Hua Kul
Mon, Aug-12-02, 20:29
I normally tread very lightly around exogenous hormone
supplementation because of how powerful hormones are and how
much we still may not know about their actions, but the
article excerpted below has some very interesting information
regarding insulin resistance. (Disclaimer: The site is
commercial but I am a disinterested observer). Regarding DHEA
supplementation, it can lead to testosterone production in
both men and women. That's not always a bad thing, but in
women it can cause facial hair growth and in men it can lead
to man-tits (if you have a lot of aromatase conversion of T to
estradiol) and a bigger bald spot (due to conversion of T to
DHT by 5-alpha reductase).
==========================================================================
"A lack of DHEA may be one of the primary causes of insulin
resistance. This condition interferes with insulin's ability
to regulate glucose. Since insulin is one of the hormones that
affects fatty acid metabolism, insulin resistance turns up
frequently where fatty acid metabolism is abnormal. And,
although it is usually associated with obesity, obesity is not
always present at the same time as insulin resistance. A study
was done on nondiabetic, normal weight men with high blood
pressure and insulin resistance. It showed that insulin
resistance coincides with insufficient DHEA.
"The positive effects of DHEA on insulin resistance have been
proven in genetically diabetic mice where it restores insulin
sensitivity and reduces the severity of diabetes. In humans,
or at least in women, the level of testosterone appears to be
critical to whether DHEA will ameliorate insulin resistance
and improve fat utilization. This was dramatically illustrated
in a study on a woman in Tennessee who had non-insulin
dependant diabetes. When she was given the
testosterone-suppressing drug, dexamethasone at the same time
as supplemental DHEA, there was a 30% increase in insulin
binding, and improvement in her diabetic condition.
Dexamethasone alone did not have this effect. It was the
increase in the ratio of DHEA-to-testosterone that had the
beneficial effect on insulin binding.
"DHEA reduces body weight in humans and increases lean body
mass. It even acts directly on developing fat cells, reducing
their size and number when combined with insulin. Its ability
to reduce blood lipids has been compared to the drug,
clofibrate.
"Supplemental carnitine and DHEA both increase fat utilization
through different, yet complimentary, mechanisms.
Unfortunately, no human studies have been published using the
two together. Despite this, all signs point to good effects on
fat metabolism with this combination."
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2002/aug2002_report_dhea_01.ht-
ml
=======================================================================
-Hua Kul
supplementation because of how powerful hormones are and how
much we still may not know about their actions, but the
article excerpted below has some very interesting information
regarding insulin resistance. (Disclaimer: The site is
commercial but I am a disinterested observer). Regarding DHEA
supplementation, it can lead to testosterone production in
both men and women. That's not always a bad thing, but in
women it can cause facial hair growth and in men it can lead
to man-tits (if you have a lot of aromatase conversion of T to
estradiol) and a bigger bald spot (due to conversion of T to
DHT by 5-alpha reductase).
==========================================================================
"A lack of DHEA may be one of the primary causes of insulin
resistance. This condition interferes with insulin's ability
to regulate glucose. Since insulin is one of the hormones that
affects fatty acid metabolism, insulin resistance turns up
frequently where fatty acid metabolism is abnormal. And,
although it is usually associated with obesity, obesity is not
always present at the same time as insulin resistance. A study
was done on nondiabetic, normal weight men with high blood
pressure and insulin resistance. It showed that insulin
resistance coincides with insufficient DHEA.
"The positive effects of DHEA on insulin resistance have been
proven in genetically diabetic mice where it restores insulin
sensitivity and reduces the severity of diabetes. In humans,
or at least in women, the level of testosterone appears to be
critical to whether DHEA will ameliorate insulin resistance
and improve fat utilization. This was dramatically illustrated
in a study on a woman in Tennessee who had non-insulin
dependant diabetes. When she was given the
testosterone-suppressing drug, dexamethasone at the same time
as supplemental DHEA, there was a 30% increase in insulin
binding, and improvement in her diabetic condition.
Dexamethasone alone did not have this effect. It was the
increase in the ratio of DHEA-to-testosterone that had the
beneficial effect on insulin binding.
"DHEA reduces body weight in humans and increases lean body
mass. It even acts directly on developing fat cells, reducing
their size and number when combined with insulin. Its ability
to reduce blood lipids has been compared to the drug,
clofibrate.
"Supplemental carnitine and DHEA both increase fat utilization
through different, yet complimentary, mechanisms.
Unfortunately, no human studies have been published using the
two together. Despite this, all signs point to good effects on
fat metabolism with this combination."
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2002/aug2002_report_dhea_01.ht-
ml
=======================================================================
-Hua Kul