133: How to Increase DHEA for Hormone Balance

DHEA is a hormone that many people don’t know much about and one that often gets left on the back burner. But it’s essential for hormone balance and optimal health. In this episode, you’ll learn how to increase DHEA naturally—sans supplement.

Unfortunately, most women are deficient in DHEA, and that’s a big problem. DHEA is a precursor hormone to various hormones, including the common sex hormones estrogen and testosterone. You actually need DHEA to produce estrogen and testosterone. If you’re deficient in this hormone, all other hormone levels will be out of balance.

Here’s the thing: DHEA is not a hormone you can get from food. It has to be produced by the body naturally or obtained from a supplement. I don’t recommend getting a supplement.

Benefits of DHEA

Support healthy libido
Supports healthy brain function
Promote bone density and protect against osteoporosis
Support healthy metabolism for weight loss
Helps lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health
Can improve egg quality and fertility

How to increase DHEA Naturally

Focus on sleep: good quality sleep will do wonders for optimizing DHEA hormone production. Prioritize sleep by shutting off electronics at sundown and creating a healthy wind-down routine.
Develop a healthy stress response: easier said than done, but the truth is, while we can’t control stress, we can control our response to it. How we react to stress is crucial for the health of our adrenals and DHEA levels. Deep breathing, essential oils, walking, and adaptogens are my favorite tools for managing stress.
Get outside: sunlight helps to reset circadian rhythms and supports healthy vitamin D levels. It also is grounding, allowing our body to reset to its natural and healthy frequency. All of this helps to supportthe production of DHEA.

Featured in this episode…