title: Copper deficiency halves serum dehydroepiandrosterone in rats.
abstract: DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is a hormone often taken as a dietary supplement to prevent the normal decline with age and in the hope of preventing heart attacks. Rats in two experiments were made deficient in copper by standard methods and criteria. Copper deficiency decreased DHEA in serum by approximately 50%. People who associate higher serum concentrations of DHEA with health probably should eat a diet adequate in copper.
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, North Dakota 58202-9034, USA.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Klevay
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Christopherson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003300:Copper / Q000172:deficiency*; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000097:blood*; D006400:Hematocrit; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D003300:Copper; D002784:Cholesterol