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Does DHEA have side effects? - Information on the supplement
DHEA in the book DHEA the breakthrough on amazon.com claims that DHEA is the
"fountain of youth" but is it really?
DHEA is a steroid hormone which has been called the fountain of youth and claims that will prevent the onset of cancer, make you feel younger etc...There really isn't much known about dhea and whether it really does have side effects or not. Doctors say that to see hormonal adjustments takes years to develop.
What do we know about DHEA?
It's a natural hormone produced by the adrenal gland (that's the little critter hitchhiking on the kidney). The concentration peaks in humans about age 25 -- (need we add at the time of peak health and vitality? OK, we added it).
From that peak, blood levels decline at about 2 percent per year, raising the prospect that the hormone's disappearance could be linked to all sorts of problems of aging.
Like "not getting it" about cyber-electro-funk music? No. Like decreased immune function, heart attacks, and gaining weight.
It's not known whether DHEA is actually a hormone, or just a precursor ("raw material") for the hormones testosterone and estrogen. If it's a precursor, then taking supplements could be dangerous -- since estrogen and testosterone can both speed the development of cancers. Indeed, MacEwen says, the only side effect seen in his dog study was an increase in aggressiveness, as the dogs "tended to take on male characteristics toward other dogs." And that's a sign that DHEA is being converted into testosterone.
