What is Progesterone?

Progesterone is produced by both Women AND Men. Progesterone, also known as the "pregnancy hormone", is both a male and female hormone.

Post-menopausal women and men produce most of their progesterone from the adrenal glands. In men, some is produced in the testes. Both sexes synthesize a small amount in the nervous system. While progesterone is produced in more abundance in young fertile women, the hormone cannot be called a male or female hormone. It is reported that progesterone deficiency can produce a variety of effects in both men and women. Some of these reported symptoms are depression, increased risk of breast and uterine cancers, prostate problems (men), hormonal problems and more.

Dr. John Lee lists the following benefits of natural progesterone in his best selling book What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause:

• Restores sex drive
• Protects against fibrocystic breasts
• Natural antidepressant
• Facilitates thyroid hormone action
• Normalizes blood sugar levels
• Normalizes zinc and copper levels
• Helps prevent breast cancer Helps use fat for energy
• Improves sleep patterns
• Normalizes blood clotting
• Restores proper oxygen cell levels
• Natural diuretic
• Elimination of depression after child birth

Unlike estrogen that generally falls to only 40 to 60 percent at menopause, progesterone levels can fall to nearly zero. There are two ways to increase progesterone levels in the body - naturally and through synthetics. Pharmaceutical companies produce synthetics. Since you cannot patent a natural product, they have to produce molecularly different variations of progesterone.

According to Dr. John Lee, leading authority on natural progesterone, natural progesterone USP has a molecular structure identical to the progesterone produced by the human body. Natural progesterone is produced through the fermentation (and other steps) of the Mexican Wild Yam. Dr. Lee points out that if the molecule produced from the extract of the Mexican Wild Yam is molecularly identical, then it is indeed the identical hormone. Reports indicate that natural progesterone has no side effects while the same cannot be said for the synthetic products.

It is important to note the difference between "transdermal" (which means through or by way of the skin) and oral progesterone: with the transdermal delivery system, active ingredients are delivered to the body rapidly and completely without being metabolized by the liver first (going through the liver reduces the bio-availability of the active ingredients by 80 - 90%), plus, it is taxing on the liver.

Please do not take for granted that your doctor understands the differences in the natural product and synthetic products. You are in charge of your health and your body - do your research! If you haven't read any of Dr. Lee's books, we highly recommend that you do. He is the world authority on natural progesterone and what it can do to put your body into balance.