What is Pregnenolone?
Pregnenolone is a steroid hormone that plays a key role in the production of other steroid hormones, including progesterone, DHEA, and estrogen. The substance is found naturally in the body, but some people also take it in supplement form to help keep memory sharp through the years. Pregnenolone is a hormone naturally produced in the body by the adrenal gland. Pregnenolone is also made from cholesterol, and is the starting material in the production of testosterone, progesterone, cortisol, estrogen and other hormones. Because the body uses it biochemically as starting material, pregnenolone is sometimes referred to as a precursor” or pro-hormone”.
Without this "mother" hormone your body couldn't produce other hormones like estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, or dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), for that matter. This neuroprotective hormone that nobody is really talking about has really powerful effects on aging, memory, mood, sexuality, and even sleep. It is the critical building block in the production of all other hormones that you have heard me writing, talking, or blogging about these days. In fact, this uber-hormone may be the ultimate raw material in your entire body. It's so essential to health that it's produced not only in the adrenal glands and sex organs, but also in the brain and spinal cord.
Proponents claim that taking pregnenolone supplements can help to combat age-related memory impairment, as well as protect against a variety of health conditions. Pregnenolone is also used to sharpen memory, reduce stress, stimulate the immune system, promote detox, prevent heart disease, and slow the aging process. Although a number of animal and human studies published in the 1940s indicated that pregnenolone may help manage arthritis and reduce stress, more recent research on pregnenolone is fairly limited. However, several studies published in recent years suggest that pregnenolone may offer certain health benefits. Here's a look at some key findings from those studies.
Memory
Preliminary research shows that pregnenolone may help protect against aging-related memory impairment. In a 2001 report published in Brain Research Reviews, for instance, investigators analyzed the available studies on steroid hormones and their effects on learning and memory in the aging brain. But while research in animals demonstrated that pregnenolone may enhance memory, the report's authors note that human-based studies on pregnenolone and memory have yielded mixed results.
Depression
Pregnenolone may help alleviate depression, according to an animal-based study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America in 2012. In tests on rats, the study's authors determined that pregnenolone may help relieve depression by treating abnormalities in certain components of brain cells.
Pregnenolone appears to block the effects of cortisol, preventing stress and abdominal fat buildup while producing a calming effect. I have found that pregnenolone supplementation is a very effective weight loss tool. It keeps the brain healthy, and metabolism stays high. It also increases testosterone levels for both men and women, which is important because testosterone helps to maintain an aggressive metabolism.
Reference
Publish Date : 01/01/1970
