The male body converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, which is a hormone specific to men. It possesses potent androgenic properties.
Dihydrotestosterone is formed from around ten percent of the daily testosterone produced by an adult human body.
Dihydrotestosterone is the hormone that causes the body to develop during puberty and many of the physical traits that are unique to adult males.
In females, pubic hair is known to grow after puberty in response to dihydrotestosterone, which may help determine the age at which girls start going through puberty.
In this article, we will be talking everything about Dihydrotesterone.
What Is Dihydrotesterone?
DHT also referred to as dihydrotestosterone, is an androgen. Its effects are comparable to those of testosterone but significantly more potent.
The main enzyme involved[1] in turning testosterone into DHT is 5-alpha reductase. The role of DHT may be seen in all the stages of a person’s growth.
Its effect could be seen while a baby is in the womb itself. DHT is the hormone that causes the scrotum, penis, and prostate to develop in male newborns while they are still in the womb.
Then comes its role during puberty. DHT’s main function during puberty is to promote the development of body hair, facial hair, underarm hair, and pubic hair.
It is also responsible for a man’s deep voice. Finally, in a man’s adulthood, DHT contributes to some medical disorders that may affect them, including hirsutism and male pattern hair loss.
Estimates place DHT’s potency between four and six times that of testosterone. DHT may sometimes even lead to benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer.
How To Increase Dihydrotesterone?
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Weightlifting
One of the best ways to increase dihydrotestosterone production is through weightlifting. Every man who is concerned[2] about their hormonal health should lift weights regularly.
DHT levels may be increased by the testosterone-raising effects of resistance training. Resistance training increases the levels of DHT and 5 alpha-reductase in skeletal muscle tissue in people.
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Consume Calories
Your body would start to slow down the creation of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone if you restrict your caloric intake[3]. As a result, you could consume enough calories to raise your testosterone and DHT levels.
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Improve Testosterone
The 5-alpha enzyme is responsible for converting ten percent of your testosterone into DHT. To increase your DHT production, you must, therefore[4] increase your testosterone production.
A portion of the additional testosterone you give to your body will be converted to dihydrotestosterone by the 5-alpha enzymes.
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Moderate Protein Intake
Protein at moderate levels is necessary for survival[5]. However, too much of it could lower your levels of DHT, 5-alpha enzymes, and testosterone.
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Consume Organic Foods
Harmful chemicals like fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, and pesticides are present in the majority of conventional[6] foods.
A majority of these chemicals have been classified as antiandrogens, or substances that prevent the production of androgens.
Dihydrotestosterone In Females
Dihydrotestosterone is a male growth hormone, it is often associated with men. However, it is present in women as well.
It poses no problems when it is properly balanced[7] in a female body. However, excessive DHT in a female body may result in both female-pattern baldness and hair loss.
Similar to how men lose hair, so could women who have too much DHT. Women who have high DHT levels may experience increased facial and pubic hair growth as well as increased acne.
Even menstrual cycles may end unexpectedly. Signs of high DHT levels in females may include some of the following,
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Acne
Females may experience[8] more acne on their faces and neck as a result of high DHT levels.
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Excessive Hair
Much like testosterone, high[9] DHT levels may lead to excessive hair on the face and body of females.
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Irregular Periods
A woman’s menstrual cycle may become inconsistent[10] due to high DHT levels.
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Breast Size Reduction
Most women experience[11] a reduction in their breast size if their DHT levels are high.
Dihydrostesterone Vs. Testosterone
Both testosterone and the hormone dihydrotestosterone are androgens, but testosterone is less powerful than DHT, and many of the effects that testosterone has on the body may only occur after it is converted to DHT.
5-alpha-reductase, an enzyme[12] primarily found in the testicles and prostate in men and in the ovaries in women, as well as the skin and the liver, creates DHT from testosterone.
Compared to testosterone, DHT has a stronger and longer-lasting binding to androgen receptors. Your body converts about 10% of the circulating testosterone into DHT.
Although testosterone and DHT have comparable free plasma concentrations in healthy adult men, DHT is generally regarded as being the more potent hormone due to the kinetics of its receptor binding.
Dihydrotestosterone Blockers
The question of how to prevent excessive DHT from creating issues is frequently asked. Finasteride and dutasteride are the two main medications used to block the enzyme that produces DHT.
Both of these drugs are taken orally and are recognized treatments. The production of DHT could also be inhibited and blocked by some other therapies.
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Finasteride
By reducing the effects of the 5-alpha enzyme, which transforms testosterone into DHT, finasteride works to treat a variety of conditions[13].
Finasteride significantly reduces the amount of DHT that may bind to receptors in your scalp and other parts of your body by obstructing DHT production at the source.
Finasteride is very effective at reducing, halting, and even reversing male pattern baldness-related hair loss.
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Dutasteride
The purpose of dutasteride is to prevent the transformation of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone.
The medicine dutasteride is highly[14] good at preventing the transformation of testosterone into DHT.
This promotes more hair growth and thickening of existing miniaturized hair because DHT is what causes hair loss.
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Pumpkin Seed Oil
The pumpkin seed oil has displayed some encouraging results. Additionally, it delivers nutrients to the scalp and stimulates[15] hair follicles.
To reduce excessive hair shedding, use pumpkin seeds. The growth of new follicles that are exiting the telogen phase and beginning a new cycle of the anagen phase is also boosted by it.
Dihydrosterone Hair Loss
Dihydrotestosterone is a hormone that affects hair loss in our bodies. High DHT levels in the body could negatively impact hair growth and result in significant amounts of hair loss.
Although DHT is essential for the development[16] of body and pubic hair. Androgenic alopecia could develop when the DHT level exceeds a specific threshold.
