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Introduction
If you are struggling with your hormones, perhaps you're having difficulty losing weight, dealing with a lot of stress, or noticing that your cortisol levels are high. It could be due to something often overlooked: Pregnenolone Steal Syndrome.
What is Pregnenolone?
When we look at the breakdown products of cholesterol, one of them is Pregnenolone. Pregnenolone plays a crucial role in producing downstream hormones, such as testosterone, progesterone, DHEA, and estrogen. However, when hormones become imbalanced—whether it's during perimenopause or menopause in women, or andropause in men—and hormone levels fluctuate, our bodies may not have the same quantity of these hormones as they once did.
What is Pregnenolone Steal Syndrome?
In times of stress, a condition known as Leptin Resistance may develop. In this state, the body will prioritize the production of cortisol over other hormones. Pregnenolone is diverted to produce cortisol, which leads to what is known as "Pregnenolone Steal." This process is highly inflammatory and can weaken the immune system. Additionally, the diversion of Pregnenolone to cortisol production compromises the synthesis of other downstream hormones.
How Pregnenolone Steal Affects Your Hormones
Understanding how Pregnenolone Steal affects your hormones is essential. When working to fix issues such as thyroid imbalances, leptin resistance, or weight loss challenges, addressing cortisol levels and minimizing leptin resistance is crucial. Reducing these factors will go a long way in restoring balance to your downstream hormones.
For more information on how to address leptin resistance, I’ve created a video with 10 tips to help you fix it. Be sure to check it out, and I’ll see you there.
