How DHEA Benefits Health

Alleviates Depression

DHEA supplements may be useful in reducing the symptoms of depression. A 2005 study conducted by Dr. Peter Schmidt followed forty-six patients between forty and sixty-five years old. The subjects had all been diagnosed with minor or major depression, and they took DHEA supplements for six weeks. At the conclusion of the study period, twenty-three subjects had a fifty percent decrease in symptoms of depression. Ten patients opted to continue using low-dose DHEA supplements for one year, and they remained free of depressive symptoms. A large-scale study carried out in 2007 followed more than 2,800 elderly patients. Researchers found low levels of DHEA were correlated with depression. Some psychiatrists recommend that patients with depression consider having their DHEA levels tested, and those with low levels might be advised to take supplements. Patients should always ask their physician about the risks and benefits of DHEA supplements for their personal health needs.

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Treats Osteoporosis

Research suggests DHEA supplements could be beneficial in the treatment of osteoporosis. A study conducted in 2009 at Washington University in St. Louis followed 113 patients between sixty-five and seventy-five years old. The study participants were randomly assigned to take either fifty milligrams of oral DHEA or a placebo each day. All participants also took seven hundred milligrams of calcium and sixteen micrograms of vitamin D per day throughout the study period. Bone density tests were provided, and the patients were given blood tests to measure markers associated with bone metabolism. After one year, females who took the DHEA supplements experienced a 1.7 percent increase in their bone mass on average, and the placebo group did not have any increase. After an additional year, bone density improvements averaged 3.6 percent in the group of female patients who took DHEA. Male patients did not appear to benefit from the DHEA supplements. More recently, a 2017 study in the Journal of Bone Metabolism noted that patients who had the highest levels of DHEA in their blood also had significantly higher bone density compared to patients who had the lowest DHEA levels. Additional research is necessary to determine how gender may impact DHEA benefits.

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