Benefits Of Dhea Enzymes For Menopausal Women

DHEA stands for dehydroepiandrosterone, an anabolic steroid hormone that the adrenal gland makes. Anabolic activity in the body is that which builds tissue. This hormone helps synthesize other reproductive hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone. At menopause, defined as occurring one year after menstruation stops, estrogen levels decline. Lower estrogen can cause health problems, such as bone loss and an accumulation of abdominal fat. DHEA may help prevent some symptoms of menopause, but the research isn't conclusive yet. According to Mayo Clinic, your DHEA levels begin to drop gradually once you turn 30. DHEA levels also decrease because of certain diseases and medications. DHEA is available in the United States but not in Canada. You can take over-the-counter DHEA to try to raise your levels, but you need to be cautious as side-effects may occur.

Weight

Suzanne Somers in her 2010 book "Sexy Forever" states that DHEA can help to lower cortisol levels. Cortisol is a hormone released into the body by the adrenal gland when you are under stress. Somers states that lower estrogen levels around the time of menopause can cause an increase in cortisol. According to Somers' research, taking DHEA can help reduce cortisol. Higher cortisol causes weight gain as you age, she says. In fact, research in the journal "Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology" published January 2009 suggests that DHEA can metabolize cortisol, a glucocorticoid. DHEA also might improve the quality of your sleep by lowering cortisol. Mayo Clinic notes that sleeping better may help with weight loss.

Healthy Tissue

Some research suggests DHEA can keep your bones strong. Researchers from the University of California at San Diego studied older men and women for one year. Participants took 50 mg of DHEA daily during the study. Results published in May 2008 in "Osteoporosis International" found that DHEA could help improve bone density in women. However, Nicolas Perricone, M. D., in his 2010 book "Forever Young," concludes that DHEA may not be a safe supplement for you to take. Therefore, he does not recommend its use for age-related sarcopenia, loss of muscle mass.

Heart Disease

DHEA may not benefit your heart. A study published in the "Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism" in April 2010 found that DHEA supplementation did not lower low-density liproprotein, or LDL. This is the bad cholesterol that can damage your arteries. If you are a woman, DHEA supplementation can lower your high-density liproprotein, or HDL, say concerned Mayo Clinic researchers. HDL is the good cholesterol that helps protect the cardiovascular system. Therefore, DHEA may not protect you against age-related heart disease. It may even create the additional cardiovascular risk-factor of low HDL.

Diabetes

Somers states that DHEA is helpful in preventing insulin resistance that occurs because of declining estrogen and progesterone during menopause. Insulin resistance is the inability of your body to use insulin to balance blood sugar, resulting in weight gain and possibly type 2 diabetes. A study in the March 2005 journal "Diabetes" does suggest that DHEA might prevent type 2 diabetes. According to this study, DHEA supplementation causes the body to use insulin more effectively.

Cancer

Taking DHEA can increase your risk of some cancers, according to Mayo Clinic. Cancers related to reproductive hormones may occur, such as ovarian and breast cancers. Try to manage your menopausal symptoms with diet and exercise first. If you are thinking about trying DHEA supplementation, you need to get sound advice from your doctor.