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NEWS AND ARTICLRS News Drug Info |
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DHEA for weight loss: miracle drug or unproven experiment? In a study exploring DHEA-replacement therapy as a weight loss technique, researchers gave test animals large doses of both DHEA and the drug fenfluramine. According to Dr. Ray Sahelian's DHEA: A Practical Guide, "Even a hot fudge sundae with fresh bananas and dark chocolate syrup couldn't get [the test animals] interested." If you're like most sweet-toothed adults, you probably can't imagine not being interested in a hot fudge sundae. You're probably thinking, "There's something that can make me not interested in a hot fudge sundae? Give me some of that!" But if your taste buds haven't entirely taken over your mind, you might also be asking whether animals would normally be interested in a hot fudge sundae. Unlike the researchers, you might conclude that the animals' lack of interest in ice cream doesn't necessarily prove there are weight-loss properties in DHEA and fenfluramine. If you have come to the conclusion above, you have also inadvertently realized the problem that is inherent in most DHEA-replacement therapy research. Scientists performed most of this research on animals, and what works for animals may not work for people. This leads to an obvious discrepancy between results from animal-based and human-based DHEA studies. As Dr. Sahelian writes, "[A study] done at the University of Rochester in New York evaluated the administration of 1,600 milligrams of DHEA for four weeks to eight healthy men. The researchers did not find that this steroid had much of an influence on weight loss or energy and protein metabolism. Epidemiological studies also do not support the theory, as had been proposed based on animal studies, that high serum DHEA(S) levels protected against obesity and diabetes." It is important to note that even human DHEA studies frequently contradict each other. In PDR for Nutritional Supplements, Sheldon Saul Hendle and David Rorvik wrote, "A report in 1988 that high-dose DHEA could favorably affect lipids and induce weight loss in young males was not confirmed in two subsequent trials. In another trial, using the same 1,600-milligrams daily dosage of DHEA used in the 1988 study but this time in women, there was, again, no weight loss." Contrary to the findings of the University of Rochester-based study, however, in a Temple University-based study, DHEA-supplements enabled adult men to lose 31 percent of mean body fat, as cited in Joseph B. Marion's Anti-Aging Manual. Furthermore, Marion writes that a Temple University researcher, "…reported that DHEA can help a person lose weight by blocking an enzyme known to produce fat tissue." Although the results of human-based and animal-based studies differ for obvious reasons, how can these equally reputable, human-based studies be so contradictory? Perhaps the discrepancy can be attributed to the questions posed by the researchers, rather than the resulting answers. Researchers who specifically try to label DHEA as a diet pill will be unable to do so. Contrary to what the pharmaceutical companies formulating DHEA supplements as a prescription drug would like you to believe, DHEA supplements are not diet pills. DHEA is not a "quick-fix" cure to obesity. In order for you to grasp how DHEA supplements sometimes promote weight loss, you must first understand the role of DHEA in the human body. DHEA, or Dehydroepiandrosterone, is an important steroid hormone made in the adrenal glands from cholesterol. DHEA levels decline with age. As Marion's Anti-Aging Manual details, "DHEA levels are known to fall precipitously with age, falling 90 percent from ages 20 to 90. DHEA is like the hub of a wheel and is the central hormone that is a precursor to the numerous sex hormones (including estrogen and testosterone)." In other words, if your DHEA levels are falling -- if the hub of your hormone balance is breaking -- then your body will feel and show the effects. The symptoms that postmenopausal women know all too well, for example, result from these decreased levels of hormones, including that of DHEA. If you know anything about middle-age weight gain, it should come to no surprise that "body mass index (BMI), a measurement of obesity, was higher in those with low DHEA-S levels," according to Life Extension Foundation's Disease Prevention and Treatment. With this in mind similarly, the fact that DHEA sometimes aids in weight loss should also come as no surprise. If you're wondering why DHEA isn't 100 percent effective in combating weight loss, ask yourself this: Are any young adults, who presumably have high DHEA levels, obese? The answer is: Yes, of course. Obviously, there are multiple paths to obesity, and DHEA supplementation only helps reverse obesity when that obesity is caused by a DHEA deficiency -- which rarely occurs in the young. At any age, however, you can still lose body fat safely and naturally, without the use of DHEA supplements. Pursuing a healthy lifestyle, including following a healthy diet and exercising regularly, is a sure way to lose body fat. It's not a magic pill, but it works. The experts speak on DHEA and weight loss A landmark study of 242 men, 50-79 years old, based on 12 years
of research, stated that a small supplementation of DHEA (100 mcg/ml)
corresponded to a 48% reduction in death from heart disease and
a 36% reduction in death from any cause (other than accidents).
