Are Micronized DHEA and Similar "More Bioavailable" Preparations Worth It?
The scientifically mostly unbacked attention the micronized preparations of DHEA and Pregnenole receive all over the web raised my interest in whether the claims of higher bioavailability are warrantable. It turned out to be difficult to find conclusive answers (apart from the webpages of the producers and retailers, of course ;-), but I came up with the results of a 1996 study on the delivery of micronized preparations of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) to premenopausal women [ Casson. 1996 ]. The researchers conclude: Micronization increased the area-under-the-curve ratios for dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate/dehydroepiandrosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate/testosterone. Or in other words: A significantly lower amount of DHEA is converted to androgens , upon administration as a micronized preparation (cf. Fig.3 from Casson. 1996 , to the left) . The inclusion of a lipid matrix, like some companies have it, may further potentate this effect. However, scientifical validation ...