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Printed from https://bottledhope.co/supplements/dhea/. Last reviewed 2026-10-16. Check the site for the latest version.

DHEA

A hormone made by the adrenal glands that the body turns into testosterone and estrogen. People take it for sex drive, menopause, fertility, aging and muscle.

Explained simply · Last reviewed

What it is

DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is a steroid hormone that the body makes. NIH’s Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) says it is released by the adrenal glands, and that the body can turn it into testosterone and the female hormone estradiol. NCCIH, the US agency that studies complementary medicine, says DHEA is converted in the body into testosterone and estrogen, and that its production decreases as people grow older. It adds that the significance of this change, including whether it affects aging and menopause symptoms, is unclear.

More about DHEA

NIH’s Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) says it is released by the adrenal glands, and that the body can turn it into testosterone and the female hormone estradiol. NCCIH, the US agency that studies complementary medicine, says DHEA is converted in the body into testosterone and estrogen, and that its production decreases as people grow older. It adds that the significance of this change, including whether it affects aging and menopause symptoms, is unclear.

A 2006 Cochrane review of older adults reports that DHEA supplements are sold in large quantities in health food stores, particularly in the USA, as a general anti-aging agent. A 2015 Cochrane review states that in the United States DHEA can be bought without a prescription, but that in most countries it is only available on prescription. ODS states that the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the World Anti-Doping Agency ban its use.

The claims below are about DHEA taken as a supplement, mostly by mouth. The reviews and authorities behind them report on different groups of people: women around or after menopause, women having IVF, women with adrenal insufficiency, older men and women, and, in two exercise trials, weightlifters and inactive young men. Their results are kept apart here in the same way.

Also known as: dehydroepiandrosterone

At a glance

Safety: known risks and 2 groups who should avoid it or take extra care. See Safety ↓

Claims made about DHEA, and how strong the evidence is for each:

Each rating follows our published rules and the sources cited for it. We don’t add our own medical judgment. How we rate

Safety

Read this before the ratings below.

Risks

  • NCCIH, the US agency that studies complementary medicine, states that “The long-term safety of taking DHEA supplements is unknown”, and that some evidence suggests that even short-term use “may have harmful effects, including liver damage.”
  • NIH’s Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) states that “Studies have not adequately assessed the safety of DHEA.” It reports that in women, taking DHEA for months significantly raises testosterone but not estrogen levels, which can cause acne and growth of facial hair. It also reports that two short-term studies in men found no side effects, and that their blood lipid levels and liver function stayed normal.
  • A 2015 Cochrane review of women around or after menopause found androgenic side effects, mainly acne, more often with DHEA than with placebo: in 15% of women on DHEA against under 3% on placebo, from five trials, which it rates moderate certainty. Acne on its own did not differ significantly, which is too little evidence to show a difference either way. The reviewers state that no serious side effects had been reported in trials lasting up to a year.
  • A 2024 Cochrane review of women having IVF reports acne in the DHEA groups and not in the control groups of five trials, but says event numbers were low and the uncertainty very wide. It describes data on side effects as very limited, and the events reported as minor.
  • A 2014 review of postmenopausal women states that most of its trials concluded DHEA was not associated with significant side effects, and that skin or androgenic symptoms were reported most often. It adds that side-effect data were sparse and too varied to pool.
  • A Cochrane review of older adults found that the trials it included reported DHEA as well tolerated, but it calls the trial evidence on side effects inconsistent. In one year-long trial, significantly more people stopped DHEA than placebo because of side effects.

Who should avoid it or take extra care

  • Athletes: ODS states that the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the World Anti-Doping Agency ban the use of DHEA.
  • Breast cancer: the authors of the 2015 Cochrane review write that DHEA has been hypothesized to increase the incidence of breast cancer in postmenopausal women and that caution is advised. They add that the studies on this question are limited and their results inconsistent.

Safety sources: Source [1]Source [2]Source [3]Source [4]Source [5]Source [6]

What the evidence says

Each claim is rated on its own evidence. Ratings follow the scale on our methodology page.

  • Improves sexual function or sex drive in women after menopause Evidence rating: Limited

    Women past menopause take it hoping it will bring back their sex drive and improve their sex life.

    A 2015 review found a slight improvement that partly rested on a vaginal DHEA trial; a 2014 review of DHEA by mouth found no significant effect and rates its evidence low certainty.