A Temple University medical researcher reported that DHEA can help
a person lose weight by blocking an enzyme known to produce fat
tissue. In one study, DHEA supplementation enabled men to lose
31% of mean body fat with no change in body weight in 28 days.
Another study, involving 16 middle-aged to elderly men, showed
that taking DHEA for one year led to a 75% increase in their sense
of well-being—they coped better with stress, felt more physically
mobile, and slept better. DHEA is a precursor to both estrogen and testosterone. It has
been proposed as a treatment for heart disease, diabetes, high
cholesterol, obesity, Alzheimer's disease, memory loss, fatigue,
osteoporosis, and HIV. Besides helping to maintain proper neurological function, DHEA
appears to have a very broad range of positive effects. It is widely
believed that DHEA slows the biological symptoms of aging, and
helps protect the body from cancer, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis,
obesity, viral and bacterial infection, and hypertension. Therefore
it is understandable that many researchers regard DHEA as a "wonder
drug." Whenever doctors talk about the safety of a medicine they separate
it into short-term safety over a few days or weeks, and long-term
safety over months and years of use. Dr. Nestler, a researcher
at the Medical College of Virginia/ Virginia Commonwealth University
in Richmond, gave 1600 mg of DHEA a day for 4 weeks to healthy
young men without any serious side effects. At this dosage there
was a lowering of cholesterol and a decrease in body fat, with
a greater response in obese individuals. Most DHEA supplements
on the market are less than 50 mg. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a steroid hormone chemically
related to testosterone and estrogen. It is made by the adrenal
glands from cholesterol. DHEA levels in the human body peak in
the mid-20s and steadily decline beginning about the mid-30s. Researchers
have studied the actions of DHEA for over 20 years and have found
that it may have beneficial implications in many areas, such as
improving immunity; reducing meno-pausal symptoms; preventing cancer,
heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, and chronic inflammation; improving
longevity; and aiding weight loss. DHEA should only be taken under
the supervision of a physician who can monitor blood levels of
steroids and cholesterol and existing health conditions. DHEA is
contraindicated in both men and women who have hormone-related
cancer. In fact, the benefits of DHEA supplementation may extend well
beyond an anti-aging effect. Over the last decade, a number of
studies have demonstrated that declining levels of DHEA are linked
to such conditions as diabetes, obesity, elevated cholesterol levels,
heart disease, arthritis, and autoimmune diseases. In addition,
DHEA shows promise in enhancing memory and improving mental function
in the elderly as well as increasing muscle strength and lean body
mass, activating immune function, and enhancing the quality of
life in aging men and women. Further research will be required
to determine whether DHEA supplementation will be a useful therapy
in all of these conditions. Several experimental studies have suggested that 7-oxo-DHEA might
enhance thermogenesis. Some researchers have concluded that it
is a more effective inducer of thermogenic enzymes than its parent
steroid, DHEA. In large doses, DHEA has been shown to induce weight
loss in genetically obese and in some normal animals without affecting
food intake, but similar effects in humans have not been reliably
confirmed. Similarly, there is no credible evidence that 7-oxo-DHEA
significantly decreases weight or increases lean muscle mass in
humans. Another disease frequently associated with aging is mature-onset
diabetes. Here, too, DHEA may be an effective preventive treatment.
