Dhea as anti aging treatment in humans and as weight loss dietary supplements

If a fountain of youth actually existed, without question, DHEA would be the key. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is considered the ‘mother hormone’ and is responsible for such things as aging, memory, sex drive, mood, energy levels, muscle mass and weight regulation. An androgen, or male steroid hormone, DHEA is first secreted by the pituitary gland in the brain as adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH). This hormone then travels through the blood stream to the adrenal glands, located just above the kidneys, where ACTH signals the glands to convert cholesterol to DHEA. The ovaries in women and the testes in men also secrete smaller amounts of DHEA, however, by far and large, the adrenal glands produce the majority of available DHEA throughout our lifetime.

Like many of the supplements on store shelves, DHEA is a relative new discovery. It wasn’t until 1934 that the hormone was first identified. It was prescribed in Germany in conjunction with estrogen for menopausal symptoms. It was also prescribed for asthenia (a lack of energy and appetite) in the UK up until 1975. In 1985 however, after repeated “false claims” about the supplement’s health benefits, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned DHEA from the market.

One year later, Dr. Samuel Yen, a reputable endocrinologist at the University of California medical school, began the first reliable human studies on the effects of DHEA. In one such study, Dr. Yen identified a definite positive correlation between death from cardiovascular disease and low DHEA levels. In a further published study, Yen also concluded that DHEA increases strength and lean body mass, as well as decreases the overall fat percentage in men.¹

After continued media exposure and unrelenting pressure by millions of consumers who believed that dietary supplements were essential to their health and well being, on October 25, 1994, President Clinton signed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), essentially allowing many of the previously banned “herbs, or similar nutritional substances” to be sold as dietary supplements. Although DHEA still requires a prescription in some countries such as Canada, as a result of the 1994 DSHEA, the hormone is now freely sold as a dietary supplement throughout the US.

The importance of DHEA on aging was first considered in 1947 when Francis Albright, most notably remembered as the father of modern endocrinology, predicted that the secretion of androgen (the male hormone), would decline as we aged. Studies today, do in fact suggest that DHEA levels are highest in our teens and early 20s, about the time when hormones are ‘raging’, but peak around age 25, and from there, it is all down hill as they say. In fact, by age 80, DHEA production will have declined by approximately 90 percent.

Although the exact scientific workings of DHEA are quite complex, in the simplest of terms it is safe to say that depending on the body’s need, DHEA is converted into other hormones within the body, including estrogen, progesterone, cortisol and testosterone. For example, if the body needs more estrogen then DHEA will follow an ‘estrogenic pathway’ instead of an ‘androgenic pathway’ as is the case if more testosterone is required.

It has also been found that this master hormone may also convert into as many as 200 other DHEA derivatives including a promising compound called 7-Keto. Basically, this derivative has the same properties as DHEA but according to Dr. John Zenk, Chief Medical and Science Director of Humanetics Corporation in Minnesota, it doesn’t convert into estrogen or testosterone, avoiding many of the potentially harmful side effects associated with elevated levels of these hormones.

Since the ban on DHEA was lifted in 1994, there has been a lot of media-hype claiming DHEA to be a powerful anti-aging supplement. Scientists however, state this is most likely due to its positive effects on many of the diseases or conditions commonly associated with age. Research shows that individuals with higher levels of DHEA tend to live longer, healthier lives, avoiding such conditions as breast cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis and memory loss.²

In reality therefore, researchers suggest that DHEA does not directly increase longevity, but does however, decrease the incidents of disease, which in turn increases the length and quality of a person’s life.

DHEA is also available as dermal supplements and gel creams as the anti aging product.

DHEA is quickly gaining popularity as a useful supplement for pre-menopausal women. Many women, in fact 80 percent, experience menopausal symptoms such as depression, weight gain decreased sex drive and vaginal dryness to some degree. Although more research is still needed, one study does confirm that DHEA supplementation regulates certain hormones and consequentially relieves many menopausal symptoms.³ This relief however, could come at a price according to some researchers who believe that increased estrogen levels also increase the risk of breast cancer in menopausal women.⁴

A big concern for menopausal women is the risk of osteoporosis. According to research, there are two types of bone regulating cells: Osteoclasts, which dissolve old bone leaving small holes in its place and Osteoblasts, which produce new bone to fill these holes. Studies show that in order for these cells to function properly they require the hormones estrogen and progesterone (or testosterone) accordingly. The natural progesterone in DHEA is reported to stimulate new bone growth, preventing osteoporosis⁵.

