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DHEA (100mg)
Description from
ULTIMATE NUTRITION
For many years DHEA, or dehydroepiandosterone, was considered a "junk" hormone, since researchers could not attribute any specific function to it. In the past few years, DHEA's image problem has been totally refurbished. It is the most abundant hormone i n humans and other mammals, and it plays a critical role in many different bodily functions. In fact, decrease in DHEA levels is being increasingly used as an indicator of reduced immune response, loss of libido and lack of a sense of general wellbeing. C linical studies over the past ten years show that DHEA may be the most critical single chemical in predicting health and disease.
The body produces DHEA in the adrenal gland using cholesterol as the starting material. It is metabolized to androsten edione, which is converted directly to testosterone. Like testosterone (estrogen in women) and other critical hormones, DHEA levels peak in the second or third decade of life, after which the decline begins. In men, roughly one-half of DHEA is lost by age 40. Reduced levels of DHEA mean reduced amounts of androstenedione, testosterone and other steroid hormone metabolites. It is interesting to note that as cholesterol in general increases with age, DHEA levels decrease. As a result, DHEA deficiency is ass ociated with an array of chronic conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, and various immune deficiencies, including autoimmune diseases.
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