Natural Progesterone/HRT for Women?
Hello Apex Herbals Customers!
Today is June 2, 2021, and we have an amazing story for all you women out there. At our physical location in Hartville Marketplace & Flea Market, it is fair to say that a majority of our customers are female. We would even go as far to say that we estimate that we have a 70/30 split of females to males as our customer base. With that being said, we notice a fair amount of women who come in to state they have hormonal imbalances – namely estrogen imbalances. These women are typically in the perimenopause or are going through the rollercoaster of menopause. The complaints are typical: moodiness, hot flashes, insomnia etc. Dr. Mercola also states that women who have low progesterone exhibit signs such as:
- Headaches or migraines
- Mood changes, including anxiety or depression
- Low sex drive
- Hot flashes
- Irregularity in your menstrual cycle, or absence of periods
Now, we get quite a few women who are already on HRT, or hormone replacement therapy which is typically synthetic progesterone which has been prescribed by their doctor and/or OB/GYN to counter these hormonal imbalances. However, synthetic progesterone really isn’t your body’s natural progesterone – it’s a synthetic lab-derived product called progestin, which break down into metabolites which damage tissues which can produce a huge amount of negative side effects – including blood clots, heart disease, and even cancers. Yes, an increased risk of breast cancer is a huge disadvantage and side effect of synthetic progesterone. Dr. Peter Fotinos adds that using natural, or bioidentical progesterone, for hormonal balance is best because it helps prevent:
- Breast cancer
- Uterine cancer
- Endometrial cancer
- Ovarian cancer
The nice part about using natural or bioidentical progesterones is that your body already recognizes the progesterone as friendly to the body, and it doesn’t cause nasty side effects. According to Loretta Lanphier, NP, CN, CH, HHP in a related article on natural progesterone, on top of balancing progesterone levels, natural progesterone also helps with:
- Supports healthy breasts – Fibrocystic breasts are most often a sign of a relatively high estrogen to low progesterone ratio. Dr. John Lee found that “using natural progesterone routinely resolves the problem.” Along with progesterone USP, Dr. Lee suggested 600 IU of natural Vitamin E (I suggest a full-spectrum Vitamin E) at bedtime, as well as 300 mg of magnesium (I suggest magnesium orotate) and 50 mg of vitamin B6 a day which routinely resolved fibrocystic breasts. According to Dr. Lee: “Once the cysts have cleared up, you can reduce the natural progesterone cream dose to find the smallest dose that is still effective each month and continue as needed through menopause. This protocol is simple, safe, inexpensive, successful and natural.”
- Helps use fat for energy – Natural progesterone increases the body’s ability to burn fats for energy. This is especially important during the pre-menopause and post-menopause years when weight-gain is commonly experienced.
- Acts as a natural diuretic (water pill) – Natural progesterone is a natural diuretic (increases flow of urine) helping to release excess water that is being stored in the body. This can be very helpful for those with high blood pressure.
- Acts as a natural anti-depressant – Progesterone and depression are linked through progesterone’s influence in the metabolism of serotonin and dopamine, both known to play a role in depression. Woman suffering from PMS and depression have been found to have low levels of serotonin in their blood. Several studies have also shown progesterone to have anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) effects by acting on gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors in the brain.
- Facilitates healthy thyroid hormone function – Natural progesterone therapy facilitates normal thyroid hormone action. Dr. John R. Lee successfully treated hypothyroid people as well as those with hyperthyroidism (excessive production of the thyroid gland) and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis with natural progesterone therapy. Low thyroid activity causes low energy levels, cold intolerance and weight gain. Excess thyroid activity induces higher energy levels, feeling too warm and weight loss. Estrogen, progesterone and thyroid hormones are complementary – a three-legged stool, if you will. Estrogen signals the body to turn food into fat while thyroid and progesterone hormones signal the body to burn fat for energy. If there is unopposed estrogen or estrogen dominance the thyroid may be unable to keep up.
- Normalizes blood clotting – Estrogen promotes fat synthesis and blood clots. Natural progesterone normalizes blood clotting, which can also protects against stroke and support healthy blood pressure by acting as a natural diuretic. Excess estrogen causes salt and water to be retained and potassium and magnesium to be lost, thereby increasing blood pressure. Estrogen promotes fat synthesis and blood clots. Estrogen also accelerates the aging of collagen, weakening the walls of the arteries.
- Supports healthy libido – Natural progesterone is known to help with a healthy sex drive. Many women who have a normal menstrual cycle, indicating the presence of sufficient estrogen, still have low libido. During normal ovulation, progesterone levels rise and sexual drive is heightened. This is meant to ensure that a woman will be receptive to procreation. A low sex drive usually happens because of a low progesterone to estrogen ratio. If a woman does not ovulate in a given month, she produces no progesterone.
