Page 10 - The DHEA Debate - Life Extensions Magazine

Naysayer: But DHEA is converted to testosterone and estrogen . . .

Stephen Cherniske: Some DHEA is converted to testosterone and estrogens. But there are
enzymes in every tissue of the human body and brain that metabolize DHEA itself. The idea that
DHEA is merely a reservoir for sex steroids was debunked decades ago. A recent study in the
journal Steroids documents the anticancer effects of DHEA and all of its major
metabolites.115 Likewise, the ability of DHEA to reduce risk for cardiovascular disease is
independent of its conversion to sex steroids.116 A study with 375 men with a mean age of 60
found that sexual activity and satisfaction was far more closely associated with DHEA levels
than testosterone.98

Naysayer: But it is converted to testosterone and estrogen . . .

Stephen Cherniske: Yes it is, but are you saying that is inherently unsafe?

Naysayer: Well, look at the disaster that we just saw with hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Stephen Cherniske: That was caused by conventional HRT using large doses of synthetic
hormones. Yes, that was a disaster, given to more than 80 million women, which actually
increased risk for breast cancer, stroke, and pulmonary embolism.117 So, because large
amounts of synthetic hormones increased disease risk, you believe that small amounts of a
natural hormone will do the same thing, even though we’ve been over this already and you’ve
seen that there is no evidence that DHEA promotes abnormal growth of any tissue in the human
body. Even though studies with human volunteers show that a 50-mg daily dose of DHEA does
not elevate systemic or blood levels of estradiol.19 Heck, human studies with 200 mg of DHEA
per day have shown no systemic elevation of estradiol.118 On the contrary, conversion of
DHEA to sex steroids appears to take place on an as-needed basis, through an inherent self-
regulating activity.
The dangers of HRT stem not only from the systemic elevation of estradiol. We now know that
HRT lowers DHEA levels.119 Importantly, DHEA supplementation does not raise sex steroid
levels above normal. Most of the repair and regenerative benefits of DHEA come from local (or
peripheral) anabolic activity such as was recently demonstrated in Mechanisms of Ageing and
Development. This important study utilizing genomic technology revealed that DHEA improves
bone density, not by raising systemic levels of estradiol but through local conversion to estrone
by osteoblasts.120 In other words, DHEA is converted by repair cells in the bone to estrone,
which does not promote cancer, while leaving estradiol levels in the breast and uterus
unchanged.
In fact, a growing number of endocrinologists are realizing that the solution to maintaining bone
density in postmenopausal women was staring us in the face for more than 40 years, but the
pharmceutical-based health care system ignored this natural, safe, and effective treatment in
favor of prescription drugs, even though those drugs have been known to be unsafe for at least
the last 15 years.
Research shows conclusively that DHEA deficiency contributes significantly to age-related bone
loss in men and women.42 And a recent study with postmenopausal women demonstrates the
significant ana-bolic benefits that can be obtained from DHEA supplementation. Women in the
treatment group experienced improvements in virtually all anabolic (repair) hormones, including
DHEA, estrone, estradiol, androstenedione, and testosterone. Importantly, none of these
steroids rose to levels that would be considered unsafe. What’s more, increases in osteocalcin
and IGF-1 indicate that 50 mg of DHEA might be more effective in maintaining bone density