According to the American Cancer Society, many people consider pregnenolone an effective alternative treatment for a variety of conditions. Your body makes this steroid and then uses it to make steroid hormones, such as progesterone, DHEA, mineralocorticoids, corticosteroids, estrogens and androgens. As a supplement, pregnenolone is generally available in concentrations ranging from 5 to 50 mg in a tablet or capsule or as an ingredient in a topical cream.
Memory Enhancer
As the American Cancer Society notes, memory enhancement is one of the main benefits manufacturers of pregnenolone promote. A study performed by Dr. R. Shih, a researcher at the St. Louis School of Medicine, appears to support this claim. In his study, Dr. Sih administered 500 mg of pregnenolone to one group and a placebo to another. Three hours later he gave each group a standard memory test. Results showed improved memory in the pregnenolone group, with men displaying an increase in spatial memory and perception, and women displaying an increase in verbal recall memory.
Stress and Fatigue Relief
International Antiaging Systems claims that research going back to the 1940s proves a daily dose of 1 mg of pregnenolone can improve the quality of your sleep, assuming you have no other health issues. In addition, studies completed during the 1940s by research scientists Dr. Gregory Pincus and Dr. Hudson Hoagland, in which factory workers, pilots and aviation students received between 50 to 100 mg of pregnenolone showed positive results. According to Intelegen Inc., while all groups reported less fatigue and an increased sense of happiness and well-being, the individuals under the most stress reported the most dramatic results.
Antidepressant
According to Intelegen Inc., pregnenolone functions to increase the activity of the nerve receptor NMDA, or N-methyl D-aspartate, in your brain. NMDA activity, involved with memory, learning and alertness, decreases as you age. At the same time, pregnenolone also functions to lower the activity of the nerve receptor GABA, or y-aminobutyric acid, associated with relaxation, slow mental function, sedation and sleeping. Retailers allege that the coordination of these two functions make pregnenolone a natural antidepressant.
