Wisdom Wednesday: DHEA

DHEA is a hormone that is naturally made by the human body. It can also be made in the laboratory from chemicals found in wild yam and soy. The human body cannot make DHEA from these chemicals so simply eating wild yam or soy will not increase DHEA levels. However, the human body can make progesterone from wild yam when ingested, but not from topical creams or gels.

Supplementation of DHEA appears to be effective in persons over the age of 40 for a wide variety of conditions. However, the standard dosage of 25-50mg per day, is excessive (in my opinion) as the human body typically produces about 25mg per day when healthy.

I prefer a dosage of 5-10mg per day. Anything higher than that and you are using HRT (hormone replacement therapy) rather than reestablishing normal adrenal function. My concerns on dosage come from a study showing that at a dose of 5-12.5mg of DHEA daily, the telomeres attached to the nucleus of the cells of the body actually lengthen. Telomere length has been strongly tied to health and longevity. Higher daily doses of DHEA actually shortened telomeres.

DHEA is made from cholesterol naturally via two enzymes and is highly localized to the adrenal glands. It is also made in smaller quantities in the testes, ovaries, and brain. Circulating levels of DHEA in the brain can be 6-8 times higher than in the blood stream.

The ‘Love Hormone’ May Quiet Tinnitus

People suffering from chronic ringing in the ears – called tinnitus – may find some relief by spraying the hormone oxytocin in their nose, a small initial study by Brazilian researchers suggests.

“Oxytocin has actions in the brain and the ear that may help in tinnitus treatment and provide immediate relief,” said lead researcher Dr. Andreia Azevedo. She is with the department of otolaryngology at the Universidale Federal de Sao Paulo. She speculated that it may regulate fluid in the inner ear, and a brain effect that may be related to the production of the neurotransmitter dopamine.

Although oxytocin appeared safe, its long-term effects aren’t known, Azevedo said. “We did not have any side effects, but further larger studies are necessary to establish the role of oxytocin in tinnitus treatment, she added.

As many as one in 10 Americans suffers from tinnitus. The disorder is characterized by hearing sounds when there are none. The sounds can be perceived as ringing, buzzing, crickets or hissing. For those who struggle with it daily, the noise is so bothersome that it interferes with thinking, emotions, hearing, sleep and concentration, according to a previously published study.

For the new study, the researchers randomly assigned 17 people with tinnitus, average age 63, to puffs of oxytocin or placebo (distilled water) in each nostril.

The study volunteers were asked to assess their symptoms 30 minutes after treatment, and then again, 24 hours later. Azevedo’s team found that patients who received oxytocin reported a significant reduction in tinnitus compared with those who received the placebo.

Leaky Pipes May Mean Tainted Tap Water

It’s long been thought that leaks in water pipes wouldn’t pose a health threat to the water supply. But a new study suggests otherwise.

The pressure in water mains typically forces water out through any leak – preventing any contaminants from getting in. However, a British study finds that if the damage leads to a significant pressure drop, dirty water surrounding the pipe can then get sucked in through breaks.

It was believed that only clean water from the leak would be sucked into a broken pipe, and that even if contaminants were also sucked in, they would be expelled once water pressure in the pipe returned to normal.

However, a team led by engineer Joby Boxall of the University of Sheffield discovered that groundwater from around the pipe – which is often contaminated – can be sucked into and remain in the pipe. It then travels through the water supply network, they said.

“Many of us will have had [an upset] tummy in the past that we couldn’t quite explain, often putting it down to something we’d eaten,” Boxall said. “It now seems possible that some of these illnesses could have been caused not by food, but by water.”

Study co-author Richard Collins said that the new “research shows that contaminants that enter through a leaking pipe could be reaching consumer’ taps, and although this will be at very low concentrations, it would fail the safety tests if detected.”