Steroidogenesis
Cholesterol → pregnenolone → sex + adrenal steroids (testosterone, cortisol, estradiol)
Every steroid hormone — cortisol, aldosterone, testosterone, estrogen, DHEA — is built from the same starting molecule: cholesterol, converted first to pregnenolone and then branched down different enzymatic paths. Pantothenic acid (B5, as coenzyme A) is essential for mobilizing the cholesterol substrate; vitamin A, vitamin C, and zinc support the enzymes (many of them in the adrenal glands and gonads) that run the conversions. Because cortisol and the sex hormones share the early steps of this pathway, sustained stress can divert raw material toward cortisol at the expense of the others — the biochemical basis of the 'stress steals your sex hormones' idea.
How your supplements + diet feed this pathway right now — the cofactors driving it, where the gaps are, and your own lab readouts.
The load-bearing nutrients — if these are deficient, this pathway slows down. Click any to see daily targets, food sources, and supplements that supply it.
Nutrients that contribute to this pathway but aren’t the single load-bearing inputs.
Pathways that share a load-bearing cofactor with this one.