(FDA Thailand doesn't approve this ingredient to use in food - please check your local regulation before purchasing)
Pregnenolone is an endogenous neurosteroid that not only serves as a precursor to many steroid hormones but also appears to have its own bioactive properties. Research suggests that it may confer several health benefits, including:
Cognitive and Neuroprotective Effects
- Memory and Learning: Pregnenolone and its metabolite pregnenolone sulfate have been associated with enhanced cognitive function and memory. Studies indicate that these neurosteroids may protect against neuroinflammation and support synaptic plasticity, which is important for learning and memory formation .
- Neuroprotection: By modulating neurotransmitter systems—most notably enhancing GABAergic activity through its conversion to allopregnanolone—pregnenolone may help protect neural cells against stress and injury.
Mood and Psychiatric Benefits
- Mood Regulation: Some clinical studies have investigated pregnenolone as an adjunctive treatment for mood disorders. Research in bipolar depression and schizophrenia has demonstrated improvements in depressive and negative symptoms, which may be partly due to its influence on neurosteroid pathways that regulate mood and anxiety
- Schizophrenia: Pregnenolone supplementation has been explored for its potential to improve cognitive deficits and negative symptoms in schizophrenia, likely through its conversion to allopregnanolone and modulation of GABA_A receptor activity.
Other Potential Applications
- Autism Spectrum Disorders: Preliminary open-label studies have suggested that pregnenolone might reduce irritability and improve behavior in individuals with autism, although further controlled research is needed to confirm these findings
- Pain Management: A randomized controlled trial in military veterans with chronic low back pain found that adjunctive pregnenolone significantly reduced pain intensity and interference compared to placebo, indicating its potential as a safe, nonopioid option for pain relief
Mechanistic Insights
Pregnenolone exerts its effects not only as a direct neurosteroid but also as a precursor for several other steroids (like allopregnanolone) that modulate neurotransmitter receptors, including:
- GABA_A Receptors: Enhanced allopregnanolone production helps potentiate inhibitory GABAergic signaling, which can contribute to anxiolytic and analgesic effects.
- NMDA Receptors: Through its sulfated derivative, pregnenolone sulfate, it may positively modulate NMDA receptors, impacting synaptic plasticity and excitatory neurotransmission.
Overall, while pregnenolone shows promise in various preclinical and early clinical studies, many of its potential benefits require further large-scale, rigorous research before it can be widely recommended for clinical use.
