DHEA

The consequences of elevated cortisol and reduced DHEA levels are devastating: The immune system is compromised with increased risk to infections, certain cancers, allergies and autoimmune diseases. Glucose utilization and insulin function are altered with resultant higher blood sugar levels. Salt and water are retained, producing tendency toward high blood pressure. Blood cholesterol and triglycerides increase and predispose to heart disease. Thyroid function becomes impaired, resulting in decreased metabolism, lowered body temperature, and reduced vitality. The body stores fat, especially around the midsection. Depression, insomnia, hunger, and PMS result. Reproductive function falters with resultant infertility and cessation of the menstrual cycle. The body becomes more susceptible to toxins and heavy metals. Stomach ulcers form. Memory and learning become impaired. The combination of reduced R.E.M. (rapid eye movement) sleep and lowered growth hormone release at night diminish mental and physical regeneration, which results in acceleration of the aging process. Protein synthesis is reduced and protein breakdown is increased, leading to bone loss, skin wrinkles, arthritis, muscle loss and weakness, and all the protein supplements in the world won't make a difference. However, resistive exercise (like bodybuilding) can maintain muscle mass under these conditions by "stealing" protein from the internal organs. Obviously, this is not healthy. An additional strike against endurance athletes is the fact that insulin-sensitive, slow oxidative type 1 muscle fibers become replaced by fast glycolytic type II-B muscle fibers, resulting in poor performance. The bad news is that maladaptation to stress with elevated cortisol and diminished DHEA is extremely common, epidemic actually. And until the body undergoes a certain degree of breakdown, there are no symptoms. The good news is that the altered cortisol and DHEA levels, and the conditions that result, can be normalized with the appropriate intervention. DHEA supplementation is only part of the solution. To fully reverse this condition, the stress that produced it must be removed - but first it must be identified.

Most people equate the word "stress" with mental/emotional strain. This is only one type of stress. The other major types of stress are body tissue inflammation and injury, and fluctuation in blood sugar levels. No matter which of these types of stress are present, the body's response is always the same: initially both cortisol and DHEA increase, and with prolonged stress, the DHEA plummets.

To truly correct the underlying cause, we need to reduce the precipitating stress. Meditation, tai chi, and aerobic exercise can minimize mental/emotional stress. All of these methods have been proven to reduce cortisol levels. When cortisol levels are lowered, DHEA levels begin to increase toward normal. Inflammation in the body may be obvious, as in arthritis, or it may be hidden. It must be identified and dealt with appropriately, which usually includes specific diet and nutritional supplement strategies. The most common cause of hidden inflammation is a bacterial infection of the stomach. By killing these bacteria with the appropriate medication, cortisol and DHEA are normalized. The second most common cause of hidden inflammation is an inherited intestinal toxicity to a protein found in certain grains, such as wheat, rye, oats, quinoa, soy, and amaranth. To reduce this source of stress to the body, these foods must be avoided or at least minimized. When blood sugar fluctuations are stressing the body, 5 or 6 meals should be eaten daily and they should have a carbohydrate to protein ratio of roughly 2 to 1 with a moderate glycemic index. All of these strategies help to correct the underlying cause of low DHEA and high cortisol.

The popular notion that DHEA levels decline primarily because of age is false. As described above, DHEA levels diminish because of prolonged stress. Many people in their twenties have low DHEA levels and some people in their eighties have been shown to have normal DHEA production.

A study performed at the China Medical College in Taiwan, The primary active ingredients in magnolia bark extract are magnolol and honokiol, biphenol compounds, which are thought to reduce stress and stress-related symptoms and inhibit cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone associated with stress and flight or fight responses, as well as weight gain, diabetes, and immuno suppression. Magnolia bark extract also contains eudesmol, an essential oil with possible antioxidant advantages.  Honokiol and magnolol (found in magnolia bark) can exert an increase in acetylcholine.

When the body has become maladapted to stress, with reduced DHEA and elevated cortisol, in addition to dealing with the precipitating stress, it is a good idea to take DHEA supplements. It should be noted that this use of DHEA supplementation is short term (usually less than a year) and its purpose is to allow the adrenal glands to rest so they can regenerate and begin producing normal DHEA levels again on their own. In my opinion, this is the only physiologic, safe and logical use of DHEA supplements. It just so happens that a huge number of people fall into this category. However, don't assume you are one of these people. When the maladapted stress response proceeds long enough, eventually the adrenal glands become exhausted and we get a reduction of cortisol below normal levels with DHEA rising into the normal range. To take DHEA in this state does more harm than good by further suppressing cortisol levels! To determine your body's levels of DHEA and cortisol with greatest accuracy, you need to have them measured from saliva samples.

When DHEA levels are low, supplements should be taken for several months. When another saliva test has shown that DHEA is back in normal range, the supplements are gradually tapered off and followed by another test about a week after stopping supplementation. This is done to assure that the body has recovered and is again making DHEA on its own.

For those who are not concerned with health but take DHEA for reasons other than restoring levels to normal, beware of excessive and/or prolonged use causing or contributing to: nausea, headaches, acne, liver tumors, atherosclerosis, prostate cancer, cervical cancer, breast cancer, male breast growth, uterine fibroids and polyps, endometriosis, cystic breasts and ovaries, male pattern hair growth in women, spotting, and breast tenderness. The adrenal glands may atrophy and some people on thyroid replacement therapy will become hyperthyroid as the DHEA makes the medication more active. One study showed that after just 28 days of continuous stress, cortisol levels had climbed to 240 percent of starting values and DHEA had dropped to 15 percent of initial levels! What's even worse is that even after the stress is removed, the body sometimes does not recover and bring these hormones back to normal levels, but instead, remains in the stress response mode with high cortisol and low DHEA output.
Some real DHEA supplements are available in a liquid form to be taken under the tongue. The peak dose used to restore normal levels is 5 to 7 milligrams twice per day. The drops are held under the tongue before swallowing. Eating, drinking, brushing teeth, and smoking should be avoided for 30-45 minutes afterward. DHEA administered sublingually is the preferred method in cases of autoimmune disease.

In order to get greater conversion of DHEA to testosterone and estrogen, it should be taken in capsule form. It should be taken in two daily doses at the beginning of meals. The meal must contain some fat for the DHEA to be properly absorbed. The peak dose of DHEA to restore normal levels is 25 milligrams twice daily. Micronized DHEA is 3 to 4 times better absorbed than non-micronized. Micronization means that the individual particles of DHEA have been reduced to very small size.

Depressed patients show pathological  low to totally deficient DHEA. About 50 percent of them are truly deficient, below what is considered the lower limit of normal, which in a man is 180 and in a woman is 130 nanograms per deciliter. The upper range you'll see in just a moment of what I consider optimally healthy, but the vast majority of people, I don't see people with DHEA above this level actually, except volunteers who may be healthy. And they all have a deficient magnesium and they have a deficiency in one to seven of the essential amino acids. You know, the essential amino acids means that if you don't have them, you can't make serotonin or even adrenaline, you've got to have tyrosine, for instance, to make adrenaline, or to make thyroid hormone, and we'll come back to that one.