Will pregnenolone help slow down aging or reduce chronic pain?

Written by Meredith Worthington, Ph.D. — Medically reviewed and edited by Tod Cooperman, M.D.

Last Updated: 11/16/2022 Initially Posted: 05/17/2013

Answer:

Pregnenolone is often called the "mother of steroid hormones" because it is a precursor to many other steroid hormones in the body. Pregnenolone is naturally produced from cholesterol in the body and then it becomes other hormones including testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, DHEA, and others (see DHEA Supplements Review).

Pregnenolone is an ingredient in supplements promoted for aging, memory, reducing stress and/or chronic pain, premenstrual syndrome, and other conditions. It is also often a component of "natural" or "bioidentical" hormone therapies used for menopausal symptoms (Boothby, Menopause 2004). However, there is very little clinical research evaluating the efficacy of pregnenolone for any condition, and what research does exist is limited, as we explain.

Sign in as a member for details, including potential side effects and drug interactions of pregnenolone.