7-Keto DHEA is a naturally occurring metabolite (a product resulting from the breakdown of another product) of the hormone DHEA. One of the most significant benefits of 7-Keto DHEA is weight management. Studies show 7-Keto DHEA helps burn fat through boosting the metabolism rate. Blood sugar is also regulated and thyroid function is optimized. Combined with a healthy diet and regular exercise, 7-Keto DHEA promotes healthy weight loss.

What is 7-Keto DHEA?

Dehydroepiandrosterone, more commonly known as DHEA, is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands, the gonads (testes in men or ovaries in women), and the brain. Primates, including humans, make a lot of it compared to other species — especially when we are young. DHEA is generally considered to be the most abundant steroid in our bodies.

Both the potential benefits and the potential hazards of DHEA are linked to its connection to testosterone. DHEA converts easily into a steroid called androstenedione and from androstenedione into testosterone. DHEA, which leads to development of generally desirable masculine features in men, appears to produce markedly different and mostly undesirable side effects in women.

A very close relative of DHEA, 7-Keto DHEA (also known as just 7-Keto), may resolve this problem. In contrast to the rapid conversion of DHEA to testosterone, 7-Keto DHEA is not converted into testosterone to any significant degree so it is promoted as a nonandrogenic DHEA. Although not a muscle builder, many benefits that were once thought to result from DHEA, such as its support of immune function, may actually come from 7-Keto DHEA.

7-Keto DHEA is a metabolite — or a byproduct — of the hormone DHEA. Unlike DHEA, it does not convert into the sex hormones. However, it is responsible for many of the beneficial actions of DHEA. 7-Keto DHEA declines at the same rate as DHEA—for most individuals, more than 50 percent is lost by the age of 50. This loss contributes to weight gain and reduced immune function commonly associated with the aging population. DHEA and 7-Keto DHEA decline at a faster rate than cortisol, the stress hormone, creating a period of cortisol dominance that can further impair immunity and metabolic function. 7-Keto DHEA has vast benefits and can be more effective than DHEA for certain individuals.

7-Keto DHEA and Weight Loss

The right nutrients can help you safely and effectively detoxify your body, increase your lean tissue development, and boost your metabolism. Of course, it is important to note that there is no magic pill that will get you to your goals effortlessly — metabolic supplements are designed to be used in tandem with exercise and a healthy diet. Think of supplements as added support to enhance your efforts toward optimal health.

7-Keto DHEA supplements are well known to naturally increase metabolic rate without being a stimulant (stimulating the central nervous system), as in caffeine, which causes “highs and lows” and gives the jitters. 7-Keto DHEA occurs naturally in the body but the levels drop with age. The biggest noticeable affects of declining levels are in the body’s ability to metabolize food and produce energy. Increasing the 7-Keto DHEA levels that nature takes away with age translates to a metabolic weight loss as opposed to a weight loss by diet and exercise.

The unique benefit with 7-Keto DHEA is its ability to increase the resting metabolic rates among men and women. This is often observed by the amount of heat the body gives off while resting or sleeping — which translates to burning calories.

One of the most important DHEA metabolites is 7-Keto DHEA. Unlike DHEA, 7-Keto DHEA does not convert to estrogen and testosterone. This provides increased utility that can be used for a myriad of adrenal and other health benefits without the same level of concern relative to feeding into the sex hormone pathways.

Studies have shown that 7-Keto DHEA supplements increase resting metabolic rate in participants who already were on weight-loss diets and were engaging in regular exercise. In one eight week study, participants who took 100 mg of 7-Keto DHEA twice a day lost about 6.5 pounds compared to about 2.2 pounds for those who received a placebo.

7-Keto DHEA produces fat loss through the process of thermogenesis. This term refers to the creation of heat, which is one of the forms of energy produced when the body’s cells metabolize the food we eat. Greater amounts of thermogenesis boost the body’s metabolic rate which increases the conversion of stored fat into energy.

7-Keto DHEA is believed to aid weight loss by:

• Increasing fat oxidation, which helps the body preferentially burn stored fat for energy
• Increasing thermogenesis (heat generation), initiating and enhancing the burning of calories
• Increasing the resting metabolic rate, helping to accelerate fat-burning activity

7-Keto DHEA enhances the activity of three thermogenic enzymes that stimulate fatty acid oxidation in the liver. These thermogenic-enhancing enzymes are fatty acyl CoA oxidase, malic enzyme, and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. These enzymes drive the liver cells to burn fatty acids for energy, which causes a lowering of triglycerides in the liver.

Supplementation with 7-Keto DHEA has a dramatic effect on boosting levels of these thermogenic-enhancing enzymes. Studies found that fatty acyl CoA oxidase increased by 140%, while malic enzyme rose 820%. The concentration of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase increased by 150% as well.

Scientists have known for some time that DHEA supplementation can decrease blood cholesterol levels. The question then became which DHEA metabolite or metabolites are responsible for this action. A study at the Institute of Endocrinology revealed that 7-Keto DHEA contributes to this cholesterol-lowering activity. While the subjects’ reduction in total cholesterol was of only borderline significance, very beneficial changes occurred in cholesterol composition. Beneficial HDL (high-density lipoprotein) rose significantly, producing a strong improvement in the atherogenic index, which measures the risk of cardiovascular disease. The findings indicate that 7-Keto DHEA has cholesterol-lowering effects at a dosage that is even lower than that required to achieve the same effects with DHEA.

Losing weight with 7-Keto DHEA will honestly make the entire process of dieting a lot less stressful and a lot more efficient for all sorts of body types while enjoying all the other health benefits of 7-Keto DHEA in your body.

Typical dosage is one 100mg capsule 7-Keto DHEA in the morning before breakfast and one 100mg capsule before lunch. 7-Keto DHEA does not appear to have any side effects. All studies reported that dosages of up to 200 mg daily were well-tolerated and caused no adverse reactions.