Pregnenolone: The memory hormone! • A precursor to every other hormone • Stimulates the memory storage process • Promotes hormonal balance • Increases the feeling of well-being and improves mood • Reduces depression and the damaging effects of stress • Successfully used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other auto-immune diseases What is Pregnenolone and why should you take it? Pregnenolone serves as a precursor to other hormones, including dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and progesterone. It has been suggested the role of pregnenolone in the body is to serve as a "mother steroid" (precursor hormone). Many effects of pregnenolone on the nervous system have been studied. • Sleep and Memory: Rat studies indicate powerful memory-enhancing effects, far beyond that of other neuroactive substances. In healthy men aged 20 to 30, administration of pregnenolone (1 mg daily) was found to improve sleep quality and decrease intermittent wakefulness. Pregnenolone has also been shown to affect working, short-term and long-term memory, and may result in increased motivation to learn new information, and an improvement in the ability to acquire new knowledge. • Stress: It has been suggested this hormone may play a role in the neuroendocrine response to stress. In a study of airplane pilots subjected to stress, administration of pregnenolone (25 mg twice daily) improved performance without causing adverse side effects. In a study of the stress response in rats, an increase in anxiety was observed following administration of pregnenolone. The researchers suggested this was a beneficial response during a stressful period and was initiated through the nervous system. • Depression: Hormones are known to affect mood and behavior via effects on the nervous system. In people with either current depression or a history of depression, pregnenolone in the cerebrospinal fluid (the fluid that bathes the brain) was significantly lower, than levels in healthy people. In addition, it was found that patients with active depression had lower levels of pregnenolone compared with those with a prior history of depression. • Arthritis: Researchers have reported on the use of pregnenolone in a variety of rheumatologic diseases. In a study of pregnenolone therapy for rheumatoid arthritis, six of eleven people experienced moderate to marked improvement in symptoms of joint pain and joint mobility. The symptom improvement was apparent two to four days after therapy was initiated. In a study of 13 adults with osteoarthritis, pregnenolone therapy reduced the pain and improved the range of motion in seven of the study participants. Pain recurred when therapy was discontinued. In a person who suffered from gouty arthritis that was unresponsive to conventional medications, pregnenolone therapy resulted in a dramatic response within three days of initiating therapy. This patient received 300mg daily of pregnenolone for four weeks, followed by 200mg weekly of pregnenolone as a maintenance amount. This study of pregnenolone therapy in rheumatologic diseases also reports a substantial benefit in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), psoriasis, and scleroderma. No systemic adverse effects were reported. Where is it found? The cells of both the adrenal gland and the central nervous system synthesize pregnenolone. Human studies show there are much higher concentrations of pregnenolone in the nervous tissue, than in the bloodstream. Animal studies indicate the concentration of pregnenolone in the brain is ten-fold higher than that of other stress-related hormones (including DHEA). Pregnenolone is present in the blood as both free pregnenolone and a more stable form, pregnenolone-sulfate. Are there any side effects? • Pregnenolone is an appropriate supplement for men and women of all ages. • Pregnenolone has an impressive record with very low levels of toxicity and is safe for human use. • Do not use pregnenolone if you are supplementing DHEA. • Do not use if you suffer from seizure disorders, as pregnenolone can suppress GABA activity, resulting in an increase in central nervous system activity which may lead to seizures in those with epilepsy.