Dehydroepiandrosterone, or DHEA, regulates many physical and mental processes. An abundant steroid, your body converts this hormone into both testosterone and estrogen. Circulating levels of DHEA decrease as you get older, creating a hormonal imbalance. Deficiencies in DHEA can cause feelings of depression, according to a 2011 review in "Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience." Taking supplements and changing your habits might help treat these kinds of problems. Consult a licensed physician before trying to increase your DHEA levels.
Dehydroepiandrosterone
Health food stores continue to sell DHEA pills despite concerns about their efficacy and safety, according to a June 2010 review in "Maturitas." Oral supplements can increase your internal DHEA levels and improve your health. A clinical trial presented in the October 2010 issue of "Geriatrics and Gerontology International" looked at the effect of DHEA on older women with memory problems. Participants received daily doses of DHEA for six months. Relative to controls, subjects given the steroid showed enhanced DHEA and testosterone. The hormone also improved cognitive performance and life quality. The supplement was well-tolerated, with only a few minor side effects reported.
Estrogen
Older women often use estrogen supplements to combat the negative changes associated with menopause. This type of hormone replacement therapy may increase your probability of having a stroke. Taking certain precautions can reduce this risk, according to a February 2011 article in "Thrombosis Research." Irrespective of risk, using estrogen also changes your circulating levels of DHEA. An investigation published in the July 2001 edition of "Maturitas" tested estrogen's effect on several hormones. Healthy, older women were given the hormone each day for about a month. Relative to baseline, estrogen therapy increased DHEA. It also increased adrenocorticotrophic hormone, or ACTH. The latter substance plays an important role in regulating stress. In the study, some women reported mild allergic reactions, and increases in ACTH can cause feelings of anxiety.
Alcohol
Alcohol -- when consumed in moderation -- may have a positive effect on your health. Red wine, for example, can reduce the biological equivalent of rust, according to a February 2010 report in "Atherosclerosis." Decreasing this type of oxidation helps you fight aging. Alcohol's mechanisms remain unknown, but it might act by increasing DHEA. A July 2011 review in the "British Journal of Cancer" showed that moderate drinkers have higher levels of DHEA than occasional drinkers. An experiment in the May 2004 edition of "Alcoholism" supported this correlation. In that study, older adults consumed moderate amounts of beer daily for about a month. The beer contained alcohol in one phase and no alcohol in another. Results indicated that DHEA was higher during the alcohol-containing phase.
Exercise
Aerobic exercise can provide you many health benefits. Running, for example, increases the natural production of anabolic steroids. Three months of treadmill work enhanced testosterone in male rats, according to an April 2011 report in "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise." It remains unclear whether these results generalize to humans. Yet, a clinical trial presented in the June 2011 issue of the journal "Age" produced similar data. In that study, researchers followed two groups of older men. One group became sedentary, while the other group remained active. Assays showed that DHEA levels were higher in the active group. Experimental research support this correlational work. According to a March 2011 article in the "European Journal of Applied Physiology," a single session of hiking increased the DHEA of older men.
References
- "Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience"; Of Sound Mind and Body: Depression, Disease, and Accelerated Aging; Owen Wolkowitz, et al.; 2011
- "Maturitas"; DHEA for Postmenopausal Women: A Review of the Evidence; Mary Panjari and Susan R. Davis; June 2010
- "Geriatrics and Gerontology International"; Effects of Dehydroepiandrosterone Supplementation on Cognitive Function and Activities of Daily Living in Older Women With Mild to Moderate Cognitive Impairment; Shizuru Yamada, et al.; October 2010
- "Thrombosis Research"; Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy and Venous Thromboembolism; Valerie Olie, et al.; February 2011
- "Maturitas"; Hormone Replacement Therapy Increases ACTH/Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate in Menopause; Eugenia Fonseca, et al.; July 2001
- "Atherosclerosis"; Up-to-Date Evidence of the Effects of Moderate Wine Consumption on Oxidative Damage in Humans; Maria Isabel Covas, et al.; February 2010
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