Natural Progesterone

Progesterone is an hormone produced by the ovaries after ovualtion. It supports and maintaines pregnancy, besides it's required to keep estrogens in balance. Also, progesteron receptors can be found in brain cells, nervous wreck, and bone cells.

Progesterone is made up by corpus lutheum right after ovulation and in smaller amounts by adrenals. During pregnancy placenta synthetizes high amounts of progesterone.

Progesterone has several functions within the body. It affects:

almost every body tissue (uterus, cervix, and vagina included)
the endocrine system
brain cells
fats metabolism
myelin synthesis
water retention
bone cells
the thermogenic function
the immune system
the embryo growth and survival
the fetus growth

After menopause, the female body produces close to zero progesterone.
Yet, even in her fertile years a woman can fail to ovulate regurarly (although she bleeds regularly), particularly after 35 years old. Thus, the production of progesterone can be irregular even in young women.

Natural progesterone can be made in the laboratory from plan sources like Mexican yam. The final product is virtually identical to the hormone made by the female body. That's why it's called “natural progesterone”.
Natural progesterone has not to be confused with progestagens, which are synthetic hormones similar but not identical to progesterone produced by ovaries.

The pathfinder in the use of natural progesterone creams has been dr. John Lee, MD. Dr. Lee was a family doctor in private practice, and never became a researcer nor made clinical trials. During his activity years (he died in 2003), he observed each of his patients-most of them were women who had passed the menopause-, tested their hormone levels, their bone density. By observing the whole spectrum of his patients symptoms, he identified a real sydrome. He called that syndorme “estrogen dominance”, and he poited out the symptoms, hypothetized the cause, and theorized the remedy.

Besides the use of natural progesterone creams, Dr. Lee used to prescribed:

Diet: rich in fresh organic vegetables, poor in meat and dairy products
Vitamins: vitamin E (it helps with flushes), vitamin C (it helps with flushes and is beneficial for connective tissue and bones), vitamins B3 and B6, vitamin D (max. 400mcg)
Minerals: zinc, magnesium (max. 300mg), calcium (800-1000mg daily)
Herbs: Mexican yam, Dong Quai, Ginseng, Maca (Lepidium meyenii), Evening Primrose Oil and Startflower Oil (their content oin prostaglandins may help with PMS symptoms)

Dr. Lee used to prescribe natural progesterone only to those women who were actually deficient in progesterone and chiefly to those with osteoporosis, besides with PMS, decreased libido, fibrocystic breasts, fibroids, endometriosis, ovaric cystis, and sterility.

Natural progesterone is an homone made by nature itself. Thus, when it's only given in the dose that nature itself supplies, it's considered safe. During the second half of her cycle, a woman's ovaries produce apporximately 20mg of progesterone daily; and during pregnancy, the level of progesterone produced by placenta raises up to 300mg daily.
The mistaken belief that progesterone can cause some ailments is due to a confusion between progesterone and progestagens. Many synthetic progestagnes are close in actions to estrogens or testosterone, indeed.
In April 2005, the International Journal of Cancer reported the prospective study E3N/EPIC conducted by the French Institute of Health and Medical Reasearch (INSERM) on HRT. The study documented that natural progesterone didn't increase breast cancer risk as progestagens did, instead.

It has been discovered that natural progesterone might also have an anti-atherogenic actions. Atherogenesis is the underlying cause of not only coronary artery disease but of arterial disease throughout the body. It is seen as cholesterol plaque within arteries, and we call it atherosclerosis.
A study at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, NY, using in vitro cell culture, finds that progesterone inhibits the change of cholesterol into CE and decreases CE macrophage cellular levels, thus decreasing foam cell creation.

Natural progesterone is used mostly as a cream. According to some clinical trials, progesterone is easily absorbed and stored by fat cells of the skin. Through skin cells a regular small dose is afterwards supplied into the bloodstream.
When taken orally, it has to be given a larger dose of natural progesterone, since a large part of it will be destroyed by the liver.
According to Dr. Lee, a good quality cream should provide around 20-30mg of natural progesterone daily.

How can I know whether I need natural progesterone cream or not?

As mentioned above, progesterone is a safe hormone, but it not has to be taken if your body is producing by his own.
Women during and after menopause most likely need it. Yet, progesterone deficiency may occur to younger women either. To know whether you're affected by progesterone deficiency or not, you have to check if you're ovulating regularily.
There are different ways to check your ovulation. The most common is to take your temperature every day, beginning the 2nd day of your period. You will se that your temperature will fluctuate a little day-by-day, but around the 14th day it should raise of about 0,5-1°C. Instead, if ther won't be a noticeable change in your body temperature within the day 21st, you won't have ovulated.
Another method to check progesterone levels is by taking a saliva hormone test. A saliva sample has to be taken on the day 21st of your cycle.

Practitioner observations

Natural progesterone creams can be applied through the whole body, but they're easily absorbed by soft tissues, like inner arms or thighs. They can also be applied on face and neck.

Suggested Use:

Up to age 45: apply 10-20mg of natural progesterone once or twice daily, beginning 12 days after the first day of your period. Aplly the cream daily for 14 days, then discontinue. Start again the 12th day of your period.
Between age 45-55 and afetr the menopause: apply 10-20mg once or twice daily, each day of the month.
If you suffer from migraine: apply the cream according to your age groupo. As soon as you feel the symptoms of migraine, apply 10-20mg of progesterone immediately and every 3-4 hours until they fade away.

Probably, you won't feel the benefit of natural progesterone very soon. Usually, at least three moths of use are required to experience its effect.

Contraindications: do not use during oregnancy or when nursing, except on medical advice.
©2008 Naturvitae

References:
Campagnoli C, Peris C., Dai più recenti studi escluso il rischio di tumore mammario, www.oirmsantanna.piemonte.it
Cheng W, Lau OD, & Abumrad NA. Two antiatherogeneic effects of progesterone on human macrophages; inhibition of cholesteryl ester synthesis and block of its enhancement by glucocorticoids, J Clin Endo and Metab 1999; 64: 265-271
Lee J. R., MD, Natural Progesterone. The Multiple Roles Of A Remarkable Hormone, 1995 BLL Publishing, Sebastopol, CA, U.S.A.
Lee J.R., MD, What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause, 1996, Warner, New York
Lee J.R., Hanley J.& Hopkins V., MD, What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Pre-menopause, 1999 Warner, New York
Lee, J. R., M.D., What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Cancer, 2002 Warner, New York
Lee J.R., Anti-Atherogenic Effects Of Progesterone
Lee J.R., HRT-where do we go from here?
Hulley S, Grady D, Bush T, Furberg C, et al., Randomized trial of estrogen plus progestin for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease in postmenopausal women, JAMA 1998; 280: 605-613.
Miyagawa K, Rosch J, Stanczyk F, & Hermsmeyer K., Medroxyprogesterone acetate interferes with ovarian steroid protection against coronary vasospasm, Nature Medicine 1997; 3: 324-327
Neil K. & Holford P., Balancing Hormones Naturally
NPIS, NPIS Natural Progesterone Handbook 2004
Rushton A. & Dr. Bond S. A., Natural Progesterone. 1999 Thorsons

©2008 Naturvitae

WARNINGS: Information, statements and products on this website have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, mitigate, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition. The natural properties of the botanicals are only referred to their common uses among folk and herbal traditions. Our products are not intended to diagnose, cure, or prevent any disease as well. It's not meant to give any suggestion of diagnosis or disease treatment. Please see a doctor when needed.