Consumers looking for courage in a bottle may do well to turn to the dietary supplement aisle instead of the beer cooler case. In his “Extreme Fear” blog for Psychology Today, Jeff Wise, noted alcohol has long been known for its ability to reduce social anxiety; however, it can also impair judgment and coordination, making it less ideal in high-pressure situations. Instead, he reported, the military has been funding research into the potential of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), which is sold as a dietary supplement.
DHEA and a related compound, DHEAS, are released by the body’s adrenal gland in stressful situations; however, production declines with age. Animal research has shown elevated levels of DHEA in the brain can fight the damaging effects of stress. Further, Wise quoted Charles Morgan III, a Yale psychologist, that DHEA “prevents the stress-induced degradation of memory.”
Such findings led the U.S. military to fund further human trials. One of Morgan’s studies looked at DHEA levels in military divers during a high-pressure underwater swimming trial. He reported the subjects with higher natural levels of DHEA performed better under stress, leading Morgan to state, “We found that there was a consistent and very positive correlation between their DHEA levels and accuracy in the task. DHEA protects an area of your brain you need for spatial working memory.”
The next step is determining whether supplementation with DHEA could have the same effects, bolstering the brain’s stress fighting response. An initial study, conducted by Marc Taylor, a Navy psychologist, found no psychological benefits when providing DHEA to military personnel undergoing highly stressful training, although the supplements did boost the subjects’ DHEA levels. Taylor is planning to conduct a similar experiment with a higher dosage of DHEA to possibly determine an efficacious level.