Using DHEA to Build Lean Muscle

Despite what many supplement companies would like you to believe, there is no “magic pill” out there to make you lose all the fat and gain lean shapely muscle over night. Eating a healthy diet low in processed carbs and high in vegetables and fruits, and exercising regularly are absolutely essential to perfecting your physique. However, the pro-hormone DHEA is a smart choice to help improve energy levels, the development of lean muscle, and faster recovery after workouts.

What is DHEA?

Dehydroepiandrosterone, or DHEA, is a naturally occurring prohormone produced by your adrenal glands, gonads and skin and is actually the most abundant prohormone in the body. DHEA is base buiding block, “the mother hormone” for smaller more specific carbon chain molecule hormones like estrogen and testosterone. The body makes all sex hormones 50 other hormones from DHEA.
Hormones drive our energy, mood, muscle tone, fat, quality of sleep, mental sharpness, immune system, sex drive, cardiovascular health and more.
People make more and more DHEA from birth through puberty into adulthood until about age 25, when we are “in our reproductive prime” as humans, at our best. Then after age 25, levels decline at a rate of about 2% per year. So by age 35 we are making about 20% less than we did when we were at our best; and by 50 we are making half as much. Other factors, including alcohol and caffeine consumption, and stress, can contribute to decreasing levels of DHEA as well.

Uses for DHEA

Since DHEA is a precursor to testosterone and many other hormones, it is often used as a health supplement to help support testosterone levels; and though it is true that testosterone helps people to build shapely muscle, there are many other important reasons DHEA helps people over 30 to stay in great shape.
In the presence of DHEA, cells grow and build. In the abscense of DHEA cells explode when they die in a process called apoptosis. DHEA has been shown to improve nitric oxide production which is known to play an important role in vascular function and healthy lean muscular development. DHEA also counterbalances the many detrimental effects of cortisol in muscle and fat tissue.

Benefits of DHEA

• Enhances immune system function
• Increases energy levels
• Aids in cell reproduction
• inhibits cellular aptosis
• Base for production of sex hormones
• Helps reduce fat
• Supports the development of lean muscle mass
• Speeds muscular recovery

Because DHEA counterbalances many of the harmful inflamatory effects of cortisol, and supports cell growth and vascular health, DHEA greatly reduces your recovery time after workouts so that you can train harder and more frequently. DHEA is also meanwhile supporting your immune system, enhancing mental sharpness, and making skin softer too.

How Much and How Often?

Since DHEA levels decrease dramatically with age, it is most beneficial for people over the age of 35. It is a common favorite among bodybuilders and figure competitors. As with any supplement, different people notice different subtle benefits.
To support the development of lean muscle mass, try integrating a pump or two of Twist 25 DHEA cream into your daily routine.
The most important thing to remember: Is that DHEA must be used as a properly made bioidentical DHEA cream – not as an oral supplement. Oral DHEA supplements are mostly destroyed by the liver before they can do any good, and only increase the level of DHEA sulfate - not free DHEA, free DHEA is what the body uses to make hormones. All DHEA is not the same. Supplement your body’s natural DHEA, using the best DHEA supplement available. DHEA supplements work best in cream form applied directly to the skin, where the body uses it natually anyway. Additionally, make sure the DHEA cream you use is bioidentical, pharmaceutical-grade DHEA.
Workout smarter not harder with DHEA the right way. Do your body a favor in lots of different ways. Use Twist 25 DHEA cream – Make your own hormones.

Enhancing Cognitive Function with DHEA

As we age, our bodies begin to reduce production of several substances associated with youth. One of these is DHEA, an important prohormone secreted mostly by the adrenal glands, gonads and skin. DHEA is the most abundant hormone in the bloodstream, and is the precursor or base building block for most hormones like estrogen and testosterone, and is also important for cardiovascular health, immune response, bone strength and soft skin.

Effects of Low DHEA

As DHEA production decreases at a rate of about 2 percent each year after age 25, many people experience declines in mood, feel overwhelmed or generally lack the vitality they once had. In addition to the gradual decrease of DHEA with age, other things like smoking and a high stress life can lower DHEA levels. An easy at-home DHEA blood test can help you to determine if your DHEA levels are lower than they should be. Low DHEA has been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease and a number of studies showed a correlation with impaired visuospatial skills, short term memory and verbal fluency.

DHEA and Cognition

Though studies of DHEA's effect on cognition continue, it is clear from the medical research that has already been completed that DHEA has beneficial effects on memory, mood and cognition.

One of DHEA's most important functions when it comes to aging, and brain aging in particular, is to counterbalance cortisol, the body's main stress hormone. Sixty percent of your brain is made up of fat, most of it polyunsaturated fat that is highly prone to damage from free radicals including those formed by high cortisol levels in the body. This damage often leads to inflammation, which is now widely regarded as an underlying cause of many degenerative diseases. DHEA exhibits anti-inflammatory effects that protect against brain cell damage. It has also been shown to help the body reverse impairment from the amyloid plaque deposits commonly associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Many of the same factors that affect heart health also affect the health of your brain. This includes atherosclerosis, a buildup of plaques in blood vessels that causes reduced circulation. Your brain needs plenty of oxygen and glucose to function properly, and anything that reduces blood flow to the brain can result in damage or impairment. DHEA helps protect against plaque buildup, likely because of the same anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that keep your brain healthy.

Supplementing DHEA

When you begin looking for DHEA supplements, you might notice that there are two different kinds of supplements out there: DHEA supplements are available as oral pills and as a cream. Creams are a more effective form of delivery than pills because the DHEA in oral DHEA is mostly eliminated by the liver, and what is not destroyed by the liver ends up only increasing DHEA sulfate in the bloodstream. DHEA sulfate cannot be converted in the body into free DHEA which is what the body uses as a precursor for the sex hormones. DHEA cream allows your body to absorb and metabolize the DHEA where it occurs naturally anyway - in the skin.

