Recommendation #6: Restore Youthful Hormone Balance
Taking vitamins alone may not make you feel better if you suffer from a hormone imbalance. Hormone balance is critical to maintaining health in women and men over age 35.
Aging men and women are often DHEA deficient.1-5 Men over age 40 often have too little free testosterone and less than optimal estrogen levels.6-10 Aging women need to balance their progesterone and estrogen levels.
The proper blood tests can provide the data needed to design an individualized hormone modulation program.
Life Extension offers low-cost blood test panels designed to help provide the biological information needed to safely achieve youthful hormone balance. The good news is that as more Americans have their blood tested to assess their hormone status, the prices of these blood tests have dropped so they are affordable to just about everyone. To order a comprehensive Male or Female Blood Test Panel, call 1-800-208-3444.
Once you receive your blood test results, you can take them to your doctor or talk to a Life Extension Health Advisor about the different options available to you. Health Advisors are available by calling 1-800-226-2370.
The Most Popular Hormone Supplement
The Life Extension Foundation introduced the anti-aging benefits of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) to its members in 1981. This hormone did not become credible to the medical establishment until 1996, when the New York Academy of Sciences published a textbook entitled DHEA and Aging that provided scientific validation for many of DHEA's effects. The general public learned about DHEA later that same year when its benefits were touted in the media and in several best-selling books.
DHEA is the body's most abundant circulating hormone. Unfortunately, research has shown that DHEA production peaks by age 25 and drops dramatically each year thereafter. By age 70 most people's DHEA levels have declined by over 80%, leading to hormonal imbalances that can affect quality of life.11 These kinds of imbalances also occur with other critical hormones in our aging bodies such as testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone.
Thousands of studies have been published showing how DHEA may help to retard the effects of aging and promote longevity. Considering DHEA's potential benefits, many researchers advocate taking DHEA supplements to regain youthful circulating concentrations of this critical hormone.11 To achieve the DHEA levels of a 25-year-old, men normally take 50 mg a day, while women usually need only 15-25 mg a day.
In addition, a DHEA metabolite called 7-Keto® DHEA demonstrates improved immune function12 and a safe increase in fat-metabolizing enzymes in the liver.13-15 One study showed that people who consumed 200 mg of 7-Keto® DHEA lost more weight than those who took a placebo. Both groups followed a diet and exercise program.16
All of Life Extension's DHEA supplements are manufactured under cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practice) conditions and micronized for maximum absorption and utilization.
Caution: Do not use DHEA if you are at risk for or have been diagnosed with any type of hormonal cancer, such as prostate or breast cancer.