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Do women going through menopause have lower levels of progesterone?
Recent research tells us that women suffer from reduced progesterone levels and also experience other symptoms such as unexplained weight gain (particularly in the stomach area), depression, fatigue, hair loss, memory loss, mood swings, migraines and loss of libido A natural cream can balance estrogens without side effects.
Progesterone and estrogen are the two main hormones produced by women’s ovaries when they are menstruating. The adrenal glands also secrete smaller amounts of these hormones. It is necessary for the survival of the fertilized egg, its embryo and the fetus during gestation.
The main functions of progesterone include: acting as a precursor to estrogen and testosterone; maintains the uterine lining and helps in pregnancy; protects against fibrocystic breasts, endometrium and breast cancer; acts as a natural diuretic, helps to use fat for energy; it can be a natural antidepressant; helps the action of thyroid hormone; normalizes blood clotting; restores sexual desire; normalizes blood sugar, zinc and copper levels; restores adequate levels of cellular oxygen, has a thermogenic effect; builds bone and helps protect against osteoporosis.
Some doctors believe that the symptoms of menopause, osteoporosis, and heart disease may not be due to a deficiency of estrogen, but rather to a relative excess of estrogen due to a deficiency of progesterone.
Synthetic progestins, such as an HRT drug called Provera (a synthetic chemical), do not have the same biological effects as natural progesterone and are known to cause side effects including: fluid retention, depression, breast tenderness, accident cerebrovascular, jaundice, blood clotting. and cervical erosions.
On the other hand, natural progesterone has no known side effects and has been found to be helpful in relieving symptoms like PMS and hot flashes. It has also been credited with helping prevent osteoporosis.
Many doctors now prescribe menopausal women to use a low-dose natural progesterone cream during the last two weeks of the menstrual cycle. The cream is easily absorbed into thin skin areas such as the breasts, inner arms, neck or belly by subcutaneous fat and is then released into the bloodstream. You should be careful with the dosage level of these products. Some may have little or nothing and others provide 20-30mg in an average application. It is always best to consult a doctor first.
