Fear the turtle
That’s how Dr. Norman Shealy, Founder of American Holistic Medical Association, describes dehydroepiandrosterone, better known as DHEA.
Last month I sent you an e-Alert (“Graceful Aging” 2/27/03) about the dramatic anti-aging benefits that DHEA supplements can provide. In addition, boosting DHEA levels may reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, help control diabetes, increase energy levels, improve memory, strengthen the immune system, and alleviate depression.
So it’s no wonder that we received quite a few e-mails with comments about DHEA. Two of those e-mails will provide a chance to answer questions and explain the completely misguided Congressional bill that intends to reclassify DHEA as a controlled substance.
The quick answer to your question is: you probably can. Unlike DHEA, 7-Keto is not converted into testosterone or estrogen by the body. (The DHEA situation is a little complex – women typically experience a rise in serum testosterone and estradiol whereas most men do not.) But to be on the safe side, Robert, your doctor should continue to closely monitor your PSA level.
And as if all of that wasn’t enough, 7-Keto also gives the immune system a boost. A University of Minnesota study showed that 7-Keto increases the production of Interleukin-2 (IL-2) in human lymphocytes by more than 100 percent. IL-2 is a powerful immune-chemical that stimulates the body’s defenses against viruses, bacteria, and cancer cells.
According to Henry Lardy, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, and a noted researcher of DHEA, 25 mg per day of 7-Keto is an appropriate dosage. If you don’t get the desired results after 30 days, you can safely increase the dosage to 50 mg a day. Studies have shown the supplement to be well-tolerated and perfectly safe at these dosages.
An HSI member named Bob asks: “Have you any information on this purported attempt to subject DHEA, 7-Keto and Pregnenolone to classification as a controlled substance?”
Earlier this month, HSI Panelist Jon Barron sent out his Baseline of Health Newsletter with a good overview of the so-called “save our teens” bill that intends to reclassify any precursor of an anabolic steroid as a controlled substance. If this bill is passed in its current wording, it will be illegal to possess DHEA and 7-Keto without a doctor’s prescription.
I’m not going to delve into the issue of anabolic steroid side effects except to say that if this potent supplement were used as directed there would be far fewer problems with it. I’m all for supporting the safety of teens, but one thing I’m certain of is that outlawing anabolic steroids will not keep anyone who wants them from obtaining and using them.
The words in H.R. 207 that are of greatest concern are “precursor of an anabolic steroid.” With this broad definition, Attorney General John Ashcroft has the latitude to place DHEA, 7-Keto, and Pregnenolone on the controlled substances list. Whether he’ll exercise that latitude remains to be seen. Suffice it to say that pharmaceutical companies that market hormone replacement therapy for women would love to see restrictions placed on progesterone crme – a precursor of an anabolic steroid that’s also a safe over-the-counter HRT without the dangerous side effects of pharmaceuticals.
A bill designed to “save our teens” that would also “save” our post-menopausal women from progesterone crme and “save” senior citizens from the anti-aging effects of 7-Keto and DHEA, seems like a misguided effort, at best – and at worst, a gift to pharmaceutical companies. The fact that Attorney General Ashcroft received campaign donations for years from many drug companies doesn’t exactly raise the comfort level.
Let them know that the broad language of this bill opens the door to misuse of the controlled substance act, creating “protective” restrictions where no protection is necessary.
To Your Good Health,
Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute
Sources:
“Interesting Times” Jon Barron & Kristen Barron, Baseline of Health Newsletter, 3/3/03, jonbarron.com
“To Amend the Controlled Substances Act with Respect to the Placing of Certain Substances on the Schedules of Controlled substances, and for Other Purposes” Bill #H.R. 207, Congress.org
“DHEA an Anti-Aging Medicine” Life Extension Magazine, June 2002, lef.org
