Dehydroepiandrosterone

Dehydroepiandrosterone is a natural steroid hormone produced from cholesterol by the adrenal glands. Dehydroepiandrosterone is chemically similar to testosterone and estrogen and can be easily converted into those hormones. In blood DHEA is found as its derivative dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S). The production of the hormone peaks in early adulthood and its production is declining with age. Interestingly it is the most abundant of all steroid hormones in humans.
The significance of the hormone in health and disease is not fully established. It is postulated that substitution of it can be beneficial in a number of disorders like :

• cardiovascular disease
• diabetes
• hypercholesterolemia[?]
• obesity
• multiple sclerosis
• Parkinson's disease
• Alzheimer's disease
• disorders of the immune system
• depression
• osteoporosis

However there is too little scientific proof to advocate the use DHEA outside specialist centres under careful observation of experts in the field of endocrinology.