Is low DHEA accelerating your aging?

SHOULD YOU CHECK YOUR DHEA?

DHEA or dehydroepiandrosterone is considered a precursor hormone that is tied to longevity and anti-aging benefits, lean body mass and optimal body composition.

We often talk about high DHEA in the case of PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) in terms of excessive androgen production in this sense the individual needs to mellow out and reduce the HPA-axis output while using a ketogenic diet to metabolize the excess DHEA. High stress levels is one of the biggest drivers of elevated DHEA levels and overtime after ongoing demand, the adrenal glands get fatigued and and DHEA levels start to decline. Low DHEA can drive unfavorable symptoms like fatigue, inability to gain muscle, excess body weight and low sexual hormone levels. Additionally, if trying to use a ketogenic diet, one may suffer with debilitating fatigue as they struggle to produce ketone bodies with insufficient substrates.

We naturally create DHEA in our adrenal glands and in our brain. Interestingly enough, the adrenal gland has to pick up the slack for the whole body’s needs as the brain gobbles it up and doesn’t share! This may be because this hormone plays a role in over 150 different functions with memory, cognitive function, and mood stability. In fact DHEA has been coined, the Fountain of Youth, with its ability to accelerate the growth of neuronal stem cells literally reducing the aging activity of the brain while providing a building block for sexual hormones that naturally decline with age. DHEA produced by the adrenal glands and will convert to testosterone, estrogen and will contribute to the production of ketone bodies with fasting or carbohydrate restriction.

DHEA starts to fall naturally after age 30 and often what we attribute to “just getting older” could actually be symptoms of low DHEA–weight gain, low libido, increased inflammation and feeling fatigued or burned out, depression, and brain fog!

Because DHEA is essential for ketone production, testing your levels is an essential component of a ketogenic lifestyle. This is ESPECIALLY important if not seeing results in keto or if experiencing fatigue or a burned out feeling after some time in ketosis. Testing is always gold standard, but it can be expensive. One way to support your DHEA levels without overdriving a hormone that may be dominant is by using Adaptogenic herbs that support stress resilience, this can aid in both an excess of DHEA by reducing the over-stimulation to the adrenal gland as well as in deficiency while supporting adrenal recovery and supporting energy while in a depleted state, in my clinic my first line of defense is the Adaptogen Boost blend followed in a close second by the Adrenal Support glandular formula that is used only in the case of low DHEA levels.

HOW IS DHEA TESTED?

DHEA can be tested either in blood or saliva! If wanting to look at your DHEA and general markers of health such as cholesterol particle size, thyroid function and blood sugar in keto, check out our Weight Loss Plus Panel!

If experiencing other hormonal or mood imbalances or if you suspect adrenal fatigue, our Neurohormone Complete Plus Panel will be a more comprehensive look at what is going on in your body and whether you could benefit from DHEA supplementation!