Guest guest Posted April 10, 2005 Report Share Posted April 10, 2005 " Progesterone - the Natural Hormone " " Progesterone - the Natural Hormone " Apr 09, 2005 12:24 PDT by Kimberley Paterson Progesterone -What its all about Some of the most exciting work in terms of real solutions to health problems comes from biochemists and scientists who are coming to grips with the healing power of plants. This new movement understands that nature herself can help without too much of mankind's tinkering. My 1995 trip to England took me on to Europe where I met a young Danish biochemist deeply involved in this kind of work, a perfect example of anenlightened new breed of scientific researcher. His passion is the power he finds in organically grown plant compounds, " natural remedies " he takes and enhances with modern technology to create a whole new gender of natural remedy: a veritable 'super botanical' for the 21st century. The beauty of his work lies not only in marrying the best of ancient plant wisdom with the best of our modern age, but in that he is a scientist with a spiritual consciousness, aware of the profound impact people like him can have on the future health of humankind. Natural progesterone, too, has its genesis in both worlds: the diosgnenin plant compound from the wild yam (discorea villosa and dioscorea mexicana) is converted in a three-stage laboratory process to a molecule that is " nature identical " . (Disogenin is a " plant sterol " , a substance closely " related " to human steroid hormones). Nature identical or " bio-identical " means that the molecule is " exactly " the same as the progesterone that is made in the human body. Because natural progesterone is nature identical, the body can use it and " tolerate " it exactly as it would our own progesterone. Diosgenin from wild yams is also used by the pharmaceutical industry as the starting block in the " creation " of synthetic oestrogen and progestogens. What then is the difference between synthetic and nature identical? Slight " variations " in the structure of the atoms in a molecule. It sounds simple enough; one set of processing techniques takes you to a nature identical hormone, the other to a synthetic hormone. One matches the hormone in our body exactly: the other is " similar " but not the same. These " slight variations " lead to big differences in the effect these molecules have on our bodies. Every year we learn more and more about hormones and how exquisitely " fined-tuned " and " sensitive " they are. We now know that hormones fit into " receptor sites " all over the human body in a process described as a 'key fitting into a lock'. When this happens it's as though a cell door swings open and the hormone relays its " chemical message " into that cell... a master plan at the edges of human understanding all going on without a single thought from us. When you think about the perfect design of the human eco-system, it's little wonder that " foreign substances " wreak such internal damage. Most modern 'life-saving' drugs come with lists of " adverse reactions " and side-effects. Synthetic oestrogens are strongly linked with uterine and breast cancer; synthetic progestogens with blood clots, changes in vision, irregular bleeding. If nature identical hormones gives such " good results " with few associated problems, why not just " formulate " natural hormones and be done with it? 'It is a sad commentary on the pursuit of profit over women's well being that the pharmaceutical companies take perfectly good natural hormones that our bodies know and can use them, creating " synthetic compounds " with similar hormonal effects but " toxic " side-effects.' - Dr John Lee- Well, that's the rub. Pharmaceutical companies are businesses that exist to return a profit and it doesn't make sound commercial sense for them to work with " nature identical " hormones. Why not? Because the system we've created means it costs vast sums of money to put a new drug on the market, literally millions. To expend that kind of money on development,research, manufacturing and trialing a new product,pharmaceutical companies have to know that they 'own' the " molecular structure " and technology for a certain length of time so they can get a return and profit on their investment. That's why patents exist. A new molecule can be 'patented', in effect owned for a certain number of years so the company can market and sell it's product without competition. Natural hormones can't be " owned " . Therefore it doesn't make financial sense for pharmaceutical companies to expend the huge resources required to create " nature identical " molecules when, at any time, a competitor could do the same thing and the money would be lost. That's why HRT and the oral contraceptive pill are so very familiar to us and to the medical profession (you can be sure that pharmaceutical companies spend a lot of money ensuring doctors know all about their products). That's why the information about " natural