Pearl: Currently, DHEA is classified by the FDA has a "food supplement,"
which means basically nothing.  There are pharmaceuticals that are by Rx
only that are less harmful than asprin, but asprin was 'grandfathered' into
being OTC because it had been in use so long as a  GRAS (generally
recognized as safe).  Many food supplements are very
physio-pharmocologically active (but so are half the plants in my garden).
Now, if you ate lots (100 times normal) of strawberries over an entire life
time, you might develop a tumor from the strawberries.  Nothing is clear
cut in this field.  Then again, you might get poisoned by pesticides.  Now
the biggest question in a lot of this stuff is (1) what research do we
actually have? (2) what historical/botanical anthropology is available (AKA
folk medicine)?  (3) where is the stuff grown and stored (and does it have
tons of pesticides as a result)?  (4) ARe there other substances "like"
this one that we do have evidence about? (5) Is there a safer alternative
(proven safe--ha, ha--try to find anything that is 100% safe). (6) What are
the consequences (risks/costs/benefits) of not treating, treating
"naturally," or treating according to allopathic medicine.  I use a
relative risk approach in assessing just about everything; still, as Jack
Newman suggests, that means you need to give full weight to the benefits of
bf and the full risks of formula.  And, just as you said, even natural
substances can be hazardous (consider digitalis foxglove, poinsettias,
holly).  According to a study on medical outcomes from the Rand Corp., only
20% of what is performed as treatment in allopathic medicine, has actually
been clinically tested through randomized, controlled trials.  So, we can't
assume that pharmaceuticals or allopathic medicine are completely safe
either.  Sigh...
Chris

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