Pregnenolone is a hormone precursor, which is normally manufactured in the body from cholesterol inside the mitochondria of many different types of cells, such as the brain, retina, myelin sheaths, adrenal gland, liver, skin, thymus and testes or ovaries. Pregnenolone can be converted into numerous other hormones in the body as needed, such as DHEA, progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, cortisol and aldosterone.

Pregnenolone itself has a stimulatory action on brain function and exerts many other effects through the many different hormones it converts into. Some of the benefits of Pregenenolone include:

Brain Function:

 Pregnenolone is also considered to be a neurosteroid because it is synthesized locally by the brain cells. It crosses the blood-brain barrier, so pregnenolone from general circulation can be taken up by the brain cells when necessary. Supplementation with pregnenolone in animals and humans has shown improvements in memory or cognition and it increased mental performance under stressful conditions. These effects are believed to be due to the following mechanisms: 

• Improves the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which may also have an application for alleviating symptoms of Alzheimer's 

• Stimulates the layout of new brain connections (improved neurogenesis or neuroplasticity)

• Has an excitatory effect due to its affinity for two types of brain receptors: 

- Activates NMDA receptors 

- Occupies the GABA receptor sites, thus reducing the inhibitory effects of GABA or Gabanergic drugs. GABA activity is known to increase with aging, so pregnenolone may compensate for age-related increase in neuronal inhibition. 

The local conversion of pregnenolone to estrogens inside the brain is believed to have a neuroprotective effect. Significant amounts of pregnenolone have been found in the myelin sheaths of sciatic nerves, which suggest a role in nerve health. Depression and social phobia patients have been found to have significantly lower levels of blood/cerebral spinal fluid pregnenolone than normal subjects.

Autoimmune Disease:

 Patients with various types of autoimmune conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and scleroderma were found in many studies to have significantly lower blood levels of pregnenolone, DHEA, androgens and cortisol, and even lower with cortisone therapy. 

Skin Health:

 Studies with topical pregnenolone have shown improved skin hydration. It is conceivable that oral pregnenolone would have a similar effect since the skin tissue is very active in processing steroid hormones.

Menstrual Migraines:

 Since these are associated with low progesterone levels, pregnenolone supplementation may help indirectly by improving progesterone levels, commonly low in women.

Physiologically active pregnenolone, derived from natural diosgenin sterols, is micronized to a very small particle size to facilitate absorption.
 
Take Pregnenolone Essentials to help with mental clarity, memory and to help restore function to an adrenal gland that is not working well.

Suggested Use: 1 capsule in AM with food

Supplement Facts Serving Size 1 Capsule Amount Per Capsule % Daily Value Pregnenolone (micronized) 100 mg * * Daily value not established

Other Ingredients: Cellulose, vegetarian capsule (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, water), and L-leucine.