As with any healthy lifestyle changes made, for best results get regular exercise, eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables, and drink plenty of good clean water. Practicing stress management techniques like meditation or yoga can help to keep cortisol levels in check, and engaging in regular exercise to improve circulation is also an important way to help protect your brain from the effects of aging. Add in a pump or two of Twist 25 DHEA cream to your daily routine and feel the difference.

The Benefits of DHEA for Women

We’ve talked about this before, but for both men and women, the body relies on DHEA to function at its best. For women, DHEA offers a number of benefits that can help them feel better, look better and generally stay healthier from age 35 and up, as they begin to approach menopause, during menopause and after menopause.

From the medical research, it is quite clear that when DHEA is used as a properly made bioidentical cream DHEA may help women with a number of health issues as well as improving mood, mental function and vitality. Meanwhile, it also allows for softer more hydrated skin. Here are some of the main reasons many women use DHEA cream:

Menopause Symptom Relief

In 2006, 28 females were given 50 mg of DHEA for four weeks to test the effects the prohormone had on their menopause symptoms. The Journal of Supportive Cancer Therapy said that those who received treatment experienced notable quality of life improvements including the reduction of hot flashes.

Combating Adrenal Insufficiency

A 2003 report from the Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology noted that it is very common that women experience decreases in DHEA and as well as many of the androgens the body makes from it as they get older. Such decreases in DHEA levels can lead to sexual dysfunction, depression, food cravings, muscle weakness, poor sleep and other unpleasant and unwanted health issues.

Adrenal insufficiency, a condition characterized by the adrenal glands making too much cortisol and not enough DHEA, is more and more common these days in our high stress world, especially for women after age 35. There are many great medical studies and articles online about adrenal exhaustion, adrenal fatigue, and adrenal insufficiency. Basically, as we get older cortisol levels gradually increase. DHEA levels gradually decrease. DHEA counterbalances the negative inflamatory effects of cortisol. So using bioidentical DHEA cream applied daily to maintain higher levels of DHEA to counterbalance cortisol makes sense. Since DHEA is a prohormone, the study participants experienced a renewed sense of well-being, better mental sharrpness and regained sexual interest and satisfaction, as well as deeper sleep, increased energy and better mood.

Other Benefits

Other studies have reported that DHEA supports cognitive function, memory, and may help reduce abdominal fat, support the immune system and reduce risks of cardiovascular diseases. Many individuals who suffer from fibromyalgia pain report relief using DHEA cream.

DHEA is converted by the body into estrogens, testosterone and some 50 other hormones. So many people find they just feel better day to day and stave off what can be unpleasant repercussions from declining DHEA levels and increasing cortisol using this daily skin skin called Twist 25. With Twist 25 DHEA cream you can make your own hormones to regain a healthy hormone balance naturally.

When applied on thin hairless skin, DHEA cream helps support a variety of the natural functions in the body. Not feeling as healthy and energetic as you would like ? Try Twist 25 DHEA cream and notice the difference within a few weeks.

Using DHEA to Help Reduce Abdominal Fat

Developing belly fat happens to most people especially as they age, but DHEA may help reduce abdominal fat according the Journal of the American Medical Association. Everyone has a certain percentage of body fat, and this fat comes in two types: subcutaneous and visceral. While subcutaneous fat lies just below your skin, visceral fat is the kind that is inside the abdominal cavity and surrounds the organs.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources suggests that higher amounts of belly fat increase the risk of insulin resistance, heart disease and stroke. It can also lead to certain forms of cancer, dementia and even a premature loss of bone density. Therefore, basically - gaining an extra pant size or two can have a significant impact on your health.

How Do You Gain Belly Fat?

Some causes for extra belly fat include heredity, age and low metabolism. As you age, your metabolism slows down and your body stores more fat than it burns due to reduced insulin sensitivity. Diet and exercise can help reduce belly fat, but the body still stores fat mostly in the abdomen for men and around the hips and thighs of women. Women also tend to develop belly fat quicker than men because of more dramatic changes in hormone levels as they approach menopause and after.

How Do You Get Rid of Belly Fat?

Quick fixes, such as liposuction, remove much of the subcutaneous fat but do not target more harmful visceral fat. Reducing your carbohydrate intake also helps when trying to shed abdominal fat, but no single pill or cream offers a miracle cure. However, DHEA may help men and women lose that stubborn belly fat, according to the results of clinical trials from the Washington University School of Medicine.

How Does DHEA Work?

As you age, your body decreases its production of DHEA, an adrenal prohormone that is the precursor to male and female sex hormones. In a randomized, double-blind study, researchers found that DHEA supplementation decreased subcutaneous and visceral fat up to 10.2 percent in women and 7.4 percent in men. Clinical studies also suggest that DHEA reduces LDL, or bad cholesterol, and overall body fat.

DHEA is even more beneficial when it is used as a bioidentical cream. While DHEA does not provide a miracle cure for losing belly fat, it certainly may help according to the research. Along with a healthy diet and regular exercise, DHEA may improve your fat loss and help you to be more active and healthy.

If you think DHEA might help you look and feel your best, look for a properly made bioidentical DHEA supplement cream instead of a pill. Our bodies process DHEA in the skin, so DHEA cream, like Twist 25, provides DHEA right where your body can use it best. Rub-in a couple of squirts of Twist 25 cream each day onto thin skin and notce the many benefits within a few weeks.