Have you ever heard of DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone)?
DHEA has been dubbed by experts as the “secret to eternal youth”. It is popular for slowing down the aging process and bringing back vitality.
However, DHEA is more than just a beauty hormone! Besides its magic to keep us young-looking, it has numerous benefits for women, especially during the menopause transition. All eyes are on estrogen and progesterone during menopause, but DHEA also holds the answer to our menopause symptoms!
DHEA is the “mother of all hormones”. It can transform itself into estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. With this special ability, DHEA benefits us in 8 amazing ways during menopause!
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Is DHEA the Answer to Your Menopause Woes?
Every corner of our body has alarms in place. When we experience imbalances, our body triggers these alarms, alerting every organ for backup.
During menopause, our ovaries start to falter which decreases estrogen and progesterone supply. To make up for the hormone decline, our body commands the adrenal glands to work extra hard to produce DHEA. Depending on our needs, this inactive hormone converts to estrogen or progesterone.
For this reason, experts say DHEA is an excellent supplement for menopause as it helps in hormone production and balance. It can also boost testosterone and regulate cortisol, the stress hormone.
Besides being a “mother hormone”, DHEA has numerous health benefits of its own. In fact, we have plenty of DHEA receptor sites in the body. Our major organs, like the brain, heart, skin, immune system, muscles and bones, all need DHEA to function at their best!
However, DHEA production decreases as we age. Experts say DHEA slowly drops as early as our late 20s. After the age of 40, we may already have a significant decline in DHEA levels.
There are many ways to prevent the hormone from getting depleted in our body. We can support the adrenals with better stress management, healthy eating and active lifestyle.
8 Science-backed DHEA Benefits for Women during Menopause!
DHEA is a must-keep hormone in the body! It supports declining estrogen and progesterone levels and helps relieve symptoms. Here are 8 science-backed DHEA benefits during menopause!
1. Keeps the weight away
As we age, we tend to slack off a bit. We make excuses to exercise, and this, together with poor eating and hormonal imbalance, causes menopausal weight gain. DHEA speeds up the metabolism which burns fats faster. It also regulates blood sugar, so it is used as energy instead of becoming fat deposits. Read about 7-Keto DHEA and how it aids in losing weight in our FACT BOX below!
2. Reduces stress and fatigue
Stress is healthy every now and then. It activates our bodies and keeps us alert. However, chronic stress is a different story. Excess cortisol can mess up our balance. It overworks organs like the brain and heart while suppressing metabolism, digestion and hormone production. All these can cause menopause symptoms!
DHEA keeps cortisol levels at bay. It signals the adrenal glands to decrease the production of cortisol. At the same time, it eliminates excess cortisol lurking in our blood via the urine.
3. Prevents mood swings, anxiety and depression
Besides estrogen and progesterone, DHEA can convert itself to our feel-good hormones, such as serotonin and dopamine. These hormones calm your central nervous system, release tension and improve the thought process. All these can stabilize your mood and ease anxiety and depression.
4. Improves brain function
According to studies, DHEA’s brain-protecting properties slow down brain aging and improve memory. The hormone also helps prevent Alzheimer’s disease by detoxifying the brain against free radicals, compounds that damage brain cells.
Improve mood, boost sex drive and increase energy with DHEA!Click To Tweet5. Relieves vaginal dryness
DHEA is an essential hormone that safeguards the health of your uterus and ovaries. When it turns itself into estrogen during menopause, it helps regain vaginal thickness, lubrication and pH balance. Vaginal moisture is important because it protects against bacteria and makes sex easier and pleasurable!
This is another video from Barbara where she explains how DHEA can help with painful intercourse and how it might just be the trick to long-lasting vaginal health [3:52]:
6. Boosts libido
Do you know that testosterone is the main hormone responsible for sexual desire in both men and women? Testosterone stimulates arousal and natural lubrication in our intimate area. In many studies, women who took DHEA supplements were able to regain their libido.
7. Strengthens the bones and builds muscles
Low estrogen levels during menopause increase the risk of osteoporosis and muscle wasting. DHEA repairs and strengthens our aging bones. It encourages our cells to form new bones. DHEA also builds muscles by binding with amino acids or proteins.
8. Prevents dry skin, hair and nails
Our skin, hair and nails are made up of proteins such as collagen and keratin. DHEA increases the production of these proteins. It binds with other amino acids to help repair and build damaged tissues. DHEA also has protective properties which prevent damage from sun exposure.
DHEA has enormous benefits during menopause! It’s time that we give more attention to this hormone by taking care of our adrenal glands as early as now, reducing stress, eating healthy and supplementing if needed.
FACT BOX
The Difference between a Prohormone and a Hormone
DHEA is a prohormone or precursor hormone. A prohormone is an inactive compound having minimal hormonal effects to the body. When the need arises, the body activates a prohormone and converts it to a hormone. Hormones have no ability to convert further.
7-Keto DHEA
7-oxodehydroepiandrosterone, or 7-Keto DHEA, is formed from DHEA. It is a powerful weight loss supplement that speeds up metabolism and builds muscles. 7-Keto DHEA is different from DHEA because it can’t convert to any other hormone. Besides aiding in weight loss, 7-Keto DHEA also boosts the immune system, eases anxiety and mood swings and enhances memory.
Have you ever taken DHEA supplements? Did it help you?
We would love to hear your thoughts so feel free to add your comments below
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References;
blogs.webmd.com/womens-health/2012/01/is-dhea-the-next-wonder-drug-for-menopause.html
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17540138
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25039497
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20698844
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22146133
what is the best time of day to take DHEA and do you take with a meal or on an empty stomach? thank you for your help.
Hi Deb,
Thank you for reaching out to us!
DHEA can generally be taken with or without food.
Regarding its effectiveness, some say that it is best to take it with some healthy fat — approximately 30 minutes before your meal. Moreover, there are claims that taking DHEA in the morning works well with the natural rhythm of your body in producing DHEA [DHEA_25_mg_60_ct.pdf (asherlongevity.com)]!
Note that the effectiveness of DHEA may depend on one’s age, metabolism and overall health status. So, it would be best to talk to your doctor to find out what type of DHEA and dosage is best for your individual needs!
All the best, Deb!
— Gita ♥
Is there a top age to take DHEA please?
Do you keep some ostregen even post meno?
Thanks
Hello, Paula. Thank you for these interesting questions!
1) A general rule of thumb: You should not take DHEA supplements unless you have low levels determined by your doctor or laboratory test.
Functional medicine experts suggest that taking DHEA supplements should depend on your specific individual needs. Some women have declining DHEA levels in their 30s, while others do at a later age. Therefore, it is important to take everything into account — besides age.
Remember, DHEA is a precursor to several other hormones — which means, it can affect various body systems! Working with your doctor is the way to go, so you can:
• identify your specific needs and goals
• confirm your DHEA levels
• determine any contraindication
• have a periodic evaluation (if needed)
2) Being in postmenopause means your reproductive years are over because your ovaries have stopped releasing eggs. Eventually, your ovaries produce very little to no estrogen, but the body still makes small amounts — by converting androgens (produced by the adrenal glands) into estrogen.
Moreover, even if most research claim that estrogen drops to very low levels in postmenopause, some studies have shown that the ovaries can still be capable of producing estrogen (as long as 10 years after menopause).
I hope these information helped, Paula! If you want to learn more about natural ways to boost your hormones, feel free to read my article:
How To Balance Hormones Naturally For A Better Menopause!
Thank you! ?
– Gita