How Safe Are DHEA Supplements?
Generally, DHEA supplements are safe, according to some proponents like Braverman. Indeed, the recent Mayo Clinic study found no clinically significant side effects throughout the two years of research. But its use should always be supervised by a physician trained in DHEA supplementation, he says, preferably from the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, as the dosage needs to be specific to what is being treated. Possible side effects of DHEA supplements include oily skin and acne, as well as skin thickening. Those concerns are related to the use of DHEA at “recommended” and studied doses (generally between 25 and 50 mg/day), Dillon says. The risk of side effects increases significantly at the higher doses used by athletes and body builders. But other experts disagree, pointing out that DHEA functions as a steroid and can have many of the same side effects as other steroids, which have the potential for abuse at high doses. In fact, says Dillon, there’s no clear difference between
