A new small scale study out of Italy seemed to show that DHEA can be helpful with menopausal symptom and can also positively affect a woman’s sexual desire.
So why is anyone surprised? The truth is that DHEA is a precursor hormone (or a “mother hormone” – but that title might suggest that it yells at you if you don’t clean your room and DHEA definitely does not do that!) which converts in your body to estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. So yes, taking DHEA every day is going to have an impact on your hormones. The fact that it is a hormone that is identified by the FDA as merely an “herbal supplement” is what should be surprising.
Be that as it may, for women who are suffering from the effects of low hormones, either with menopausal symptoms, low libido, dry skin or memory loss, DHEA might indeed give them relief. But keep in mind one caveat. It really and truly is a hormone. Don’t mess around with it alone too much. If you are serious about using it see your doctor, or better yet, see a specialist. Make sure you are having regular blood tests and someone is monitoring your hormones to make sure you are in a normal range and checking you regularly for side effects.
And keep your eyes out for more studies — it will be interesting to watch as DHEA comes of age.