    This claim is about women around or after menopause. A 2015 Cochrane review pooled trials of DHEA against placebo. After setting aside one trial it judged at high risk of bias, it found slightly better sexual function with DHEA, from five trials. The reviewers call the improvement minimal and say it may not be clinically significant. They add that treatment to obtain it “would not be clinically justified in light of the possible side effects”.

    That pooled result included one trial of DHEA placed in the vagina. When the reviewers grouped trials by route, the oral trials on their own showed no significant difference from placebo, which is too little evidence to show an effect either way. That oral grouping still included the trial they had set aside, and the review does not report the oral trials without it. Its results section calls the sexual-function evidence moderate quality, but its graded summary tables do not include sexual function.

    A 2014 review, done to support an Endocrine Society guideline, pooled trials of DHEA taken by mouth in postmenopausal women with normal adrenal function. It found no statistically significant improvement in libido or sexual function, from five trials whose results varied. The reviewers rate their evidence low certainty. They conclude that DHEA “cannot significantly improve sexual symptoms”.

    The two reviews differ. This page rates the claim on the lowest certainty either review gives, low.

    Sources: Source [1]Source [2]

  • Improves quality of life or general wellbeing in women around or after menopause Evidence rating: Evidence against

    Women going through or past menopause take it hoping to feel better in themselves from day to day.

    A 2015 review found no evidence that DHEA improves quality of life, rated moderate certainty, and a 2014 review of DHEA by mouth found no significant improvement, rated low.

    The 2015 Cochrane review pooled eight placebo-controlled trials of DHEA taken by mouth, after setting aside one trial at high risk of bias. Quality of life and wellbeing scores did not differ significantly between DHEA and placebo. The reviewers rate this moderate certainty. They conclude that “There is no evidence that DHEA improves quality of life”, and elsewhere that DHEA treatment “does not have a beneficial effect on quality of life”.

    The same review reports two single trials that measured change in quality of life and could not be pooled. One found better scores with DHEA and one found no difference, and the review rates each very low certainty. It describes the route of the trial with better scores as vaginal in some places and oral in another, so this page does not say which it was.

    A 2014 review of DHEA taken by mouth in postmenopausal women found no significant improvement in quality of life and general wellbeing, from seven trials. It also found no significant improvement in depressed mood or anxiety. The reviewers rate their evidence low certainty.

    The 2015 review concludes there is no evidence that DHEA improves quality of life, and the 2014 review found no significant improvement, so this page rates the claim evidence against. The lowest certainty either review gives these outcomes is very low.

    Sources: Source [1]Source [2]

  • Eases menopause symptoms such as hot flashes Evidence rating: Insufficient

    Women going through menopause take it hoping it will ease hot flashes and other symptoms.

    NCCIH, the US agency that studies complementary medicine, says it is uncertain whether DHEA is useful in treating menopause symptoms.

    NCCIH states: “It’s uncertain whether DHEA is useful in treating menopause symptoms.” It says DHEA production decreases as people grow older, but that the significance of this change, including whether it affects menopause symptoms, is unclear. Among guidelines for treating menopause symptoms, it reports that guidelines issued by a task force from several professional societies “recommend against the routine use of DHEA”.

    NCCIH last updated this page in May 2017. This page rates the claim on its statement.

    Sources: Source [1]

  • Increases bone density in women after menopause Evidence rating: Evidence against

    Women past menopause take it hoping it will keep their bones strong.

    A 2014 review of DHEA by mouth in women after menopause found no significant effect on spine or hip bone density, found no trials of fractures, and rates the evidence low certainty.

    This claim is about bone mineral density, a measure of bone strength, not about fractures. The 2014 review pooled placebo-controlled trials of DHEA taken by mouth in postmenopausal women with normal adrenal function. It found no trials that measured fractures. Four trials measured spine density, seven hip density and one whole-body density.

    The reviewers state that the pooled estimates “did not show any beneficial effect of DHEA on BMD”, and that no significant differences were detected at the spine, hip or whole body. They had set a stricter threshold for significance because they tested many outcomes, and the spine result did not meet it. In their discussion, though, they describe the spine result as a small change in bone density. They rate the evidence low certainty because of risk of bias and imprecision.

    This page rates the claim evidence against, on that one review, at low certainty.

