How to Balance Progesterone
Sex drive, insomnia and weight loss! Estrogen’s favorite sidekick is progesterone and they work together to achieve hormone balance. With so much estrogen in our environment, we tend to see estrogen dominance which in turn can create low progesterone. With the gradual drop in estrogen but a severe drop in progesterone, there is not enough progesterone to balance the amount of estrogen in our body. Many women in their mid-thirties, most women during peri-menopause (mid-forties), and essentially all women during menopause (age 50 and beyond) have too low progesterone. Progesterone-like estrogen is a sex hormone it helps to prepare your body for conception and pregnancy and regulates the monthly menstrual cycle. It also plays a key role in sexual desire, something many women feel they are lacking in.
Symptoms of low progesterone are:
- PMS
- Cyclical headaches
- Irregular menstrual cycles
- Heavy periods
- Bloating and water retention
- Low sex drive
- Insomnia
- Postpartum depression
- PCOS
- Anxiety
- Weight gain
- Weight loss resistance
- Hot flushes
- Menopause
What you can do about it...
Vitamin C at doses of 750 mg/day have been shown to raise progesterone levels. Chaste Berry (Vitex) 500-1000 mg a day is proven to reduce PMS and infertility presumably by raising progesterone
Ditch the estrogen
Even if your levels of progesterone are in normal range yet you are having the symptoms of low progesterone then I highly advise ditching as much xenoestrogens in your environment as possible. If the ratio between estrogen and progesterone are off you can experience the symptoms of low progesterone. You can read more about how to lower your estrogen in my post on estrogen dominance.
Bio-identical Progesterone
As we age our bodies simply quit producing as much progesterone and no amounts of vitamin c or chaste berry will help at that point. Taking a natural form of progesterone called bio-identical progesterone can help eliminate the symptoms and discomfort of estrogen dominance without the side effects associated with synthetic hormone replacement therapy. Bio-identical progesterone has been shown to;
- Help with symptoms of menopause including hot flashes, mood swings, insomnia, night sweats, vaginal dryness. (Important: menopause is not an estrogen-deficiency disease. The symptoms experienced by menopausal women are actually the symptoms of estrogen dominance! The most effective and safe treatment of these menopause symptoms is to counteract the excess estrogens by using a natural progesterone cream.)
- Relieve the symptoms of PMS
- Increases sex drive
- Improve weight loss resistance
- Help the body to lose weight
- Normalizes insulin blood sugar control. Helps to stabilize blood sugar levels, and control cravings for high-sugar.
- Alleviate depression, progesterone is the raw material for the anti-stress hormones serotonin and dopamine.
- Reduce anxiety
- Stimulates bone growth, protecting against osteoporosis. It also protects against arthritis, and as an anti-inflammatory, reduces arthritic pain.
- Assists the thyroid. Progesterone therapy helps to restore normal thyroid hormone action.
- Pregnancy. Helps avoid early miscarriage (propagates an embryo). Sufficient progesterone is vital during pregnancy. Especially if you are estrogen-dominant and progesterone-deficient, supplementing with natural progesterone can help you get and stay pregnant.
- Protects against ovarian, endometrial and breast cancers.
- Protects against fibro cysts, uterine fibroids and endometriosis.
- Normalises blood clotting.
- Progesterone is a diuretic.
- Heart disease - reduces blood clotting, reduces stress / better sleep, reduces high blood pressure by acting as a natural diuretic, improves the integrity and function of cell membranes.
I know from my own experience that supplementing with bio-identical progesterone has helped with my symptoms of PMS, postpartum and weight loss resistance. I have seen women get massive relief from anxiety, excess weight, insomnia, hot flashes, low sex drive and infertility. If you are in Canada you can talk to your MD or ND about a prescription for Bio-identical progesterone and to discuss if that could be an option for you. If you are in the United States you can order progesterone online from our Women's Wellness shop.
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Find Karen Martel on Apply Podcast
Karen Martel is a Certified Hormone Specialist and Transformational Nutrition Coach dedicated to empowering women through their health journeys.
As the host of the popular podcast The Hormone Solution, Karen tackles the complexities of hormonal health, weight loss resistance, and the challenges that come with perimenopause and menopause.
Her mission is to disrupt outdated narratives surrounding women's health, providing reliable information and practical solutions that help women reclaim their vitality. With personal experience overcoming her own health struggles, Karen offers insights into hormone optimization and sustainable weight management strategies.
Join her as she engages in enlightening conversations with experts and shares actionable advice, all aimed at helping women navigate their unique hormonal landscapes with confidence and clarity. Tune in to discover how to embrace life's stages while enhancing overall well-being.
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