One mechanism by which caloric restriction may extend one’s lifespan is by upregulating dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), the most abundant steroid hormone in the human body. DHEA supplements are discouraged, but there may be a natural way to conserve levels as we age.
The Benefits of Caloric Restriction Without the Actual Restricting
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Why can’t we live forever? Some animals do. And I’m not talking about some 200-year-old whale, or even a thousand-year-old tree. I’m talking about immortal. There are actually species that apparently don’t age, and could technically go on forever. And why not? In a sense, humans are immortal, in that a few of our cells live on—sperm or egg cells lucky enough to find each other. Each of our kids grow out of one of our cells, and that alone—I mean, the fact that a single cell can grow into a person—should make, in comparison, the notion of keeping our bodies going indefinitely seem biologically trivial.
Well, it’s certainly a hot research topic. Much has focused on the role of DHEA, dehydroepiandrosterone, the most abundant steroid hormone in the human body, whose levels drop significantly as we age. It is a cortisol antagonist, meaning that it helps counteract the effects of stress. It appears to rejuvenate female fertility, and most importantly, appears to be a strong predictor of longevity. In fact, one of the ways caloric restriction appears to extend the lifespan of many animals may be the upregulation of DHEA.
So, no surprise, it is sold as a “fountain of youth” over-the-counter supplement, raising all sorts of concerns about safety, side effects, “and the lack of quality control in this increasingly financially rewarding business.” For example, some supplements just totally lie and have no DHEA in them, and others have significantly more than the claimed dose. And so, for this and other reasons, taking DHEA supplements is recommended against.
But are there natural ways to boost levels of this hormone? Well we’ve known a number of individual dietary components, like fiber intake, are associated with better levels, so why not just put all the dietary components together: “Short-Term Impact of a Lactovegetarian Diet.” After just five days on an egg-free vegetarian diet, blood levels of DHEA rose about 20% compared to the meat-eaters’ diet, and it’s interesting why.
It wasn’t necessarily because they were producing more of it, but instead they were losing less. The bodies of those eating vegetarian appear to hold onto it, which is normally something you only see in fasting. But these were all isocaloric diets—meaning, same calories in both diets. So, by eating vegetarian, one may be able to mimic the effects of caloric restriction, but without walking around starving all the time.
To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by Serena.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- Kirkwood T. Why can't we live forever? Sci Am. 2010 Sep; 303(3):42-9.
- Goel RM, Cappola AR. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and postmenopausal women. Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes. 2011 Jun; 18(3):171-6.
- Parasrampuria J, Schwartz K, Petesch R. Quality control of dehydroepiandrosterone dietary supplement products. JAMA. 1998 Nov 11; 280(18):1565.
- Genazzani AR, Pluchino N. DHEA therapy in postmenopausal women: the need to move forward beyond the lack of evidence. Climacteric. 2010 Aug; 13(4):314-6.
- Arlt W. Dehydroepiandrosterone and ageing. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2004 Sep; 18(3):363-80.
- Roth GS, Lane MA, Ingram DK, Mattison JA, Elahi D, Tobin JD, Muller D, Metter EJ. Biomarkers of caloric restriction may predict longevity in humans. Science. 2002 Aug 2; 297(5582):811.
- Yen SS. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and longevity: new clues for an old friend. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001 Jul 17; 98(15):8167-9.
- Gleicher N, Barad DH. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) supplementation in diminished ovarian reserve (DOR). Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2011 May 17; 9:67.
Images thanks to Risk Blog; J.Smith via Wikimedia Commons; and Lunar Caustic via flickr
Why can’t we live forever? Some animals do. And I’m not talking about some 200-year-old whale, or even a thousand-year-old tree. I’m talking about immortal. There are actually species that apparently don’t age, and could technically go on forever. And why not? In a sense, humans are immortal, in that a few of our cells live on—sperm or egg cells lucky enough to find each other. Each of our kids grow out of one of our cells, and that alone—I mean, the fact that a single cell can grow into a person—should make, in comparison, the notion of keeping our bodies going indefinitely seem biologically trivial.
Well, it’s certainly a hot research topic. Much has focused on the role of DHEA, dehydroepiandrosterone, the most abundant steroid hormone in the human body, whose levels drop significantly as we age. It is a cortisol antagonist, meaning that it helps counteract the effects of stress. It appears to rejuvenate female fertility, and most importantly, appears to be a strong predictor of longevity. In fact, one of the ways caloric restriction appears to extend the lifespan of many animals may be the upregulation of DHEA.
So, no surprise, it is sold as a “fountain of youth” over-the-counter supplement, raising all sorts of concerns about safety, side effects, “and the lack of quality control in this increasingly financially rewarding business.” For example, some supplements just totally lie and have no DHEA in them, and others have significantly more than the claimed dose. And so, for this and other reasons, taking DHEA supplements is recommended against.
But are there natural ways to boost levels of this hormone? Well we’ve known a number of individual dietary components, like fiber intake, are associated with better levels, so why not just put all the dietary components together: “Short-Term Impact of a Lactovegetarian Diet.” After just five days on an egg-free vegetarian diet, blood levels of DHEA rose about 20% compared to the meat-eaters’ diet, and it’s interesting why.
It wasn’t necessarily because they were producing more of it, but instead they were losing less. The bodies of those eating vegetarian appear to hold onto it, which is normally something you only see in fasting. But these were all isocaloric diets—meaning, same calories in both diets. So, by eating vegetarian, one may be able to mimic the effects of caloric restriction, but without walking around starving all the time.
To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by Serena.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- Kirkwood T. Why can't we live forever? Sci Am. 2010 Sep; 303(3):42-9.
- Goel RM, Cappola AR. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and postmenopausal women. Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes. 2011 Jun; 18(3):171-6.
- Parasrampuria J, Schwartz K, Petesch R. Quality control of dehydroepiandrosterone dietary supplement products. JAMA. 1998 Nov 11; 280(18):1565.
- Genazzani AR, Pluchino N. DHEA therapy in postmenopausal women: the need to move forward beyond the lack of evidence. Climacteric. 2010 Aug; 13(4):314-6.
- Arlt W. Dehydroepiandrosterone and ageing. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2004 Sep; 18(3):363-80.
- Roth GS, Lane MA, Ingram DK, Mattison JA, Elahi D, Tobin JD, Muller D, Metter EJ. Biomarkers of caloric restriction may predict longevity in humans. Science. 2002 Aug 2; 297(5582):811.
- Yen SS. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and longevity: new clues for an old friend. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001 Jul 17; 98(15):8167-9.
- Gleicher N, Barad DH. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) supplementation in diminished ovarian reserve (DOR). Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2011 May 17; 9:67.
Images thanks to Risk Blog; J.Smith via Wikimedia Commons; and Lunar Caustic via flickr
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The Benefits of Caloric Restriction Without the Actual Restricting
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Update: In 2023, I made an updated video on DHEA. Check out DHEA: What Is It and What Are Its Benefits?.
Foods can also cause undesirable hormone imbalances. See, for example, The Acne-Promoting Effects of Milk and Dairy & Sexual Precocity. Other videos on stress reduction include Improving Mood Through Diet. Plant-based diets are one of my most popular topics, spanning dozens of videos.
For further context, check out my associated blog posts: Stool Size and Breast Cancer Risk; Eating To Extend Our Lifespan; and Top 10 Most Popular Videos of the Year.
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