Why We Get the Flu in Winter, Why We Are Fat, and Other
Things… The Importance of the Testosterone - DHEA Ratio
Copyright 2004, James Michael Howard, Fayetteville,
Arkansas, U.S.A.
It is my hypothesis that mammals evolved because of
increases in dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). The DHEA
increased energy production from fat. Hence, mammals are
"warm blooded." Furthermore, I suggest primates arose from
other mammals because of increases in testosterone. Humans
continued along this path; we produce the most testosterone.
Humans produce so much testosterone, the ratio of
testosterone to DHEA may produce some benefits and some
advantages. DHEA is the active molecule, DHEAS (DHEA
sulfate) is the large reservoir of DHEA in our blood. The
trouble with the ratio of testosterone and DHEA is that
testosterone may interfere with the transformation of DHEAS
into DHEA. Testosterone inhibits steroid sulfatase. Steroid
sulfatase makes DHEA from DHEAS. This may be the real reason
for the evolution of humans from other primates. Increased
testosterone in women would increase their DHEAS at the
expense of their DHEA. Women would become fat and
offspring when the climate is cold, and when the climate is
warm. (Human males and females produce more testosterone
than chimpanzee males and females, respectively.) Again, it
is that ratio thing.
Now, it is known that testosterone decreases the
effectiveness of the immune system while DHEA increases the
effectiveness of the immune system. Testosterone in people
increases in the autumn and winter. DHEA sulfate is also
higher in the autumn and spring. I suggest the reason is
that increased testosterone of autumn and winter reduces
production of DHEA from DHEA sulfate. This may be the
reason that infections, such as influenza increase in the
winter. It may also produce more fat in us during the
autumn and winter. It certainly is not nice to get the flu,
but fat is certainly nice if we want to get pregnant in the
autumn and winter and have lots of fat for our babies'
growth when it is needed. Again, this is human evolution
determined by females.
It is part of my work that many mental illnesses result from
low DHEA during growth and development of the brain and
these are exacerbated by low DHEA. Therefore, I would
predict that mental disorders should increase in severity
and incidence in winter. This is the case. Now, you need to
know that, according to my work, the level of DHEA
determines the strength of motivation. (This is derived from
my explanation of the "fight or flight mechanism" which
suggests that higher DHEA increases motivation.) Therefore,
I have to explain that the increased ratio of testosterone
to DHEA in winter reduces DHEA so this should be a time when
behaviors that we control are reduced. I suggest the
increased testosterone to DHEA ratio reduces our ability to
control our impulses, but it may also reduce actions based
on those impulses. …unless one is provoked.
In the case of homicides, suicides, voluntary aggression,
etc., a number of studies indicate that, in fact, winter is
a time of reduced behaviors of this sort. "Referrals" for
disciplinary actions in schools actually decline in the
winter. In winter, we have less DHEA to act on our actions.
However, as in the case of the mental disorders and
infections mentioned above, there are consequences of the
increased testosterone to DHEA ratio of winter. DHEA is very
low in the elderly and the very young. I think very low DHEA
results in death. Winter is a time of increased mortality in
young children and the elderly. Low DHEA has been linked to
depression; this may be the mechanism of seasonal affective
disorder or SAD. Venous thromboemolism exhibits a higher
incidence in winter. I suggest cancer may be triggered by
low DHEA. There is a significant excess of childhood acute
lymphocytic leukemia in winter. A study in Poland found
increased type 1 diabetes mellitus in autumn and winter
months. I think preeclampsia is a disorder of low DHEA and
high testosterone; in one study, August had the lowest risk
of preeclampsia while "the risk was highest in the winter
months." Sudden infant death syndrome, another I attribute
to low DHEA, is higher in the winter and in boys. This list
could be expanded.
Often reports of diseases and season of occurrence are
conflicting, often involving infectious agents. The
testosterone - DHEA ratio should increase infections
primarily in winter. However, as pointed out above,
motivation increases when DHEA begins to increase as
testosterone declines with spring and summer. Therefore,
many infectious diseases will increase because of increased
activities which increase infections. This will be difficult
to differentiate. However, a pattern does emerge in many of
these with increased rates cited in the literature for both
autumn-winter and spring-summer, that is, two peaks.
Humans may be animals that evolved because of increased
testosterone. This produces benefits and disadvantages.
Larger brains are one result. However, I suggest
testosterone levels periodically increase and skew the
effects of testosterone towards the negative aspects. That
is, I suggest people of higher testosterone reproduce faster
than those of lower testosterone. Therefore, they will
increase in percentage within populations with time. This is
how "testosterone increases" and is the cause of the
"secular trend," the increase in size of children and
earlier puberty that is real and robust in the United States
as well as other countries. The negative aspects of
testosterone are increasing. The examples I mentioned above
are increasing as well as will
increasing.
James Michael Howard www.anthropogeny.com