The endocrine system releases hormones each day to maintain your health. This system breaks down as you get older, and your body then makes smaller amounts of these important chemicals. Such decreases cause hormonal deficiencies, which place you at risk for disease. Over-the-counter supplements help correct hormone losses. Many women use these creams and pills to treat menopausal symptoms, according to a survey published in the July 2002 issue "Obstetrics and Gynecology." Speak with a doctor before taking bioidentical hormones.
Dehydroepiandrosterone
Anabolic hormones such as dehydroepiandrosterone remain popular despite safety concerns. This steroid, also called DHEA, plays an important role in tissue regeneration and growth. Having low levels of DHEA can accelerate the aging process, according to a 2011 review in "Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience." Taking DHEA supplements may therefore slow aging. A clinical trial described in the May 2008 edition of "Osteoporosis International" tested this hypothesis in older adults. Women and men received the supplement or a placebo each day for 52 weeks. Relative to placebo, DHEA improved bone health in women but not in men. Side effects were twice as likely in the DHEA condition, but these adverse reactions affected less than 10 percent of the participants.
Progesterone
Progesterone regulates female reproductive cycles, including menstruation. While it decreases sharply at menopause, a gradual decline begins much earlier. Symptoms of low progesterone include weight gain and mood swings. Over-the-counter progesterone creams are readily absorbed into the bloodstream, according to a June 2005 report in the "Journal of Clinical Pharmacology." They also have a positive effect on skin health. An experiment presented in the September 2005 issue of the "British Journal of Dermatology" looked at the impact of a progesterone cream on skin elasticity and firmness. Older women received a skin cream containing either the hormone or a placebo for 16 weeks. Relative to placebo, progesterone increased both elasticity and firmness. The women did not experience allergic reactions to the cream.
Pregnenolone
Pregnenolone, made from dietary cholesterol, metabolizes into testosterone and estrogen. This steroid "building block" can therefore affect many different bodily functions, according to a February 2011 article in "Endocrine Reviews." It contributes to both physical and mental health. For example, a May 1994 report in "Biological Psychiatry" found that people with depression have low levels of pregnenolone. A study published in the July 2010 edition of "Psychiatry Research" tested whether enhancing pregnenolone with supplements improved mood and performance. Depressed patients received the steroid or a placebo for eight weeks. Relative to placebo, pregnenolone improved patient-scored depression ratings. It did not, however, improve cognitive performance. Side effects -- brief and mild -- were comparable in both groups.
Melatonin
The pineal hormone melatonin controls your body's timekeeping system. Released at night, this hormone communicates rhythms generated in the brain to the rest of the body. Melatonin is also a potent antioxidant, according to a March 2011 review in "Progress in Neurobiology." Oxidation hastens aging, so taking melatonin supplements should reverse the symptoms of old age. An experiment described in the May 2011 issue of the "Journal of Pineal Research" evaluated this idea in laboratory animals. Older rodents received daily doses of the pineal hormone or an inert treatment for 10 weeks. Melatonin, relative to placebo, restored the proper functioning of colon muscle. This result suggests that melatonin supplements might facilitate digestion in older adults, but additional testing remains necessary.
References
- "Obstetrics and Gynecology"; Use of Alternative Therapies for Menopause Symptoms; Katherine M. Newton, et al.; July 2002
- "Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience"; Of Sound Mind and Body: Depression, Disease and Accelerated Aging; Owen Wolkowitz, et al.; 2011
- "Osteoporosis International"; Effect of Dehydroepiandrosterone Supplementation on Bone Mineral Density, Bone Markers, and Body Composition in Older Adults; Denise von Muhlen, et al.; May 2008
- "Journal of Clinical Pharmacology"; Over-the-Counter Progesterone Cream Produces Significant Drug Exposure Compared to a Food and Drug Administration-Approved Oral Progesterone Product; Anne C. Hermann, et al.; June 2005
- "British Journal of Dermatology"; Effects and Side Effects of 2 Percent Progesterone Cream on the Skin of Peri- and Postmenopausal Women; Gerold Holzer, et al.; September 2005
- "Endocrine Reviews"; Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, and Physiology of Human Steroidogenesis and Its Disorders; Walter L. Miller and Richard J. Auchus; February 2011