Dr. Nestler, of the Medical College of Virginia at Richmond, hypothesized
that the age-related decrease in DHEA and DHEA-S levels may be
attributed to the typical age-related rise in insulin levels in
the human body. This rise in insulin is a significant phenomenon
on its own, as it can lead to obesity, hypertension and most commonly,
diabetes. Administration of DHEA prevented the development of obesity in
genetically obese mice. However, studies in humans have so far
failed to demonstrate a role for DHEA in the treatment of obesity. DHEA is produced in far greater abundance than any of the other
adrenal hormones, yet for years its functions were unknown. It
was believed to be only a storehouse from which the body could
produce other hormones, rather than having functions of its own.
Recent research, however, has pinpointed DHEA as an extremely powerful
hormone in its own right. It counteracts the detrimental effects
of stress and boosts immunity. Low levels of DHEA are associated
with a variety of medical conditions, including cardiovascular
disease, obesity, diabetes, lipid disorders, immune dysfunction,
autoimmune disorders, osteoporosis, and cancer. DHEA and DHEA analogues do, in fact, look promising in some preliminary
experimental cancer work. DHEA has protected against and slowed
the progression of some cancers in animal work. Human work has
only recently begun. There is also some animal work suggesting
that DHEA might, indeed, have some favorable impact on obesity. DHEA DeHydroEpiAndrosterone(-Sulfate), the most abundant body
hormone by thousands of times, an Androgen precursed from Dihydroxy-cholesterol
to Pregnenolone in the Adrenal cortex gland to its most plentiful
steroid DHEA (also produced by the ovaries), found 6.5 times more
concentrated than in blood, in the brain hypothalamus and nervous
system (DHEA-S), and high in peripheral tissues. DHEA-S inhibits
GAB A and Glycine receptors, and stimulates the Sigma-1 receptors
forNMDA, increases nerve firing, improves memory and sleep, mood,
lowers stress, tempers violent behavior, type-A personalities have
low DHEA-S; increases Serotonin in the hypothalamus and frontal
cortex for antidepressant, anti-obesity effects; lessens neuron
deaths (DHEA sulfate), enhances Astrocyte differentiation, counters
Alzheimer's (tested 48% less DHEA), Parkinson's disease, and multi-infarct
dementia. May reduce hair loss, and restore hair color. These researchers recruited 13 men and 17 women who ranged from
40 to 70 years of age. Using a randomized, placebo-controlled,
cross-over trial, they provided 50 mg of DHEA nightly for 3 months.
During the study period they measured blood levels of many hormones
and nutrients including androgens, lipids, and insulin, as well
as body fat, libido, and sense of well-being. Within two weeks
of treatment, the DHEA(S) levels in the bloodstreams of those receiving
supplements reached those found in young adults. ...Interestingly,
no changes were noted in libido or body fat. Changes in blood lipid
levels such as cholesterol were not significant. Weight- DHEA by itself does not seem to play a large role in weight
loss, but perhaps, in the future, we will find it useful in combination
with other weight-loss medicines or natural nutrients. A fall in serum levels of DHEA is associated with a higher incidence
of atherosclerosis and obesity. An association has now been made
with diabetes. These observations suggest that DHEA may play a
protective role in diseases that gain a stronghold when DHEA levels
become low. Over the last decade, it has been demonstrated that declining
levels of DHEA are linked to such conditions as diabetes, obesity,
elevated cholesterol levels, heart disease, arthritis, and other
age-related conditions. Rudman's experiment demonstrated that more than one factor is
involved in aging. There are a whole host of hormones that affect
the aging process. At 45 years of age, men produce lower quantities
of testosterone and the general state of their health often deteriorates.
If these men receive testosterone injections their sexual impulse
increases, their muscles are strengthened, and they fight anemia
more effectively. Another hormone that helps slow down the aging
process is the adrenal hormone, dehydroepiandrostrone (DHEA). The
body converts it into other hormones related to the sexual impulse,
immune system and memory. It prevents obesity, diabetes and arteriosclerosis.
In our youth, our bodies produced this hormone in great abundance.
At age 30, this production begins to diminish. This is one of the
reasons why people tend to gain weight more easily as they advance
in age. A deficiency of DHEA can cause breast cancer and heart
attacks. Melatonin is another "mother hormone," our body
will convert into any hormone that it needs at that time. Interestingly, levels of DHEA also tend to be lower than average
in women with breast cancer. That's what first tipped off the Temple
University researcher Arthur Schwartz to its potential importance.
