There's no escaping stress in a fast-paced, time-crunched society. While your body has a healthy fight-or-flight mechanism to respond to short bouts of stress, it doesn't cope as well with long-term, or chronic, stress, which is what plagues most Americans, according to the 2010 Stress in America Survey conducted by the American Psychological Association. Chronic stress disrupts hormonal and metabolic activity. Low levels of the hormone called DHEA puts your health at risk.
What Is DHEA?
Dehydroepiandrosterone, or DHEA, is a hormone produced by the small adrenal glands that are located on top of the kidneys. The hormone is necessary for your body to produce estrogen and testosterone. It regulates sex hormones. In women, it boosts levels of androgen, which are often referred to as male hormones, but it does not increase estrogen. In men, DHEA boosts levels of estrogen, but not male sex hormones. DHEA also has a protective role: It suppresses inflammation and helps prevent some of the damage caused by aging.
DHEA, Cortisol and Stress
Cortisol and DHEA are key stress hormones and have opposite effects on your body. While high levels of cortisol damages your body, DHEA helps repair and restore it. During short periods of stress --- for instance, if you're running away from something --- your body produces both hormones in greater amounts, but then reduces production when the threat is over. But, in cases of long-term stress, your body produces more damaging cortisol and less healing DHEA.
Effects of Low DHEA
A DHEA deficiency is linked to quicker aging and a variety of health conditions such as chronic inflammation, poor immunity, depression, rheumatoid arthritis and type-2 diabetes complications. It might also increase your risk of certain cancers, cognitive decline, osteoporosis, excess body fat and heart disease if you're a man.
DHEA Supplementation
Short-term use of 50 mg of DHEA to treat stress and ward off related symptoms is considered safe, according to Leslie Beck, a registered dietitian and author of "The Complete A-Z Nutrition Encyclopedia." It's best taken at the beginning of a meal that has fat in it. However, long-term use or high doses of DHEA can have several side effects, including facial hair growth, menstrual irregularities and acne in women. It can also cause hair loss, insulin resistance, abdominal pain and hypertension. Consult your doctor before taking a DHEA supplement.
References
- American Psychological Association: Stress in America
- "The Complete A-Z Nutrition Encyclopedia"; Leslie Beck; 2010
- "Gary Null's Power Aging"; Gary Null, Ph.D.; 2003
- Dr. Joseph Debé: DHEA -- The Real Story
