Pregnenolone --key to health & energy

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Pregnenolone --key to health & energy
1
Sat, 12-08-2007 - 12:38am

Pregnenolone is one of the hormones I tested low in, so my dr. put me on one tablet sublingually daily and DIM to help with the absorption of it. You can get it at the health food store; no prescription required. I just have to remember to take them every day, as well as the sublingual B-12.


Dear Rhonda,


It’s quite possible that you have never heard of the hormone pregnenolone because it is rarely prescribed, or even discussed, by conventional physicians. However, it is the most important of the five primary sex hormones, as it plays a pivotal role in the production of all the others.


As the “mother hormone” or precursor to all the major sex hormones, pregnenolone has a widespread effect throughout your body. However, pregnenolone does far more than simply act as a precursor to the other sex hormones. It has been shown to relieve symptoms of PMS and support hormonal health during the menopause transition.


Pregnenolone also helps to improve a myriad of hormone-related conditions, like memory and joint health. It also increases energy, promotes healthy cognitive function, and supports a stable mood. (Note: I'm still waiting for the memory and energy improvements, but I haven't been as consistent as I am with prescriptions).


Pregnenolone and Your Body


Pregnenolone is converted into a variety of other hormones, following two pathways. By one route, pregnenolone leads to DHEA, which is then converted into testosterone and subsequently estrogen. This pathway is operative during the first half of your menstrual cycle, when estrogen is the dominant hormone.


In the second pathway, pregnenolone is converted into progesterone. The progesterone is then converted into testosterone and, finally, into estrogen. This second pathway predominates during the second half of the menstrual cycle, when progesterone and estrogen are dominant.


A variety of factors can decrease pregnenolone production. Stress and disease can lower levels of pregnenolone throughout your body and in specific tissues. Pregnenolone production also naturally decreases with age. Blood serum levels of pregnenolone can drop as much as 60 percent between ages 35 and 75. Obviously, as pregnenolone levels diminish, the production of all the other sex hormones arising from pregnenolone also declines.


Additionally, because pregnenolone is the “mother hormone,” deficiencies can have a wide-reaching effect on your health. If levels are below normal, you can experience PMS symptoms, low energy, unstable mood, and poor memory. To determine if you may be deficient in this mother hormone, click here for a quick self-test. (This link won't work here, so I'll post it at the end of the article).


Restore and Maintain Your Pregnenolone
Levels With Key Nutrients


To help you maintain all of your sex hormones—especially estrogen and progesterone—it is critical that you maintain proper pregnenolone levels. You can do this by optimizing adrenal and ovarian function.


Pregnenolone itself is made primarily in the adrenal glands, but it is also produced in the cells of the liver, skin, ovaries, and brain. For this reason, you need to keep your adrenals and ovaries operating at peak performance to ensure that you have proper pregnenolone health and balance. To do this, I highly recommend using the following key nutrients: beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin B5, zinc, and magnesium.


Beta-carotene is the plant-based, water-soluble precursor to vitamin A. It is abundant in the adrenal glands and is important for the healthy functioning of the ovaries. To ensure that you have adequate amounts of vitamin A (as beta-carotene) in your system, I suggest taking 25,000–50,000 IU of beta-carotene a day. You can also eat foods rich in beta-carotene, such as spinach, squash, carrots, cantaloupe, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes.


Vitamin C is an integral part of the structure and function of the adrenal glands. Your adrenals have the highest concentration of vitamin C in your entire body. To be sure your adrenal glands have adequate amounts of vitamin C, take 1,000– 3,000 mg of a mineral-buffered vitamin C each day, in divided doses. Also increase your consumption of vitamin C-rich foods, including citrus fruits, strawberries, peaches, broccoli, tomatoes, and spinach.


B vitamins, especially B5 (pantothenic acid), play a crucial role in adrenal function. In particular, B5 is the primary nourishing nutrient of your adrenal glands. It is necessary to stimulate the adrenal glands to begin hormone production. For proper adrenal function, be sure to take 50–100 mg of a vitamin B-complex a day, with an additional 250–500 mg of B5 daily. You can also increase your intake of foods high in B vitamins, including whole grains, legumes, egg yolks, salmon, royal jelly, sweet potatoes, and brewer’s yeast.


Zinc not only supports healthy adrenal function, but it helps to promote proper pregnenolone production. To ensure that your adrenal glands have adequate amounts of zinc, I suggest taking 10–25 mg of zinc a day. You can also eat foods rich in zinc, such as oysters, pumpkin seeds, and eggs.


Magnesium is one of the basic building blocks needed by your adrenals to produce hormones. Adequate amounts of this vital mineral are also necessary to keep your adrenals balanced and functioning properly. You can maintain healthy adrenal function with 600–1,000 mg of magnesium a day, as well as eating foods like nuts and whole grains, all of which are high in magnesium.


If you’re not getting adequate levels of these nutrients consider taking a comprehensive multinutrient like my Daily Answer Multinutrient for Women.


Support Ovaries and Adrenals With Targeted Herbs


Like key vitamins and minerals, certain herbs also help to support the adrenals, ovaries, and other endocrine glands, namely Rhodiola rosea and ginseng.


Rhodiola rosea works to support all hormone production by easing stress and fatigue—both of which depress adrenal function, as well as healthy sex hormone production, including pregnenolone. I recommend taking 50–100 mg of Rhodiola rosea three times a day, standardized to 3 percent rosavins and 0.8 percent salidrosides.


While the herb is generally considered safe, some reports have indicated that it may counteract the effects of antiarrhythmic medications. Therefore, if you are currently taking this type of medication, I suggest you discuss the use of Rhodiola rosea with your physician.


Panax ginseng has been used in Chinese herbal medicine for more than 4,000 years. Ginseng has a balancing, tonic effect on the systems and organs of the body involved in the stress response. It contains at least 13 different saponins, a class of chemicals found in many plants, especially legumes, which take their name from their ability to form a soap-like froth when shaken with water. These compounds are the most pharmaceutically active constituents of ginseng, and support proper hormone production.


For maximum benefit, take 50-100 mg of ginseng twice a day. If this is too stimulating, especially before bedtime, take the second dose mid-afternoon, or take only the morning dose.


* * *


Maintaining optimum pregnenolone levels not only improves the production and balance of all your sex hormones, but also enhances your mental, emotional, and physical health. By following my program, you can help to maintain proper overall hormone balance for years to come.


Here’s to your health!



Susan M. Lark, MD


Are You Pregnenolone Deficient?


The following checklist will give you an idea of whether you are experiencing the effects of low pregnenolone. If you answer yes to four or more of these questions, you very likely need to increase your pregnenolone levels.


____I have a history of PMS.


____I am in perimenopause.


____I am in menopause.


____My sleep quality is poor; I tend to wake up intermittently during the night.


____I have a negative state of mind.


____I have unstable moods, am irritable, and/or tend to be depressed.


____I am unable to work efficiently and effectively under stress.


____I have low energy and lack stamina.


____I have a poor memory.


____I have poor verbal recall.


____I’m at risk for Alzheimer’s disease.


____I have a history of autoimmune disease, including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, ankylosing spondylitis, scleroderma, and/or psoriasis.


____I have a history of multiple sclerosis.


____I have a history of spinal cord injury.


If your responses suggest that your pregnenolone level is low, then your next step is to get your hormone levels tested. (I had saliva testing, which is supposed to be more accurate than blood tests).


       ~~Rhonda~~


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Avatar for dmm11730
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-06-2003
Sat, 12-08-2007 - 9:12am
Rhonda thanks for this information, I go on Thursday to the doctor and will print this out and bring it with me.

Debbie

Debbie