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7-Keto-DHEA-7-OXO

What is 7-Keto DHEA?

7-ketoDHEA is structurally identical to DHEA, from which it is produced through an enzymatic conversion process that takes place in the body. Research on 7-keto DHEA has been conducted for 10 years by Professor Henry A. Lardy and his team at the Institute for Enzyme Research at the University of Wisconsin. Based on this research, Professor Lardy has received 9 patents covering the uses of 7-Keto DHEA to boost and modulate the immune system, help treat Alzheimer's disease and promote weight loss. 7-Keto improves lean body mass by reducing cortisone and increasing testosterone to cortisone ratios, thus enabling muscle growth. It has also been proven to increase your body mass and burn calories at the same time. It is a non-hormonal and non-androgenic derivative of DHEA. DHEA (DeHydroEpiAndrosterone) is currently one of the most important substances in anti-aging medicine. It is a steroid hormone that is produced with the help of cholesterol in the adrenal glands, brain and skin. DHEA is a precursor for other hormones and vital substances - including testosterone (male sex hormone) and oestrogen (female sex hormone). Numerous tests have shown that DHEA could provide effective protection against cardiovascular problems, as it lowers cholesterol levels and has a positive effect on the blood's ability to clot. Further studies have also shown that DHEA significantly improves memory, increases performance, strengthens the immune system, reduces body fat, supports oestrogen and testosterone production and increases libido. 7-Keto is a patented formula that has been shown to safely "boost" the basal metabolic rate by activating thermogenic enzymes to "burn" calories quickly and more consistently throughout the day, even while resting, as well as inhibit the storage of fat within the body.

All about 7-Keto

7-Keto DHEA is the result of 10 years of research into the various metabolites of DHEA. In 1977, researchers at a pharmaceutical laboratory discovered that adding DHEA to the diet of mice genetically predisposed to obesity caused the mice to become thin again, even when eating the same amount of food as their obese counterparts. This extraordinary discovery spurred significant research and since then various metabolic effects have been attributed to DHEA. In animals, it has been shown to stimulate metabolism and thermogenesis (heat production in the body), reduce cholesterol and glucose levels in animals with diabetes, boost immune system activity, inhibit tumor development and improve memory. In humans, the effects described are more limited. The question of the harmlessness of DHEA as a possible therapeutic carrier in humans has arisen because it has led to an increase in testosterone levels in the blood of women, even with a limited daily intake of 50 mg. In men, however, it does not appear to increase the testosterone concentration in the blood serum. The effects observed in animals are generally achieved with significantly high doses. The fact that no receptor for DHEA has been isolated at all suggests that DHEA may act as a precursor to a more active steroid in the responding systems, just as it is a precursor to androgens and estrogens. From these findings, scientists at the University of Wisconsin have consequently initiated the search for possible metabolites of DHEA with the hope of finding a metabolite that is active, more selective in its metabolic effects, and not convertible to sex steroid hormones. When they discovered that DHEA induced the synthesis of hepatic thermogenic enzymes in rats, as thyroid hormone did, they used this response in an attempt to find metabolites or active derivatives of DHEA. In this experiment, 7-oxo-DHEA is more active than DHEA or as 7a-hydroxy-DHEA. The researchers have thus postulated that the 7-oxo-DHEA and 7a-hydroxy-DHEA derivatives have been connectors in the conversion of DHEA into a more active and specific hormone. Due to its high activity and ease of preparation, researchers have tested the tolerance and metabolic effects of 7-oxo-DHEA or 7-keto DHEA. They tested a daily dose of 500 mg 7-oxo-DHEA in seropositive primates. The number of CD4 cells of monkeys increased from approximately 200/mm3 to 800 and then to 1200 mm3 within 5 months, indicating a strengthening of immunity. They compared the effects of DHEA and 7-oxo-DHEA on the spatial memory storage capacity of mice using a maze. The mice that were supplemented with 7-oxo-DHEA learned to run the maze much faster than the mice that received DHEA or a placebo. The 7-oxo-DHEA stimulated their memory more than the DHEA did before. These results, as well as reports of the initial effects on metabolism, suggest that there is a great diversity of therapeutic options in humans. What remains to be established is harmlessness.

Harmlessness and endocrine effects

In animal studies in which 7-oxo-DHEA was administered in the form of acetyl ester, it was not toxic in rats at doses up to 2000 mg/kg. It had no effect on blood chemistry, cell count or cell structure of 42 different tissue types. Monkeys received 1000 mg/kg without affecting these same parameters. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, escalating-dose clinical trial evaluated the safety and pharmacokinetics of 7-Keto DHEA when administered to humans by oral administration. The study involved 22 men in good health, 6 of whom received a placebo, while the 16 others took 50 mg of 3-acetyl-7-oxo-DHEA daily for a period of 7 days, followed by a period of 7 days of elimination. Then they took 100 mg daily for a period of 7 days, followed by a period of 7 days of elimination. Finally, they received 200 mg daily for 28 days. The harmlessness assessment parameters evaluated for each dose included the measurement of total testosterone, free testosterone, DHEA, estradiol, cortisol, thyroxine and insulin levels. The results did not show any differences in the results of the clinical analyses or in the experience of minor side effects reported by the participants between the treated groups and the placebo group. Blood hormone concentrations were generally unaffected by treatment and remained within normal guidance values. No change in vital signs, blood chemistry or urinalysis results occurred during treatment in the treated group compared to the placebo group. The administered steroid did not appear in the blood, but it was rapidly converted to 7-oxo-DHEA-S, the concentrations of which were proportional to the administered dose. This steroid sulfate also did not accumulate. These results indicate that the 3-acetyl-7-oxo-DHEA is without danger and is well tolerated by normal people in good health with doses that can reach up to 200 mg daily for a period of 4 weeks.