Schwartz has since investigated the role of DHEA in a wide variety
of age-related conditions, including cancer ("It inhibits
many different kinds of tumors," he says) and obesity ("A
very effective anti-obesity agent," he finds). In turn, Schwartz's
work has helped inspire what amounts to a flood of DHEA studies,
which suggest that in lab animals the hormone and its metabolites
can help protect against diabetes, improve memory retention, fight
certain infectious diseases, and help extend the lives of mice
with systemic lupus erythematosus. In human studies, the hormone dehydroepiandros-terone (DHEA) has
led to a loss of body fat by blocking an enzyme that is known to
produce fat tissue. Current research suggests that DHEA may be of value in preventing
and treating cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, diabetes,
obesity, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, other memory disturbances,
immune system disorders including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
(AIDS), and chronic fatigue. DHEA may also enhance the body's immune
response to viral and bacterial infections. Some menopausal and postmenopausal women experience a decline
in testosterone production, which can cause persistent vasomotor
symptoms such as hot flashes. A study found that an increase in
testosterone and DHEA-S levels seemed to protect against vasomotor
symptoms of menopause. This study also found that the body mass
index (BMI), a measurement of obesity, was higher in those with
low DHEA-S levels. Large doses of DHEA and fenfluramine and found their intake of
calories to decrease only slightly. However, when they combined
both the steroid and the drug, there was a profound effect. The
lean animals decreased their caloric intake by two-thirds while
the obese animals nearly stopped eating. Even a hot fudge sundae
with fresh bananas and dark chocolate syrup couldn't get them interested.
The researchers conclude, "DHEA and fenfluramine form a synergistic
anorectic combination that diminishes profoundly the caloric intake
of the Zucker rats, both lean and obese. The effect does not show
tolerance over 28 days and can cause significant weight loss in
obese animals." DHEA is a natural hormone produced by the adrenal glands, in the
family of male sex hormones. Currently there is great medical interest
in DHEA (dehydro-epiandrosterone), as well as a push from the supplement
industry to promote it as an antiaging, antiobesity, anticancer
remedy. Smart-drug enthusiasts think it can also protect brain
cells from the degenerative changes of old age. A lot of claims,
but not a lot of conclusive science yet. I have not noticed any effect of DHEA on muscle mass or weight
loss when a person has been placed on physiologic replacement dosages.
I don't treat patients with DHEA alone. I use it, along with other
hormones such as pregnenolone, growth hormone, progesterone, and
testosterone, to replace low levels of hormones back up to youthful
numbers. They all work together and a balance is crucial. DHEA has exhibited anti-obesity effects in mice, and can modify
food selection in rats leading them to consume diets low in fat.
DHEA taken four times daily led to a substantially mean body fat
reduction of 31 percent after twenty-eight days. No changes occurred
in overall weight, and LDL levels also fell by 7.5 percent. DHEA
can stimulate the activity of T-cells, B-cells, and macro-phages,
thus strengthening the immune system. In a study of mice infected
with encephalitis, DHEA was able to significantly slow the rate
of disease onset and mortality. Topical use of DHEA has proven
effective in restoring immune function in burned mice. DHEA can
significantly reduced the risk of atherosclerosis in rabbits. Low
DHEA levels have been associated with the risk of acute heart attacks,
coronary heart disease, and myocardial infarction. DHEA has been
found to benefit symptoms associated with menopause and lupus,
and enhance the efficacy of vaccination against influenza in the
elderly as well. Suggested mechanisms for DHEA's possible anti-cancer, anti-obesity
effects include its hypothesized ability to inhibit an enzyme that
is involved in the production of fat and of substances that may
promote chemical carcinogenesis. When Dr. Schwartz gave DHEA to five normal-weight male rats over
a period of 28 days, controlling their diet and activity, he found
that four of them lost an average of 31 percent of their body fat.