progesterone " comes to us from the very small band of doctors who have been prescribing it and from the women who have been taking it over the past two decades. Natural hormones aren't allocated big advertising budgets, slick promotions and glossy advertisement campaigns to " inform " the medical profession about them. That's why chances are your doctor knows little or nothing about natural progesterone. We are beginning to hear about natural progesterone and the other " bio-identical " hormones because doctors like Katherina Dalton, Ray Peat and John Lee spent years in research, trying to understand their potential and gradually introduce them to their patients. It's good news for us now, but sobering to think how many women have suffered needlessly - not to mention died - from decades of " adverse reactions " to synthetic " copies " . " We know that we don't have as many studies on bio-identical hormones as we have on synthetic hormones. We know that the whole reason for that is because of patent issues; the pharmaceutical house has to make a " molecule " that is not bio-identical.' - Dr Christiane Northrup. ===================================================================== Suzanne Somers, Bioidentical Hormones: by John Lee http://www.johnleemd.com/store/hormones_somers.html Some good reading and some misconceptions about natural, " bioidentical " hormones. In her book The Sexy Years, Suzanne Somers has done a wonderful job describing the perils of the hormonal imbalances that menopause can bring, and she has certainly put natural, bioidentical hormones on the map with media appearances on everything from Home Shopping Network to the Larry King Show. " The Sexy Years " is a good read, with plenty of personal stories, helpful descriptions of how hormones work, and some interesting interviews with physicians who use bioidentical hormones in their medical practices. In particular, Somers draws from her friend, Dr. Diana Schwarzbein (author of The Schwarzbein Principle), an endocrinologist who uses natural, bioidentical hormones. Dr. Schwarzbein has drawn heavily from Dr. Lee's work over the years, and they even " borrowed " a slightly altered version of his Three Rules for Hormone Replacement for Somers' book, which you can find in the original on this website (http://www.johnleemd.com/thruforusbih.html). Pregnancy, Hormones and Health Somers does seem to have some " misconceptions " about a few important issues. When referring to natural, bioidentical hormones, she states that, " These hormones are not available in health food stores or from naturalists or herbalists. " In truth, estrogen and testosterone are only available by prescription from a doctor, but progesterone cream is easily available at most health food stores and on the web. Another statement Somers makes is that, " Postmenopausal women should not be mimicking pregnancy since the risks associated with pregnancy (heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and breast cancer) increase exponentially with age. " Scharwzbein reiterates this in her interview, but unfortunately does not explain her theory. While a few pregnant women are susceptible to gestational diabetes and eclampsia (high blood pressure), this doesn't mean that the hormones of pregnancy directly cause these problems. In fact, the majority of women are radiantly healthy during their last trimester of pregnancy, when hormones are the highest. Pregnancy hormones may cause a flare-up of a breast cancer tumor that was already established, but long term, one of the best-established factors that lowers the risk of breast cancer is pregnancy. In fact, the earlier a woman gets pregnant, and the more pregnancies she has, the lower her risk of breast cancer. For details on hormones and breast cancer, with extensive documentation, please read " What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer " . You Don't have to have Periods to Have Postmenopausal Hormone Balance It is very true that postmenopausal women do not want to be mimicking pregnancy by using high doses of bioidentical hormones continuously, without a break, and Somers and Schwarzbein make a good case for this in The Sexy Years. As Dr. Lee frequently pointed out, it's important to take a break from hormones for a week or so each month. That way, if there is any buildup of tissue in the uterus, it can be shed in menstruation. On the other hand, it is not necessary for a postmenopausal woman to have periods if she is using bioidentical hormones properly. When postmenopausal women use small doses of bioidentical hormones, they rarely, if ever, have periods, nor do they have the risky " endometrial buildup " in the uterus which is what makes it important to have periods. Estrogen stimulates the buildup of uterine tissue, but there's no need to take " that much " estrogen to feel healthy and balanced. Since fat cells " create " estrogen, women who are heavy may not even need to use supplemental estrogen. Dr. Lee's recommendation was always to use 15 to 30 mg of progesterone daily, and the lowest dose of estrogen that would either clear up " estrogen deficiency " symptoms or show normal levels on a saliva hormone level test. This improves health and well-being, but doesn't put a postmenopausal woman back into the same " hormonal milieu " she had when she was menstruating every month. These misconceptions are undoubtedly due to 1) the use of the oral (pill) form of progesterone (e.g. Prometrium), and 2) the use of blood tests to measure hormone levels. When you take progesterone in a " pill " form, most of it goes directly to the liver, where up to 80 percent of it may be dumped, but not before creating a variety of " byproducts " (metabolites). Thus, it's necessary to take 100 mg of progesterone in pill form to get 20 mg into your cells. If your liver happens to be working less efficiently on a given day, and " excretes " less of the progesterone, it's easy to experience overdose side effects such as sleepiness and bloating. These side effects often have women running for more estrogen to wake themselves up again, but what they really need to do is use " progesterone cream " , which is a much more " efficient " delivery method: if you put 20 mg on your skin, virtually all of that will be in your bloodstream within a matter of minutes. ===================================================================== Blood Tests vs. Saliva Tests The other misconception is that a standard blood test will give an accurate " indication " of hormone levels. Standard blood tests measure the amount of hormones in the serum, or watery part of the blood. However, the majority of hormones found in serum have been inactivated and are on their way out of the body. Active (bioavailable) hormones are " carried " on the red blood cells and these are what matters. Some doctors are now doing hormone testing with red blood cells, but it's much easier and less expensive to test saliva hormone levels. Active hormones are filtered into your saliva, and these can be " accurately " measured with a simple at-home test. Overdosing Creates the Same Old Problems This misconception about measuring hormones has been particularly " misleading " among those who use bioidentical hormones because one must take " massive " overdoses of hormones before they'll show up at all in a standard blood test. This has led to the practice of using way too high a dosage, particularly of estrogen and progesterone, and that just creates further " hormone imbalances " . Overdosing, even with bioidentical hormones, is a setup for a long list of familiar side effects, including weight gain, bloating, insomnia, hot flashes and night sweats. " Excess estrogen " is particularly problematic, not just because it causes the symptoms above, but also because it's an " upper, " or stimulating, and it can, in effect, become addictive. In excess, estrogen can create a kind of hyper-talkative, restless, even agitated state that passes for increased energy. The brain gets used to the higher level of " excitement " and when estrogen levels drop, it can cause depression and fatigue. If you're leading a stressful life, taking more estrogen to pump up your energy is akin to taking drugs such as speed – it may produce a temporary high, but there's always a corresponding low to follow. The wiser strategy is to manage " stress " by eating well, getting plenty of sleep and exercise, practicing some form of meditation, supporting adrenal function (see " What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause " for details), and creating hormone balance. If you'd like detailed information on how to use natural, bioidentical hormones in a way that creates balance, and is in tune with your body's natural way of doing things, please read the newly updated and revised edition of " What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause " . ===================================================================== Post subject: Natural Progesterone Cream List - http://www.johnleemd.com/store/resource_progesterone.html This is a free list that is updated regularly. It is based on our knowledge of the companies and their products, but we cannot guarantee that any of these creams contain Dr. Lee's recommended doses. There are many good creams available that are not on this list. Dr. Lee never endorsed or recommended any one progesterone cream, nor did he make money from the sale of any progesterone cream. Companies that state or imply otherwise on their websites or elsewhere, should be avoided. AIM International, Inc., 3904 East Flamingo Ave., Nampa, ID 83687, (208) 465-5116. Renewed Balance progesterone cream. Alternative Medicine Network, 601 16th St., #C-#105, Golden, CO 80401, toll-free (877) 753-5424, www.altmednetwork.net, e-mail sal-. They make Awakening Woman Natural Progesterone Cream which contains only progesterone as its active ingredient. Arbonne International, Inc., P.O. Box 2488, Laguna Hills, CA 92654, (800) ARBONNE, web-site