DHEA and Your Health

DHEA is my hands-down favorite hormone our bodies produce. In recent years I've been learning more and more of the widespread effects it has on not just hormone regulation but mood, energy, muscle strength and memory.

DHEA is primarily produced in your adrenal glands alongside cortisol, but it's also produced in your brain and gonads (Ovaries, testes). I like to think of DHEA and cortisol's side kick, there to help buffer the negative side effects that stress hormones have on your body.

Physiologically, DHEA turns into testosterone  (to help you fight the bear) and in times of plenty will produce estrogens (allowing for reproduction). It's a very smart hormone pathway. the more stressed you are the more testosterone you will make to fight, but when your adrenal glands crash you will be unable to make enough estrogens to replicate. Inherent genius in our physiology every time!

I check DHEA and DHEA-S on routine panels to assess not only how tired you may be but also for prevention.  If your testosterone and estrogens are about to tank, declining DHEA may be the reason. Adrenal support, relaxation techniques, healthy diet with cholesterol (YES, eggs, fish, meat and dairy contain healthy cholesterol which helps you make DHEA and all your other steroidal hormones), and sometimes supplemental DHEA can really turn someone's declining energy and mood around!

And lastly, there's great research on diminishing ovarian reserves being stimulated by large doses of DHEA in the aging reproductive female, allowing for successful pregnancies into the late 30's and beyond.

By Dr. Rachel Erickson, ND