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The Practical Benefits Of Dhea In Enhancing Health

May 19, 2008 |

DHEA is a very popular nutritional supplement, taken by millions of athletes, and ordinary people the world over. DHEA, which stands for Dehydroepiandrosterone, is actually a steroid hormone which plays an important role in our health. It is most abundant in our bodies during adolescence and childhood, but its levels fall off during, and after middle age.

There are many reported benefits of DHEA, but the only way to find out if DHEA is as good as people claim, is to take it as a nutritional supplement in a controlled manner. The key benefit of DHEA appears to be its aging fighting abilities. DHEA works in conjunction with human growth hormone (HGH) to stimulate production of more IGF-1, a key byproduct of HGH.

A noted benefit of DHEA is its ability to help the brain maintain its health and function. The reason why DHEA holds promise for the treatment of brain related disorders is because the brain cells hold or store DHEA in relatively high quantities. Assertions that DHEA helps in treating Alzheimer’s disease have not been totally proven to date, but there is no doubt that DHEA plays a large role in keeping the health of the brain cells.

Another reason why you would want to supplement your DHEA intake is because DHEA has been shown to be beneficial in lowering the risk of heart disease like atherosclerosis. Among elderly men who have are at greatest risk of suffering from atherosclerosis, DHEA works to thin the build up of fatty deposits of the inner wall lining of the arteries as well as strengthen the immune systems from many age related diseases.

DHEA is well known among athletes and bodybuilders who are convinced that it helps them to build and grow muscle, while helping to burn off excess fat. From many experiments done with lab rats, DHEA has demonstrated that the animal subjects consistently lost weight, even though they were fed with all kinds of fattening foods. The fat lost was made up by increments in muscle mass. From bodybuilders to Russian astronauts, there are many DHEA fans out there who readily attest to its efficacy in helping them achieve higher levels of fitness and health.

Although there are findings that DHEA may be responsible for increasing the risk of cancer, it should be borne in mind that DHEA should never be taken in dosages exceeding recommended levels, in the first place. Rather than encourage cancer, DHEA may actually exhibit anti cancer properties if taken in the right dosages and frequency. Separate studies have shown that DHEA inhibits cancer cell growth, but this advantage decreases when it is overdosed. Just as vitamins become poisonous if you take too much of them, so moderation is definitely the key in getting the most out of DHEA.

There are many other health benefits of DHEA which can only be felt if you take it for an extended period of time. When taking DHEA, always start with a very small dose, and work your way up to a level just under the limit of the daily recommended limit. The only ones who would not benefit from DHEA would be people with disorders affecting the sex hormones in their body, because DHEA increases your testosterone and estrogen levels; not decrease them!

Jeremy Zahn is a health and fitness writer who writes for many sites and blogs. He is particularly interested in the latest anti aging therapies, as well as being a nutrition and wellness expert. He is a contributing author on www.hghtalk.com, a site talking about HGH, other hormones, and everything anti aging.

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