Natural hormones are substances that are like those
produced naturally. Synthetic hormones are close enough to
the natural kind to get into the cell and perform many of
the same functions, but they don't provide all of the
benefits and they do have some definite problems.
As an example, both natural progesterone and the synthetic
counterparts, which are called progestins, help prevent
cancer like uterine cancer. However, only natural
progesterone protects against breast cancer, normalizes the
fatty acid profile, restores normal sex drive, and
regulates sleep patterns.
Progestins, on the other hand, contribute to mood swings,
fatigue, depression, insomnia, bloating, breast tenderness,
weight gain, and anxiety ' of which none are side effects
of natural progesterone.
Synthetic estrogens are altered so that drug companies make
them individual and patent them. They tend to be stronger
and more toxic than estrogens manufactured naturally in the
human body; and so they increase the odds of having
symptoms of estrogen dominance, which are weight gain,
bloating, anxiety, depression, and low blood sugar, and
from estrogen-related diseases like breast and uterine
cancer. The natural forms of estrogen, i.e. estradiol,
estrone, and estriol, tend to be safer.
It's important to note that most studies of hormone
replacement therapy involve the use of synthetic hormones.
Don't assume that all hormone replacement therapy brings
about the same results we've seen in the recent studies,
all of which used synthetic hormones. We're in need of
some valid long-term studies on the effects of the natural
and synthetic versions of both progesterone and estrogen.
Estrogen and progesterone work as opposites to maintain
hormonal balance. But they also help sensitize receptors
for each other throughout the body. That is, progesterone
helps the body take up and use estrogen, and estrogen helps
the body take up and use progesterone. Estrogen is
responsible for the creation of the soft female form.
It promotes cell growth, which is why it can be dangerous
in the presence of certain estrogen-dependent cancers, like
those of the breast, ovaries or uterine lining. It's also
responsible for increased body fat, retention of sale and
fluid, and a decrease in the sex drive. All of this makes
sense when the body is being prepared for motherhood.
Progesterone, on the other hand, helps keep estrogen in
line. While estrogen promotes the buildup of the uterine
lining, progesterone triggers the breakdown and shedding of
that lining. Estrogen is almost never prescribed without
progesterone for a woman who has an intact uterus, because
estrogen will cause overgrowth of the uterine lining, which
can lead to cancer. While estrogen may increase body fat,
progesterone helps the body use that fat for energy.
Estrogen impairs the sex drive; progesterone restores it.
Estrogen increases blood clotting; progesterone normalizes
it and, together, these two hormones keep the female
reproductive system, and may other bodily functions,
working together.
During perimenopause, when ovulation becomes sporadic,
there will be some months when there's no substance
produced to manufacture progesterone. During these months,
your progesterone levels are close to zero ' as low as
those found in postmenopausal women. Yet estrogen
production will continue as if nothing has happened. This
creates a phenomenon called estrogen dominance, in which
estrogen is allowed to run unchecked without the normal
balancing effect of progesterone.
The result is an unhappy long list of symptoms familiar to
many women experiencing perimenopause, which include weight
gain, bloating, breast tenderness, low blood sugar,
fatigue, lack of sex drive, migraine headaches,
irritability, and emotional hypersensitivity. These are
all common indications of too much estrogen and not enough
progesterone. If this sounds like PMS, that's because PMS
is often due to estrogen dominance as well.
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John Russell of IH Distribution, LLC brings you health,
anti-aging and skin care products from around the world.
Find fabulous skin care tips and great articles on a wide
range of topics for women at
http://www.hormones-beauty-health.com
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