THE IMPORTANCE OF PROGESTERONE IN WOMEN
Progesterone is the building block for major hormones. Estrogen, testosterone, cortical, and DHEA are all made from progesterone which is derived from cholesterol. Poor progesterone /estrogen ratio is hard on a woman's health. It is true that estrogen is often too high in relation to progesterone. Most women who have PMS are familiar with this temporary form of excess estrogen. This is due to drop in progesterone during the cause of a regular menstrual cycle. In some women this drop can cause symptoms of PMS. During pre-menopause it is common for estrogen level to decrease slowly while progesterone level plummet ; which results in fewer ovulation, fewer burst follicles , and less progesterone. This again can cause many worst symptoms in women. Consider estrogen as the gas pedal and progesterone as the break of a car; it is very important that you do not speed out of control. According to Dr. John Lee, the author of Natural Hormone Therapy said, "The key to hormonal balance is the modulation of progesterone to estrogen level.'' he also argued that the first sign of menopause is a drop in progesterone production not estrogen deficiency! Studies have also shown that when a woman reaches her 35's to 50's progesterone production drop up to 75% in the body, but estrogen during the same period only decline about 35% and by menopause, the total amount of progesterone produce is extremely low; while estrogen is still present in the body at about half its pre-menopausal levels.
'All women need normal levels of progesterone to spur new bone growth and ward off osteoporosis, convert fat to energy, metabolize glucose, and perform many vital cells function. Also progesterone is a natural anti-depressant, natural diuretic, protects against breast fibro cysts, facilitates thyroid hormone actions ,prevent both breast and endometrial cancers. Severe symptoms like breast tenderness, water retention, migraine , anxiety, depression, weight gain, food craving, irregular bleeding , etc during menstrual cycle are due to high levels of estrogen in relation to progesterone. If estrogen level stays unopposed some women may develop infertilities, endometriosis, fibroids, amenorrhea (skipped menses), uterine cancer and hyperamenorrhea ( heavy bleeding during menses). The story of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a tragic example of the effect of unopposed estrogen. There have been many studies connecting high levels of estrogen and breast cancer. As early as 1983 Dr. Devra Davis (epidemiologist and director of Center for Environmental Oncology part of University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute) advanced the theory that xenoestrogens, synthetic estrogen imitators, were the possible cause of breast cancer. Dr. Davis also said, "Most cases of breast cancer are not born, but made and the more hormones a woman is exposed to in her life, the greater her risk of breast cancer.''
Every woman is unique, what may cause harm in one may be fine for another, but understanding how estrogen and progesterone work in the female body is very important. Estrogen and progesterone are the two primary female sex hormones. These hormones have to work together effectively in sequential conversation between the brain, adrenal gland, pituitary gland, ovaries, and the thyroid gland. The feed back of the conversation tells the body to release an egg each month; which is then either fertilized and implanted in the uterus or shed off in the menstrual flow as part of the lining of the uterus. Stress and diet can affect the feedback system and so will directly impact the hormonal balance. Estrogen rises in the first half of a woman's menstrual cycle, peaks during ovulation, then falls in the second half as progesterone rises. Progesterone is released by rupturing of the egg follicles during ovulation. If there is no pregnancy a woman has her menstrual period and the whole process begins again. A Regular menstrual cycle is a sign that the body is producing appropriate levels of hormones in a balanced ratio. If ovulation does occur, progesterone is secreted during pregnancy by the placenta and acts to prevent spontaneous abortion. During pregnancy progesterone is very high, up to 300-400mg is secreted, but only about 20 -25 mg of progesterone is secreted per day during a woman's monthly cycle. Progesterone as the name implies is pro-gestation. It favors the growth and well being of the fetus, without a proper amount of progesterone; there can be no successful pregnancy.
Estrogen has many wonderful qualities too, it creates the our fertility and protects our health in myriad ways and it serves as a powerful anti-inflammatory, but what we are concerned is the environmental estrogen. These environmental estrogen are endocrine disruptors, they have the ability to destroy the immune system and interrupt hormonal balance. They mimic estrogen and are proven carcinogen. Our cells cannot always distinguish fully between our own estrogen and the environmental estrogen. Pesticides is highly estrogenic ; they are stored in fat cells in many food sources. Also hormones given to livestock and poultry contains fat soluble estrogen. When we consume those animals or their milk, we ingest that estrogens. Plasticizer, PVC's are also chemicals that act like estrogen in our bodies. Finally we need to be more cautions of the products we use on our hair and our bodies. Majority of the products contain placenta extract, placenta, hormones or estrogen.