Nutrimed Labs: DHEA "Mother of All Hormones" Do You Need It?

One of the most important markers of aging, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a hormone produced primarily by the adrenal glands and to some degree by the gonads, is dubbed "The mother of all hormones" because the body uses it to produce corticosterone and the male and female sex hormones testosterone, estrogen and progesterone. DHEA levels peak around age 25, then gradually decline. By age 60, DHEA levels are 1/3 (or less) of those in young adults.(2)

This decrease in DHEA has been associated with age related diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer's, cardiovascular disease and cancer as well as age-related conditions such as the tendency to gain weight, gradually increasing proportion of body fat and a general weakening of the immune system. Not only aging, but stress and infection may reduce DHEA levels in the body.(l) DHEA levels tend to be higher in healthy individuals than in unhealthy individuals of the same age.(1,8)

Since low levels of DHEA are associated with age and ill health, it seems logical that restoring DHEA levels could help restore a biological condition of youth and health. Animal experiments and human clinical trials have shown supplemental DHEA to be beneficial in a number of conditions where DHEA levels are reduced.

DHEA and the Brain
Although many claims have been made for DHEA, one of the most significant results in human studies is that people report a remarkable increase in feelings of physical and psychological well-being.(2,3,7) DHEA levels decrease in response to stress (or inability to cope with stress) as levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) rise. Increased cortisol can cause brain damage in animals. Low DHEA in the aging brain may predispose it to damage or allow normal concentrations of cortisol to act as a neurotoxic agent.(2) Low DHEA/cortisol ratios have been recorded in patients with anorexia nervosa, surgical stress, patients treated with cytotoxic chemotherapy and in depressed patients.

Brain tissue contains five to six times more DHEA than any other tissue in the body. Alzheimer's patients have an overwhelming 48% less DHEA in their blood than matched controls of the same age group.(1) Experimentally, some forms of memory have shown improvement with DHEA supplementation. Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep has been implicated in memory storage. With a single dose of 500 mg. of DHEA given to 10 healthy young men, REM sleep and EEG activity in the sigma frequency range during REM sleep increased significantly. (10)

Body Fat and Muscle
In both animal and human studies, supplemental DHEA appears to have the effect of reducing body fat and increasing muscle mass, without calorie restriction. Various studies have shown low levels of DHEA to be associated with obesity. In both animal and human studies, DHEA has reduced body fat, with or without weight loss. Like thyroid hormones, DHEA seems to enhance thermogenesis and declining metabolic efficacy. Because of its ability to increase enzymes necessary for fat metabolism and block enzymes responsible for fat storage, it seems to shift metabolism from producing fat to creating muscle and energy.(1,4) It also tends to increase sensitivity to thyroid hormone (low serum DHEA sulfate levels were recorded in patients with hypo-thyroidism). (1,4)

Diabetes and Insulin Resistance
While around 10% of diabetics do not produce sufficient insulin, the other 90% are insulin resistant. They produce a normal, or even a high amount of insulin, but are unable to use it efficiently. High amounts of unused insulin in the body can reduce DHEA levels which in turn may contribute to the cardiovascular problems and tendency toward overweight, typical of diabetics, particularly when the condition occurs late in life. In both insulin-resistant mice and normal aging mice, DHEA seems to increase sensitivity to insulin. Some physicians report that DHEA supplements increase insulin sensitivity and reduces the need for insulin in humans.(1,4)

Cardiovascular Disease
DHEA levels are an accurate indicator of arterial blockage, LDL cholesterol levels, hypertension and other risk factors associated with heart disease. In a study that extended over nearly 20 years, DHEA sulfate levels were found to be far lower in men who died of coronary heart disease than in healthier men. Clinical studies on DHEA show that supplemental DHEA can lower total serum cholesterol, particularly LDL cholesterol, by an average of 18% even without lifestyle modification.(l) This protective function of DHEA may be due, in part, to its ability to inhibit G6PD. When DHEA levels fall, the enzyme system accelerates, increasing production of both fatty acids and cholesterol.(5)

Immune Function
DHEA appears to stimulate T-cell proliferation and interleukin-II synthesis. In animals, DHEA has been reported to protect against cancer and viral infection, enhance the effectiveness of vaccines and improve thymic function. As an effective indicator of immune function DHEA can be used to predict disease and disease progression. In a study of 5,000 women, those who developed breast cancer had subnormal urinary excretion of DHEA metabolites as long as nine years prior to the development of the disease, and the highest risk of cancer was linked with the lowest levels of DHEA. (5) In patients infected with HIV, AIDS does not develop until DHEA levels begin to fall. (5,6) Many researchers feel that, since DHEA levels can predict disease and disease progression, supplemental DHEA could prevent disease and disease progression.

