DHEA Review: Complete Guide to Help You Choose

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By using pregnenolone cream or pregnenolone supplements, the levels of the compound in the body increases, and this brings about various benefits such as fatigue relief, and delay of the aging process.

Dehydroepiandrosterone or DHEA is a precursor hormone produced by the adrenal glands. Precursor hormones are the kind that transform into other substance, which in this case is testosterone. DHEA is the most abundant steroid in the body but it begins to decline as we age. That’s why some people need DHEA supplements that have been made in the laboratory. We developed this roundup of DHEA reviews to help you find the right supplement.



DHEA Supplements Comparison Table

Picture

Product

Brand

Ingredients



Natrol DHEA

Natrol

  • DHEA
  • Calcium
  • Stearic Acid
  • Maltodextrin
  • Magnesium Stearate
  • Cellulose
  • Silica
Pure Encapsulations

Pure Encapsulations

  • DHEA
  • Hypoallergenic Plant Fiber (Cellulose)
  • Ascorbyl Palmitate
  • Vegetarian Capsule (Cellulose, Water)
All Natural Bioidentical DHEA 50 Cream

BIOLABS PRO

  • DHEA
  • Aloe Vera Gel
  • Shea Butter
  • Organic Fenugreek
  • Organic Tribulus Terrestris
  • Coconut Oil
Life-Flo DHEA PLUS Cream

Life-Flo

  • DHEA
  • Vitamin E
  • Aloe Vera
  • MSM
Life-Flo DHEA for Men

Life-Flo

  • Ginseng Extract
  • Saw Palmetto Extract
  • DHEA
  • Stearic Acid
  • Ormenis Multicaulis
  • Cetearyl Glucoside
Wholesale Life-Flo Testro Max for Men Body Cream

Life-Flo

  • Glycerin
  • (Sunflower) Seed Oil
  • Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)
  • Stearic Acid
  • DHEA
  • Glyceryl Stearate
  • Stearyl Alcohol

man gym

A Quick Look at the Best DHEA Supplements

Here are some of the products that are fit to be deemed the best DHEA supplement. We will be talking about the best six:

  • Natrol DHEA that works well for increasing your energy level.

These six over-the-counter drugs will carefully be compared and reviewed to see the best possible DHEA supplement suited for your need.


Reviews of the Best DHEA Supplements


Natrol DHEA comes in a 50mg bottle containing 60 tablets taken once per day. Natrol DHEA is 100% vegetarian.

Ingredients include: Cellulose, Magnesium Stearate, Silica, Stearic Acid, Cellulose Gum, Maltodextrin, Gum Acacia. Natrol DHEA does not contain yeast, wheat, corn, milk, egg, soy, glutens or sugar.

Natrol DHEA

Using this product regulates your DHEA levels while increasing energy levels.

Things We Liked

  • Packaged well
  • Effective in giving an energy boost
  • Stimulates weight loss
  • Vegetarian-friendly

Things We Didn't Like

  • Increases hunger
  • Irritability risk
  • Acne breakout
Pure Encapsulations

Pure Encapsulations is available in a 25mg bottle containing 80 tablets taken once every day with a meal. It is vegetarian, gluten free, soy free, dairy free, and non GMO.

Other ingredients include: Hypoallergenic plant fiber (cellulose), Ascorbyl Palmitate, Vegetarian Capsule (cellulose, water).

Taking this product improves mood and energy levels and enhances overall health.

Things We Liked

  • Increases libido
  • Improves mood
  • Gives energy

Things We Didn't Like

  • Urinary discomfort
  • Stomach pains
  • Acne breakout
  • A bit pricey
  • Headaches and vertigo
  • Hair loss

The All Natural Bioidentical DHEA 50 Cream is available in a tube with 65-80 pumps applied once a day. It is organic and a 100% natural DHEA. 

Some ingredients: Purified Water, Glycerin (Plant source), Caprylic/capric Triglyceride, Organic Fenugreek, Organic Tribulus, Terrestris Organic, Maca Root, Organic Horny Goatweed.

All Natural Bioidentical DHEA 50 Cream

This product improves libido and muscle mass with its fast absorbing cream.

