First discovered back in 1934, DHEA became classified as an endogenous hormone, meaning that it is produced within the human body. It is secreted by the adrenal gland and serves as a precursor to androgens and estrogens (male and female sex hormones).

While it is naturally occurring in the body, DHEA levels tend to peak around the age of 25 and then begin to decline as aging progresses. For instance, men who are young produce approximately 31mg daily while women produce about 19mg. By the age of 65 most only produce about 10-20% as much.

The decline rate for DHEA, after reaching its production peak in the mid-twenties, happens at about a relatively constant 2% per year. DHEA levels in the elderly are virtually non-existent by the time of death. Low levels are also often observed in people suffering from anorexia, type 2 diabetes, end-stage kidney disease as well as in those who are critically ill. A number of drugs including insulin, corticosteroids and opiates also tend to deplete levels.

What DHEA Does

DHEA regulates the body's production of other steroid hormones. This includes the sex hormones (estrogen and testosterone) and stress hormones (cortisol and norepinephrine). It also plays a vital role in burning fat, increasing lean muscle mass and stimulating bone growth. Some cells in the human body also have DHEA-specific receptors which suggests it has a direct effect on body tissue and physiology.

The primary purpose for using DHEA supplements is to restore circulating levels of the hormone to those common with younger people in the 20-30 age range. Some of the potential benefits of this include:

• Weight Loss
• Enhancing the Immune System
• Increasing Brain Function
• Improving General Sense of Well Being and Combating Depression
• Elevating Sex Drive (approximately 30-50% of total androgens in adult men are derived from DHEA)
• Reducing Impotence (high levels of DHEA in men correlate with low incidence of impotence)

A Bumpy Road

Back in the early 1980's, DHEA was primarily marketed as a nonprescription weight loss supplement and sold in health food and vitamin stores. In 1986 however, the FDA reclassified it based on a lack of knowledge regarding long-term risks associated with the supplements. Then in 1994 the U.S. Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act helped to change its regulatory status again so that DHEA could once more be sold without prescription.

Now just recently in March of 2007 a new bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate (S. 762) that attempts to classify DHEA as a controlled substance under the category of anabolic steroids. Incidentally, this bill is cosponsored in part by John McCain, current Republican front-runner for President of the United States.

Why So Much Controversy?

It should be stated that no studies on the long-term effects of DHEA have been conducted as of this publication date. Some have postulated that very high doses of DHEA over long periods may suppress the body's natural ability to synthesize the hormone. Others theorize that since it elevates testosterone and estrogen levels in the body, it may also increase the risk of certain hormone-sensitive cancers. Ultimately, there is no conclusive data to confirm any of these assumptions.

Why have there been no in-depth studies into the potential benefits or ill effects of DHEA? In short, it's not worth it to the big pharmaceutical companies. In the U.S., the value of drugs or therapies are determined by large, double-blind, placebo-based clinical studies which happen to be very expensive. Since DHEA is a naturally occurring substance produced by the human body, it cannot be patented. Therefore, there is no incentive for 'Big Pharma' to invest millions of dollars of their own money on clinical trials to determine its effectiveness.

There have however been numerous small-scale studies done by researchers that have shown great promise for DHEA. Coincidentally(?), there have been reports recently of pharmaceutical firms testing their own synthetic forms of DHEA for their effect in treating AIDS and Alzheimer's. If findings turn out to be positive, you can rest assured the end-products will be "by prescription only."

Natural Sources of DHEA

The only food source that contains the precursor substance to DHEA is the extract of wild yams (diosogenin or discorea). It is also available in some popular all-natural supplements such as Provacyl™ (see Provacyl Ingredients). It is generally agreed that large doses of the substance is not required nor recommended and a range of 10-20mg per day is more than sufficient. As always, consult your physician if you intend to try any natural remedies.

© Penis Resources Blog, 2008. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: anti-aging hormone, dehydroepiandrosterone, DHEA, endogenous hormone, human growth hormone, precursor to androgens

While I honestly don't have the answer, and I'm certainly not a physician, I did find some very good sources online that might help someone to reach their own conclusions and hopefully make an informed decision.

Firstly, I must admit that I have no personal experience with the use of HGH enhancement. That being said, you will not find any reviews for that type of product on this website. I do, however, have a rudimentary understanding of how it works and the potential benefits of HGH, so let's start with a brief overview.

