Progesterone: Why is it important to a woman's body?
FACTS: WHY WOMEN NEED PROGESTERONE & WHAT IT DOES FOR THE BODY. IT'S TIME TO GET NERDY.
Many women have no idea they are progesterone deficient. The body’s way of telling us something is off is SYMPTOMS. Think of it as your “check engine light”. It is up to you to fix it. I have used several holistic tools to support my endocrine system and have had much success. Just 15 years ago I was having surgery upon surgery to rid my body of ovarian cysts, precancerous cells, and yuck caused by endometriosis. After I began to change my diet, rid my body and house (which are more similar than we think!) of harsh chemicals, & use plant based hormone supplements - the check engine light stopped flashing and I began to feel like me again.
Symptoms like PMS, bloating, heavy bleeding, mood swings, hot flashes, irregular cycles are COMMON but not normal.
ONE GOAL for balanced hormones is to keep a healthy balance of estrogen & progesterone in the body. Let’s chat about HOW you can begin that process and a few plant based recommendations.
FACTS
Let's get nerdy! A plant based chemical "diosgenin" is found in wild yam, which has been shown to help balance the endocrine system (hormones) and tone the liver! The body converts Diosgenin into Progesterone.
Progesterone is a crucial part of the menstrual cycle and maintenance of pregnancy. A women's body needs healthy levels of progesterone.
Progesterone helps to regulate your cycle.
The adrenal glands and ovaries can also produce progesterone. However, if you have low progesteorne levels, your adrenals will more than likely feel very overworked trying to increase levels. Tired adrenals lead to fight or flight / adrenal fatigue.
When the body produces high amounts of cortisol (AKA the stress hormone), it basically “steals” the resources required to make progesterone. This means that chronic stress can make it difficult to produce enough progesterone.
Symptoms of LOW progesterone may include mood changes, sleep disturbances, joint aches, bloating, anxiety, low sex drive, miscarriage, and depression...and so much more.
Progesterone affects the regulation of fluid levels in the body. That’s why weight gain due to fluid retention and breast tenderness are possible with decreased progesterone levels.
In a healthy body, estrogen and progesterone naturally balance each other out. Having low progesterone causes estrogen dominance, which leads to an overgrowth of the lining of the uterus (endometrium), which in turn causes heavy periods. Many common female cancers (breast, ovarian, uterine) are linked to an estrogen dominance.
Progesterone levels naturally decline with age. This tends to coincide with a decline in fertility and the onset of menopause. Some symptoms that can show up with this: hot flashes, mood swings, vaginal dryness. Keeping Progesterone levels balanced can help manage symptoms.
Many times, due to the increased amounts of "Xeno - Estrogen" the body becomes overwhelmed with TOO much estrogen. Xenoestrogens are “foreign” estrogens, substances that are close enough in molecular structure to the natural form of Estrogen...which means the body thinks it's regular estrogen and allows the Xenoestrogen to bind to estrogen receptor sites in the body. THIS has potentially hazardous outcomes. Google the affect of Xenoestrogen in the body. Sources of Xenoestrogens include plastics, pesticides, & chemicals (like artificial fragrance). Point here is, harsh / artificial chemicals cause a disruption in our hormones.
Wild Yam is a wonderful hormone balancer. My most favorite safe and effective estrogen/progestorine supplement is a serum from Young Living. Young Living's Progessence Plus does not contain any artificial hormones - or anything else that would cause disruption. Woot Woot! What it does contain is Wild Yam and a blend of essentrial oils thaat nautrally help the body produce progesterone.