Another study investigated the effects of 7-keto™ DHEA on various endocrine and safety parameters in healthy adult men aged 18 to 49 years. During a period of 8 weeks they received 7-Keto™ DHEA or a placebo. The doses of 7-Keto™ DHEA were increased weekly up to a maximum of 100 mg twice daily during the last 4 weeks of treatment. The measured hormone levels between the two groups did not differ at the beginning of the study or during treatment. At the end of the study, the levels of DHEA, oestradiol, cortisol and insulin did not differ from the initial values. In the supplemented subjects, only a small reduction in total testosterone and a small, but clinically insignificant, increase in free testosterone were observed. All hormone levels remained within normal limits. This study shows that 7-Keto™ DHEA is well tolerated at doses that can reach 200 mg daily and that it does not produce important clinical changes in sex hormones in men in good health.

Weight gain and ageing

Weight gain is an inevitable part of the aging process. As we age, our natural hormone levels decline and our metabolism decreases. Weight gain is a worrisome factor as it is linked to numerous chronic diseases that jeopardize our life prognosis. Metabolism is the way in which our body converts the food we eat into energy (heat) and various wastes (carbon dioxide and water). A large part of this process takes place inside our cells. A typical metabolic rhythm is 60 to 80 kcal per hour. However, various factors regulate our metabolic rhythm. This is particularly the case of advancing age, which decreases our metabolism, and the thyroid hormone, which increases its rhythm. The thyroid gland is the key internal regulator of our metabolism. Unfortunately, as we age, its activity naturally decreases with a negative effect on our metabolic rhythm. The body's ability to use ingested calories for energy decreases, with the result that a large number of the calories that were actually burned during our youth are now stored in the form of fat. Of the thyroid hormones, T3 (triiodothyronine) is the most active and can have the greatest influence on metabolic rhythms. The ability to naturally increase T3 activity as we age has a profound positive impact on the efficiency with which we metabolize our calories and avoid excess weight gain. The 7-keto™ DHEA appears to have a regulating effect on metabolism. It is not known how it works, but it seems to stimulate the production of energy in the mitochondria. One way to achieve this would be to increase the activity of the thyroid hormone T3 (within safety limits).

In healthy and overweight subjects

It is known that regular exercise helps to promote and subsequently maintain weight loss. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled protocol, 30 adults (28 women and 2 men with an average age of 44.5 + 11.5 years) with an average fat mass index of 31.9 + 6 kg/m2 were randomly divided into two groups: one group received 100 mg of 7-oxo-DHEA twice daily and the other group a placebo for a period of 8 weeks. All subjects participated in a physical training program with three weekly training sessions. Each training session consisted of 60 minutes of aerobic and anaerobic exercise under the supervision of an exercise physiologist. The subjects received a dietary program that did not exceed 1800 kcal per day and were closely monitored by a dietician. They also received dietary advice twice a week to encourage them to stick to their diet. The study participants underwent various biochemical and serum tests, as well as body composition, blood pressure and dietary analyses at the beginning of the study, week 4 and week 8. 23 of the 30 participants in the study completed the 8-week protocol. 7 subjects discontinued the study for personal reasons unrelated to the study. The first group, who combined exercise with 7-Keto™ DHEA, lost a significant amount of body weight compared to the second group who exercised but were on placebo (- 2.88 kg vs - 0.97 kg) over an 8 week period. The first group also achieved a significant reduction in fat mass compared to the second group (- 1.8% versus - 0.57%). As far as the effects on the thyroid gland are concerned, the activity of triiodothyronine (T3) increased significantly in the group receiving 7-keto™ but not in the group of control subjects. An important fact is that no significant change occurred in the other thyroid tests, TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) or T4, which showed no negative effect on the functioning of the thyroid gland during the study period. However, as a precautionary measure, individuals suffering from thyroid disorders should avoid taking excessive doses over a prolonged period of time. There were also no significant changes in glucose, testosterone, estradiol, liver, kidney function tests, vital signs or total calorie consumption over the 8 week study period. No subjective side effects were reported by the subjects during the study. These results indicate that one hour of physical exercise three times a week, in conjunction with a supplemental supply of 200 mg 7-Keto™ DHEA, simultaneously produces a significant reduction in body weight and fat mass. In addition, 7-Keto™ DHEA significantly increases the thyroid hormone T3, indicating an effect on basal metabolism. Despite this fact, there was no change in TSH, suggesting that there were no negative effects on thyroid function during the study period. A safety study has shown that 7-Keto™ DHEA does not increase estrogen and testosterone levels in humans and produces no side effects at a dose of 200 mg daily for a period of 8 weeks. Short animal studies have also revealed that there were no side effects with higher doses.

Optimal dosage

DHEA is a steroid most commonly found in human blood.

Davidson did a series of studies: 50 mg/day (25 mg, twice daily) for 7 days, 100 mg/day (50 mg, twice daily) for 7 days, and a final 200 mg/day (100 mg twice daily) for 28 days. Results demonstrated that at all doses of 7-Keto compared with a placebo showed no significant effect on clinical blood markers of toxicity and health. These data were supported in further human trials.

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