DHEA Dietary Supplement: Is It Right For Me?
What Is DHEA?
DHEA is in reality a steroid that is produced from the adrenal gland, gonads, as well as the brain. As we will go over momentarily, there's a wide range of stated benefits (as well as disadvantages) claimed in the news media.
DHEA was discovered in the early 1930's but really came of age in the 50s when it was discovered that aging patients encountered reduced levels in their bloodstream. It had been thought at the time that a DHEA supplement plan might help to counteract the aging process. There is a fair bit of debate over the subject whether or not DHEA is beneficial. One point is sure however, DHEA is a banned substance in virtually all sports organizations. Organizations which range from major league baseball to the Olympics have decided that DHEA is unworthy for the participants to be ingesting.
The DHEA Advantages
There has been many claims of DHEA being a wonder drug, and the way it can benefit sufferers throughout the world treat their conditions. Allegedly, cancer sufferers could encounter some form of relief. Particularly breast cancer, lung cancer, and colon cancer sufferers are apparently experiencing improvement. There is also some proof of improvement in heart patients. There are several other categories, such as anti-aging and hair loss, that can be allegedly helped by a DHEA supplemental program.
The DHEA Disadvantages
Although DHEA was found over seventy years ago, there's still much that is unknown about the substance. Even though it allegedly is helpful to cancer patients, it has also been shown to stimulate the growth of a formerly inactive cancer. While this has been shown to help some heart patients, it has been shown to trigger cardiac arrhythmia in other sufferers. It seems to cause elevated fertility in women, which may be a good or a bad thing depending on your point of view. Probably the biggest drawback of DHEA however, is how much medical science doesn't understand. There have been many tests done with laboratory rats to test the effectiveness of DHEA. But a lot more examining should be done.
Conclusion:
While it may be correct that DHEA has many positive attributes, it appears to possess many negative ones as well. Any patient that's thinking about using a DHEA dietary supplement is well-advised to seek medical aid before applying such a program.