    Sources: Source [1]

  • Improves the chance of pregnancy or a live birth in women having IVF who respond poorly to ovarian stimulation Evidence rating: Evidence against

    Women having IVF take it hoping it will improve their chances of having a baby.

    A 2024 Cochrane review found DHEA likely makes little to no difference to live birth or pregnancy rates, at moderate certainty, and a 2026 IVF guideline does not recommend it.

    This claim is about women having fertility treatment, mostly women whose ovaries had responded poorly to stimulation before or who had a low ovarian reserve. A 2024 Cochrane review included 14 trials of DHEA taken by mouth before IVF, against placebo or no treatment. It found that DHEA likely results in little to no difference in live birth or ongoing pregnancy rates (nine trials, 1,433 women) and in clinical pregnancy rates (13 trials, 1,886 women). It rates both moderate certainty. The review states that DHEA likely does not decrease miscarriage rates, also at moderate certainty.

    The reviewers also grouped trials by how long women took DHEA. In two trials (142 women) where it was taken for eight weeks, live births may have been more common, at low certainty. In six trials where it was taken for twelve weeks, the difference was not significant, at very low certainty. Leaving out trials at high risk of bias gave results similar to the main ones. Half the DHEA trials gave the comparison group no treatment rather than a placebo, and the reviewers lowered their certainty because of a lack of blinding.

    The 2025 update of the guideline on ovarian stimulation from ESHRE, the European fertility society, published in 2026, states: “Use of DHEA before and/or during ovarian stimulation is not recommended for low responders.” It says the same for women who respond normally. Both are strong recommendations resting on low-certainty evidence.

    The review also studied testosterone, separately; this page does not cover it. This page rates the DHEA claim evidence against. The main results are moderate certainty, and the lowest certainty for any live-birth result is very low.

    Sources: Source [1]Source [2]

  • Improves wellbeing, mood or sex drive in women with primary adrenal insufficiency Evidence rating: Limited

    Women whose adrenal glands make too little of their hormones take it hoping for more energy, a better mood and more interest in sex.

    A 2016 Endocrine Society guideline suggests trying DHEA in some women whose other hormone replacement is optimized, on low-quality evidence, noting a review found no substantial benefit.

    This claim is about a disease setting. The Endocrine Society’s 2016 guideline defines primary adrenal insufficiency as the inability of the adrenal cortex to produce enough glucocorticoid or mineralocorticoid hormones. It suggests “a trial of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) replacement in women with PAI and low libido, depressive symptoms, and/or low energy levels despite otherwise optimized glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid replacement”. It also suggests that DHEA be stopped if there is no sustained benefit after six months. These are weak recommendations based on low-quality evidence.

    The guideline states that some, but not all, studies have shown that DHEA in adrenal insufficiency may improve quality of life and mood. It also reports that a systematic review and meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials did not show “any substantial clinical benefit”, suggesting the evidence is “insufficient to support routine use of DHEA in women with adrenal insufficiency”. It adds that studies of long-term outcomes are lacking.

    This page rates the claim on the guideline’s certainty, low.

    Sources: Source [1]

  • Improves memory and thinking in older adults without dementia Evidence rating: Evidence against

    Older adults take it hoping to keep their memory and thinking sharp.

    A Cochrane review of small trials, last searched in 2008, concluded that the little evidence there is does not support a benefit for memory or thinking in older adults without dementia.

    A Cochrane review looked for placebo-controlled trials of DHEA in people over 50 without dementia. Its last search was in March 2008. The trials with usable results could not be pooled. Most found no significant effect on tests of memory and thinking, including a year-long trial in 225 older people. A two-year trial found no significant change in quality of life.

    In one short trial, DHEA was linked to worse visual memory after a stressful task, while attention declined after the task with placebo but not with DHEA. The reviewers say there is no obvious way to interpret these results together, and that they may reflect chance.

    The reviewers conclude: “What little evidence there is from controlled trials does not support a beneficial effect of DHEA supplementation on cognitive function of non‐demented middle‐aged or elderly people.” They did not grade certainty, and they call for larger trials lasting more than a year. This page rates the claim evidence against, on that conclusion.

    Sources: Source [1]

  • Builds muscle mass in older adults Evidence rating: Insufficient

    Older adults take it hoping to hold on to their muscle as they age.

