DHEA

What Is DHEA?

DHEA is a steroid molecule the human body makes for itself; the full name is dehydroepiandrosterone. The adrenal glands, which sit on top of the kidneys, produce it, and it circulates in larger amounts than any other steroid in the body. Micronized describes particle size, nothing more.

How It Works in the Body

The adrenal cortex builds it from cholesterol by way of pregnenolone, in an inner band of tissue called the zona reticularis. Most of it is then sulfated and travels as DHEA-S.

In the body's steroid pathway it sits upstream of both the androgens and the estrogens. That is why it is called a precursor rather than a hormone in its own right. Output peaks in early adulthood and drifts down from there. The supplement material is made in a laboratory from plant sterols such as diosgenin.

What It Supports

• Hormone synthesis: As a precursor to the androgens and estrogens, DHEA supports normal hormone synthesis.
• Stress response: The adrenal cortex makes DHEA alongside cortisol, so it supports a healthy stress response.
• Adrenal origin: The body makes its own in the zona reticularis, the innermost layer of the adrenal cortex.
• How it travels: Most of it circulates as DHEA-S, a sulfated form that tissues can convert back.
• Made from plants, not yam: The material is synthesized from plant sterols; eating wild yam does not give the body DHEA.
• One strength: Micronized dehydroepiandrosterone at 10 mg per serving.

Who It May Suit

This is a hormone precursor, so it belongs in a plan a practitioner is guiding. The tablet's other ingredients are plant- and mineral-derived.

Good To Know

Talk with your healthcare provider before use. It is not for use in pregnancy or while nursing. Tell your provider if you have a hormone-sensitive cancer, liver trouble or a mood disorder, or if you take hormone therapy, hormonal birth control or psychiatric medicine. Athletes should also know that DHEA is prohibited in sport at all times.