A 3 month, randomized double-blind placebo controlled study evaluated the use of 50 mg of DHEA or placebo taken by 60 peri-menopausal women with changes in mood and generally not feeling well. The study found that DHEA levels increased by 242%, testosterone increased by 94.8%, and cortisol decreased by 13.2% on average. It was found that HDL cholesterol decreased by 10.1% and lipoprotein A decreased by 18.1% on average but was not far different than placebo. Notable improvement was not seen by subjects taking the DHEA compared to placebo in peri-menopausal complaints such as mood, sexual function, recall, sadness, and overall wellness. (23)
In a study, DHEA products were tested for the amount of active ingredient, and out of 45 DHEA products, there was found to be a wide variability of active DHEA present between the range of 0 to 109.5% of the stated amounts (24).