Informed Women’s Health Guide to Understanding & Managing Menopause, PMS, Infertility & Osteoporosis
Progesterone is a steroid hormone released from a woman’s ovaries at ovulation & in smaller amounts by the adrenal glands. A menstruating woman will typically produce about 22-25 mg of progesterone per day during the luteal phase of her menstrual cycle (days 14-28).
A properly formulated bio-identical progesterone is converted from a fatty-acid sterol called diosgenin (a plant sterol) which is commonly extracted from wild yams or soybeans, non GMO being a must. In spite of the fact that diosgenen is extracted from soy, the end result is a highly purified, biologically identical hormone, one completely free of any remnants of soy substances. You may have an allergy to soy, but will not respond to Serenity, as there are no traces of soy and there is no diosgenin in the cream.
Bio-identical progesterone is molecularly the same as what is produced by the woman’s ovary. It is made from naturally occurring plant sterols found in abundance in yam or soy. More than 5,000 plants contain diosgenin. Although frequently confused, it is not the synthetic version that is commonly dispensed by prescription e.g., Provera.
These synthetic chemicals interfere with a woman’s natural hormone production and normal glandular function, i.e., thyroid and will suppress the body’s production of natural progesterone.
Based on 37 years of use and clinical observation by Dr. Jonathan Wright, Dr. Ray Peat and Dr. John Lee, side effects have been shown to be extremely rare with natural progesterone in a plant-based cream. Since progesterone is a primary hormone that regulates a woman’s menstrual cycle, it is important to only use a biologically identical progesterone in a plant based cream during the progesterone phase of the month (days 14-28).
What are the sources of these foreign hormones or xeno-estrogens?
- Meat & Dairy that contain growth hormones – Farmers feed growth hormones to their animals, as the net increase in profits is substantial. So, when choosing meat or dairy, make certain the label says “hormone-free; antibiotic-free”. Better yet, “Free-Range, Grass-Fed” is more sustainable and better for your health. Sustainable and local grownwill be of greatest benefit to your health.
- Personal Care Products that contain petroleum derivatives – Petroleum derivatives (petro-chemicals) are used in most personal care/cleaning products. When they enter the human body, they act like synthetic estrogens, wreaking havoc on your efforts to achieve optimal hormone balance.
- Birth Control Pills
- Prescription Progesterone pills
Synthetic progesterones usually called progestins, (medroxy-progesterone), often cause many undesirable side-effects including increased risk of cancer, abnormal menstrual flow, fluid retention, nausea, depression, PMS, PMT and may even increase your risk for heart disease and stroke.
Make sure that the label on all of your personal care products reads:
“All Plant-Based” or “Petro-Chemical-Free”
Conclusion:
This clear distinction will furnish vital information for the unwanted effects of low or no progesterone relative
too much estrogen (
Estrogen Dominance) & the subsequent unpleasant symptoms associated with Menopause, PMS, and the conditions of infertility & osteoporosis.
Other major disorders, including
have also been shown to be caused or, at the very least, contributed to by an imbalance of steroid hormones.
Distinguishing safe and natural hormones from those that are foreign and carcinogenic will allow women to make informed choices that will benefit future health and quality of life.
References:
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Hotze SF.
Hormones, Health, and Happiness. Houston, TX: Forrest Publishing; 2005.
Dalton, K.
The Premenstrual Syndrome and Progesterone Therapy. Chicago, IL: Year Book Medical Publishers; 1977.
Sumino H, Ichikawa S, Itoh H, et al
. Hormone replacement therapy decreases insulin resistance and lipid metabolism in Japanese postmenopausal women with impaired and normal glucose tolerance. Horm Res. 2003;60(3):134-42.
The history of natural progesterone, the never-ending story. P.Piette. Pages 308-314 | Received 10 Jan 2018, Accepted 05 Apr 2018, Published online: 28 May 2018
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