DHEA has also been studied in cases of autoimmune disorders such as Lupus and HIV. In people suffering from these diseases, the antibodies basically turn on the body believing it to be a foreign substance. In the case of Lupus, studies show that DHEA may help to regulate the immune system, thwarting further attack from antibodies, ultimately reducing flare-ups and the need for medications.⁶ In studies of HIV patients DHEA was reported to increase mental function in both men and women, however further in-depth research is still required.⁷

Before the FDA banned DHEA, it was being marketed in many cases, primarily as a weight loss supplement. Today, the jury is still out; studies reporting conflicting results. Animal studies using high doses of DHEA show significant weight loss8, however these doses are also intolerable to humans according to researchers. Human studies on the other hand report no total body weight loss in either men or women, although total body fat and the LDL (bad) cholesterol was lowered.^1,8

The average dose of DHEA varies for men and women. Men can take up to 50 mg per day, while women should not take more than 25 mg per day. Research is now also recommending that if DHEA supplementation is warranted, 2-3 mg of Melatonin should also be taken to ensure there are no adverse estrogen effects such as breast cancer in women (See Melatonin). It is also important to take DHEA in the morning because that is when DHEA is naturally produced in the body and the supplement will simulate the natural hormone cycle.

DHEA research continues, and positive results continue in areas such as memory and brain function, depression, adrenal function, inflammatory bowel disease and heart disease. It is important to remember however, that DHEA is a powerful hormone and although it is no longer banned by the FDA, it also no longer regulated by it. In fact, one study found that the actual amount of DHEA contained in over the counter products ranged anywhere form 0–150 percent.

While most DHEA is produced in laboratories using diosgenin, a substance derived form Wild Mexican Yams, some products market their DHEA source as “natural DHEA”, claiming the diosgenins in their product are converted to DHEA in the body. Without laboratory intervention however, diosgenin takes several chemical reactions in order for the body to synthesizing it into DHEA. It is important therefore, when purchasing DHEA, to look for sources that state they are DHEA and not diosgenin since this is not a viable source.

It is extremely important for anyone thinking about taking DHEA to speak with a health practitioner first. Since DHEA is a very potent hormone, it also has severe side effects if used improperly. In women it can cause increased facial hair, weight gain, a deepening of the voice and hair loss, while in men, it can cause shrinkage of the testicles, high blood pressure, sexual aggressiveness and male pattern baldness. The prob,em is that DHEA can be converted by the body to testosterone under certain circumstances. Testosterone can then be converted to dihydrotestosterone, the hormone that causes pattern baldness. It is important to get DHEA levels tested before and while using the hormone and always use it while in the care of a trained health practitioner.

References:

1. Yen SSC, Morales AJ, Khorram O, “Replacement of DHEA in aging men and women: Potential remedial effects”, Ann NY Acad Sci, 1995;774:128-142.
2. Flynn MA, Weaver-Osterholtz D, Sharpe-Timms KL, Allen S, Krause G, “Dehydroepiandrosterone replacement in aging humans”, J Clin Endocrinol Metabol, 199;84(5):1527-1533.
3. Barnhart KT, Freeman E, Grisso JA, “The effect of dehydroepiandrosterone supplementation to symptomatic perimenopausal women on serum endocrine profiles, lipid parameters, and health-related quality of life”, J Clin Endocrinol Metab,1999;84:3896-3902.
4. Stoll BA, “Review:Dietary supplements of dehydroepiandrosterone in relation to breast cancer risk”, Eur J Clin Nut, 1999;53:771-775.
5. Labrie F, Diamond P, Cusan L, Gomez J-L, Belanger A, Candas B, “Effect of 12-month dehydroepiandrosterone replacement therapy on bone, vagina, and endometrium in postmenopausal women”, J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1997;82:3498-3505.
6. Van Vollenhoven RF, Morabito LM, Engleman EG, McGuire JL, “Treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus with dehydroepiandrosterone: 50 patients treated up to 12 months”, J Rheumatol,1998;25(2):285-289.
7. Piketty C, Jayle D, Leplege A, et al, “Double-blind placebo-controlled trial of oral dehydroepiandrosterone in patients with advanced HIV disease”, Clin Endocrinol (Oxf), 2001;55(3):325-30.
8. Kurzman ID, Panciera DL, Miller JB, MacEwen EG. The effect of dehydroepiandrosterone combined with a low-fat diet in spontaneously obese dogs: a clinical trial. Obes Res, 1998;6(1):20-28.
9. Williams JR, “The effects of dehydroepiandrosterone on carcinogenesis, obesity, the immune system, and aging”, Lipids. 2000;35(3):325-331.