Pregnenolone: The Unsung Hero for Women at Every Stage
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Let’s talk about something that seriously changed the game for me: pregnenolone.
If you’ve never heard of it, you’re not alone. It’s one of those underrated supplements that doesn’t get the spotlight, but it probably should—especially for women navigating hormonal shifts at different stages of life.
Pregnenolone is often called the "mother hormone" because it's a precursor to many of the other hormones in the body, including progesterone, DHEA, estrogen, testosterone, and even cortisol. It’s produced naturally in the body, mostly in the adrenal glands and brain, but stress, age, and modern life in general can deplete it pretty quickly.
Ray Peat & the Pregnenolone Renaissance
I first stumbled onto pregnenolone through the work of Ray Peat, a biologist whose research completely shifted the way I view hormones, metabolism, and overall health. Peat was one of the earliest voices to champion pregnenolone as a neurosteroid—a hormone that not only impacts the body, but also directly influences the brain.
He talked a lot about how stress, aging, and poor thyroid function can suppress pregnenolone production, and how supplementing with it (carefully) could help restore clarity, calm, and hormonal balance.
That was all the nudge I needed to try it myself.
In Your 20s & 30s: Cycle Support & Mood Regulation
Let me paint a picture: every month, like clockwork, the second half of my cycle (aka the luteal phase) used to feel like an emotional freefall. The irritability, the tears for no reason, the general “why is life so hard?” vibe—it was real. I'd rate the despair at a solid 8 out of 10. Then I discovered pregnenolone.
After starting a low dose (always talk to your healthcare provider!), my luteal phase emotional crashes went from that 8 down to a manageable 2 or 3. It felt like a cloud lifted. I didn’t feel numb or artificially boosted—I just felt like myself again.
Pregnenolone can help buffer the effects of cortisol and support progesterone production, both of which are crucial for mood stability and brain function during the second half of your cycle.
That’s exactly why we included it in Her'dration, our hydration and hormone-support mix for women. It’s a gentle way to bring pregnenolone into your daily routine, paired with other ingredients that nourish your body during the most hormonally intense times of the month.
In Your 40s & 50s: Perimenopause & Menopause Support
This is where pregnenolone really starts to shine. As your natural hormone levels fluctuate (sometimes wildly), pregnenolone can offer a more gentle, foundational way to support balance. It may help ease the transition by stabilizing mood, supporting memory and cognitive function, and even improving sleep.
Many women also notice that it helps with that sense of “I’m not myself anymore.” That feeling can come from a combo of lower progesterone, less DHEA, and a general hormone soup that’s gone a little sour. Pregnenolone, because of its role in the production of multiple hormones, can help tip things back in your favor—gently, and without pushing your body too hard in one direction.
After Menopause: Brain Health & Resilience
Even after the cycles stop, hormone balance still matters. Pregnenolone is especially important for brain health—it’s one of the most neuroactive hormones in the body. It plays a role in memory, focus, and stress resilience. So if you’ve ever walked into a room and totally blanked on why you were there (haven’t we all?), pregnenolone might just become your new best friend.
Ray Peat often emphasized that pregnenolone could be deeply restorative for the nervous system—not just in a hormonal sense, but in helping us feel more grounded, safe, and adaptable in a chaotic world. That’s the kind of support that really matters.
Bottom Line: Pregnenolone isn’t a magic bullet, but for me—and for many other women—it’s been a low-key lifesaver. Whether you’re dealing with monthly mood swings, perimenopausal chaos, or post-menopausal brain fog, it might be worth looking into.
It’s one of the reasons we created Her'dration—to give women an easy, delicious way to support their hormones, their mood, and their overall well-being without adding another pill to their routine. Because your hormones don’t have to run the show. Sometimes, a little upstream support makes all the difference.