DHEA, which is an abbreviation for dehydroepiandrosterone, is a hormone made by the adrenal glands that is sometimes touted as an anti-aging supplement. DHEA production peaks between ages 20 to 30 and drops to 5 to 15 percent of young adult levels as people age, the University of Michigan Health System states. Many of the DHEA supplements sold in health food stores comes in 5-mg doses; most clinical studies on DHEA have used a higher dose, such as 25 to 50 mg. Commonly used doses range from 25 to 200 mg, according to the Mayo Clinic, making benefits of 5-mg doses impossible to evaluate. Don't take DHEA without your doctor's approval.
Addison's Disease
Addison's disease, a type of adrenal gland insufficiency, can cause extreme weakness, weight loss, cold intolerance, pigmentation changes, and, if not treated, kidney failure, shock and death. Addison's disease appears to improve with DHEA supplementation of 50 mg per day, lead author E.M. Gurnell of the University of Cambridge reported at the 2002 Society of Endocrinology Meeting in London. There's no clinical evidence that a dose as low as 5 mg would have this same effect.
Depression
Some people with depression have low levels of DHEA, although one study showed higher than normal levels of DHEA, the University of Michigan Health System reports. A National Institutes of Health study reported in "Archives of General Psychiatry" in 2005 found that doses as high as 90 mg and 450 mg of DHEA decreased symptoms of depression. Doses this high need medical supervision. No studies have been done using DHEA at low levels such as 5 mg.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
People with systemic lupus erythematosus often have low DHEA levels. Studies that gave between 100 and 200 mg of DHEA a day to lupus patients found that DHEA improves symptoms of the disease, according to the UMHC, but all studies found on DHEA.com related to lupus were conducted in the 1990s. No one should take doses of DHEA this large without medical supervision, the UMHC stresses. The fact that doses this high helped people with lupus in no way indicates that doses as small as 5 mg would have any benefit.
Member Comments