In a human trial, ten patients with mild to moderate systemic lupus erythematosus (and various other diseases) were treated with 200 mg. per day orally of DHEA sulfate for three to six months. After treatment, indices for overall systemic lupus erythematosus activity were improved and corticosteroid requirements were decreased. Of three patients with significant proteinuria, two showed marked reduction and one showed modest reduction in protein excretion.(9)

Menopause and Osteoporosis
Low DHEA levels are associated with menopause and subsequent reduced bone mass in women. When ovarian production of DHEA slows down during menopause, the adrenal glands may not adequately take over. The resulting DHEA deficiency may be why osteoporosis afflicts so many women after menopause. One study showed the average plasma level (ng/100 ml) of DHEA in premenopausal women to be 547, in postmenopausal women 197, and only 126 in women whose ovaries had been surgically removed. The lower a woman's DHEA level, the lower her bone density and the higher her risk for osteoporosis. DHEA may improve osteoporosis by increasing resorption and formation of bone and by increasing estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.(1)

Supplementing with DHEA
The typical blood level of DHEA in a 20-year-old ranges from 300-500 mcg/dl.(1) Recommended dosage is generally 5 to 50 mg. daily for women and 25 to 100 mg. daily for men.(3) Mexican wild yam has been sold and touted by some sellers as a precursor for the production of DHEA. Much controversy exists as to whether it will increase DHEA levels in the body. Therefore, it is suggested that pharmaceutical grade DHEA be used. Although DHEA appears to protect against cancer, it is generally not recommended for use by persons who have prostate or breast cancer since these have been associated with high levels of testosterone and estrogen.

Synergistic Antioxidants
Proanthocyanidins: Research on proanthocyanidins (from both grape seed and maritime pine bark) has indicated that they are 50 times more effective than vitamin E and 20 times more effective than vitamin C in scavenging free radicals.

Ginkgo Biloba: Ginkgo biloba extract has demonstrated remarkable effects on circulatory and nervous system functions, including enhanced energy.

Green Tea Extract: Green tea consumption may inhibit the formation of nitrosamines during a meal and inhibit mutagenesis and carcinogenesis by chemopreventive actions in humans.

1. Klatz, R. and Goldman, R., DHEA, Stopping the Clock, Keats Publishing, New Canaan, CT, 1996.
2. Herbert, J., et al, "The Age of Dehydroepiandrosterone," The Lancet, May 13, 1995;345:1193-1194.
3. Mindell, E., "DHEA: The Hormone for Well-Being, The Minded Letter, December, 1995.
4. Whitaker, J., "Obesity and Diabetes," Health & Healing, Vol. 2, No. 11, Oct., 1992;
5. Whitaker, J., "Be Good to Your Mother (Hormone, That Is)," Health & Healing, Vol. 4 No. 1, Feb., 1994.
6. Mulder, J., et al, " Dehydroepiandrosterone as Predictor for Progression to AIDS in Asymptomatic Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type I Infected Menage Journal of Immunodeficiency, 1992;165:413-418.
7. Morales, A., et al, "Effects of Replacement Dose of Dehydroepiandrosterone in Men and Women of Advancing Agent Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 1994;78:1360-1367.
8. Birkenhager-Gillesse, E., et al, "Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate (DHEAS) in the Oldest Old, Aged 85 and Over," New York Academy of Sciences, 1994;543-552.
9. VanVollenhoven, R. "An Open Study of Dehydroepiandrosterone in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus," Arthritis and Rheumatism, September, 1994;37(9):1305-1310.
10.Freiss, E., et al, "DHEA Administration Increases Rapid Eye Movement Sleep and EEG Power and Sigma Frequency Range, n American Journal of Physiology, 1995;268:E107-E113.