What is DHEA and its Benefits?

DHEA is a steroid hormone produced in the body by the adrenal glands. Hormones are small powerful molecules that influence every cell in the body and are necessary for proper health and even life itself. Health disorders can occur when the ratio of hormones becomes out of balance. The use of DHEA has proven hormones to be among the most effective biological agents in treating an endless number of adversities in the body.

Until recently, the role of DHEA in the body was uncertain. Thought to be nothing more than a "buffer hormone", DHEA was considered to serve only in the production of other hormones. Scientists now have learned that body cells have DHEA receptors meaning the hormone has a specific role in the body. While it is similar in structure to testosterone, progesterone and estrogen, DHEA has an endless number of functions in the biological spectrum.

The latest research dedicated to DHEA suggests the hormone may be a great benefit in helping with an array of health problems while relatively free of side effects. The therapeutic value of DHEA is being applied to the preventative measures.

Of particular interest is the effect of DHEA on the burning of fat in the body. Laboratory use suggests that DHEA may be the only substance, which could actually reduce the level of fat in the body without a change in the diet. DHEA appears to have the ability to convert consumed calories into heat rather than allowing them to be stored as fat. While it burns the fat, DHEA may also promote lean muscle tissue.

DHEA levels in the body peak at around age 20 and begin to drop in most individuals from that point on. It is estimated that by age 80, DHEA levels drop by approximately 95%. DHEA is the only hormone to decline in linear fashion in both sexes. Studies suggest that as DHEA levels drop, medical problems increase. For this reason, many scientists feel DHEA is the most dominant hormone in the body.

DHEA influences health and longevity
Research has shown that DHEA has many functions in the body that influence health and logevity. Advocates of DHEA believe that briniging the levels back to youthful proportions can have dramatically beneficial effects on the mind and body.

DHEA and old age
One of the ways DHEA helps in reversing the downward spiral of "old age" is by helping us regain our youthful energy. Energy is produced from the fuel that keeps our body going, and if we run out of energy, as most of us do, it can severely impair the quality of life.

Investigators have shown that DHEA inhibits glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), an enzyme that breaks down glucose. There are two glucose-metabolizing pathways in the body, the catabolic, energy-yielding pathway and the anabolic, biosynthetic pathway. G6PDH happens to be the first enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway, the one which results in the synthesis of fatty acids and ribose (the sugar used in making deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA). In simple language, G6PDH turns glucose into fat.

DHEA and Aging
The body’s production of DHEA drops from about 30 mg at age 20 to less than 6 mg per day at age 80. According to Dr. William Regelson of the Medical College of Virginia, DHEA is “one of the best biochemical bio-markers for chronologic age.” In some people, DHEA levels decline 95% during their lifetime — the largest decline of an important biochemical yet documented.