    A 2018 review found four trials in people aged 60 and over, none showing a significant change in muscle mass, and rated the one trial it could grade very low certainty.

    A 2018 review looked at several supplements in people aged 60 and over, in trials that compared each with a placebo. It found four trials of DHEA, lasting from three to 23 months, which differed in who took part and how DHEA was given. None found a significant change in muscle mass.

    The reviewers could grade only one of the trials for muscle mass, because the others reported results that could not be compared or lacked the data needed. They rated that trial very low certainty. They concluded that, across all the supplements they reviewed, effects on muscle were limited, and that better trials are needed. This page rates the claim insufficient.

    Sources: Source [1]

  • Improves exercise or athletic performance Evidence rating: Insufficient

    People who train take it hoping to build strength and perform better.

    The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements says the minimal research on DHEA for exercise and athletic performance provides no evidence of benefit.

    ODS states that “The minimal research on DHEA’s use to enhance exercise and athletic performance provides no evidence of benefit.” It describes two placebo-controlled trials in men. In one, male weightlifters who kept training for 12 weeks gained no more strength, aerobic capacity, lean body mass or testosterone than with placebo. In the other, young men on a resistance-training program gained no more muscle strength, lean body mass or testosterone.

    ODS concludes that research to date does not support taking DHEA supplements to enhance exercise or athletic performance. This page rates the claim insufficient, because ODS describes the research as minimal.

    Sources: Source [1]

Which form the evidence used

Supplements are sold in several forms. This is what the sources on this page say about them — which form the research used, and any comparison those sources themselves made. Where they made none, this page does not rank the forms.

  • DHEA taken by mouth, What the sources supportDetails

    The 2014 review of women after menopause included only trials of DHEA taken by mouth, and the 2024 Cochrane review of IVF reports that its DHEA trials gave it by mouth. The 2015 Cochrane review of women around or after menopause mostly reviewed oral trials, but also included trials of DHEA creams and of DHEA placed in the vagina. No cited source compared products or brands of DHEA supplements with each other, so this page cannot say that one works better than another. Source [1]Source [2]Source [3]

Sources

  1. Dehydroepiandrosterone for women in the peri- or postmenopausal phase
    Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2015 · Meta-analysis · Primary source · Certainty: very low
  2. The Benefits and Harms of Systemic Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in Postmenopausal Women With Normal Adrenal Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
    The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2014 · Meta-analysis · Primary source · Certainty: low
  3. Menopausal Symptoms: In Depth
    National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, NIH, 2017 · Health authority summary · Primary source
  4. Androgens (dehydroepiandrosterone or testosterone) for women undergoing assisted reproduction
    Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2024 · Meta-analysis · Primary source · Certainty: very low
  5. ESHRE guideline: ovarian stimulation for IVF/ICSI: an update in 2025
    Human Reproduction, 2026 · Clinical practice guideline · Primary source · Certainty: low
    Some of its authors disclose ties to industry.
  6. Diagnosis and Treatment of Primary Adrenal Insufficiency: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline
    The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2016 · Clinical practice guideline · Primary source · Certainty: low
    Some of its authors disclose ties to industry.
  7. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) supplementation for cognitive function in healthy elderly people
    Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2006 · Systematic review · Primary source
  8. Effects of Protein, Essential Amino Acids, B-Hydroxy B-Methylbutyrate, Creatine, Dehydroepiandrosterone and Fatty Acid Supplementation on Muscle Mass, Muscle Strength and Physical Performance in Older People Aged 60 Years and Over. A Systematic Review of the Literature
    The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, 2018 · Systematic review · Primary source · Certainty: very low
  9. Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals
    NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, 2024 · Health authority summary · Primary source

Page history

Show all 3 changes to this page
  • — Published.
  • — Review round 1: removed the FDA announcement on vaginal prasterone, whose page no longer exists, with the form and body paragraph that rested on it; reworded the quality-of-life, sexual-function, IVF and adrenal insufficiency summaries to match their sources more closely. No rating changed.
  • — Drafted. Sexual function after menopause and wellbeing in women with adrenal insufficiency rated limited; quality of life around menopause, bone density after menopause, IVF in poor responders and memory in older adults rated evidence against; menopause symptoms, muscle mass in older adults and athletic performance rated insufficient.