Progesterone and endometriosis

Progesterone is a vital hormone for many bodily and chemical processes.  It needs to be in balance to help address estrogen dominance which is especially important with endometriosis.


Progesterone vs estrogen and endometriosis

Progesterone is secreted by the female reproductive system.  Its main function is to regulate the condition of the inner lining of the uterus.  Progesterone is produced by the ovaries, placenta, and adrenal glands.

 

Progesterone levels in the body are very low in the first two weeks of a woman’s menstrual cycle.  At the point when a follicle is released it rises dramatically until day twenty-one to twenty-three, at which point it begins to fall.  In addition to maintaining the lining of the womb and reducing activity in the other ovary, the progesterone produced each month travels to other parts of a woman’s body to fulfil other roles.  


For example, it protects from the side effects of estrogen, helping to prevent breast cancer, water and salt retention, high blood pressure and depression.  The correct levels of progesterone will also help protect against the problems associated with Estrogen Dominance.  Progesterone also induces surges of libido. When a woman is producing enough of this steroid hormone, she is likely to feel great.  It helps her to feel content and emotionally balanced in a number of ways. 


When a woman is pregnant the levels of progesterone soar.  It is the high levels of progesterone that are produced, especially in the last few months of pregnancy that makes many women feel on top of the world and why some women love the whole experience.


The natural hormone progesterone is not to be confused with the synthetic hormones, which are used in birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy.    These are called progestogens, progestins or gestins.  The effects of natural and synthetic hormones on the body differ enormously.  


The synthetics do not match the body’s chemistry, so the body is not equipped to metabolise them properly. The use of synthetic progesterone can all too often aggravate some of the problems a doctor is trying to treat, making women moody, irritable and bad-tempered.  


Natural progesterone, by contrast, tends to make women feel calm and stable. The actions of hormones are so powerful on the body that you need to make only minute quantities of each, as they are required.  For instance, at any moment there may be as little as one molecule of a particular hormone to every fifty thousand million other molecules in your blood stream.


The estrogens and progesterone in a woman’s body must be in equilibrium for a woman to remain healthy.  In many woman they are becoming more and more out of balance.  As a result we are now seeing a widespread rise in many diseases and symptoms due to this imbalance. Hormones are very potent substances.  We only understand the very basics of how their complex processes actually work.  


When the balance is thrown out the body goes into a state of decline, disorder and disease.  This is especially true for women, whose bodies have very elaborate hormonal processes.  Hormones not only direct and determine  physiology, but also influence  emotional and psychological states.  Besides creating a myriad of health problems, hormone imbalances can undermine self-esteem, creativity and a general sense of well being. 


To check your levels of hormones you can do a simple blood test which will test for your levels of estrogen and progesterone.  Once you have your results you can take measures to address your hormone levels.  If you are estrogen dominant there are various herbs that can help to regulate your estrogen levels like raspberry leaf, maca and agnus castus.




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Reference:

https://www.cemcor.ubc.ca/ask/endometriosis-and-natural-progesterone

https://www.everydayhealth.com/endometriosis/treatment/progesterone-endometriosis-natural/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5077092/




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