www.arbonne.com e-mail customer-. They make PhytoProlief and Prolief Natural Balancing Creams. Bio-Nutritional Formulas, 106 E. Jericho Tpke, P.O. Box 311, Mineola, NY 11501, (800) 950-8484. Fem-Gest cream. Broadmoore Labs Inc., 3875 Telegraph Road/294, Ventura, CA 93003, (800) 822-3712. Makers of Natra-Gest progesterone creams. Dr. Helen Pensanti's Cream: Helen Pensanti MD,Inc., P.O. Box 7530, Newport Beach, Ca 92658, 714-542-8333, fax 949-8564573, in- & ord-, www.askdrhelen.com. Dr. Randolph's Natural Progesterone Cream www.womens-medicine.com Toll free (866) 628-6337, this is Dr. Randy Randolph's cream, which contains only progesterone as its active ingredient, and no chemicals. Easy Way International, 5340 Commerce Circle, #E, Indianapolis, IN 46237, (800) 267-4522. They make Gentle Changes progesterone cream. Elan Vitale, P.O. Box 13990, Scottsdale, AZ 85267, (800) 527-5898, (602) 483-5650. They make BioBalance progesterone cream. Emerita, Pro-Gest, 621 SW Alder, Ste 900, Portland, OR 97205-3627, (503)226-1010 or(800) 648-8211. The original natural progesterone cream. A Division of Transitions For Health, Inc., website www.transitionsforhealth.com and www.progest.com. The Health and Science Research Inst., 661 Beville Rd., Ste. 101, Daytona Beach, FL 32119, (888) 222-1415, fax (904) 267-9005, www.health-science.com. Serenity for Women progesterone cream. HM Enterprises, 2622 Bailey Dr., Norcross, GA 30071, (800) 742-4773. website, www.hmenterprises.com or www.paulbunyan.net/users/mlzeller. They make Happy PMS progesterone cream. International Health, 8704 E. Mulberry St, Scottsdale, Arizona 85251 Makers of EssPro'Leve Plus Progesterone Cream with Essential Oils. 1-800-481-9987 or (480) 874-1419 Email: nopms@ doitnow.com Kevala, a division of Karuna, 42 Digital Drive #7, Novato, CA 94949 , 888-749-8643, website, www.health.com, e-mail in-. They make PureGest Lotion which is free from additional hormones, herbs and alcohols. Kokoro, LLC., P.O. Box 597, Tustin, CA 92781, (800) 599-9412, (714) 836-7749, website www.kokorohealth.com. They offer Kokoro Women's Balance Crème. Life-flo Health Care Products, 8146 N. 23rd Ave., Ste. E, Phoenix, AZ 85021, (888) 999-7440, e-mail ca-, website life-flo.com or www.sheld.com/lifeflo/. They make Progestacare cream. Matol www.matol.com Botanical International, Quebec, Canada, (514) 639-3347, makers of Botanelle Progesterone Cream. Natural Pause-Natural Menopause Solutions www.naturalpause.com 11683 Noguera Ave, Ventura, CA 93001 (888) 267-5032, makers of Natural Pause cream. Nature's Sunshine Products, Inc. www.naturessunshine.com 75 E. 1700 S., Provo, UT. 84606.(800) 223-8225m, e-mail, quest-; Pro-G-Yam 500 Progesterone Cream with wild yam extract. Neways, 150 E. 400 North, P.O. Box 651, Salem, UT 84653, (801) 423-2800. They make Endau cream. Products of Nature, 54 Danbury Road, Ridgefield, CT 06877, (800) 665-5952. www.pronature.com - Connecticut www.prodnature.com - Texas Maker of Natural Woman progesterone cream. Pure Essence Labs, Inc. www.pureessencelabs.com 1999 Whitney Mesa Drive, Suite A, Henderson, NV 89014, (888) 254-8000 Makers of FemCreme. On-line distributors: www.getleaner.com, www.vitaminlady.com. Restored Balance Inc., 42 Meadowbridge Dr. SW, Cartersville, GA 30120, (800 ) 865-7499, www.restoredbalanceusa.com, e-mail restored-. They make Restored Balance PMS/Menopausal progesterone cream. Springboard, 3115 Stoney Oak Drive, Spring Valley, CA 91978, Toll Free Phone (866) 882-6868, or (619) 670-3860, fax (619) 670-4149, website www.springboard4health.com or www.naturalprogesterone.com. They make ProBalance progesterone cream. Sarati International, Rt. 3, Box 385, Ted Hunt Rd., Los Fresno, TX 78566. (800) 900-0701. They make Natural Progesterone Cream, website www.sarati.com. Online distributors: www.sunrisewd.com or www.progestnet.com Vitality Lifechoice, Carson City, NV, (800) 423-8365. They make Balance Cream. Vitamin Research Products, Inc. www.advancedmenopauserelief.com 3579 Highway 50 East, Carson City, NV 89701, (775) 884-1300, (800) 877-2447, makers of HerBalance Cream. COMPOUNDING PHARMACISTS www.iacprx.org If your doctor is interested in natural hormones but hesitant about prescribing an over-the-counter cream, you can put him/her in touch with a compounding pharmacist skilled in the use of natural hormone supplements, who can educate your physician and provide dosing guidelines. For a referral in your area contact IACP (International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists), (800) 927-4227, ext 300, or go online to. SALIVA HORMONE TESTING & BLOOD SPOT TESTING ZRT Laboratory www.salivatest.com and www.bloodspottesting.com 1815 NW 168th Place, Ste. 5050, Beaverton, OR 97006 Phone (503) 466-2445 fax (503) 466-1636 e-mail in- _________________ JoAnn Guest mrsjo- DietaryTi- www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Genes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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