DHEA vs Zinc for hormones
Short answer: For hormones, users rate them about the same: 91% report improvement with DHEA (44 reports) and 88% with Zinc (94 reports).
DHEA has 215 meta-analyses and 637 randomized trials on PubMed; Zinc has 220 and 555.
Based on 306 reports about DHEA and 1,594 about Zinc. Not medical advice.
| DHEA Supplement | Zinc Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 56%helped98 reports · medium confidence | 59%helped510 reports · high confidence |
| Verdict | Mixed | Mixed |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 215 / 637 | 220 / 555 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Libido % reporting improvement | 91% (32) | 90% (120) |
| Hormones % reporting improvement | 91% (44) | 88% (94) |
| Mood % reporting improvement | 87% (30) | 81% (68) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | 92% (26) | 74% (57) |
| Sleep % reporting improvement | 100% (5) | 84% (76) |
| Common side effects | acne, vivid dreams, rage, virilization | nausea, stomach issues, vomiting, copper deficiency |
| Typical dose reported | 25 mg / 1 hour before bed | 75 mg |
Vaginal estrogen, vaginal DHEA, oral ospemifene, and vaginal moisturizers may improve some GSM symptoms in the short term. Few long-term data exist on efficacy, comparative effectiveness, tolerability, and safety of GSM treatments.
Ann Intern Med, 2024 ↗“DHEA, minimum 50 mg was a huge game changer for my wife. More energy, libido, dopamine/happy mood, concentration- everything.”
Acne patients have decreased serum zinc levels. Zinc is effective for the treatment of acne, particularly at decreasing the number of inflammatory papules, when used as monotherapy or as an adjunctive treatment.
Dermatol Ther, 2020 ↗“I had actual energy in the mornings for the first time I could remember.”
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Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate