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DHEA

Dehydroepiandrosterone

Supplements. Modern nutrition.

Also called Prasterone, Androstenolone

Pinyin: tuō qīng biǎo xióng tóng

Spanish: Deshidroepiandrosterona

Hormone; needs medical oversight

A hormone made mainly by the adrenal glands that the body uses to make other sex hormones, sold as a supplement for mood, sex drive and aging with limited proof.

Did you know? Blood levels of DHEA peak in the 20s and then fall steadily with age.

What it may help, and how strong the proof is

Women's health. A prescription vaginal insert, prasterone, which is a DHEA product, eases painful sex caused by menopause-related vaginal changes. The FDA approved it in 2016 after two 12-week placebo-controlled trials in about 400 women. This is a drug, not the oral capsule, and capsules have not been tested the same way for this.See the research: 215 studies in people
Good proof
Low mood. A 2009 review of 10 trials found a small benefit for quality of life and depression scores. It found no clear gain for anxiety or sexual function, and the authors did not support routine use, especially in women with adrenal insufficiency. A 2020 meta-analysis of 15 trials also found better depression scores, but rated the evidence as low quality.See the research: 158 studies in people
Promising proof
Sexual health. One small trial in women whose adrenal glands make too little hormone reported more sexual interest on 50 mg a day. Broader reviews found no clear sexual benefit, so the proof is limited.See the research: 50 studies in people
Traditional proof
Energy & tiredness. Popular claims that DHEA slows aging or restores youth are not supported by good human trials.See the research: 67 studies in people
Unproven

Parts of the body

Hormones & reproduction, Brain & mind, Energy & metabolism

Traditional use

DHEA has no old herbal tradition. It was first identified in the 1930s and studied as a hormone. Some countries allow it only by prescription, and major sports bodies ban it.

How it is classified

Herbal actions: Hormone balancer, Tonic. Energy: neutral.

How people take it

The oral trial in women with low adrenal hormone levels used 50 mg a day, taken each morning. Some women in that trial reported male-type effects such as acne or extra hair. Because DHEA changes hormone levels, use it only with medical supervision.

Capsule and tablet.

Where to get it

The body makes DHEA mainly in the adrenal glands, with smaller amounts from the ovaries and testes. Supplements are usually made in a lab from plant sterols and sold as capsules or tablets in stores and online.

Be careful

Common side effects are acne, oily skin, extra facial or body hair, scalp hair loss, changes in periods, and a deeper voice in women. It can lower HDL (good) cholesterol, especially in women. Because the body turns it into estrogen and testosterone, it can worsen endometriosis and other hormone-driven conditions. Avoid it in pregnancy and breastfeeding. Do not use it with hormone-sensitive cancers, such as breast, ovarian or prostate cancer, or with liver disease unless a doctor advises it.

Avoid if: pregnancy; breastfeeding; hormone-sensitive cancer; liver disease; endometriosis.

Mixing with other things

Use caution
Birth control (the pill and other hormonal birth control)
DHEA can shift sex hormone levels, so it may interfere with hormone birth control or hormone therapy.
Worth knowing
Blood pressure medicine (lisinopril, amlodipine, losartan)
Reviews have not shown a clear blood pressure change, but check your numbers if you take blood pressure medicine.

The honest take

DHEA is a real hormone, and the best-supported use is a prescription vaginal insert for painful sex after menopause. Oral DHEA has small, mixed evidence for mood and sex drive. Claims that it slows aging or restores youth are not supported by good human trials. Because it changes hormone levels, it should only be used with a doctor's guidance.

Sources

Each “See the research” link opens PubMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's index of medical studies, showing only trials and reviews done in people. The number tells you how much a use has been tested, not whether it worked. The proof rating tells you that.

Study counts checked October 2026.