Along with bald patches, it is a type of hair loss that causes noticeable thinning of hair. Higher DHT levels may cause hair follicles to shrink, shortening the hair growth cycle.
The variations could make your scalp’s androgen receptors more sensitive, which increases your risk of experiencing hair loss.
Conclusion
Androgens are naturally occurring steroid hormones that include dihydrotestosterone. DHT is mostly made in the liver, thus very little of it is found in the bloodstream.
Male sexual development is maintained by DHT, but it is less effective at stopping bone loss than testosterone.
The quantity of testosterone in the body determines how much dihydrotestosterone is present. More testosterone is converted to dihydrotestosterone when levels of testosterone rise, which causes levels of dihydrotestosterone to rise as well.
Women are thought to be relatively unaffected by having too little dihydrotestosterone because it is thought to have fewer effects on them.
Dihydrotestosterone in men may have dramatic effects at low and high levels. As a result, maintaining balanced DHT levels is essential for good health.
References/Sources
Working4Health prefers using primary and verified references. We have strict sourcing guidelines and our primary references include peer-reviewed research, academic, and medical institution studies.
- Ronald S. Swerdloff, Robert E. Dudley, Stephanie T. Page, et. al. Dihydrotestosterone: Biochemistry, Physiology, and Clinical Implications of Elevated Blood Levels. Endocr Rev. 2017 Jun 1; 38(3): 220–254. Published online 2017 May 2. doi: 10.1210/er.2016-1067
- Naoki Horii, Koji Sato, Noboru Mesaki, et. al. Increased Muscular 5α-Dihydrotestosterone in Response to Resistance Training Relates to Skeletal Muscle Mass and Glucose Metabolism in Type 2 Diabetic Rats. PLoS One. 2016; 11(11): e0165689. Published online 2016 Nov 10. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0165689
- Amit Zamir, Tavor Ben-Zeev, and Jay R. Hoffman. Manipulation of Dietary Intake on Changes in Circulating Testosterone Concentrations. Nutrients. 2021 Oct; 13(10): 3375. Published online 2021 Sep 25. doi: 10.3390/nu13103375.
- Alisa J Stephens-Shields, Peter J Snyder, Susan S Ellenberg, et. al. Relation of Testosterone, Dihydrotestosterone, and Estradiol With Changes in Outcomes Measures in the Testosterone Trials. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2022 Apr 19;107(5):1257-1269. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgac028. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35041751/
- Jay R Hoffman, Nicholas A Ratamess, Jie Kang, et. al. Effect of Protein Intake on Strength, Body Composition and Endocrine Changes in Strength/Power Athletes. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2006; 3(2): 12–18. Published online 2006 Dec 13. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-3-2-12
- Sara Hurtado-Barroso, Anna Tresserra-Rimbau, Anna Vallverdú-Queralt, et. al. Organic food and the impact on human health. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2019;59(4):704-714. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2017.1394815. Epub 2017 Nov 30. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29190113/
- Kevin J. Kinter and Aabha A. Anekar. Biochemistry, Dihydrotestosterone. Date of Publication: March 9, 2022. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557634/
- Usma Iftikhar and Nakhshab Choudhry. Serum levels of androgens in acne & their role in acne severity. Pak J Med Sci. 2019 Jan-Feb; 35(1): 146–150. doi: 10.12669/pjms.35.1.131
- Xianyan Chen, Ben Liu, Ying Li, et. al. Dihydrotestosterone Regulates Hair Growth Through the Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway in C57BL/6 Mice and In Vitro Organ Culture. Front Pharmacol. 2019; 10: 1528. Published online 2020 Jan 23. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2019.01528
- What causes menstrual irregularities?. Date of Review: January 31, 2017. Available from: https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/menstruation/conditioninfo/causes
- Constantine Dimitrakakis and Carolyn Bondy. Androgens and the breast. Breast Cancer Res. 2009; 11(5): 212. Published online 2009 Oct 30. doi:10.1186/bcr2413
- Roberto L Muller, Leah Gerber, Daniel M Moreira, et. al. Serum testosterone and dihydrotestosterone and prostate cancer risk in the placebo arm of the Reduction by Dutasteride of Prostate Cancer Events trial. Eur Urol. 2012 Nov;62(5):757-64. doi: 10.1016/j.eururo.2012.05.025. Epub 2012 May 18. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22658758/
- Patrick M. Zito; Karlyle G. Bistas; and Kirin Syed. Date of Publication: August 15, 2022. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513329/
- Effect Of Dutasteride On Intraprostatic Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) Levels. Date of Publication: June 17, 2003. Available from: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00062790
- Parvin Ramak and Mohaddese Mahboubi. The beneficial effects of Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) seed oil for health condition of men. Available from: https://pubag.nal.usda.gov/catalog/6278685
- Izabela Urysiak-Czubatka, Małgorzata L. Kmieć, and Grażyna Broniarczyk-Dyła. Assessment of the usefulness of dihydrotestosterone in the diagnostics of patients with androgenetic alopecia. Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2014 Aug; 31(4): 207–215. Published online 2014 Sep 8. doi: 10.5114/pdia.2014.40925
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Evan is a Doctor of Medical Science, Clinical Anatomist, and Certified Physician Assistant. He is origninaly from Tampa, Florida and has served in several academic consulting roles and possesses an advanced knowledge of Pediatric cardiology, infectious disease, endocrinology, neurology, and nephrology. Given his impressive contributions to the medical field, Dr. Evan Leonard was awarded the Decorated Affiliate of the American Health Council Award: “Best PA in Medicine” in 2018, followed by the Continental Who’s Who: Pinnacle Professional Award in 2019.