DHEA | by Designs for Health 5 mg x 180 caps or 25 mg x 60 caps

What is DHEA? 5-Dehydroepiandrosterone (5-DHEA) is a 19-carbon endogenous natural steroid hormone. It is the major secretory steroidal product of the adrenal glands and is also produced by the gonads and the brain. DHEA is the most abundant circulating steroid in humans. Levels of DHEA are quite high at birth, drop during childhood, and peak during young adulthood. The levels continue to drop throughout life. This hormone is available synthetically. It acts as a substance in the synthesis of other important hormones and plays a key role in a variety of physiological responses. Because DHEA levels decrease with age, people above middle age can have incredible results as the studies above have shown.

The steroid hormone intermediate, DHEA, has been proposed as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of obesity. Its effects on lipogenesis, substrate cycling, peroxisome proliferation, mitochondrial respiration, protein synthesis, and thyroid hormone function have been reported.

The results of these studies suggest that the antiobesity function of DHEA is not simply one of inhibiting fat synthesis and deposition but is one of affecting a number of pathways that contribute to the maintenance of the isoenergetic state rather than the promotion of positive energy balance.

DHEA plasma levels drop steadily with aging, which may be due to:

• lowered availability of the precursor pregnenolone (also declines with age)
• lowered ACTH (stimulation signals from the brain)
• inadequate sensitivity of adrenals or other tissues that manufacture DHEA
• adrenal gland atrophy

Conditions that may lower DHEA production are: excessive mental or physical stress (usually characterized by increased cortisol level), alcohol consumption, dieting, malnutrition, vegetarian diets (especially soy consumption).

• RESEARCH SHOWS THAT DHEA MAY SUPPORT WEIGHT CONTROL:
• stimulates fat burning, reduces abdominal fat storage
• increases metabolic rate through the stimulation of thermogenesis and by supporting the lean body mass.
• reduces insulin resistance
• STRESS SUPPORT:
• reduces the stress hormone cortisol and reduces some of its catabolic effects on bone and muscle
• DRUG TREATMENT SUPPORT
• reduces the side-effects from corticosteroid therapy
• SEXUAL HEALTH:
• enhances female libido
• supports erectile function through improved nitric oxide levels and facilitated testosterone binding to albumin
• SKIN HEALTH:
• increases epidermal thickness and hydration, sebum production, decreases facial skin pigmentation
• IMMUNE FUNCTION:
• improves immune response to infections and reverses its age-related decline
• may reduce the severity of auto-immune diseases such as lupus, arthritis, psoriasis
• alleviates allergies
• BRAIN:
• improves the sense of well being and reduces certain types of depressions
• has a mental stimulating effect (counteracts the inhibitory effects of GABA neurotransmitter)
• MENOPAUSE/PERIMENOPAUSE:
• reduces hot flashes,supports vaginal tissue
• supports bone health
• sense of well being, libido
• AGE-RELATED CHANGES:
• restores declining IGF-1 levels
• corrects age related changes in immune system, skin, bone & muscle strength and sexual health.
• OTHER CONDITIONS:
• may alleviate chronic fatigue
• has a mild blood thinning effect

DHEA supplementation may increase DHT (dihydrotestosterone) levels. This is due to both its conversion to testosterone and the fact that DHEA upregulates the activity of 5AR (5-alpha-reductase) enzyme, which further converts testosterone to DHT. As a consequence, some women may experience a slight increase in hair loss, especially if their estrogen levels are low.

:: Learn more about DHEA at MedLine Plus ::

Recommended Use: As a dietary supplement, adults take (1) one capsule daily with meals, or as directed by a health care practitioner. Do not use if pregnant, nursing, planning to bear children, using any hormonal products or a prescription drug. Individuals suffering from any disease should consult a health care practitioner before using this product.

Whether male or female, at any age, supplementation with DHEA has to be monitored by a health care practitioner for baseline and subsequent levels of DHEA, testosterone, DHT, estradiol and estrone.

For Females: supplementation with approximately 25- 50mg DHEA for 3 months, can double baseline testosterone levels for subjects that have a low baseline DHEA level to begin with (which often occurs after the age of 40, during menopause /perimenopause). DHEA supplementation can also cause small (approximately 10%) increases in the estrogen hormones estrone and estradiol, which may be significant only for postmenopausal women. In females, the increased libido is due to a fast rise in plasma testosterone levels.

Suggested use of DHEA For Adult Men: 25-50-mg DHEA may be administered in one or two divided doses in the morning and at the latest in the afternoon, due to its stimulatory effect on metabolism and the brain. DHEA is best absorbed with a fatty meal or snack. The bigger the size of the meal and the higher its fat content, the slower will be the delivery of DHEA to the plasma, which mimics the body’s own production of DHEA. However, a rapid increase in DHEA plasma levels might be desired for a sharp rise in libido and/or support of erectile function. In this case oral DHEA should be taken with a small fatty snack (may add some phosphatidylcholine) 2-4 hours before the expected result.

Men: DHEA supplementation with approximately 25-50mg DHEA may not significantly increase serum testosterone levels, when the baseline testosterone is in the typical normal male range, but may significantly increase their estrogen levels, based on biochemical individuality. Males with increased body fat tend to have higher baseline estrogens and a more marked increase in estrogen levels in response to DHEA supplementation. In males, DHEA is believed to improve NO (nitric oxide) production. DHEA is also known to help with the testosterone binding to plasma albumin and so help with testosterone delivery to tissues for its effects. It also increases conversion to DHT (dihydrotestosterone), which may play a role in a male’s libido.

STORE IN A COOL, DRY PLACE AND AWAY FROM DIRECT SUNLIGHT. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.