Recommended Dosage of Pregnenolone
Wellness & SelfcareHealthy LivingHealthy Aging

Pregnenolone: Benefits and Risks

Pregnenolone: Benefits and Risks
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Updated on August 6, 2025
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Pregnenolone is a hormone with an important role in producing many other hormones, like testosterone and progesterone.

Your body generally makes enough pregnenolone to meet your needs. However, as is the case with many hormones, your levels tend to decline with age.

Some people choose to supplement this essential hormone, either by prescription or over the counter, to treat a variety of conditions.

Taking this hormone is not without risk, though. A doctor should supervise supplementation to make sure it’s safe for you.

How Does Your Body Make Pregnenolone?

Your body mainly produces pregnenolone from cholesterol.

 This synthesis occurs in several key locations within the body, including the adrenal glands, gonads (testes and ovaries), brain, kidneys, and liver.

Once produced, pregnenolone is transported throughout the bloodstream to support various cellular functions.

The Role of Pregnenolone

Pregnenolone’s main function is to act as a precursor hormone,

 meaning it is the first hormone in a cascade of reactions that leads to the production of nearly all other steroid hormones, including:
  • Progesterone Important for reproductive health
  • Androgens (e.g., Testosterone) Affect muscle, bone, and libido
  • Estrogens (e.g., Estradiol) Crucial for reproductive and bone health
  • Corticosteroids (e.g., Cortisol) Involved in stress response, metabolism, and inflammation

By being converted into these hormones, pregnenolone indirectly benefits a wide range of bodily functions.

Other Potential Benefits of Pregnenolone

Pregnenolone is a subject of ongoing scientific research. Studies are investigating its potential involvement in various medical conditions, including:

Researchers are also exploring it in clinical trials as treatments for conditions such as menopausal depression, anxiety, PTSD, autism, and alcohol use disorder, but research is not substantial.

Pregnenolone as a dietary supplement is often marketed for improved memory, mental energy, mental clarity, and even physical energy. However, more evidence is needed to support these purported effects.

Risks of Taking Pregnenolone

Your endocrine system helps your body maintain a delicate hormonal balance. Too little or too much hormone can have adverse health effects.

 Taking pregnenolone in the absence of a clinical deficiency may disturb your endocrine function.

Pregnenolone may also interact with other drugs. For example, it can decrease the effectiveness of a sedative drug class known as benzodiazepine, which includes Valium and Xanax.

Additionally, the effects of long-term pregnenolone supplementation are not well understood, so there is an inherent risk in taking the hormone regularly.

In general, it’s important to speak with your doctor before taking any supplements.

The Takeaway

  • Pregnenolone acts as a precursor hormone to catalyze the production of nearly all of our steroid hormones. It supports reproductive health, bone health, and other essential bodily functions.
  • More research is still needed to understand how pregnenolone can benefit cognitive disorders, depression, schizophrenia, and other mental health and neurological conditions.
  • Pregnenolone may disturb endocrine function or interact with other medications you may be taking. Check with your healthcare provider before trying pregnenolone or any other supplement.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Pregnenolone. PubChem. September 27, 2025.
  2. Aging Changes in Hormone Production. MedlinePlus. July 15, 2024.
  3. Endocrine System. Cleveland Clinic. November 22, 2023.
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Sandy Bassin, MD

Medical Reviewer
Member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Sandy Bassin, MD, is an endocrinology fellow at Mount Sinai in New York City. She is passionate about incorporating lifestyle medicine and plant-based nutrition into endocrinology, particularly for diabetes and obesity management.

She trained at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, where she taught culinary medicine classes to patients and medical trainees. She continued her training at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Dr. Bassin has published reviews of nutrition education in medical training and physical activity in type 2 diabetes in Nutrition Reviews, Endocrine Practice, and the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. She has been featured on the Physician to Physician Plant-Based Nutrition podcast and given many presentations on lifestyle interventions in endocrine disorders.

She stays active through yoga and gardening, and loves to cook and be outdoors.

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Janet Renee, MS, RD

Author

Janet Renee, MS, RD, is a registered dietitian nutritionist with over a decade of experience in clinical practice and health communications, specializing in weight management, sports nutrition, and medical nutrition therapy.

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