DHEA's future in mainstrain medicine

A promising future for DHEA - The Mother Hormone

Purchasing DHEA requires knowledge and quality vigilance

DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is the most common hormone in the body. It is also one of the most common new dietary supplements rolling off manufacturers' lines. Industry experts agree that separating fact from hype and educating consumers on the proper use of this powerful product are crucial for maintaining industry integrity. Since the passage of DSHEA, many products in the natural products industry, most notably ephedra and melatonin, have come under scrutiny. DHEA is now in that position. Marketers laud it as a wonder product with powers to slow aging, cure cancer and improve brain function. At the same time, the mass media is skeptical.

The New York Times in a January article said, "The fountain of youth promised by over-the-counter hormones ... has lured customers into a huge and uncontrolled experiment, with real risks."

Somewhere in the middle lies the high road for the industry. "We as an industry must address the use of these products and work aggressively to provide retailers and consumers with reliable information," says Tony Young, NNFA legal counsel. Manufacturers and retailers echo Young's sentiments. The product is important to consumers--and sales--but puts a hefty responsibility on retailers to be straight on marketing it. Spence Information Services, a San Francisco-based research and market-information firm, estimates retail sales of DHEA will grow to $75 million in 1997. The growing demand makes it difficult for retailers to not carry the product, but the onus for responsible sales is on the retailers. "We carry DHEA, but we have it behind the counter. When customers ask about it, we can provide the product as well as research information," says Jim Oppenheimer, co-owner of the two Bread of Life stores in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He has his employees encourage customers to have their DHEA levels tested before taking the product.

DHEA Research is Still Growing

Almost all reliable manufacturers of DHEA recommend that consumers have their DHEA levels tested before using the product. "This is not a product for everyone," says Karin Jordan, M.D., director of research and development with Scandinavian Naturals in Perkasie, Pa. "Blood and/or saliva tests are necessary to determine current levels and whether the product is necessary. There is no benefit if levels are normal." Research into the benefits and side effects is still ongoing; long-term studies on human supplementation with DHEA are lacking. Background information on DHEA, issued by NNFA in October 1996, states that DHEA may boost the immune system and can reduce the risk of inappropriate blood clotting. Noted side effects include masculinization in women and mood swings, which may be linked to elevated testosterone levels. Most research material on DHEA urges using the product only with doctor supervision if being treated for certain types of cancer, particularly breast and prostate, because increased hormone levels can exacerbate the conditions.

With possible side effects to be concerned about and the media and FDA keeping an eye on the industry, why sell DHEA?

Because there is truth behind the hype. DHEA may have beneficial effects on aging, immune and neurological functions, obesity, atherosclerosis, osteoporosis, insulin and hormone levels, and stress responses, according to research presented at the DHEA and Aging symposium sponsored by the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS) in 1995. When consumers become aware of the possible benefits of DHEA, they look for reliable information to affirm the hype. Natural products retailers are in a unique position to provide that information as well as quality DHEA products. "DHEA is a serious addition to the supplement market," says Catherine Peklak, president of Scandinavian Naturals. "Instruction and caution are necessary, and I think retailers are taking this to heart."

Manufacturers urge retailers to take the time to learn about DHEA and to pass reliable information to their customers. "The worst thing you can do is become a self-proclaimed expert on something you know nothing about," says Randy Jacobs, owner of Los Viejos, Calif.-based Vital Source. "Retailers must ask the tough questions and do business with companies that have the answers. Education goes with selling these types of products." Along with asking manufacturers for third-party literature, Jacobs and others say, retailers should request information on raw materials testing and request full disclosure of ingredients and their purpose.If retailers sell responsibly and within bounds of research, the market for DHEA will continue to grow steadily. "I don't think this product will see sales go through the roof like melatonin," Peklak says. "It must be handled appropriately as an enhancer, not a replacement or cure-all. The demand is there, and now we must treat it as the serious product it is."