DHEA

DHEA
by Majid Ali, MD

This article was provided by:
Aging Healthfully Magazine

Note: The information on this website is presented for educational purposes only.
It is not a substitute for the advice of a qualified professional.

DHEA, dehydroepiandrosterone, is a primary adrenal hormone which serves as one of the body's major anti-aging hormones. In contrast to steroids that depress our antioxidant and immune defense systems, DHEA supports such defenses. (I will let you in on a secret: Holistic physicians prescribe DHEA liberally for their family members, and most of them take it themselves for enhancement of their general antioxidant and immune defenses.) I consider this an excellent agent for restoring the damaged antioxidant and immune defenses of chronic stress sufferers. Indeed, it is a very rare patient who does not report beneficial results within weeks or months of taking it.

I frequently use DHEA in a daily dose of 50 mg for the first three months and then reduce the dose to 50 mg on alternate days. In most cases, such therapy may be discontinued within several months when normal enzyme functions—and energy levels—are restored.

1. DHEA has many established beneficial effects on the immune system.

2. Stress states are associated with suppression of several immune functions; DHEA prevents that.

3. Blood DHEA levels are usually reduced in chronic fatigue sufferers, and replacement therapy with DHEA improves the overall energy level and reduces many associated symptoms.

4. DHEA opposes the physiological effects of cortisone in several animal models.

5. DHEA levels drop in serious infections, including AIDS, indicating progression of disease, and the levels rise during recovery.

6. DHEA protects immune cells against acute lethal viral infections (including viral encephalitis).

7. DHEA regulates many immune cell functions and the production of hormone-like mediators called lymphokines. It helps generate many desirable molecules (such as IL-2) and prevents the excessive production of some undesirable ones, such as interleukin 4 and 5 and gamma interferon that can impair our immune defenses. A role of DHEA in the cause of systemic lupus—an autoimmune disorder—has been suggested.

Comments?: E-mail to Dr. Ali
Click here to visit the Aging Healthfully Website