Bebo321
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 1,001
- Location
- Somerset
- Type of diabetes
- Family member
- Treatment type
- I do not have diabetes
I have come onto the forum to ask for your experiences (if any) of using DHEA and any impact it may (or may not) have on your diabetes management.
DHEA is a natural steroid and precursor hormone produced by the adrenals. It is occasionally taken in the form of a supplement and claims have been made that it has some positive benefits:
What I am most curious about is the connection of DHEA with cortisol.
Cortisol is an adrenal response to stress or waking (think dawn phenomenon). When stress levels are consistently high, elevated cortisol levels may be persistently elevated and adrenal fatigue may become an issue.
This is my current understanding:
Elevated cortisol levels (when out of balance with DHEA) can induce night sweats
High cortisol levels lead to raised blood glucose levels
Raised blood glucose levels induces insulin secretion
Chronic hyperinsulinemia leads to increased insulin resistance
Research suggests that there is a link between high cortisol levels and depression
All the above symptoms are often experienced by people diagnosed with pre-diabetes or diabetes.
Research suggests that DHEA supplements lower cortisol levels.
A hypothesis then - if DHEA is able to rebalance and lower cortisol levels, then could it also improve blood glucose management? Could it help manage dawn phenomenon and lower insulin resistance over time?
I would be interested if anybody has any experience of using DHEA and has noticed any unexpected improvements to blood glucose control. (No reason for enquiring other than out of interest).
DHEA is a natural steroid and precursor hormone produced by the adrenals. It is occasionally taken in the form of a supplement and claims have been made that it has some positive benefits:
- Building up the adrenal gland
- Strengthening the immune system
- Slowing natural changes in the body that come with age
- Providing more energy
- Improving mood and memory
- Building up bone and muscle strength
What I am most curious about is the connection of DHEA with cortisol.
Cortisol is an adrenal response to stress or waking (think dawn phenomenon). When stress levels are consistently high, elevated cortisol levels may be persistently elevated and adrenal fatigue may become an issue.
This is my current understanding:
Elevated cortisol levels (when out of balance with DHEA) can induce night sweats
High cortisol levels lead to raised blood glucose levels
Raised blood glucose levels induces insulin secretion
Chronic hyperinsulinemia leads to increased insulin resistance
Research suggests that there is a link between high cortisol levels and depression
All the above symptoms are often experienced by people diagnosed with pre-diabetes or diabetes.
Research suggests that DHEA supplements lower cortisol levels.
A hypothesis then - if DHEA is able to rebalance and lower cortisol levels, then could it also improve blood glucose management? Could it help manage dawn phenomenon and lower insulin resistance over time?
I would be interested if anybody has any experience of using DHEA and has noticed any unexpected improvements to blood glucose control. (No reason for enquiring other than out of interest).
