Pregnenolone is a chemical that comes from cholesterol. It's used to make steroid hormones in the body. It can also be made in a lab and used as a supplement.

Pregnenolone affects many different chemicals in the brain and may play a role in certain psychiatric conditions.

People use pregnenolone for Alzheimer disease, autism, back pain, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, and many other conditions.

Don't confuse pregnenolone with progesterone or with wild yam, which is sometimes used as a source of supplemental pregnenolone. These are not the same.