA supplements. SLE is an autoimmune disease in which your own immune cells attack connective tissues. There’s actually an experimental drug called Prastera, which is a synthetic version of DHEA, that’s sometimes used on SLE patients to help maintain bone mineral composition. This one actually does have some potential. But remember, these types of DHEA supplements are prescribed and monitored by your physician only. Fibromyalgia This is a disease characterized by general fatigue, mild depression, muscle weakness and painful joints. The general consensus is to just administer pain medications and antidepressants as there’s no real drug specifically targeted towards this disorder. Sexual Dysfunction These are simply inconclusive. There aren’t any relevant studies out there to give us much hope on DHEA being helpful for any sort of sexual dysfunction. A Recommendation Regarding DHEA Supplements Look for other ways to improve your health, such as managing your diet and exercising. If you have other problems that you wish to alleviate such as a decrease in libido, concentration, symptoms of depression or anything else, consult with your physician to come up with the correct supplement. Don’t allow drug companies to mislead you into thinking you need DHEA when you don’t. Be smart about what you put into your body! DHEA supplements are not the answer. Return from DHEA Supplements to Muscle Building Supplements Return from DHEA Supplements to the Smart Strength Training Homepage
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