Does DHEA work?
Not for most people. DHEA tablets raise your hormones, but trials found little change in strength or how people felt. And UK law treats DHEA as a controlled drug, so how you buy it matters.
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Do DHEA supplements work?
For most people, the trials found little or no benefit. DHEA is a hormone made by your adrenal glands. Your body turns some of it into testosterone and oestrogen.
The tablets clearly work on paper. In one trial of 30 people aged 40 to 70, 50 mg a night brought blood levels back to a young adult’s within 2 weeks. The hard part is showing that people then feel or do better.
| Who took it | What changed | What did not |
|---|---|---|
| Older men and women, 2 years | Bone density rose a little at one spot (hip in men, wrist in women). | Strength, fitness, body fat, blood sugar or quality of life. |
| Older men, 25 trials | Fat mass fell slightly, tied to testosterone and oestrogen rising. | Sex life, bones, blood sugar, cholesterol or quality of life. |
| Women around menopause, 28 trials | Sex life may improve slightly. More acne. | Quality of life. Menopause symptoms unclear. |
| Women with adrenal problems, 10 trials | May give a small, perhaps trivial, lift in quality of life and low mood. | Anxiety or sex life. |
| 7-keto DHEA for weight, 4 trials | Weight fell in half of them. | No clear answer yet on weight loss or safety. |
Sources: Nair 2006; Corona 2013; Cochrane 2015; Alkatib 2009; Jeyaprakash 2023
The longest trial ran for 2 years in older people with low DHEA. It found no real benefit for body make-up, fitness, blood sugar or quality of life.
7-keto DHEA is a related product sold for weight loss. A 2023 review found only 4 trials and no clear answer. For options with better evidence, see weight loss supplements.
Thinking of DHEA because a test said your level is low? Read low DHEA-S levels first. Levels fall with age anyway.
Is DHEA legal in the UK?
Yes, to own for yourself. But it isn’t a vitamin in UK law. GOV.UK lists DHEA, also called prasterone, as a Class C drug, Schedule 4 Part 2.
That’s the same list as anabolic steroids. It’s why how you buy it matters.
| What you do | Allowed? |
|---|---|
| Have it for your own use | Yes. Drugs on this list are excepted from the ban on possession. |
| Carry it into the UK yourself, for your own use | Yes. The exception covers bringing it in person. |
| Have it posted or sent by courier from abroad | Not covered. The NHS says anabolic steroids, on the same list, can’t be posted. |
| Give or sell it to anyone else | No. For anabolic steroids, the NHS says this includes giving to friends. |
Sources: GOV.UK; Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001; NHS
The NHS page is about anabolic steroids and doesn’t name DHEA. But the law puts them in the same group.
Bringing it into the UK is only covered if you carry it in yourself, for your own use. So don’t have it posted or sent by courier from abroad.
DHEA for men: does it raise testosterone?
A little, yes. Across 42 studies of men and women, testosterone rose by an average of 28 ng/dl. In men the rise was smaller, about 21 ng/dl.
UK labs report testosterone in nmol/L. To compare, see ng/dl to nmol/L.
A higher number on paper did not mean feeling different
- 1
Take DHEA
One trial used 50 mg a night.
- 2
Blood levels rise
Back to a young adult’s level within 2 weeks.
- 3
Some becomes testosterone
And some becomes oestrogen.
- 4
Little change felt
Older men saw no change in sex life or quality of life.
Sources: Morales 1994; Li 2020; Corona 2013
In 25 trials of 1,353 older men, DHEA didn’t help sex life, bones, blood sugar or cholesterol. If you want more testosterone, start with what causes low testosterone and get tested before you buy.
DHEA for women: menopause and vaginal dryness
A Cochrane review (a careful summary of all the trials) of 28 trials found DHEA did not improve quality of life around menopause. It may slightly improve sex life. Whether it eases menopause symptoms is unclear.
There is one licensed DHEA medicine in the UK. It’s a small pessary put into the vagina at bedtime. It treats moderate to severe symptoms of vaginal thinning after menopause.
Oestrogen creams and pessaries are sometimes used for this. If dryness is affecting your daily life, ask your GP which suits you. More in vaginal dryness after menopause.
DHEA side effects, and who should ask first
Acne is the side effect the Cochrane review linked to DHEA. In women around menopause, the odds of side effects like acne were almost 4 times higher than on a dummy pill. The 2-year trial found no major side effects.
The licensed pessary must not be used by anyone with known, past or suspected breast cancer. The same goes for cancers fed by oestrogen, such as womb cancer, or a past blood clot.
Five checks before you try DHEA
- Had breast cancer, womb cancer or a blood clot? Ask your doctor before any DHEA.
- Don’t have DHEA posted or sent by courier from abroad. Bringing it in is only covered if you carry it yourself, for your own use.
- Never give or sell DHEA to anyone else, including friends.
- Watch for new spots (acne), the side effect linked to DHEA.
- Tell anyone testing your blood that you take DHEA. It raises your DHEA-S level.
Sources: Intrarosa label; Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001; NHS; Cochrane 2015; Nair 2006
DHEA tablets raise DHEA-S a lot, so a test while taking them won’t show your own level. See supplements that affect blood tests.
Never stop or change a prescribed medicine without your prescriber.
When to speak to a GP
Speak to a GP if:
- you’ve had breast cancer, womb cancer or a blood clot and are thinking about DHEA
- you get a deeper voice or fast-growing body or facial hair, which needs an urgent check in women
- a blood test showed low DHEA-S and you feel unwell
- vaginal dryness is affecting your daily life, has lasted a few weeks and self-care hasn’t helped, or comes with unusual discharge
- you bleed after sex, between periods or after menopause
Take the pack to your appointment so your GP can see the dose.