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.

Updated November 16, 2022 ⓘ

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.

+ — 10 sources

In addition the results of its expert testing, ConsumerLab uses only high-quality, evidence based, information sources. These sources include peer-reviewed studies and information from agencies such as the FDA and USDA, and the National Academy of Medicine. On evolving topics, studies from pre-print journals may be sourced. All of our content is reviewed by medical doctors and doctoral-level experts in pharmacology, toxicology, and chemistry. We continually update and medically review our information to keep our content trustworthy, accurate, and reliable. The following sources are referenced in this article: