Is made largely by the ovaries in women and a small amount is produced by men in the testicles. In addition, the adrenal glands in both men and women produce progesterone.
Progesterone benefits
- Reduces the production of adrenaline by preventing insulin-induced hypoglycemia.
- Works to stabilize blood sugar and prevent salt retention
- Helps use fat for energy
- Improves joint health
- Protects against breast fibro cysts
- Prevents PMS
- Aids the survival and development of the fetus
- Protects the heart
- Acts as a natural diuretic
- Antidepressant and alleviates anxiety
- Prevents cyclic migraines
- Promotes deep sleep
- Improves thyroid function
- Helps normalize blood sugar levels
- Boosts libido
- Simulates new bone formulation
- Supports the immune system
- Prevents auto-immune diseases
- Help prevent breast cancer
- Reduces the appearance of liver spots
- Reduces yeast infections
- Is very hydrating to the skin in transdermal form
Signs of low levels
- Adrenaline dominance
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Hostility
- Bloating
- Intense headaches
- Abdominal pain before periods
- Painful periods
- Bloating in the face, hands, and feet
- Excessive lower body and stomach fat
- More likely to have ovarian cysts and uterine fibroids
Steps to improve Progesterone levels
- Vitex at 400-800mg helps increase progesterone levels in women and improve the ratio of progesterone to estrogen ratio.
- Maca helps increase progesterone levels and also lowers excess estrogen. 1-3 teaspoons of gelatinized maca or 600mg of 20:1 extract such as what is in my adrenal energy supplement RED
- Progesterone cream at 20mg per dosage 3x per day. Morning, afternoon, and before bedtime. For men 10mg 1-3 times per day. Be sure to determine what your levels are before taking an exogenous hormone.
Reference Range
Men
0.2 to 1.4 ng/ml, median 0.8 ng/ml
Women
Follicular phase 0.2 to 1.5 ng/ml
Ovulation phase 0.8 to 3.0 ng/ml
Luteal phase 1.7 to 27 ng/ml
Postmenopausal phase 0.1 to 0.8 ng/ml
Sources
The Hormone solution, Dr. Thierry Hertoghe
Traumatic Brain Injury, Dr. Mark Gordon
Adrenaline Dominance, Dr. Michael E. Platt
http://totalityofbeing.com/FramelessPages/Articles/natural_progesterone.html
