Q: I did a saliva cortisol test, and the results indicated that cortisol was in the low end of the optimal range, but DHEA was very low/under the reference. Are there supplements to increase DHEA? I want to avoid taking hormones.
A: Magnesium can actually lead to higher levels of DHEA. I recommend magnesium citrate, which we take throughout this program, and I also recommend Epsom salt baths. Topical magnesium can also help with optimizing DHEA levels. I recommend maybe retesting it after you've done some magnesium supplements and Epsom salt baths.
There are also some brands of topical magnesium that could be used topically and could be helpful. I personally don't like them because whenever I shave my legs and apply them they kind of burn, but some people really like them. You want to make sure that you're not overloading; I wouldn't do all three. I would do the oral supplement and Epsom salt baths but not add a third topical. If you were going that route, I’d recommend substituting the topical one either for the oral or for the Epsom salts.
There are also DHEA supplements. There's one, I believe it's called 7-Keto. The 7-Keto and DHEA supplements can be taken directly. I don't typically recommend utilizing them without a practitioner just because they are hormones, and they can cause adverse reactions in a lot of people. But I would consider looking at boosting magnesium levels to get those DHEA levels up.