Progesterone in Women
While the focus in women’s hormones is often on estrogen, it’s important to remember that estrogen is at its best and safest when combined with progesterone. Progesterone is like the police when it comes to estrogen. It allows estrogen to do its good work in terms of healthy cell growth, but keeps that growth from going unchecked.
The Facts about Progesterone in Women
- Estrogen should never be taken without bioidentical progesterone. Progesterone keeps estrogen safe, and blocks it from promoting excessive cell growth.
- Bioidentical progesterone has not been associated with breast cancer. Studies have shown that bioidentical progesterone actually decreases breast cancer risk.
- Progesterone promotes ER beta receptors. ER beta receptors block excessive cell growth, and are found in abundance within healthy breast tissue.
- Synthetic progesterone (also known as progestin) is dangerous, and significantly increases breast cancer risk. Healthcare practitioners often use the words “progesterone” and “progestin” interchangeably. They are not the same, and it’s in every woman’s best interest to understand the difference.
- When bioidentical progesterone is placed under a comparison microscope, its molecules will look exactly like the progesterone a woman produces naturally in her body. Progestin, on the other hand, will not look the same. While progestin’s chemical structure may be very close to that of natural progesterone, it is not precisely the same. This small difference in molecular structure negatively impacts how progestin works in a woman’s body, and can result in cancer and coronary disease.
- When a woman has estrogen in her system without sufficient progesterone to balance it, she becomes “estrogen dominant”. Estrogen dominance causes unpleasant symptoms like hot flashes, fatigue, and insomnia. Perimenopausal women are frequently estrogen dominant, and progesterone is what they need to alleviate their symptoms.
Common Symptoms
Benefits
Bioidentical progesterone is the “can-do-no-wrong” hormone. Following are just a few of its many positive benefits:
- Protects against estrogen dominance.
- Protect the breasts, uterus and ovaries from cancer.
- Protects your brain from decline.
- Reduces anxiety.
- Acts as an antidepressant.
- Alleviates insomnia.
- Acts as an anti-inflammatory.
- Prevents water retention.
- Improves the breakdown of fat into energy by raising thyroid hormone levels.
- Cuts cravings for carbohydrates.
- Reduces breast tenderness.
- Combats osteoporosis by contributing to the creation of new bone.
- Increases HDL levels (the good cholesterol).
Meanwhile, progesterone has no side effects if prescribed correctly.
Progestin Is Poison
The side effects from synthetic progesterone, on the other hand, are alarming. Studies have shown that it can do the following:
- Cause breast cancer.
- Reduce the diameter of coronary vessels leading to the heart.
- Undermine the protective benefits of estrogen related to plaque formation and cholesterol oxidation.
- Contribute to insulin resistance.
- Promote fluid retention and cause weight gain.
- Promote breakthrough bleeding.
- Contribute to hair loss.
Dr. John Lee, a leading expert on hormone therapy for women states, “Using synthetic progesterone (progestin) for menopausal women should be considered medical malpractice.” Really…this stuff is bad news.
Again, many healthcare practitioners confuse progestin with progesterone, or they use the two words interchangeably.This is a mistake our doctors would never make.
Remember:
Progesterone = natural or bioidentical = safe
Progestin = synthetic = dangerous
Low Progesterone Treatment
Bioidentical progesterone should be every perimenopausal and menopausal woman’s best friend. The benefits are many, and the risk is none. Through our Renew Woman program, our doctors will make sure your body gets the progesterone it needs. Don’t go another day without it if you’re deficient. Let us get you started today on the road to better aging.