These animals did not lose weight; rather, their metabolisms had
shifted from producing fat to creating muscle and energy. Scientists
are now doing research into the possibility of treating obese humans
with DHEA. A report in 1988 that high-dose DHEA could favorably affect Iipids
and induce weight loss in young males was not confirmed in two
subsequent trials. In another trial, using the same 1,600-milligram
daily dosage of DHEA used in the 1988 study but this time in women,
there was, again, no weight loss. The women subjects suffered androgenic
effects and developed insulin resistance and adverse changes in
lipoprotein. In animal studies, supplementation with DHEA leads to an increased
life span, reduced risk of degenerative diseases, and reduced body
fat. DHEA is also known to be a factor in weight reduction. Other
uses of DHEA include enhancing immunity by increasing the antibody
effect. It also reduces undesirable blood clotting. DHEA increases
levels of sex hormones in men and women, which may help to activate
sexual libido. Research suggests that DHEA replacement therapy can have a number
of highly beneficial effects. In a 1986 study based on twelve years
of research involving 242 middle-aged and elderly men, small doses
of DHEA appeared to be linked with a 48-percent reduction in death
from heart disease, and a 36-percent reduction in death from other
causes. In a twenty-eight-day study, DHEA therapy enabled men to
lose 31 percent of mean body fat without changing body weight.
DHEA is thought to have caused this loss of fat by blocking an
enzyme that is known to produce fat tissue and promote cancer cell
growth. In another study, middle-aged and elderly men taking DHEA
for one year experienced a markedly greater sense of well-being,
including a better ability to cope with stress, increased mobility,
decreased pain, and higher quality sleep. Research also indicates
that DHEA supplements can help prevent cancer, arterial disease,
multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer's disease; treat lupus and osteoporosis;
enhance the activity of the immune system; and improve memory.
Laboratory studies in animals have indicated that DHEA can increase
lifespan by as much as 50 percent. Other researchers went on to find that DHEA was involved in converting
the body's excess glucose to energy— without DHEA, the glucose
turned to fat. Too much fat can lead to obesity, and obesity can
be a key factor in premature death. Recently, DHEA has been proven
to play a role in protecting the thymus gland so that it can do
its job in fighting disease. Put them all together—protection
against obesity, infectious disease, and many forms of cancer (in
laboratory animals)—and you have a hormone and a gland that
are obviously very important in the ongoing internal battle against
aging. Significantly, levels of both melatonin and DHEA decline
markedly with age. DHEA, growth hormone, and testosterone are hormones that can restore
aged muscles to a youthful anabolic state. In fact, growth hormone
does something no other weight-loss regimen does: It recontours
the body, melting away fat and building muscle. In many cases,
people look like they've shed years away along with the fat they
have lost. Even better, the greatest loss occurs in deep belly
fat—the area associated with increased risk of heart attack.
In every study of growth hormone's effects on "normal" people
who are aging, GH reduced body fat and increased lean body mass.
In a 6-month placebo-controlled trial at Thomas Hospital in London
of 24 adults with GH deficiency, the hormone-treated group had
no net change in weight, but lost an average of 12.5 pounds of
fat and gained an average of 12.1 pounds of lean body mass. Although
scientists have been exploring the use of high doses of nutrients
to restore GH to younger levels, the most effective way of boosting
GH blood levels is regular injections. Disease Prevention What we do know is that DHEA has a significant anabolic effect,
which results in stronger bones and muscles and decreased body
fat. It may protect health in a variety of ways. I've seen good
results with DHEA in patients with autoimmune diseases like lupus.
