Dhea and ovaries question

Hi,

Does anyone out there know how much DHEA our ovaries used to produce per day? What about raising our DHEA-Sulfate levels by using pregnenalone and progesterone?

Thanks.

Hi CreamQueen,

Here's an article that says women produce 6 – 8 mg/day of DHEA. 20% is from the ovaries, 50% from the adrenals and 30% comes from conversion of circulating DHEAS (sulfate) to DHEA.

The article also has a flowchart on androgen synthesis. It shows pregnenolone being converted to DHEA, and DHEA can be converted to DHEAS. (The flowchart doesn't show the DHEA <–--> DHEAS, but I've seen it in other articles.) So pregnenolone could increase both of them.

If you're interested in increasing DHEAS without taking supplements, there was a study in 1992 where adults who practiced transcendental meditation increased their levels of DHEAS significantly. I don't think the meditation has to be transcendental. It seems like any relaxing, de-stressing activity would work.
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Burger HG. Androgen production in women. Fertility and Sterility. 2002 Apr;77 Suppl 4:S3-5 [full text | reprint]
Reiss U. Natural Hormone Balance for Women. Pocket Books, New York, NY. 2001. Page 203.

That's good info, but I guess what I'm interested in is how much DHEA - Sulfate our ovaries produced, if any. That's what I'm supplementing with, but then again, I know my adrenals are fatigued.... so maybe this is helping them to heal.

CreamQueen, I'm sorry I misunderstood you. Here's what the article said about DHEA sulfate:

DHEA sulfate is not produced by the ovaries, only the adrenals. It's produced at a rate of 3.5 to 20 mg daily during our reproductive years. Levels range from 1 to 4 mcg/ml (mcg = microgram or 1/1000 of a mg). Levels peak in the 20s and 30s followed by a steady decline with age. Levels do not change at menopause. DHEA sulfate deficiency can be seen with estrogen replacement, Addison's disease, hypopituitarism with adrenal involvement, corticosteroid therapy and chronic illness.

I hope that the DHEA sulfate helps with your adrenal fatigue, too. Please let us know.