The mother of all hormones?
Recharge your body and your brain.
"Mother of All Hormones?" Yes, you read that right, and we're not talking DHEA here.
Without this "mother" hormone your body couldn't produce other hormones like estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol or dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), for that matter. The hormone - that nobody is really talking about - has really powerful effects on aging, memory, mood, sexuality and even sleep. It is the critical building block in the production of all other hormones that you have heard me writing, talking or blogging about these days.
In fact, this uber hormone may be the ultimate raw material in your entire body. It's so essential to health that it's produced not only in the adrenal glands and sex organs, but also in brain and spinal cord.
Science has uncovered all sorts of benefits about this hormone of all hormones that is called pregnenolone:
• Pregnenolone boosts memory. This hormone appears useful in creating memory as well as preventing its loss - and it supports memory-protecting sleep.
• Pregnenolone helps brain function. It raises brain levels of acetylycholine, the neurotransmitter needed for thought processes - which is low in Alzheimer's disease.
• Pregnenolone relieves anxiety and depression, according to two studies at the University of California, San Francisco. People with schizophrenia, who are very anxious, have the lowest levels of pregnenolone.
• Pregnenolone alleviates PMS and menopause symptoms, particularly hot flashes and loss of libido, according to my friend and colleague, Ray Sahelian, MD, a medical expert on hormones.
• Pregnenolone counters the effects of stress to lessen fatigue and increase endurance - whether you're exercising or at work.
• Pregnenolone eases joint pain as well as rheumatoid arthritis and gout, even when conventional drugs don't help.
• Pregnenolone lowers cholesterol. In one study, this hormone help decrease subjects' total cholesterol levels from 263 to 188.
• Pregnenolone combats addictive behaviors and chemical dependency, finds the Journal of Pharmacological Science, whether you're trying to kick the nicotine habit or other addictive drugs.
Overlooked, But Oh So Essential
If this hormone is as terrific as it sounds, why haven't you heard of it before?
Good question. Because pregnenolone is the precursor of the more familiar hormones like cortisol, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and DHEA, it seems to have been ignored and overlooked. But, I find the research on this "mother" hormone incredibly compelling. Over the years, I have come to regard it as an adaptogen that will transform itself into whatever your body actually needs, hormone-wise.
In fact, I asked the good folks at UNI KEY to carry Pregnenolone - since I have found that so many of my clients do really well on low doses of this supplement - especially when estrogen levels need some support.
I have been working with salivary hormone testing for nearly a decade. Raising low estrogen levels without resorting to synthetic hormones (which are not tolerated well by many women) has been very challenging. I find that Pregnenolone can help.
In the body, Pregnenolone is made from cholesterol. In the laboratory it is derived from wild yam - so it is not a steroid-based product. Perhaps this is why a growing number of health professionals are recommending it as a natural alternative to other types of hormone replacement.
I generally recommend that people start with one tablet of 5 mg of Pregnenolone per day and slowly progress up to 2 per day - max.
The body's production of this "mother" of all hormones declines with age, stress, depression, hypothyroidism and environmental toxins. It is outstanding for memory enhancement - perhaps because it can cross the blood-brain barrier - similar to Ultra H-3 - another anti-aging brain booster!
Sources:
• www.if-pan.krakow.pl/pjp/pdf/2006/3_335.pdf
• www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21094889
• www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21061675
• www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21036556
• www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2034286/
Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman is the award-winning author of more than 30 books on health and nutrition and guest on many TV and radio programs. She resides in Kootenai County. Information: annlouise.com