I also think it might help people with other diseases, such as
asthma and rheumatoid arthritis, who have become dependent on prednisone,
since it may allow them to wean their bodies off that more dangerous
hormone. DHEA is sold as a prescription drug and by several mail-order
pharmacies. A lack of DHEA appears to be a primary cause of insulin resistance
(likely because a DHEA shortage interferes with insulin's ability
to regulate blood glucose). Since insulin is one of the hormones
that affect fatty acid metabolism, insulin resistance is often
observed when fatty acid metabolism is abnormal. Illustrative of
this, rats fed a diet containing 0.3% DHEA (ages 5-25 months) had
about 25% less body fat than animals not supplemented. Concurrently,
the rate of glucose disposal was 30% higher in the DHEA-treated
group due to greater insulin responsiveness. The standard reference ranges for free testosterone and DHEA show
that very low levels are perfectly "normal" for aging
men. It is no coincidence that these same aging men (with low levels
of testosterone/ DHEA) have high rates of depression, memory loss,
atherosclerosis, senility, impotency, high cholesterol, abdominal
obesity, fatigue, and a host of other diseases related to low blood
levels of testosterone and DHEA. Various studies have shown low levels of DHEA to be associated
with obesity. For example, a 1964 study found that DHEA was completely
absent from urine samples of 32 elderly, obese diabetics. Obese
people were also found to excrete less DHEA than people of normal
weight. The thyroid gland is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located in
the neck. It controls our metabolism, or the rate at which food
is burned to create energy. Thyroid hormone is required to convert
cholesterol into the vital anti-aging steroidal hormones pregnenolone,
progesterone, and DHEA (dehydroepiandosterone). Pregnenolone converts
to progesterone and DHEA in the body. Progesterone and DHEA are
precursors for more specialized hormones, including estrogen, testosterone,
and cortisol. The anti-aging steroids are responsible in part for
the prevention of age-related diseases, such as cancer, heart disease,
senility, and obesity. They found that DHEA levels decreased in these men with age. Those
with histories of heart disease had particularly low levels. And
lower levels, in general, were consistently associated with increased
risk of death from any cause—even after adjusting for age,
blood pressure, serum cholesterol level, obesity, fasting plasma
glucose level, smoking and history of heart disease. This important
study certainly suggests—but does not prove—that DHEA
may confer some protection against several—and perhaps all—degenerative
processes. Animal studies suggest that DHEA may be effective in treating
obesity. In a strain of mice that has a genetic predisposition
to obesity, administering DHEA at a dose of 500 mg/kg of body weight,
three times a week, prevented the development of obesity. DHEA
did not cause any toxic effects and did not suppress appetite,
indicating that its effect was to speed up the metabolism. In another
study, administering DHEA (0.6% of the diet) decreased body weight
and body fat in both lean and obese Zucker rats. The decrease in
body fat was primarily due to a decrease in the number of fat cells
in lean rats and to decreases in both the number and size of fat
cells in obese rats. Dehydroepiandrosterone, or DHEA, as it is more often called, is
a steroid hormone produced in the adrenal gland. DHEA levels are
known to fall precipitously with age, falling 90% from ages 20-90.
DHEA is like the hub of a wheel and is the central hormone that
is a precursor to the numerous steroid sex hormones (including
estrogen and testosterone). Although there is an apparent lack
of any direct hormone action for DHEA, it has been suggested that
it may serve the role of a buffering hormone, which would alter
the state-dependency of other steroid hormones. Although the specific
mechanisms of action for DHEA are only partially understood, supplemental
DHEA has been shown to have antiaging, antiobesity, and anticancer
influences, as well as significant immune-enhancing functions.
DHEA has demonstrated a striking ability to maintain immune system
synchronization. Oral supplementation with low doses of DHEA in
aged animals restored immuno-competence to a reasonable level within
days of administration. DHEA supplementation in aged rodents resulted
in almost complete restoration of immune function. This study compared DHEA-S levels in the blood of 423 people who
practiced Transcendental Meditation as compared to 1,253 healthy
people who did not. The ages ranged from 20 to 81 years. Results
were gathered in five-year age ranges. The effects of diet, obesity,
and exercise were statistically ruled out. The results were consistent
with Dr. Wallace's study. Depending on the age range, people who
practiced Transcendental Meditation had levels of DHEA-S that were
as high as members of the control group who were five to ten years
younger. Consider the biological results of growing old: a greater susceptibility
to the "aging" diseases of cancer, heart disease, diabetes,
and Alzheimer's; a tendency to gain weight and a gradually increasing
proportion of body fat; a general weakening of the immune system.