What is HGH?

HGH stands for Human Growth Hormone. Human growth hormone, also called somatotropin, is a naturally occurring substance composed of 190 amino acids (the building blocks of protein) that is created and secreted by the anterior pituitary gland. HGH is known to play a key role in the normal functioning of the body, brain and sex organs. It has two types of effects, one direct and one indirect, both of which are highly beneficial to the body.

Direct Effects on Fat Metabolism

One of the properties of HGH is it's direct effect on other types of cells. The growth hormone binds to it's receptor on target cells, then creates some particular action. Fat cells, for instance, are target cells of HGH, so they have growth hormone receptors. Once bonded, the growth hormone causes them to break down triglyceride and suppresses their ability to take up and accumulate circulating lipids. In essence, HGH enhances the utilization of fat and gives the body the ability to break down fat cells more efficiently and prevent storage.

Indirect Effects on Protein Metabolism

HGH also acts to create other indirect effects in the body by causing secretion of IGF-1, an insulin-like growth factor hormone. IGF-1 is secreted from the liver and other tissues in response to growth hormone. This is the action that governs the mostly growth-related effects of HGH.

This same effect is also the vehicle behind muscle growth. It stimulates both the differentiation and proliferation of muscle cells, increases amino acid uptake, reduces the oxidation of proteins and synthesizes protein in muscle and other tissues. This is where HGH's ability to influence overall muscle and skin tone comes from.

HGH enhancements have been shown to:

• Decrease fat, while increasing lean muscle
• Improve the look and feel of your skin
• Increase bone density, and even reverse osteoporosis
• Power up the brain, and maintain memory during aging
• Boost the sex drive
• Tone and improve overall physical and mental well being
• Contribute to better sleep
• Improve mood, and relieve depression and fatigue

Sounds awesome! Give me some!

Slow down there, Sparky. Traditional HGH treatment comes in the form of injections that can run into the THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. Obviously not something everyone is running out to spend their money on! Recently however, natural HGH supplements have been popping up that claim to get the job done by stimulating the body to produce and release it's own HGH.

To be clear, these HGH supplements are not the same as injections. Basically it's impossible to introduce HGH into the bloodstream through any other method than injections since the molecule is simply too large to pass through the walls of the digestive system. Instead, HGH supplements are supposed to contain a formula that triggers and stimulates the pituitary gland to produce and secrete more HGH itself. In essence, the HGH goes into your body through the glandular system just as nature had intended.

Ok, I'm sold!

Take a minute before you rush out to buy the latest HGH herbal formula. HGH treatment, with it's scientifically proven benefits has, not surprisingly, spawned a slew of companies that are basically using the name to take advantage of it's popularity.

From a PRWeb Press Release Newswire:

Manufacturers Take the Initiative to Stop Human Growth Hormone Scams

Somatropin, commonly referred to as human growth hormone (HGH), is currently one of the most popular drugs on the market. Because of this, many companies are looking to make a profit from its popularity. Unfortunately, companies that sell HGH drugs are not always legitimate, and there are many forms of human growth hormone that are simply ineffective or, even worse, dangerous.

The press release goes on to mention a website created by several HGH manufacturers (GeneScience Pharmaceuticals, Neogenica BioScience, AnkeBio, etc..) which is devoted entirely to educating people about somatropin and warning of potential scams. For more information, visit www.somatropin.net.

In Conclusion

Unfortunately, I think the jury is still out on this one. We know the benefits of HGH enhancement… and we also know how expensive the injections can be. That the pharmaceutical companies have made a concerted effort to disprove "non drug related" treatments is not surprising whatsoever. But, like with any new "natural remedy", research and actual testing is your surest best.

Before you try a natural HGH solution, make certain that the supplier addresses any questions you might have. Also make sure that they offer a money back guarantee in case you are not satisfied with the results.

For more information regarding natural HGH supplements, I suggest visiting HGH Articles. They go into much more detail regarding non-medical varieties of HGH treatment and make their own independent recommendations.

© Penis Resources Blog, 2007. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: fat metabolism, hgh enhancement, hgh pills, hormonal injections, human growth hormone, protein metabolism, somatotropin