Skip to main content

Pregnenolone Steal Hypothesis

Meaning

The Pregnenolone Steal Hypothesis describes a physiological scenario where, under conditions of sustained demand for cortisol, the body preferentially diverts pregnenolone, a foundational precursor hormone, towards the synthesis of cortisol. This redirection occurs at the expense of other vital steroid hormones, including progesterone, DHEA, and subsequently, estrogens and androgens, thereby prioritizing the stress response pathway over other metabolic functions.