Healthy Aging Popular Anti-Aging Hormone Supplements By Mark Stibich, PhD Mark Stibich, PhD LinkedIn Twitter Mark Stibich, PhD, FIDSA, is a behavior change expert with experience helping individuals make lasting lifestyle improvements. Learn about our editorial process Updated on November 24, 2021 Medically reviewed by Meredith Bull, ND Medically reviewed by Meredith Bull, ND Facebook LinkedIn Meredith Bull, ND, is a licensed naturopathic doctor with a private practice in Los Angeles. She helped co-author the first integrative geriatrics textbook, "Integrative Geriatric Medicine." Learn about our Medical Expert Board Fact checked by Nick Blackmer Fact checked by Nick Blackmer LinkedIn Nick Blackmer is a librarian, fact-checker, and researcher with more than 20 years’ experience in consumer-oriented health and wellness content. Learn about our editorial process Print You've probably seen ads selling DHEA or human growth hormone as "anti-aging supplements." Or, you may have heard about treatments for "male menopause." There are plenty of anti-aging products out there, but can you trust them? Is DHEA an Anti Aging Supplement? Bill Oxford/Getty Images DHEA is a hormone made by the body that decreases naturally with age. Anti-aging doctors claim that DHEA supplementation can reduce the effects of aging. The claim includes that DHEA supplements can increase muscle mass and even burn fat. Human Growth Hormone (HGH) - A Fountain of Youth? An entire industry has been created to sell human growth hormone (HGH) injections as a "cure" to aging. This stemmed from a small study done in the early 90s. The claim is that HGH can decrease the effects of aging and leave you stronger and feeling younger than ever before. Why all the hype? A year's supply of HGH can cost as much as $15,000 dollars. Melatonin and Anti Aging Melatonin is an important hormone in your body for regulating sleep. There have been some claims that melatonin can reverse the effects of aging. These claims are founded on a false belief that melatonin levels decrease with aging. However, melatonin has been found useful in a variety of conditions, mostly related to sleep disorders. Estrogen, Menopause, and Aging Estrogen is one of the most studied and prescribed hormones. For years, women were placed on estrogen replacement therapy to treat the symptoms of menopause. As more data piled up, the risks and benefits of menopausal replacement therapy become more complicated. Testosterone and Male Aging As men age, testosterone levels decrease. Because of this, there has been a buzz in treating male aging with testosterone. These advertising campaigns overlook two facts: The drop in male testosterone happens gradually and is in no way similar to menopause in women, and supplementing testosterone does not help men who have normal levels for their age. 2 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Medeiros A, Siegel Watkins E. Live longer better: the historical roots of human growth hormone as anti-aging medicine. J Hist Med Allied Sci. 2018;73(3):333-359. doi:10.1093/jhmas/jry001 Xie Z, Chen F, Li WA, et al. A review of sleep disorders and melatonin. Neurol Res. 2017;39(6):559-565. doi:10.1080/01616412.2017.1315864 By Mark Stibich, PhD Mark Stibich, PhD, FIDSA, is a behavior change expert with experience helping individuals make lasting lifestyle improvements. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit