Pregnenolone

Pregnenolone is a compound made in the body from cholesterol that serves as a precursor to biosynthesis of steroid hormones. The adrenal hormones aldosterone and cortisol, as well as dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and progesterone are derived from pregnenolone. In the ovary, pregnenolone is used to form estrogen and progesterone.In the testes, pregnenolone is a precursor to testosterone. Pregnenolone and its metabolite pregnenolone sulfate are also synthesized in the brain from cholesterol or other metabolites. Pregnenolone capsules contain physiologically active pregnenolone derived from natural diosgenin sterols. Diosgenin is a compound extracted from wild yam that is converted into pregnenolone through a multi-step laboratory process. The human body cannot convert diosgenin or wild yam into pregnenolone.Supplemental pregnenolone has been reported to have memory-enhancing activity in animal studies, but its effects in humans are not yet clear. Pregnenolone may modulate N-methyl-D-aspa