THE PREGNENOLONE STEAL
HOW CHRONIC STRESS ROBS YOUR SEX HORMONES — AND WHAT DUTCH REVEALS
CHOLESTEROL
Raw material for ALL steroid hormones
This is why cholesterol is not the enemy
PREGNENOLONE
The "mother hormone" · The choice point
Every steroid hormone starts here
⚡ CHRONIC STRESS ⚡
HPA AXIS ACTIVATED → CORTISOL DEMAND OVERRIDES ALL
Normal
pathway
THE STEAL
Survival > Reproduction
DHEA + PROGESTERONE
Adrenal androgens · Cycle regulation
SEX HORMONES
Testosterone (men + women)
Oestrogen (E1, E2, E3)
Progesterone
✗ WHEN PREGNENOLONE IS STOLEN
✗ Low testosterone (men + women)
✗ Low progesterone (PMS, anxiety)
✗ Oestrogen dominance (relative)
✗ Difficulty conceiving
✗ Low libido · poor recovery
Can't supplement sex hormones
without addressing stress first
⬆ CORTISOL
Survival hormone · Short-term lifesaver
CHRONIC CORTISOL EFFECTS
⬆ Blood glucose (fuel for muscles)
⬆ Insulin resistance
⬆ Visceral fat storage
⬇ T4→T3 thyroid conversion
⬇ Immune function
⬇ Gut barrier integrity
⬆ Inflammation (NF-κB)
⬇ Sleep (elevated PM cortisol)
DUTCH Plus reveals the full
diurnal cortisol pattern — not
just a single blood draw
Waking · 30min post-wake
Afternoon · Evening levels
THE INTERVENTION ORDER
1 · ADDRESS THE STRESS
HPA axis support · Sleep · Adaptogens
Remove stressors · Nervous system work
2 · SUPPORT THYROID
Selenium, zinc, ferritin >50
Address cortisol suppression first
3 · THEN SEX HORMONES
Often self-correct once 1 & 2 done
If not: targeted support from DUTCH
✗ NOT: Sex hormones first
Giving testosterone or progesterone
without addressing the steal rarely
holds. Upstream drives downstream.
DUTCH Plus shows all of this
DETECTIVE HEALTH · STEPHEN DUNCAN MSC FDN-P · DUTCH PLUS · DETECTIVE-HEALTH.COM