supplements DHEA

Newsday, 4/13/04

WHAT'S IN THE BOTTLE
DHEA FOR MALE VIRILITY

by Charles Choi

THE PRODUCT AND WHAT IT'S MARKETED FOR: DHEA is a popular dietary supplement sold in drugstores and touted as slowing aging, building muscle, heightening male potency, improving memory and promoting vitality overall.

Consumers should not confuse DHEA with DHA. DHEA is dehydroepiandrosterone, a hormone that humans and other primates manufacture in the adrenal glands, gonads and the brain, while DHA is docosahexaenoic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid. (Commercial DHEA is synthesized from plants.)

GNC sells 30-capsule bottles of DHEA for $4, with one 25- milligram pill recommended daily. The company warns DHEA is not for use for anyone under 18, or for pregnant or nursing women. The bottles note the supplement is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The manufacturer cautions anyone with a history or family history of prostate cancer, prostate enlargement, heart disease, low levels of "good cholesterol" (high-density lipoproteins, or HDL), or anyone taking another dietary supplement or drug to consult a doctor before use.

The company warns that side effects may include acne, hair loss, facial hair growth for women, aggressiveness, irritability and increased estrogen levels. Anyone experiencing rapid heartbeat, dizziness, blurred vision or comparable symptoms from DHEA should stop use and call a physician immediately.

WHAT'S KNOWN: DHEA breaks down into various sex hormones, including testosterone, which helps build muscle. A related form of DHEA known as DHEA-sulfate or DHEAS is the most common hormone found circulating in the body. Initially discovered in the 1930s, interest in DHEA rose after former home-run record holder Mark McGwire said he used androstenedione, or "andro," a similar muscle- building supplement.

However, Dr. Rebecca Sokol and colleagues at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine found DHEA from supplements did not create testosterone that stayed long in the blood. Instead, testosterone created from such DHEA quickly broke down. Meanwhile, other hormones "that are potentially bad for the prostate" rose in levels, Sokol said. "Not only are users not getting the testosterone, but they may be getting something harmful in the process."

The evidence for DHEA supplementation's benefits in humans is conflicting, said Dr. John Swartzberg, editor of the University of California at Berkeley Wellness Letter.

"There have been studies in rats that suggested it improved their immune systems, and other studies in humans and rats that did not show that. There are studies in older people that it improved muscle, and recently, a French study that in 60- to 80-year-olds that showed it did not improve their strength at all," Swartzberg said. Similar inconsistent results can be found in studies regarding DHEA's effect on memory, sense of well-being and depression.

DHEA levels in the body peak in young adults and decline afterward. Since reduction of the hormone goes along with aging, scientists wondered if restoring DHEA levels might slow or prevent aging.

"For the elderly man -- those older than 70 -- I don't think we have enough data to say whether it's helpful. Maybe -- and that's a 'maybe' in big, capital, bold letters -- maybe DHEA has a benefit for the elderly man," Sokol said. "Anybody who's younger, I know of no data that suggests it's beneficial and there is potential harm. You shouldn't take something you don't know the repercussions from."

In women, DHEA appears to increase testosterone and have lots of side effects, "but that's preliminary data," Sokol said.

"Personally, I believe that supplements that are based on hormones should not be sold over the counter."

As for claims DHEA can boost male potency, "I know of no study that says low DHEA levels cause impotence," Sokol said. Anyone with impotence should consult with a doctor to determine its causes, which may not be hormonal in nature, she said.

"I think the biggest concern is there are no long-term studies of using this in healthy people, so we really don't know whether consequences may be deleterious," Swartzberg said.

In addition, Swartzberg said there is evidence many DHEA products do not have DHEA or have different amounts than claimed; nor is purity of the product certain. "As a physician, I would never recommend anybody to take it," he said.

OTHER APPROACHES: "I don't know of any supplements that are available to anybody that enhance the immune system, that improve memory or that increase muscle strength," Swartzberg said. "I do know -- and people groan when a doctor says this -- that a healthy diet, combined with exercise and mental stimulation, are the best way to achieve those goals."

Charles Choi is a freelance writer.

Copyright 2004, Newsday, Inc.