A healthy HRT alternative

A healthy HRT alternative

I’ve been recommending dehydroepiandrosterone–or DHEA–for years. And the first time I mention it to a new patient, the response is always the same: “What exactly IS it?”

DHEA is an important hormone made naturally by the adrenal glands that converts to testosterone and estrogen in the body. The problem is, as you get older, the body produces less DHEA and, consequently, fewer hormones–which is what ultimately leads to many of those familiar symptoms of aging, the most obvious being the ones associated with menopause.

And according to some new research, supplementing with DHEA can help combat one of the most frustrating of those symptoms–decreased libido.

In this one-year randomized study, researchers looked at 48 healthy postmenopausal women who took either DHEA, standard hormone replacement therapy, an “estrogen alternative” drug called Tibolone, or vitamin D. The women all completed a Female Sexuality Questionnaire before and after treatment to gauge the quality of their sexual well-being and activity.

Women in the DHEA, HRT, and Tibolone groups had significant improvements in sexual well-being and frequency of sexual intercourse. (The vitamin D group didn’t report any significant changes or improvements.)

But here’s the thing about DHEA–it offers all the benefits of hormone replacement therapy, without the side effects.

For anyone looking for a natural libido boost, DHEA is certainly worth trying. And, remember, DHEA converts to testosterone too, so even though this particular study was only done in women, men can benefit from this supplement as well! I usually recommend 5 to 25mg per day.