DHEA is a steroid produced in the adrenal glands and brain, acting as a prohormone for testosterone and estrogen. It peaks in the body between ages 20-30 and declines after 70. It was once sold as a weight loss supplement, but is now available as a supplement. Studies have shown mixed results for its effectiveness in treating various conditions. DHEA is present in two forms, with DHEAS being 300 times more prevalent. It is usually made from wild yams and taken in doses of 5-50mg.
Dehydroepiandrosterone is a steroid that is produced in the adrenal glands and brain of the human body. It is also known as 5-Dehydroepiandrosterone or simply DHEA. This steroid is a prohormone, meaning it is required for hormone production, but it has little hormonal effect on its own. DHEA is the prohormone for both testosterone and estrogen.
This steroid is produced in small amounts in the human body until the age of seven, when production increases significantly. The amount of DHEA in the body peaks between the ages of 20 and 30, and then begins to decline. After the age of 70, the production of dehydroepiandrosterone in the body decreases by 80%.
DHEA was isolated in 1934. In the United States, it was produced commercially and sold as an over-the-counter weight loss supplement until the late 1980s, when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classified it as a drug. This made it illegal to obtain DHEA without a prescription. In 1994, the FDA reversed its decision and once again made the steroid available to the public as a supplement. The debate arose around this compound again in 2009, when a bill was introduced in the United States to classify it as an anabolic steroid.
A multitude of studies have been conducted using this steroid, and it has been touted as a cure for everything from Alzheimer’s disease to depression, and has also been used as an athletic performance enhancer. A 2003 study found that DHEA supplements are not effective in fighting Alzheimer’s, and a 1999 study showed that this supplement had no statistically significant effect on male muscle growth or strength. Two separate studies in 1999 and 2005 found that long-term DHEA supplementation is effective in treating depression.
Dehydroepiandrosterone is present in the body in two forms. The first is like actual DHEA, and the second is like the sulfate form of the compound, known as dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS). This sulfate is produced in the liver and kidneys of the human body, and any DHEA taken orally will assume this form. The amount of DHEAS in the body is typically 300 times greater than the amount of DHEA. Dehydroepiandrosterone levels generally fluctuate, depending on the time of day, but DHEAS levels do not fluctuate.
Commercially produced DHEA is usually made from wild yams. Yams themselves do not contain this steroid, but it can be isolated through a chemical process. The supplements are usually taken once a day in doses ranging from five to 50 milligrams (mg).
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