Things We Liked

  • Fast absorption
  • Effective increase in libido and energy
  • Keeps DHEA levels elevated

Things We Didn't Like

  • Triggers anxiety
  • Make worsen difficulty sleeping
  • Nausea
  • Sticky feeling
Life-Flo DHEA PLUS Cream

The Life-Flo DHEA PLUS Cream comes in a tube and one full press gets 15mg of the cream out. It is an all natural DHEA that is promoted as an anti-aging agent.

It containsglycerin, tocopherol (vitamin e), chamomillarecutita extract, sodium bicarbonate.

Using this product will help supplement your body with regulated levels of DHEA.

Things We Liked

  • Elevated testosterone levels
  • Helps with losing weight
  • Increases libido
  • Energy boost

Things We Didn't Like

  • Heart palpitations
  • Headaches
  • Problems with the pump
  • Greasy
  • Slight odor
  • Hair loss

The Life-Flo DHEA for Men is available in a 4 ounce tube that pumps 30mg each press. Use it for 25 consecutive days and then take a 5-day break before resuming use.

In addition to Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), it contains aloe vera gel, cetearylglucoside, stearic acid, cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, phenoxyethanol and caprylyl glycol, zinc gluconate.

Life-Flo DHEA for Men

This product is helpful for those who want a balanced solution with DHEA and other natural ingredients.

Things We Liked

  • Raises testosterone levels
  • Helps increase muscle mass
  • No odor
  • Leaves skin feeling moisturized
  • Elevated energy levels

Things We Didn't Like

  • Phenoxyethanol which might trigger rashes
  • Headaches
  • Impaired sense of taste
  • Slightly sticky

Wholesale Life-Flo Testro Max for Men Body Cream

Wholesale Life-Flo Testro Max for Men Body Cream

Available in a 4 ounce tube, each full pump of the Wholesale Life-Flo Testro Max For Men Body Cream provides 15mg of DHEA and 75mg of Boosting Complex. 

Ingredients include herbs like horny goat weed, mucuna pruriens, tongkat ali, and tribulus terrestris which are known for their testosterone level boosting effect. It also contains glycerin which helps boost energy levels and improve results from strength training.

After 25 consecutive days of continuous use, a 5 day break is advisable.

This product is paraben free and overall performance is helpful to increase men's testosterone levels.

Things We Liked

  • Boosted testosterone levels
  • An ultimate nutrition DHEA supplement
  • Effective Absorption
  • Powerful supplement
  • Muscle strength increased
  • Increased energy level
  • Increased sex drive and performance
  • Good price

Things We Didn't Like

  • Use with caution as it is a powerful supplement; make sure your DHEA levels are in need of increasing
  • Mild headache

DHEA is turned to oestrogen, androgen, testosterone, and other hormones to maximize its effects fully as a precursor hormone.

By using pregnenolone cream or pregnenolone supplements, the levels of the compound in the body increases, and this brings about various benefits such as fatigue relief, and delay of the aging process.
mature couple

Dehydroepiandrosterone and How It Works

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal gland.​​​​

The production of DHEA hormones gradually decrease as we get older and sometimes by the intake of other medications like insulin and such. However, aside from DHEA supplements, there are also certain foods that boost testosterone levels.

Dehydroepiandrosterone is made from cholesterol by the adrenal cortex and circulates attached to sulphur as dehydroepiandrosteronesulphate. It is also the main producer of oestrogen in the body.

Benefits of DHEA

Dehydroepiandrosterone is sometimes called the master hormone because it is turned to hormones like oestrogen and testosterone and it gives benefits such as:

  • Anti-Aging
    Taking DHEA orally decreases skin pigmentation and helps keep skin moisturized, making you look younger.
  • Boosts Sexual Function
    Oral DHEA intake increases libido, helps cure erectile dysfunction, and improve the overall satisfaction from sexual activities. DHEA also helps in producing more sex hormones.
  • Improves Bone Density
    DHEA improves bone mineral density and help aid osteoporosis for both men and women.
  • Helps Manage Mental Disorders
    DHEA also help improve the psychological well-being of an average person by improving symptoms of schizophrenia albeit it shows more for women than men.
  • Builds Muscle Mass
    As a steroid hormone, it is given that DHEA decreases body fat that will result to a lean muscle mass.
  • Aids in Weight Loss
    DHEA is also marketed as a dietary supplement as it stimulates weight loss and control obesity by raising metabolism.
  • Treatment for Addison Disease
    Adrenal Insufficiency or more commonly known as Addison disease is a rare condition in which the adrenal gland stops functioning. This requires the intake of replacement steroid hormones for treatment and the continuous intake of a DHEA supplement helps with it.
  • Treatment for Sjogren's Syndrome
    Low levels of steroid hormones are linked to the development of Sjogren's Syndrome. A study using a double-blind placebo-controlled study resulted that DHEA taken together with other agents may improve the symptoms.

