We’d been told for decades that progesterone is the “pregnancy hormone.” So why would we want anything to do with it as we approach mid-life? Well, it turns out that this story is far from the whole truth.
Progesterone is the precursor of the mineralocorticoid aldosterone, and after conversion to 17-hydroxyprogesterone (another natural progestogen) of cortisol and androstenedione. Androstenedione can be converted to testosterone, estrone and estradiol. Progesterone is produced in the adrenal glands, the gonads (specifically after ovulation in the corpus luteum), the brain, and, during pregnancy, in the placenta.
When our ovaries begin gently signaling that they do not want to continue the task of producing an egg every cycle, they don’t do it by dropping estrogen levels. Instead, we start to experience the odd cycle when no egg is produced. In those months, the ovaries do not produce progesterone. And the relation between estrogen and progesterone levels in our bodies begins to change.
We know now that it’s progesterone that affects our hearts, our blood vessels, our nerves, our brains and even our estrogen activity. Because progesterone does so much more than manage fertility, its decline can produce a lot of dramatic effects. We experience these effects as hot flashes, anxiety, sleeplessness, changes in sexual energy and vaginal changes.
Why Should You Use Progesterone Cream?
During the second half of each monthly cycle, from ovulation until menses, progesterone is designed to be the dominant hormone. Not all women produce sufficient amounts of progesterone during the second half of their cycle. Prior to menopause, as ovarian function wanes, cycles frequently occur where a woman does not ovulate (known as an anovulatory cycle). This period leading up to menopause is referred to as perimenopause. Anovulatory cycles that begin in perimenopause can lead to hormone changes that may result in hot flashes, changes in bleeding patterns, PMS-type symptoms, as well as many other menopausal symptoms. While progesterone levels fall close to zero due to anovulatory cycles at menopause, estrogen levels may only decline to about 40-60% of pre-menopausal levels. Progesterone has a number of important roles relative to menopause. It is the natural balancer to estrogen, as well as being necessary for optimum estrogen utilisation. Research over the years has also revealed other vital roles of progesterone on the heart, blood vessels, nerves and brain. Many women find that supplementing with progesterone allows them to achieve a balance once again.
Today we understand that it’s progesterone “that other female hormone” that is missing, causing all kinds of subtle imbalances by its absence. And that led us to believe that supplementing the circulating levels of progesterone would curb a whole range of distressing experiences women had simply come to accept as part of being a woman.
