Tel: 1-909-396-6530 USA
Fax: 1-909-474-8856 USA
Online Skype / Yahoo IM
user name:
Nutrimartus
Pregnenolone Info
Pregnenolone is the ultimate parent
steroid compound. All steroid hormones in the body (including cortisone,
testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, DHEA, and others) are produced from
pregnenolone, which in turn is synthesized from cholesterol. Progesterone
and DHEA are also parent steroids in the sense that they can give rise to
a number of other steroid species, but only pregenolone is the ultimate
precursor of all other steroid hormones.
Levels of endogenous (i. e. made in the body) pregnenolone decline with
age, as do levels of DHEA. However, the normal levels of pregnenolone at
various ages for each gender in humans have not been as clearly
established as with DHEA.
The pathways from pregnenolone to the many other steroids (and the
interrelationships among these steroids) is complex. While some benefits
can be attributed to the relatively direct action of pregnenolone (for
example, as a memory enhancer), many other benefits are a result of one or
more of pregnenolone's direct or indirect "offspring².
There seem to be many factors that determine how much of the pregnenolone
in the body is: 1) used as pregnenolone, 2) converted to DHEA and used as
DHEA, 3) converted to progesterone and used as progesterone, and 4)
converted to either DHEA or progesterone and then converted into one or
more other hormones (e.g. cortisol, testosterone and the venous
estrogens). One of these factors is one's gender. Other factors are more
variable throughout life, such as the many factors referred to
collectively as "life-style² (e.g. diet, stress level, exercise
habits), the presence of one or more diseases/health conditions, and stage
of life (e.g. post-menopausal).
Arthritis
One health condition is rheumatoid arthritis. Since it is a precursor to
the production of cortisol in the body pregnenolone was used as early as
the 1940s as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. In daily doses ranging
from 50 mg to 700 mg, pregnenolone was found to be effective for this
condition and to be much safer than the corticoids, salicylates, gold, and
other drugs used as treatments at the time. Daily doses of pregnenolone
above 200 mg appeared to be more effective than those below 200 mg.
(Davidson)
Fatigue
In the mid 1940s, several studies indicated that a daily dose of 50 mg of
pregnenolone reduced fatigue and stress among factory workers, airline
pilots and other subjects (Pincus) Today, there are millions of people who
suffer from stress and fatigue who may find relief with pregnenolone.
Memory Enhancement
Pregnenolone has been found to play an important role in the acquisition
of knowledge and the long term memory of learned behavior. (DeWied 1976,
1977). In a study with rats by Flood et al. (1995), pregnenolone was found
to enhance memory at doses far lower than doses required of other steroids
or steroid precursors, including DHEA.
Pregnenolone blocks the inhibitory amino acids glycine and gamma-aminobutyric
acid (GABA), as well as non-NMDA glutamate. As a result, pregnenolone
helps to regulate the balance between excitation and inhibition, a major
dynamic in the central nervous system. (Wu)
Nerve Regeneration
Administration of either pregnenolone or progesterone in mice also
promoted myelin formation during nerve regeneration. (Koenig) (The myclin
sheath is a membrane that protects or insulates various parts of the nerve
cell, preventing short-circuiting or loss of neural transmission.) This
suggests a possible role for supplemental pregnenolone in conditions
involving demyelination, such as multiple sclerosis.
Women's Health Issues
Many women have been recently turning to natural products to deal with
women's health probIems. Since pregnenolone converts to DHEA and then to
estrogens, pregnenolone provides a safe estrogen replacement therapy for
post-menopausal women. It also provides a natural source of progesterone,
another important hormone for the health of the female reproductive
system. Progesterone can help to control PMS.
Some products contain only Mexican Yam root as the source of
"progesterone precursors." However, it is not clear that the
steroids (principally diosgenin) in Mexican Yam can be converted to
progesterone in human bodies. It is clear that diosgenin can be converted
to progesterone through a number of chemical steps performed in a
pharmaceutical factory.
Relative to DHEA (particularly in large amounts), pregnenolone is less
likely to create masculinizing effects (e.g. facial hair) in women because
it is less likely to increase testosterone levels in women.
TOXICITY / SAFETY:
Pregnenolone does not seem to have any negative side effects. However,
please consult your health care provider if you are pregnant or nursing
before using.
SUGGESTED USAGE :
Pregnenolone is absorbed well when taken orally. 10 - 50 mg per day (or as
recommended by a health care practitioner).