The Latest on DHEA and Pregnenolone

 

Pregnenolone: The "Smart" Hormone

Pregnenolone is naturally produced in the mitochondria of the cells by enzymes that convert cholesterol into pregnenolone. The pineal gland is primarily responsible for controlling this entire process, but as the body ages, it produces considerably less steroid hormones, including pregnenolone. It is estimated that by the age of 75 there is only 60% of the pregnenolone the body once had when it was 35!

When the pregnenolone is formed it can take one of two pathways:
1) Conversion into DHEA or                                      
2) Conversion into progesterone and then cortisol and aldosterone.

It is misleading to think that supplementation with pregnenolone will take care of balancing DHEA levels since it may not always go through this particular pathway. Research on pregnenolone dates back to the 1940's, beginning with studies conducted by Dr. Gregory Pincus and Dr. Hudson Hoaglond which first established the safety of properly administered pregnenolone.

A Sharp Mind

The role of pregnenolone and its enhancement of memory function are being explored with very interesting and promising results. The Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center in St. Louis, Missouri is one of the world's leading research centers on pregnenolone. A 1995 study conducted at the Center suggested that low levels of steroid hormones may be the cause of learning and memory impairment (Flood et al., 1995).

They also did a study in 1992 which found a relationship between pregnenolone levels in aging and the increase of cancer and behavorial disorders in people who receive drugs that block the synthesis of cholesterol
(the precursor of pregnenolone)    (Flood et al., 1992).

The National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland also supports that pregnenolone is important for effective memory. The NIH study found that pregnenolone positively modulates NMDA receptors in the brain which are believed to be responsible for retention (Mathis et al., 1994).

A French research study in 1995 found that when they administered a series of cognitive tests to mice, those with the highest steroid hormone levels performed significantly better
(Robel et al., 1995).

In addition to memory, serum levels of pregnenolone are also a factor in depression.
The NIH  found that people with clinical depression have significantly lower levels of pregnenolone.

Pregnenolone levels were decreased in subjects with affective illness,
particularly during episodes of active depression (Mathis et al., 1994).

Healthy Bones

The production of progesterone from pregnenolone was the key to corrective treatment for one of four groups of 67 year old women in Japan, who were subjects of a study that tested the effects of sex steroids on bone mineral density. The group which administered sex steroids (including pregnenolone) showed a significantly increasing measure of bone mineral density throughout the 24 months of treatment. This is a promising finding which warrants more research on pregnenolone and the possibilities of deterring bone mass deterioration. (Shiraki et al., 1991).

More Progressive Hormone Research

Another interesting prospect of pregnenolone stems out of research which was conducted at the college of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. This study found pregnenolone, which admonistered with two other drugs, showed improvement in rats with spinal cord injuries. These very preliminary findings offer an entirely new avenue for pregnenolone research (Guth et al., 1994).

DHEA

DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) also known as "the mother hormone",
is produced by the adrenal glands and is the most dominant hormone in the body.

The body converts DHEA into whatever hormone it needs
(i.e. estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, and coriconsterone).

In both sexes, blood levels of DHEA peak at 20. After 30 years of age, the levels steadily decline. By eighty years old, the body only has 5% of the DHEA levels it had at 20(Sahelian, 1996).

Supplementation of DHEA is becoming the anti-aging antidote endorsed by many of today's researchers.

Breakthrough Findings

DHEA is the focus of study on the multiple complications which occur as we grow older. Degenerative conditions, which are an inevitable part of the aging process, have been associated with lower than average levels of DHEA. Supplementation has been associated with deterring bone density loss in women, assisting weight loss, and many other benefits. Combining DHEA with treatment for auto-immune disorders such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and others has yielded promising results.

Probably the most popular recent clinical research is a study which was conducted at Stanford University. Dr. Von Vollenhoven's team from the Division of Immunology and Rheumatology in Palo Alto, California found dramatic clinical results in lupus patients when treated with DHEA.

The subjects who were supplemented with DHEA had fewer flares of the condition with virtually no side effects.
In fact, subjects reported an increase in energy levels that they had not  felt in years. The success of this treatment is attributed to DHEA supplementation correcting the imbalance of hormones which occurs in lupus patients(Harvard Women's Health Watch, 1996).

This is a very promising alternative to the corticosteroids, which are commonly prescribed drugs used on lupus patients that may cause brittle bones over an extended period of time.(Regelson, 1996)

Cardio-Protection

Research strongly speculates that DHEA may also be a smart method in the prevention of one of the world's biggest threats-heart disease.

In 1986, a population based cohort study of 242 men ages 50-79 was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The trial observed that an increase in DHEA levels lead to a 48% reduction in mortality from Cardiovascular disease (Barrett-Connor et al., 1986).

Further research at the Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, supports this observation based on research that DHEA "may lower plasma lipoprotein levels in humans"
(Sholley et al., 1990).

Dr. William Regelson, one of the leading innovative pioneers of DHEA research, conducted a study out of the same institution which revealed that DHEA has a beneficial effect on induced hypertension in laboratory animals (Shafagoj, Y et al., 1992).

Regelson states in his book, The Superhormone Promise, "I do not mean to suggest that DHEA is a CURE for heart disease, but what many other researchers and I now believe is that the age-related decline in DHEA levels creates an environment in which heart disease is permitted to take hold" (Regelson, 1996).

Virility

DHEA may be an important predictor in male sexual performance.

According to a 1995 study published in the British Medical Journal, there is a direct correlation between sex steroid levels and frequency of orgasms. (Mantzoros, CS et al., 1995).
The Massachussetts Male Aging study explored many aspects of healthin men ages forty to seventy. One of the observations made on sexual performance found a direct correlation between DHEA and impotency.
The statistics showed that as DHEA levels decrease, the occurrences of impotency increase.

In Regelson's book, he suggests that DHEA'S effect on sex drive can also be attributed to the way this hormone enhances feelings of well being, energy and happiness (Regelson, 1996).

Yam Scam

A popular question is "Is Mexican wild yam a good substitute for DHEA?"
The answer is "NO"!

It can be very misleading as some manufactures sell Mexican wild yam under the name Natural DHEA.
This is extremely inaccurate.

According to recently published data, it is impossible to ingest Mexican wild yam
and metabolically convert it to DHEA (Sahelian, 1996).

Very few side effects have been found with DHEA in low doses.

DHEA is NOT for use by pregnant women or recommended for men with known or suspected prostate cancer.

It is always recommended that a healthcare professional,
who may recommend testing for DHEA,be consulted first.

These two "superhormones" may be part of the answer to the never-ending battle against the tolls of aging process. As medical research continues to aggressively explore these hormones, we may not only understand aging better, but also reduce health care costs and increase vitality in today's aging men and women.



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