From Mark Stibich, Ph.D.,
Your Guide to Longevity.
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DHEA (dehyrdoepiandrosterone) is a hormone made by the body that has become popular for anti-aging purposes. DHEA is a raw ingredient that the body can convert into the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone. As a person ages, his or her DHEA level naturally drops. DHEA advocates claim that taking the supplement will slow aging by increasing muscles mass, increasing bone mass, burning fat, amongst other things.

The Evidence – DHEA Does NOT Slow Aging

A study conducted by the Mayo Clinic, and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed that DHEA had no benefit on muscle strength, endurance, glucose tolerance, bone mass, or quality of life.

The study followed 87 men and 57 women over the age of 60 for two years. All of the study participants had low levels of DHEA in their blood before the study began. When participants took supplements of DHEA, the levels of DHEA rose to normal levels. However, this did not translate into any improvements in muscle mass or other measurements.

Scientifically Backed Uses of DHEA

• Fair evidence--DHEA supplements have been shown to benefit some specific conditions, such as adrenal insuffiency and depression. There is also some evidence that DHEA supplementation may assist with weight loss and lupus.
• Unclear Evidence--The evidence for using DHEA for the following conditions is not clear, or is contradictory: Alzheimer’s disease, bone density, cardiovascular disease, cervical cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, cocaine withdrawal, Crohn’s disease, HIV/AIDS, infertility, menopause, myotonic dystrophy, psoriasis, arthritis, schizophrenia, septicemia, erectile dysfunction and sexual problems, Sjogren’s syndrome, and skin aging.
• Evidence Against--Research shows that DHEA used for postmenopausal fibromyalgia, immune stimulation, memory, and muscle strength is either ineffective or counter indicated.

Long-Term Effects

While the New England Journal of Medicine study did not show any adverse effects over the two-year period, the sample was very small. No formal studies have been done on the long-term effects of DHEA supplementation. Because it increases the levels of the sex hormones in the body, DHEA supplementation can, in theory, increase the risk of hormone-specific cancers like breast and prostate cancers.

Bottom Line

DHEA is not the miracle anti-aging supplement that many say it is. There are very specific circumstances in which DHEA can be helpful, but the current evidence does not show any benefit in anti-aging.

_Sources:

National Library of Medicine. Drug Info – DHEA.

K. Sreekumaran Nair, M.D., Ph.D., Robert A. Rizza, M.D., Peter O'Brien, Ph.D., Ketan Dhatariya, M.D., M.R.C.P., Kevin R. Short, Ph.D., Ajay Nehra, M.D., Janet L. Vittone, M.D., George G. Klee, M.D., Ananda Basu, M.D., Rita Basu, M.D., Claudio Cobelli, Ph.D., Gianna Toffolo, Ph.D., Chiara Dalla Man, Ph.D., Donald J. Tindall, Ph.D., L. Joseph Melton, III, M.D., Ph.D., Glenn E. Smith, Ph.D., Sundeep Khosla, M.D., and Michael D. Jensen, M.D. DHEA in Elderly Women and DHEA or Testosterone in Elderly Men. Vol 355:1647-1659. Oct. 19, 2006. Number 16.