Losing weight can be an uphill battle sometimes. With so many fad diets, diet pills, weight loss treatments, and exercise programs to choose from, it is very easy to feel overwhelmed and give up before you even start. In this article, we will discuss the possible link between DHEA and weight loss. Then you can decide whether you should consider supplementing with DHEA or not.
But please know that this article should not add to your confusion. Because, as with most health advice we offer, we advocate that you always get a personalized plan that suits your specific needs and condition. A plan that you can implement without too much stress. And also one that will empower you to take charge of your own health and wellbeing.
DHEA is a hormone that your body naturally secretes, and it’s important for you to understand how it relates to your overall Hormone Circuit. Your Hormone Circuit is one of six circuits of organs and systems that work together to fight stress. And this overall response to stress is what is defined as the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response. Weight gain and weight loss are intimately tied to your NEM, especially the Hormone Circuit. In fact, if you gain weight very easily or struggle to lose weight, then it may be due to dysregulation with your hormones and overall NEM.
But first, let’s talk about what DHEA is and how it works in the body.
DHEA is the short form for dehydroepiandrosterone. It’s secreted by your adrenal glands, gonads, and brain. Your adrenals are one of the three main components of your Hormone Circuit. The other two components are the thyroid gland and the reproductive glands (the male testes and female ovaries).
Although DHEA is one of the most abundant steroids that can be found in the body, its production declines as you age. It peaks between ages 20 and 40, then decreases at a rate of about 5% every year. This means, by the time you're 70 years old, your body will make very little of it.
This decline in production is actually quite common for most hormones. In fact, certain hormones decrease in the system because of the decline in DHEA production, as DHEA is a precursor to many other hormones, including estrogen and androgens. This is where its efficacy as a possible weight loss aid comes in. Androgens in general help the body masculinize, which in turn can help it burn fat and gain muscle more efficiently.
These “masculinizing” effects also include boosting bone-building, improving athletic ability, and increasing energy. All of these changes can then help you become more physically active, burn more calories, because of the extra muscle mass. Also, androgens can increase the oiliness of your skin, stimulate the growth of more body hair, and change the odor of your body.
Now, if you’re someone who isn’t too thrilled about the idea of some of these masculinizing effects, don’t worry, because the dosage is key. You can take just enough DHEA to help you with physical activity and weight loss, without getting some of those other effects. This is why it’s really important that you do not supplement DHEA without proper supervision.
Your DHEA levels play an important role in your health along with other hormones that are involved in your NEM’s Hormone Circuit. First of all, DHEA and cortisol are co-synthesized in your adrenal glands. When increased stress increases cortisol production, it also affects your DHEA production.
Cortisol is your body’s most powerful anti-stress hormone. Although it naturally rises and falls throughout the day, there are certain ranges that are deemed healthy or normal. And, in the face of acute stress, the cortisol level can go beyond this range for a short period of time. Interestingly, there are studies that show that in case of acute levels of stress, those with a higher DHEA to cortisol ratio are able to cope well. But this ratio flips when the stress turns chronic.
With chronic stress, the NEM begins to favor cortisol production over the production of other hormones. This includes thyroid hormones, sex hormones, and DHEA. The adrenals prioritize synthesizing cortisol more than DHEA because it is more needed to keep fighting that constant stress.
In the initial phase of chronic stress, your cortisol levels are likely to increase above the healthy range, but as your adrenals get exhausted from overworking, your cortisol levels begin to drop.
Both of these issues are problematic because they mark the beginning and later stages of Adrenal Fatigue (AF) respectively. Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue include fatigue, weight gain, sleep issues, brain fog, anxiety, mild depression, dry skin, hair loss, loss of libido, PMS, infertility, hypoglycemia, salt and sugar cravings, lowered immunity, food and drug sensitivities, and heart palpitations.
One of the effects of Adrenal Fatigue is weight gain. And it tends to happen around the belly. That’s because fat cells store the cholesterol that your adrenals need in order to synthesize cortisol. It is easier to keep those fat cells near the adrenals. The body is always looking for ways to be as energy-efficient as possible. Even more so when you have low energy due to Adrenal Fatigue.
Unfortunately, belly fat is also the more dangerous form of weight gain. It tends to be more visceral and can increase your risk for chronic conditions, such as heart disease.
A study of the effects of DHEA supplementation on 56 elderly women and men was conducted to see whether it can decrease both abdominal fat and insulin resistance, another very important metabolic hormone. Remember, DHEA decreases with age, so these participants didn’t produce much anymore.
The study divided the participants into two groups. One group received 50 mg DHEA every day for 6 months, and the other didn't (placebo). After 6 months, the results found that those who took DHEA supplementation lost the visible fat under the skin and around the belly compared to those who were not given any supplementation. They also became more insulin sensitive.
So, does this mean you should go out and buy some DHEA over the counter? Not at all, because there are still many considerations to take into account.
If your weight gain is due to adrenal fatigue, or some other health condition, taking DHEA should not be your focus. A healthy, sustainable recovery plan that may or may not include DHEA should be your focus.
For example, with Adrenal Fatigue, you’re not going to eradicate the source of chronic stress by taking DHEA. DHEA may give you a temporary boost by improving the DHEA-cortisol ratio, but that’s the best-case scenario. Another scenario is that it actually backfires. Your body and your adrenals are already so weak that you end up getting a paradoxical reaction from the DHEA. Then, if you’re not very experienced, you may double down and take even more supplements to remedy those paradoxical effects.
Addressing the Adrenal Fatigue with proper dietary and lifestyle changes is the more sustainable and safer choice. If your health professional thinks DHEA might be useful, you can try with smaller doses at first and then observe how your body reacts.
Also, please keep in mind that your aim with weight loss shouldn’t be losing as much weight as possible as quickly as possible. That will also add stress on your body, and it’s usually a short-lived change anyway.
So, the bottom line here is that, with DHEA and weight loss, only try it out if your health professional thinks it might do you good, and start slowly and observe the effect. Adjust along the way, and never rely on a supplement or several supplements as your main approach.
DH Pro is a supplement we would recommend if we felt someone could do with added DHEA. Remember, DHEA is involved in the manufacturing of many hormones, including progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, and corticosteroids. Because your natural DHEA peaks when you are about 25 years old, this type of supplement may well benefit those with hormonal imbalances.
The question is - are DHEA and weight loss linked. And whether DHEA really does have those beneficial effects some say it does. Some studies do show it may indeed have weight loss effects and other benefits. At the same time, it is not something you should rely on as your main approach, or even one of your main tools, for weight loss.
There can be some cases where it may be a good idea to give it a try. But that depends on your current health, the state of your Hormone Circuit, how resilient your NEM is, and what your goals are. This is why an individualized and holistic approach to health and fitness is a much more effective path than just buying a bunch of supplements someone else is raving about. Your body and your situation are unique.
If you have questions about whether DHEA might be suitable for you, what your weight loss program should look like, or how to recover from adrenal fatigue, you can contact the Dr. Lam Coaching team. We can offer you a free** no-obligation phone consultation at +1-626-571-1234 where we will privately discuss your symptoms and what your options are. You can also send us a question through our Ask The Doctor system by clicking here.
The link between DHEA and weight loss has been a debate for decades. Some studies show that DHEA can help you lose weight and burn calories, while others show little effect. As we advocate for a holistic, personalized approach, we believe it depends on the case.