Other benefits include:

  • Improved mood and memory
  • Strengthened immune system
  • Provide energy
  • Reduce the risk of depression
  • Sense of well-being
doc clipboard

Side Effects of DHEA Supplements

Albeit the numerous health benefits of taking DHEA, you should still be very careful before starting DHEA supplementations. These are the mild DHEA side effects that you might experience:

  • Headache and Fatigue
  • Insomnia
  • ​​​​Congestion
  • Irregular Period
  • Acne
  • Mood Swings
  • Facial hair and deeper voice in women
  • Increased breast tissue and high blood pressure in men

Risks Correlated With DHEA Intake

You need to study the possible risks of taking DHEA and see what it might do to your overall health. These are some risks that are worth taking into consideration before regularly taking DHEA supplements:

  • Prostate Cancer
    It is advisable to take Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Tests before starting on DHEA because DHEA supplements increases the testosterone level of your body and might cause the prostate cancer cells in your body to multiply.
  • Cancer
    There are cancers that are affected by hormones aside from prostate cancer, such as breast and ovary cancer. 
  • High Doses of DHEA
    Taking abnormally high doses of anything is not good, and DHEA is not an exception. If you have a history of heart disease, liver disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, or thyroid problems, you must exercise precaution before making the decision of taking DHEA.
  • Situational Risks
    DHEA is a precursor hormone that affects the production of other hormones and it is not advisable for women that are pregnant or breastfeeding.

High and Low Levels of DHEA

The brain controls the body production of dehydroepiandrosterone.

When DHEA level in the body falls, the hypothalamus releases a corticotropin-releasing hormone that travels to the pituitary gland. This will result in the pituitary gland to release another hormone called andrenocorticotropic hormone into the bloodstream.

These hormones increase the DHEA levels in the body and when the levels reach a significant abundancy in the body, the system stops the release of the corticotropin-releasing hormone and andrenocorticotropic hormone to seize the production.

The production needs to be controlled because too much or too little amount of dehydroepiandrosterone in the body may cause some changes.

High levels of DHEA have positive effects that include:

  • Reduced risk of depression
  • Increased mass and muscle strength
  • Treats female infertility when combined with gonadotropins

High levels of DHEA have negative effects that include:

  • Polycystic ovary syndrome
  • Hirsutism
  • Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
  • Raised Adrenal Carcinoma cells

Low levels of DHEA have effects that include:

  • Shorter lifespan in men
  • The risk of cardiovascular diseases are increased in men
  • Low level of libido in women
  • Low level of bone mineral density in women
  • Increased risk of osteoporosis

The best way to avoid too high or too low levels while taking a DHEA product is by doing regular blood tests to check DHEA levels:

For lab tests we highly recommend using MyLabFax as they offer very competitive pricing and a wide array of packages as well as single metric tests.

It's as easy as:

  • check
    Order the test online.
  • check
    Head to your closest local lab for the test.
  • check
    Results will be available to view online in 3-4 days.

When DHEA level in the body falls, the hypothalamus releases a corticotropin-releasing hormone that travels to the pituitary gland. This will result in the pituitary gland to release another hormone called andrenocorticotropic hormone into the bloodstream.

By using pregnenolone cream or pregnenolone supplements, the levels of the compound in the body increases, and this brings about various benefits such as fatigue relief, and delay of the aging process.

What's the Best of Best?

Considering the ingredients, drawbacks, benefits, and reviews from users, the best of these products is, without a doubt, the Wholesale Life-Flo Testro Max For Men Body Cream. Inter-individual variability was also considered to make sure that its side effects are minimized in general for all the man and woman in need.

The benefits of DHEA that this product brings surpass the drawbacks by far. It is also paraben free and natural so it is safer for intake.


Image credits: Amazon.com

author
Alex Eriksson (Research Analysis)

Alex Eriksson is the founder of Anabolic Health, a men’s health blog dedicated to providing honest and research-backed advice for optimal male hormonal health. Anabolic Health aspires to become a trusted resource where men can come and learn how to fix their hormonal problems naturally, without pharmaceuticals.





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