- Supports healthy blood sugar levels – Balancing the excess estrogen in your body with natural progesterone normalizes blood sugar levels. When your blood sugar level is too low – you crave food – usually high-sugar or sweet foods such as chocolate. If you indulge in these quick sugar fixes your body pours insulin into the blood to help remove the sugar from the bloodstream … it then stores it … as fat. Once insulin removes the sugar from the bloodstream into the fat cells water fills the space where the sugar was – causing bloating and cramping. Natural progesterone can help to reduce symptoms of both bloating and cramping giving further relief and weight loss management.
- Normalizes zinc and copper levels – Paul Eck called copper the “emotional mineral”. The reason for this is that copper and imbalances related to it have such a profound impact on the central nervous system. The psychiatric implications of copper imbalance are tremendous, even if copper did not affect other body systems. Did you know that, according to Dr. Lawrence Wilson, when copper is out of balance, as it is in many people, parasitic infection is much more common. Women who are toxic in copper are often estrogen dominant, meaning they have more estrogen in their bodies, proportionately, than they have progesterone. Getting one’s copper levels checked may be an important component in balancing hormones. Hair testing is the best method to detect copper imbalances because it can detect not only copper excess and copper deficiency, but copper bio-unavailability, also. While hair is not a primary site of copper deposition, a knowledgeable practitioner will be able to interpret hair testing results as to correct copper status.
- Restores proper cell oxygen levels – Estrogen steals oxygen from the mitochondria, shifting patterns of growth and adaptation. The simple need for more oxygen is a stimulus to increase the growth of blood vessels, and estrogen’s stimulation of non-mitochondrial oxygen consumption with the production of lactic acid stimulates blood vessel formation. Progesterone, by increasing oxidative efficiency, opposes this “angiogenic” (neovascularization) effect of estrogen.
- May help prevent endometrial cancer & breast cancer – When unopposed estrogen is present in tissues that are sensitive to hormones such as the breasts, uterus and ovaries, these tissues can turn cancerous if the unopposed estrogen, is not balanced with progesterone.
- Increases bone building – Women using USP natural progesterone cream experienced an average of 7 to 8 per cent bone-mass density increase in the first year, 4 to 5 per cent in the second year, and 3 to 4 per cent in the third year. In fact, a woman attains her peak bone density at approximately 30 years of age, after which she begins to lose bone at a rate of about 1-1.5% per year.
- Promotes normal sleep patterns – Montplaisir J, Lorrain J, Denesle R, Petit Sleep in menopause: differential effects of two forms of hormone replacement therapy. Menopause 2001; 8(1):10-16. This randomized clinical trial compared the effects of conjugated equine estrogen (CEE) and medroxyprogesterone acetate to CEE and oral micronized progesterone. Twenty-one postmenopausal women were studied in a sleep lab, with results demonstrating an improvement in subjective measures of menopausal symptoms and sleep in both groups. The group receiving natural progesterone had significantly improved sleep efficiency, whereas the medroxyprogesterone acetate (synthetic progestin) group did not, suggesting that the former might better improve sleep in postmenopausal women.
Dr. Mercola agrees and adds these benefits:
- Helping preserve bone density by stimulating bone-building cells or osteoclasts, and increasing the rate of new bone formation17
- Assisting with preventing development of normal and cancerous breast cells, according to certain studies
- Assisting in reducing breast cancer risk (women with higher progesterone levels tend to exhibit this low risk)
- Enhancing energy production in brain cells
- Shielding against nerve cell damage and brain damaging
- Helping relieve depression in women
At Apex Herbals, we only carry the best products for you to put in your body. We carry some products in-store and online that might be right for you in attempts to get your hormones in balance such as:
NOW Natural Progesterone Balancing Skin Cream 3oz
Natures Sunshine Maca Caps 90ct
We at Apex Herbals want you to be at your best health! We recommend doing your research before starting any new hormonal treatments, and we never recommend stopping any current treatments without consulting with your doctor. We only make recommendations on products that we are asked that would be of help. If you need any further information, please call our store, or stop in for a no-pressure consultation.
-Go Thrive!
Apex Herbals
References
Fotinos, D. (2015, December 1). The Dangers Of Using Synthetic Vs. Bioidentical Progesterone. Retrieved from revitamedical.com: https://www.revitamedical.com/the-dangers-of-using-synthetic-vs-bioidentical-progesterone/
Lanphier, L. (2016, October 05). 13 Benefits of Natural Progesterone Cream. Retrieved from oawhealth.com: https://oawhealth.com/2016/10/05/13-benefits-natural-progesterone-cream/
Mercola, D. (2021). Progesterone: What Are Its Potential Benefits for the Body? Retrieved from mercola.com: https://articles.mercola.com/vitamins-supplements/progesterone.aspx?v=1622677821
