Pregnenolone Enhances Learning, Memory, Stamina And Reduces Stress

[matisvijs]

One of the most interesting substances I’ve been studying and experimenting with lately has been pregnenolone. The hormone seems to have a wide range of beneficial effects, which I’ve definitely noticed in myself:

Pregnenolone improves mental function, affects working, short-term and long-term memory, increases motivation to learn new information, and an improvement in the ability to acquire new knowledge: The effects of pregnenolone sulfate and ethylestrenol on retention of a passive avoidance task. - PubMed - NCBI

Pregnenolone increases the level of other neurosteroids such as pregnenolone sulfate and allopregnanolone. Allopregnenalone is shown to increase the growth of neurons, as well as decreases cell death and inflammation: Pregnenolone as a novel therapeutic candidate in schizophrenia: emerging preclinical and clinical evidence. - PubMed - NCBI

Seems to relieve depression and anxiety: Brain distribution and behavioral effects of progesterone and pregnenolone after intranasal or intravenous administration

Improves mood, anti-depressant activity:

Pregnenolone for cognition and mood in dual diagnosis patients. - PubMed - NCBI

Pregnenolone, dehydroepiandrosterone, and schizophrenia: alterations and clinical trials. - PubMed - NCBI


Recommended dosage: 2x100mg (morning/afternoon), may cause sleeplesness, if taken in the evening from personal experience.

Trusted brands of pregnenolone I recommend:

Amazon.com: Life Extension Pregnenolone 100 Mg, 100 capsules: Health & Personal Care

Amazon.com: Pregnenolone - 100 mg, 60 capsules: Health & Personal Care

Recommended books/further reading:

http://amzn.to/2ibnZgF

http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/three-hormones.shtml

From personal experience, I’d say it’s well worth the money. Induced confidence, ability to focus on top of being a mood brightener in me at higher dosages as well. Will be a permanent in my supplement stack.

Thought your readers might find this interesting. Stay tuned for more posts.

 

[Agent207]

100mg looks overkill for daily basis general use. Depending on age, 10-50mg day seems optimal.

 

[matisvijs]

100mg looks overkill for daily basis general use. Depending on age, 10-50mg day seems optimal.

In some of the studies I've seen that showed improvement pregnenolone was supplemented at an even higher dosages than 100 mg/day. I think Peat himself mentioned using 3 GRAMS daily for about a year and noted improvements, so 100-200 mg/day shouldn't be a problem imo.

 

[encerent]

What about topical pregnenelone?

 

[Roy]

Thanks for the info.

Wouldn't different forms of pregnenolone have different impact? Does micronized preg. convert to progesterone the same as non-micronized preg.?

 

[matisvijs]

There are pregnenolone creams available in vitamin e and grape seed extract, not sure how effective the absorption rate is compared to oral. If I remember correctly, haidut had a dmso/pregnenolone combo product, which in practice should make it's absorption close to 100%. (Somebody link to it?)

 

[sladerunner69]

Hoe does preg enhance learning when it makes me feel brain fogged and depersonalized?

 

[matisvijs]

Hoe does preg enhance learning when it makes me feel brain fogged and depersonalized?

In general it does and the research shows it but every case is obviously individual. I've heard people reporting the opposite of what the substance should do a couple of times and you seem to be one of those cases.
To continue the previous post, here are some of Ray's quotes on it:

‘...progesterone, testosterone,and pregnenolone, acted in the opposite direction, making aged and atrophied skin thicker and more regular. They also made the pigment cells larger, and increased their branching.l Since these hormones were already known to have protective actions against cortisone and estrogen’

‘...pregnenolone do not cause healthy, young skin to thicken, their effect in damaged skin is probably partly to replace the deficiency of that type of steroid which occurs with aging, and to offset the damaging effects of the catabolic hormones, whose influence does not decrease with age.’

‘To produce pregnenolone, thyroid, vitamin A, and cholesterol have to be delivered to the mitochondria in the right proportion and sufficient quantity.’

‘The active thyroid hormone, T3, declines with aging, and this necessarily lowers production of pregnenolone and progesterone.’

‘Minimizing estrogen (and cortisone) with optimal thyroid activity, and maximizing pregnenolone and progesterone to prevent excitotoxic cell fatigue...’

‘Pregnenolone can sometimes very quickly allow swollen tissues to release their water. This function is probably closely related to its antifibromatogenic function, since swelling and leaking set the stage for fibrosis.’

‘The brain-protecting neurosteroids, including pregnenolone... are decreased by isolation stress, and in their absence, serotonin and the glucocorticoids are relatively unopposed.’

