JP: Many people are taking DHEA these days. Is it true that after a month of DHEA use, it will increase estrogen levels in males and testosterone levels in females?

Dr. S: This is very true, although it depends on the dosage as well as the size of the person. For instance, you don’t want to start the average female on 50 mg of DHEA right off the bat. Always start low and work your way up. Even a 25 mg dose is too much in most cases. Start around half that amount and work up in 5 mg doses for best effect. For males, I start at 25 mg.

JP: Should you cycle on and off of DHEA after a certain period of time?

Dr. S: If you’re below the age of 40 for males or 35 for females, then you should cycle DHEA. Above those ages, there’s no need to since you’re not producing that much anymore.

It’s very common for people to use DHEA and testosterone together. That is a mistake. What happens when you use both of them simultaneously? They spill over into estrogen!

JP: Okay, while we’re on the subject, what are the best forms of delivery for DHEA and testosterone?

Dr. S: Sublingual is best for DHEA, and creams and injections work best for testosterone, but I do prefer the cream form.

JP: Which cream, Androgel or Testim?

Dr. S: That’s a good question. Here’s the lowdown between the two: Androgel will result in higher total testosterone levels while Testim will give you higher free levels which is actually more desirable. The other difference is in the smell. Most females will be attracted to guys using Testim than Androgel.

JP: Interesting! What are your views on testosterone replacement and anti-aging therapies then?

Dr. S: I believe in testosterone replacement and not just for males. Testosterone is actually the most underprescribed medication for females. I may give a female a packet of Testim or Androgel to use every 4 or 5 days depending on her situation.

Melatonin is another anti-aging remedy. People who are depressed and have a hard time sleeping at night often present with very high cortisol levels. Melatonin can help counter the ill-effects of cortisol and induce sleep if taken at bedtime. The problem is that most people take too high a dose. Again, start low at around 1-2 mg and work your way up from there.

JP: Good advice, but let’s go back to testosterone for a second. What would you recommend to a female interested in experimenting with steroids? Are there any natural products that a female can use instead of steroids to enhance her testosterone levels?

Dr. S: My first question to her would be why do you want to experiment with steroids? Is it for health-related reasons or performance-related reasons? As a physician, I cannot prescribe any drug for performance-enhancing purposes; however, if she was to ask me what my honest opinion is of whether a female can compete at a high level without these ergogenic aids, my answer would be…

[At this point the noise in the restaurant was so loud, you could not hear a thing on the dictaphone. It got better during this part of the conversation.]

…is a product that is not on the market yet that contains tribulus, avena sativa, longjack, and other little goodies. We’ve used this on females with incredible results. We measured testosterone levels and in 100% of the cases (we used 19 women in the study), total testosterone didn’t rise but free testosterone definitely did go up. They couldn’t explain why, but all of the subjects felt better after using this product. Using a natural product like this would likely reduce if not eliminate many of the adverse effects that steroids can have on females, such as menstrual abnormalities, unhealthy cholesterol levels, hair loss, infertility, and so on.

JP: That sounds promising. Let us know when the product is released. Speaking of fertility, I recall you once mentioning a way to increase the chances of conceiving a male. If I understood you correctly, the more alkaline the environment, the better your chances of having a baby boy. Is that true?

Dr. S: Yes, that’s true somewhat, but there are other factors involved. For instance, the male Y chromosome is faster and weaker; whereas, the female X chromosome is stronger and slower and thus will stay around longer with a better chance for survival. That’s why there are more female conceptions. To better your chances of continuing the family name, “lovemaking” should occur as close to ovulation as possible. The environment is more alkaline at that point and it’ll improve the chances of the Y chromosome making it through.

Tomorrow in Part 3, we’ll look at hormone diagnostic methods, how Dr. Serrano addresses thyroid and adrenal issues, how licorice root can cause you to gain fat or lose fat depending on how it’s taken, and how training for fat loss should be slightly different for females than males.