DHEA appears to respond to each of these conditions, yet levels
of this vital hormone begin falling drastically after the age of
25. It would seem logical that restoring DHEA levels would help
to restore a biological condition of youth. DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is naturally produced by the human
adrenal glands and gonads with optimal levels occurring around
age 20 for women and age 25 for men. After those ages, DHEA levels
gradually decline. DHEA is an antioxidant, hormone regulator, and
the building block from which estrogen and testosterone are produced.
Low DHEA levels have been associated with cancer, diabetes, multiple
sclerosis, hypertension, obesity, AIDS, heart disease, Alzheimer's,
and immune dysfunction illnesses. Excess DHEA (more than 15 mg
daily) in the body can convert to estrogen and thus contribute
to hormonal imbalance. The safest way to raise DHEA levels is by
supplementing with its precursor, the hormone pregnenolone. DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), a natural hormone that is produced
by the adrenal glands, and has been used in anti-aging regimens,
since one of its properties is that it can "de-excite" the
body's processes and thereby slow down the production of fats,
hormones, and acids that contribute to aging, is no longer available
as a supplement. It has been found to also contain anti-cancer
and weight loss properties and is currently being formulated as
a prescription drug. Research has shown that DHEA has many functions in the body pertaining
to health and longevity. Among other things, it helps to generate
the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone; increases the percentage
of muscle mass; decreases the percentage of body fat; and stimulates
bone deposition, thereby helping to prevent osteoporosis. As the
production of DHEA declines with age, the structures and systems
of the body appear to decline with it. This leaves the body vulnerable
to various cancers, including cancer of the breast, prostate, and
bladder, as well as to atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, Parkinson's
disease, diabetes, nerve degeneration, and other age-related conditions. Many researchers believe that DHEA's antiobesity effects are due
to its ability to block a specific enzyme called glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase
(G6PD). Scientists believe that DHEA, by inhibiting G6PD, actually
blocks the body's ability to store and produce fat. Second, numerous animal studies have shown that administration
of DHEA prevents obesity, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease;
enhances the functioning of the immune system; and prolongs life. Studies have shown DHEA to work against obesity by encouraging
weight loss by raising metabolism and decreasing appetite and fat
storage. Blood serum DHEA levels have been documented to be lower than
normal in patients with autoimmune disorders. Dr. Davis Lamson,
a naturopath practicing in Kent, Washington, has found DHEA to
be helpful in treating patients with two autoimmune diseases—ulcerative
colitis and rheumatoid arthritis—as long as the initial DHEA
blood and saliva tests show that the DHEA level is on the low side. Dr. Edmund Chein is a strong supporter of DHEA supplementation
and is the founder of the Palm Springs Life Extension Institute.
He reported that his patients respond with comments such as "I've
never felt this good," and "I can't believe how much
weight I've lost." Dr. Chein believes that this weight loss
and increase in muscle strength can lead to greater personal independence
and freedom as we age. Over the last decade it has been demonstrated that declining levels
of DHEA are linked to such conditions as diabetes, obesity, elevated
cholesterol levels, heart disease, arthritis and other age-related
diseases. In addition, DHEA shows promise in enhancing memory and
improving cognitive function. Claims for 7-oxo-DHEA include metabolic enhancements that help
promote weight loss and increase lean body mass, favorable effects
on immunity, improved memory and various anti-aging effects. These
claims are largely extravagant extrapolations from very preliminary
animal and in vitro studies. Some claim that 7-oxo-DHEA is superior
to DHEA itself because 7-oxo-DHEA appears not to be converted to
sex hormones. Many hormones have the effect of restoring muscle mass and reducing
fat, and DHEA is no exception. It seems to behave similarly to
thyroid hormone in regard to weight loss, by indirectly enhancing
thermogenesis and declining mitochondrial metabolic efficacy. A number of studies have shown that DHEA has important effects
on health, including possible roles in preventing breast cancer
and obesity, while increasing youthful appearance. One study of
242 men, 50 to 79 years old, reported that the DHEA levels in those
who died were only one-third that of the survivors. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) Hormone produced by the adrenal
glands; appears to aid in the regulation and production of steroidal
hormones; appears to help in reducing cholesterol levels and body
fats; seems to be involved in increasing muscle mass. |
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