DHEA

    Written by:
    Nick Milazzo, Peter Woznik

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    Nick Milazzo, Katie Jantz
    Last Updated: September 4, 2025

    DHEA is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands. It’s a precursor to (i.e., is made into) estrogen and testosterone, and can exert weak benefits on its own. As an “antiaging” or performance enhancing supplement, its benefits are inconsistent.

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    Overview

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    DHEA has been studied at dosages of 25–200 mg/day, with dosages of 50–100 mg/day being more frequently examined.[1][2][3]

    A subgroup analysis in one meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found that dosages of over 50 mg/day resulted in higher testosterone levels than less than 50 mg/day.[2] However higher dosages of DHEA are likely to result in higher levels of estrogens as well.[4]

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    Nick Milazzo