How to Lower Your DHEA Level
Dehydroepiandrosterone, or DHEA, is a hormone produced naturally in the human body. According to the Crossroads Medical Associates, DHEA affects all systems and a balanced level is important to overall health. It is not advisable to try to lower your DHEA level unless a physician deems it too high. Low DHEA can have significant effects on health such as bone density and muscle mass. Your DHEA level decreases as you age and by the time you reach 30, it will decline naturally. A balanced DHEA level can help you achieve a state of optimal energy.
See your doctor and have a DHEA level test. Tests are taken in with various methods, but will often rely on urine or saliva to screen DHEA. The test will indicate whether your levels need to go up or down. Follow your doctor’s advice on the correct DHEA level.
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Lose weight if obese. Reducing body weight does help to lower the DHEA levels in men. The Crossroads Medical Associates website states that this method in less effective for women.
Take birth control pills if you are a woman. Some medications will lower levels. If you doctor agrees that in order to balance out your DHEA levels, you need to lower them, he may recommend birth control pills.
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Add a vitamin E supplement to your diet. Vitamin E is one way to balance out DHEA levels naturally. Follow the instructions provided with the product for proper dosage.
Eat less meat. If your DHEA levels are high, decrease the animal protein you eat. Eating the correct amount of animal protein will help balance out DHEA levels.
Repeat testing after attempting to balance DHEA levels. The goal is to reach a proper level. Follow your doctor’s recommendation for repeat testing.
Tips
Those with low DHEA levels show signs of fatigue, depression, anxiety and poor sex drive. A hypersensitivity to sound may also indicate low DHEA levels. Individuals making too much DHEA will have greasy hair and skin, reoccurring acne and body odor. Women may grow excess body hair.
Warnings
Do not attempt to lower DHEA levels without a doctor’s consent. There are indicators that DHEA may help protect against certain illnesses. According to Anti-agingmd, DHEA may help treat Alzheimer’s disease, depression, diabetes and lupus. There are some indicators that DHEA may help fight off cancer. Reducing levels unnecessarily may put you at risk for more serious conditions.
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References
- Anti Aging MD: DHEA
- National Instutites of Health MedlinePlus. Wild yam. Updated April 18, 2018.
- National Institutes of Health MedlinePlus. DHEA. Updated May 29, 2019.
- Park SG, Hwang S, Kim JS, Park KC, Kwon Y, Kim KC. The association between dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) and bone mineral density in Korean men and women. J Bone Metab. 2017;24(1):31–36. doi:10.11005/jbm.2017.24.1.31
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- Cleveland Clinic. Prasterone, DHEA tables or capsules (Dietary supplements).
- Archer DF. Dehydroepiandrosterone intra vaginal administration for the management of postmenopausal vulvovaginal atrophy. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2015 Jan;145:139-43. doi:10.1016/j.jsbmb.2014.09.003
- Freitas RP, Lemos TM, Spyrides MH, Sousa MB. Influence of cortisol and DHEA-S on pain and other symptoms in post menopausal women with fibromyalgia. J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil. 2012;25(4):245-52. doi:10.3233/BMR-2012-0331.
- Gómez-Santos C, Hernández-Morante JJ, Tébar FJ, et al. Differential effect of oral dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate on metabolic syndrome features in pre- and postmenopausal obese women. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2012;77(4):548-54. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2265.2011.04306.x.
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Writer Bio
Writing since 1999, Darla Ferrara is an award-winning author who specializes in health, diet, fitness and computer technology. She has been published in "Mezzo Magazine" and Diet Spotlight, as well as various online magazines. Ferrara studied biology and emergency medical technology at the University of Nebraska and Southeast Community College.