Are Harmone Supplements Safe? Some of the anti aging hormones normally made by your body are now available in bottles at your local health food store. And while the government classifies these "bottled hormones" as dietary supplements, some experts say that they shouldn't be. "These products are powerful substances and should be viewed as drugs," says Alan R. Gaby, M.D., professor of nutrition at Bastyr University in Kenmore, Washington. "They have potential for great benefit, but they can also cause significant harm." One example is DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone). In animal studies, this male hormone (which a woman's body makes, too) appears to boost immunity and help protect against diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer. Here's the problem. Our bodies convert DHEA into estrogen and testosterone. So if even a small amount is converted to estrogen in a woman with a family history of breast cancer, she may be increasing her risk of developing the disease, says Dr. Gaby. Pregnenolone, the precursor to DHEA, is another bottled hormone that's flying off the shelves. But clinical research on this hormone is sparse. "There's an animal study that suggests that it improves memory, and that's about it," says Dr. Gaby. In the body, pregnenolone may be converted into DHEA, increasing our bodies' amounts of estrogen and testosterone. There are potential risks in using pregnenolone, says Dr. Gaby. It hasn't been used long enough to determine if it is safe. The bottom line: Don't self prescribe hormone supplements, says Dr. Gaby. Consult a doctor, who will advise you if hormone supplements are appropriate, prescribe them at the appropriate dosage (if necessary), and monitor your progress. Anti Aging Anti Aging Generation| Anti Aging Health Strategy| Anti Aging for Women| Take a Bite Out of Aging| Check the Index| Aim Low| Fat Factor| The Zobra Diet| Bulf Of Long Life| What about Meat?| Get the Protein, Forgo the Fat| The Taxic Avengers| Great Ways to Ambush Radicals| Going Vegetarian Sparked Her Youth| Is That a Toxin in My "Soup"?| Put Your Diet into Rehab| Little Bean, Big Benefits| Sneaking Soy into Your Diet| The Anti Aging Supplements| Alpha Lipoic Acid| Vitamins Minerals| Bioflavonoids| Coenzyme-Q10| Flaxseed Oil| Ginkgo| Are Harmone Supplements Safe?| Melotonin| Phoaphatidylserine| Pycnogenol| Vitamin C| Vitamin E| Aerobics| Disease-Proof Your Body| Liven Up Your Lifestyles| 12 Tips For a Better Workout| Weather Your Workout| Water| Erasing the Lines of Time| Skin Enemy Number One: The Sun| Sunscreen to the Rescue| A Sunscreen Primer| Sun Tips for Sun Junkies| Clean Up Your Act| Perfect Cleanser| Navigating Moisturizer Maze| The Care and Feeding of Youthful Skin| Special Problems of Aging Skin Cosmetic Nutrients Cosmetic Nutrients| Get Glowing with Glycolic Acid| User's guide of Glycolic Acids| Retin-A and Renova| Using Retin-A and Renova| Vitamin C: Future Youth?| Don't Get Lost at "C"| Getting the Most from C Makeups Makeup That Enhances| Foundation| Concealer| Blush| Powder| Eye Makeup| Lipstick| Winning the Battle of the Mane| Color to the Youthful| Dressed to Impress| Acting Your Age| 10 Attributes of a Youthful Mind Right Weight Getting Your Right Weight| Weighing In| Say Goodbye to Dieting| Putting Exercise into Everyday Events| Defying Disease| Disease Proof Your Lifestyle| Arthritis| Cancer| Diabetes| Heart Disease and Stroke| Osteoporosis|Keeping Your Senses Sharp|Can You Speak Little Louder?|Preventing Hearing Loss|Target Hearing Loss Early|The Eyes Have It|Buying Sunglasses|Eyes Need Exercise|The Life of Visionary Memory Memory Like an Elephant| Keeping the Brain Up and Running|Improving Your Everyday Memory| Get Organized| Living a Memory Enhancing Lifestyle Sleep Sweet Sleep and Relaxation| Turning Out the Lights, Naturally| Easing Toward Dreamland|When All Else Fails