Your body makes its own DHEA in the adrenal gland, but after age 25, production levels taper off. By the time you are 70, it can be as low as 20 percent, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. It has been theorized that the decline of DHEA may be associated with age-related weight gain, and that supplementation may help you lose weight and build lean muscle mass. Evidence is incomplete as of time of publication -- it appears to be effective in animal studies, but human studies are mixed. It appears to be most effective in older men, but it may benefit anyone with a premature DHEA deficiency.
Step 1
Visit your doctor to make sure DHEA is safe for you. It is not recommended for use in people under 40 years old unless natural blood levels of DHEA have been measured to be under 180 mg/dL in men or 130 mg/dL in women. The supplement can also interact with many medications, and may disrupt treatment of hormone-related conditions.
Step 2
Obtain the supplement from your doctor, or purchase it from a supplement store. Read the label to make sure the supplement is real DHEA, not wild yam extract that is sometimes sold as "natural DHEA" -- marketers claim that the body converts the extract to DHEA, but research has not shown this to be true.
Step 3
Follow your doctor's dosing instructions. The form of DHEA usually used for weight loss is a pill form, and the general dose is 25 to 50 mg per day. Because of the risk of side effects such as masculine characteristics in women and breast development in men, it is advisable to start with the lowest possible dose. If your doctor has given you a different plan, follow his orders.
Step 4
Take your pill every day at the same time, and follow a calorie-restricted diet and regular exercise program. The DHEA won't do the work for you, it can only assist you in building more muscle mass and burning fat instead of muscle when you work out. Without the diet and exercise component, it is unlikely to work.
Step 5
Keep an eye out for side effects, and report them to your doctor as they occur. Men should watch for aggressiveness, high blood pressure, baldness and testicular shrinkage. Women should watch for deepening of the voice, acne, facial hair, hair thinning and midsection weight gain.
Tips and Warnings
- Vegetarians may have naturally higher levels of DHEA and may require a smaller dose.
- Soy foods like soy milk, tofu, tempeh and meat substitutes may interfere with the DHEA.
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