DHEA: THE BODY'S NATURAL ANTI-DEPRESSANT?

IMPROVES MOOD IN PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM DEPRESSION

Experimental research shows DHEA can modulate the action of key neurotransmitters in the brain. It's the primary source for the production of mood-regulating sex steroids such as testosterone and estrogen. And it can balance physiological effects of the powerful stress hormone cortisol. These are just a few of the mechanisms by which DHEA may help to improve mood and sense of well-being, as reported in various clinical studies. A new double-blind placebo study from a team of neurologists and psychiatrists at the University of California Medical Center and the City of Hope Medical Center lends additional support to this important potential mind-body connection. Twenty-two patients suffering from major clinical depression (primarily unipolar) were divided into two groups. One group was given DHEA capsules to boost circulating levels of DHEA to levels found in younger adults, while the other group received a placebo. After six weeks of treatment, patients were clinically reevaluated. The patients in the DHEA-treated group showed a 30% improvement in depression ratings, compared to a 5% rise in the placebo group. "

This is noteworthy," explains lead investigator Owen M. Wolkowitz, M.D., "because the majority of subjects in this study were at least partially resistant to treatment with traditional antidepressant medication alone."

Citing other studies linking imbalances of major steroid hormones, such as cortisol, with depression, Wolkowitz and his colleagues emphasize the importance of identifying and treating key hormonal triggers in depressive illness.