Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) – a powerful arrow in your longevity arsenal

Hormones are communication molecules that allow parts of the body to communicate and regulate other parts of the body. If a hormone is a little bit like an old-fashioned letter in an envelope that a controlling part of the body sends to other parts of the body, this hormone will enter post-boxes (receptor proteins).These receptor proteins will open the letter, read the instruction, and effect a response to the command. To communicate, the body requires a steady supply of “envelopes” to send messages! If you have a shortage of the things needed to make hormones, you will have reduced communication in your body.

Much of the body is controlled via steroid hormones. Steroid hormones consist of a backbone of 17 carbon atoms arranged in four rings. This foundation can have different bits and pieces attached to it – and this will determine where it bonds and what effects it has. 

Steroidogenesis refers to the body synthesizing steroid hormones. Typically, this starts with a sterol such as cholesterol. Many factors can compromise our ability to produce steroid hormones – with mineral and vitamin deficiency being the more common causes – as well as low cholesterol levels. There is a lot of unproven science applied to cholesterol management, and much of this has an impact on steroid hormone synthesis due to it reducing the availability of cholesterol. 

To help our hormone systems function optimally some researchers and medical practitioners have advocated using an alternative to cholesterol to increase the available steroid hormone building blocks. In this regard, the molecule Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) has a proven track record.

DHEA is naturally present in the body. It has the highest concentration of all steroid hormones in the human body (Nenezic et al., 2023). Optimal levels of DHEA are linked to good health and lower levels to poor health. So, if your body has low levels of DHEA, its ability to send messages to different parts of you is compromised, and the result is you will operate at a lower level of efficiency. 

DHEA is present at very high levels in teenagers and young adults, and tapers in concentration on a curve as we get older. This taper leads to reduced hormonal integrity of the human body, which can have significant impacts on everything ranging from the rate of hair growth to libido, to the ability to gain muscle mass, have kids, and so on.

DHEA supplements are simple and easy to take. There are several different reasons different people may choose to take a DHEA supplement to enhance their quality and quantity of life.

DHEA and Sex Hormones

One of the more common reasons people take DHEA is to provide building blocks for sex hormones. All of us have a taper in our sex hormones with time. In women, menopause sees a major hormonal upheaval, and this can result in several complications around libido and feelings of well-being, in addition to impacting strength, bone density, and many other factors. DHEA has been explored as a supplement to reduce many of these complications, and evidence is beginning to emerge that DHEA supplements can help reverse or reduce many of the symptoms of menopause (Rabijewski et al., 2020). 

In males, low testosterone levels can cause many issues in a man’s life. Several supplements have been found useful in increasing blood testosterone levels, with two of these now having been banned for over-the-counter sales. The third, DHEA is still readily available as an over-the-counter supplement. Low testosterone levels are associated with an increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes – as well as low libido and difficulty gaining muscle mass (Kovac et al., 2016). 

Currently, research has not confirmed with absolute certainty that DHEA supplementation can increase testosterone levels reliably, and if you do suffer from low testosterone, it would be wise to have full blood tests done and then have your doctor review testosterone supplementation options.

For both men and women, as much as a bit of internet searching can assist in finding information, it is well worth consulting a medical doctor before resorting to taking DHEA supplements. In this way, you can make sure that the levels of hormones you plan to achieve, and the reasons for achieving them, are attainable and sustainable.

DHEA and muscle mass gain in the elderly

Conclusive research has proven that 50 mg/day of DHEA, together with exercise, significantly improves muscle mass and quality in the elderly. In this regard, there appears to be a significant benefit in supplementation with DHEA if you are classified as elderly (Villareal & Holloszy, 2006). 

DHEA and Diabetes 

Diabetes can be an extremely serious condition – anecdotal accounts of the positive impacts of DHEA on blood sugar are found on the internet. Scientific studies, however, require significantly more rigorous analysis of large sample sets of animals, and then humans, to ascertain if there is any merit to these anecdotes. Currently, these are being tested for veracity in the laboratory (Aoki & Terauchi, 2018). Exercise is generally a good thing, and if DHEA benefits muscle mass gain through exercise, this can have an impact on the amount of sugar your body will use. Exercise and efficient blood sugar management, together with DHEA supplementation to assist muscle gain from exercise, may assist in additional blood sugar management – but until this is proven, it will remain an anecdotal observation.

DHEA and the Nervous system

There is definite proof that DHEA has some beneficial impacts on the brain and nervous system in the concentrations one would expect if you took 100 mg a day. Many different benefits have been shown to exist in rats, with improvement in nerve healing after injury, nerve stability, and health. However, large doses of DHEA appeared to have the reverse effect – in this regard, sticking to the dose recommendation on the bottle is quite important. It is important to have the right amount of a good thing – but not too much! 

There is significant research in animal models, and some initial green shoot research in humans showing that in aging, DHEA can help reduce the incidence of cognitive decline (Rachi et al., 2003). Despite this, there is currently inconclusive evidence that in a healthy individual DHEA supplementation to increase DHEA levels to “optimum” levels can protect against various neurological syndromes and psychiatric issues (Maninger et al., 2009). With any system as complex as the human brain, understanding the mechanisms of action and protection of DHEA in the brain will probably require a lot more research before we know when and how it works.

In Conclusion

Published data shows many benefits and many gray areas where there are purported benefits to taking DHEA. Taking a 100 mg-a-day supplement may unlock many of these benefits. Taking more than 100 mg a day is not advisable as there are several places where too much of this supplement could reverse the gains achieved through taking the correct dose.

Here at Pristine’s, we care about your health. Therefore, Pristine’s recommends that you consult with your doctor before embarking on any significant alterations in your eating habits, nutritional supplement intake, or exercise routine. Our blogs are not able, nor intended, to substitute for professional, personalized medical advice. We ask that you discuss any points of interest raised in these blogs with a trusted medical professional.

We wish you optimal longevity and health.

References

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