DHEA, or dehydroepiandrosterone, (I think we’ll just stick with DHEA) is known at “the mother” of all hormones because it can be converted into estrogen, testosterone or progesterone in the body. It was initially thought to be useless but was then found to be a building blocking to other hormones. We now know, however, that DHEA levels fall with age and are associated with problems seen in aging such as fatigue, insulin resistance, obesity and a weakened immune system. Supplementing with DHEA will indirectly effect immunity by decreasing levels of cortisol. Many people know that cortisol is the stress hormone and a major culprit for increase in body fat. DHEA and cortisol have an inverse or opposite relationship. This means the higher the level of DHEA, the lower the level of cortisol. The opposite is also true. The lower the level of cortisol the higher the level of DHEA.
No one would argue that modern life is full of chronic stressors due to poor diet, busy schedules, poor sleep and lack of exercise. The adrenal glands make cortisol in response to these emotional and physical stressors. Cortisol boosts blood sugar levels and the heart rate to prepare us to have the energy we need to be ready to handle any challenge before use. The problem is when we are chronically faced with stress and cortisol is always high it will lead to poor sleep, weight gain, diabetes, central obesity, heart disease and fatigue. Getting these stressors out of our lives is easier said than done.
I worked night shift in the emergency department and intensive care unit for years. I absolutely loved working nights. I loved my co-workers, I loved sleeping during the day, I loved the chill vibe of the hospital when all the managers and administrators were gone. What I did not love was not being able to sleep on my days off and being super crabby and tired all the time. This took its toll on me and my family. Even though I enjoyed it I knew that I would have to eventually go to day shift for my health, my sanity and my marriage. Even after I went to a day time schedule my job was still quite stressful. People always think they want to work 12 hr shifts to get 4 days off a week until they realize they are probably going to spend at least one of those days lying around recovering. All that to say, it may not be feasible for you to cut out or reduce many of the stressors in your life. If you work in healthcare you can’t control COVID and the impact it has had on you mentally and physically while at work. Most people don’t have control over many of the stressors they face. That is why I recommend supplementation with DHEA. It has been well studied in the medical literature over the last forty years and not found to be harmful. Because it is a precursor to other hormones it may have the side effect of causing acne or hair growth on the face of women who take it in large amounts. This is easily remedied by decreasing the dose. Benefits of maintaining high levels of DHEA as we age include improved energy, boosting immunity, and decreasing cortisol which in turn leads to decreased insulin resistance and heart disease.
If you are interested in taking a quality DHEA supplement please DM me to find out how.