‘progesterone depends on the availability of pregnenolone and cholesterol’

‘..progesterone and pregnenolone protect brain cells against the excitotoxins.’

‘Progesterone and pregnenolone are recognized as inhibitors of this excitotoxic process.’

‘The hormones pregnenolone, thyroid, and estrogen are involved in several ways with the changes that occur in multiple sclerosis’


So Ray Peat’s opinion is pretty much in line with what the studies that I posted showed – pregnenolone being effective and protective to the brain (including several brain degenerative diseases like MS and schizophrenia) as well as protective to the skin against wrinkles and aging.
To learn more about it I strongly suggest to get his books where he describes how it works and applies pregnenolone's actions on different things:

Progesterone in orthomolecular medicine: Ray Peat: Amazon.com: Books - Progesterone in orthomolecular medicine

Mind and tissue: Russian research perspectives on the human brain: Ray Peat: 9780893708931: Amazon.com: Books - Mind and tissue: Russian research perspectives on the human brain

Nutrition for women: Ray Peat: Amazon.com: Books - Nutrition for women

 

[TubZy]

Sweet, bro! I love preg especially at doses 100mg+. I didn't notice much benefits at 50mg. I still use around ~100mg every morning. It is the only thing that really brought my libido up big time.

You mentioned preg and cortisol in regards to skin. I also noticed the same benefit when DHEA is applied topically too (skin and hair). There is like a mild tightening/brightening effect of the local tissue. DHEA also antagonizes cortisol too.

 

[matisvijs]

Sweet, bro! I love preg especially at doses 100mg+. I didn't notice much benefits at 50mg. I still use around ~100mg every morning. It is the only thing that really brought my libido up big time.

You mentioned preg and cortisol in regards to skin. I also noticed the same benefit when DHEA is applied topically too (skin and hair). There is like a mild tightening/brightening effect of the local tissue. DHEA also antagonizes cortisol too.

Here are some more studies on it(pregnenolone) being beneficial memory and cognitive performance in rats and mice:

Evidence that cholecystokinin-enhanced retention is mediated by changes in opioid activity in the amygdala. - PubMed - NCBI

Prolonged intracerebroventricular infusion of neurosteroids affects cognitive performances in the mouse. - PubMed - NCBI

The neurosteroid pregnenolone sulfate reduces learning deficits induced by scopolamine and has promnestic effects in mice performing an appetitive ... - PubMed - NCBI

The neurosteroid pregnenolone sulfate infused into the nucleus basalis increases both acetylcholine release in the frontal cortex or amygdala and s... - PubMed - NCBI

 

[Neeters 27]

Pregnenolone increases my total and free estrogen, I was taking 25, then only 10, but had terrible sore boobs and cold temps, that means too high estrogen, whereas DHEA increases my testosterone, which, as a woman is what i actually want, because I take topical estrogen and progesterone, and have low T...and the doc wont give me T anymore, she did 10 years ago, now she says low T at age 61 is normal. well not in the bedroom department its not! DHEA is helping me in that way, but the current side effect is really oily face. if I start getting zits I will cut back on dose, taking 25 mgs currently

 

[DDRB]

Pregnenolone increases my total and free estrogen, I was taking 25, then only 10, but had terrible sore boobs and cold temps, that means too high estrogen, whereas DHEA increases my testosterone, which, as a woman is what i actually want, because I take topical estrogen and progesterone, and have low T...and the doc wont give me T anymore, she did 10 years ago, now she says low T at age 61 is normal. well not in the bedroom department its not! DHEA is helping me in that way, but the current side effect is really oily face. if I start getting zits I will cut back on dose, taking 25 mgs currently

are you a man or a woman ?

 

[FrostedShores]

I started taking pregnenolone a little over a week ago. It's been a mixed bag so far. My libido and energy are way up, but I've had some major mood swings and episodes of depression, anxiety, and even paranoia. My mood seems to be evening out now, though, so maybe it was just the initial phase? Not sure.
I'm going to stick with it for a while and see what other effects it has.

 

[DDRB]

I started taking pregnenolone a little over a week ago. It's been a mixed bag so far. My libido and energy are way up, but I've had some major mood swings and episodes of depression, anxiety, and even paranoia. My mood seems to be evening out now, though, so maybe it was just the initial phase? Not sure.
I'm going to stick with it for a while and see what other effects it has.

I have been taking 150 mg per day for a few days in parallel with my cure, and I had tantrums in the early afternoon, clenching my points and being obnoxious because a little thing had triggered me , today is fine.
I don't really know how to explain it, I've researched a bit and a lot of people seem to have similar reactions, at least at first.