How to Treat and Prevent Progesterone Deficiency Naturally

Hormone imbalance is a problem that is affecting a large number of American women. Estrogen dominance causing progesterone deficiency is responsible for the imbalance. There are some remedies available including natural progesterone cream and hormone replacement therapy.

Symptoms of hormone inbalance include migraine headaches, depression, fatigue, loss of sex drive, fibrocystic breasts, PMS, mood swings, heavy bleeding during menses, hot flashes, hair loss, irregular menstrual cycles, vaginal dryness, thinning hair, slow thyroid, fluid retention and difficulty with concentration. There are four factors that contribute to hormone inbalance which are hormone replacement, stress, diet and the environment.

In July 2002, a story was published about hormone replacement therapy in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Studies had found that traditional hormone replacement therapy increased the number of cases of stroke, heart attack, blood clots and breast cancer during the first year of therapy. The FDA gave a ruling stating it was unethical to continue the study because of the serious risks of side effects women were being exposed too.

During the first half of a woman's monthly cycle, estrogen is the dominant hormone. It is responsible for the growth of the cells in the uterus lining which enables the implanting of a fertilized egg. In the second half of the cycle progesterone is the hormone released when a woman ovulates. Its purpose is to sustain the newly fertilized egg implanted in the lining of the uterus. Other important functions of progesterone are to protect against endometrial and breast cancer, act as a anti-depressant, protect against fibrocystic breasts, restore sex drive, act as a natural diuretic, normalize thyroid function, stabilize blood sugar, build new bone and restore normal vascular tone.

A study was conducted at John Hopkins University in 1996 and it was concluded that women who are low in natural progesterone have an 80% higher risk of developing breast cancer and ten times the risk of other types of malignant cancer.

Medical prescriptions - Birth control pills contain a large amount of prescription hormones. Progestin, which is used in hormone replacement therapy, is not the same as natural progesterone. These prescriptions only add to the problem by increasing the amount of estrogen in the body.

Stress - Studies have been conducted that have revealed that by the age of 34, half of all woman in America have no progersterone. The fast paced, stressful, lifestyle of the American woman robs the body of its natural progesterone. Stress also has been found to effect a woman's ability to ovulate, limiting or halting the production of progesterone.

Diet - Some of the most consumed foods in America are a huge factor in the increase of estrogen in women. Animals from which we get chicken, beef and pork are fed estrogen to make them grow and be transported to the market more quickly. A diet of refined starches, sugars and processed foods also contribute to hormone imbalance.

Environment - False estrogens are found in many personal care products such as most soaps, skin care and hair cair products, mineral oil(baby oil), pestisides and detergents. These false estrogens have a negative impact on estrogen receptors in the body and cause hormone imbalance.

The first step is to correct estrogen dominance by using a USP grade (United States Pharmacopoeia - tests performed for quality assurance) natural progesterone cream. The product should be in an airtight container(to prevent oxidation) such as a pump style container and be formulated in a botanical base.

Whenever possible buy organic meat. Avoid skin products that contain mineral oil and petroleum based products. Instead of eating refined sugars, starches and foods loaded with petrochemical, eat raw fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Progesterone deficiency is the cause of many unpleasant side effects and leads to serious and life threatening health conditions. Hormone replacement therapy and certain prescription medications only add to the problem of estrogen dominants. Making simple changes in the diet, avoiding harmful personal and home care products and adding a natural progesterone cream will alleviate unpleasant symptoms and prevent against serious health conditions.

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