If you are trying to conceive, you might be interested to learn about a recent study suggesting that DHEA, a natural steroid hormone, might be a fertility booster for women.
According to the American Pregnancy Association, approximately one out of six couples experiences infertility issues.
Female infertility accounts for about half of these cases, with approximately 6 million women in the United States dealing with infertility every year.
Based on the results of a recent study conducted by the Tel Aviv University, there may be new hope for some of these women who are struggling with infertility, in the form of DHEA, or Dehydroepiandrosterone.
What is Dehydroepiandrosterone?
DHEA is a naturally occurring steroid hormone that is manufactured and secreted by the adrenal gland. This hormone is a precursor to estrogens and androgens, which are female and male sex hormones.
After a person reaches the age of 30, the production of DHEA begins to decline. In addition, people who have adrenal insufficiency, AIDS, type 2 diabetes and anorexia may have low levels of DHEA.
Recently, a research team at Tel Aviv University, which was lead by Professor Adrian Shulman of the Sackler Faculty of Medicine and the Meir Medical Center, discovered a link between DHEA and improved chances of conceiving in women who were receiving treatment for infertility.
One group of women participating in the study received treatment for poor ovulation, while another group received the same treatment with the addition of 75 mg daily of a DHEA supplement for 40 days before starting fertility treatments, and continued for up to five months.
The results of this study were encouraging as to DHEA helping women to get pregnant!
The study revealed that the group of women who received DHEA supplements were 3 times more likely to get pregnant than the women in the other group who were not given the supplement.
The women who took the DHEA supplement were also more likely to have a healthy, normal pregnancy and delivery when compared with the women in the other group.
In fact, there was a 23% live birth rate in the DHEA group as opposed to only a 4% rate in the control group who did not receive DHEA. All but one of the pregnancies in the DHEA group resulted in healthy deliveries.
This might be great news to women who are coping with infertility!
DHEA is available over the counter, but women are encouraged to talk to their health care provider before taking it as a supplement to help them get pregnant.
Sources: American Friends of Tel Aviv University news release, July 1, 2010, American Pregnancy Association
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