Frequently Asked Questions...
What Is A Hormone ?
Hormones are substances secreted into the bloodstream and are "produced by several glands and organs" in your body such as the ovaries,
testes, thyroid, pancreas, pituitary, liver and others. They travel through the bloodstream from where they are produced to where they
will interact with receptors to do the work for which they were intended. They "initiate reactions in the body," whereas enzymes
usually help to facilitate them. Hormones regulate fluid retention, mineral metabolism, sexual function and libido, reproductive
functions, growth and development, aging and numerous other functions.
What Is Progesterone ?
Natural Progesterone is an important hormone which is manufactured by the adrenal glands in men and the ovaries in women.
Extra amounts are manufactured by the placenta during pregnancy. Progesterone is responsible for many bodily functions that are
necessary for optimum health.
What Is Estrogen ?
Estrogen is a hormone produced in the body. Estrogen is to a woman what testosterone is to a man. However, women and men have
some of each, but women have more. It's the basic female sex hormone and responsible for development of female characteristics.
Estrogen is balanced in healthy individuals by progesterone.
What Are Xeno-Estrogens ?
These are synthetic compounds that occur as a result of our petrochemical industries and the environmental pollution. When
ingested or exposed to our bodies, they will act like estrogen and can cause the same negative effects, such as the unopposed
synthetic estrogen prescribed by physicians.
What Are Progestins ?
Progestins are synthetic compounds that are intended to mimic the actions of natural progesterone. However, they can actually
cause numerous side effects and should be avoided at all cost.
What Is Hormonal Imbalance ?
Hormonal imbalance is a term that has become popular to describe an incorrect relationship that exists between levels of
progesterone and estrogen. It will occur in nearly every instance synthetic hormones are prescribed by physicians.
Can You Explain Hormone Cycles ?
During the first half of a woman's monthly cycle her body is prepared for accepting a fertilized egg. As estrogen levels
increase during the first half of the cycle, water and nutrient storage takes place. At this point, progesterone will begin
to become the "dominant hormone" for the second half of the cycle. If fertilization occurs, progesterone levels increase to
very high levels for several months. If fertilization does not occur, levels of both estrogen and progesterone lessen, but
progesterone remains dominant.
What Is HRT ?
An abbreviation for... "Hormone Replacement Therapy." Several years ago it became quite popular
for doctors to prescribe the hormone estrogen for menopausal symptoms in women. They thought they were replacing the hormones
lost with the advent of menopause. But now contemporary physicians know that estrogen is not the hormone needing to be replaced.
They are becoming increasingly aware that it is progesterone that is desperately in need of replacing. So, when synthetic
estrogen is given, it actually aggravates the symptoms all the more. Later, synthetic estrogen products were formulated to
include synthetic progestins to offset the bad effects of estrogen dominance. This vicious cycle is just now beginning to
be understood with the advent of natural progesterone.
What Benefits Can I Expect ?
There is much evidence that men and especially women, suffer from reduced levels of progesterone. And keeping our progesterone
levels to optimum levels can help fight depression & anxiety, increase sexual libido, prevent bone loss (osteoporosis),
fight aging skin, wrinkles and brown spots, help oxygenation of cells, alleviate sleeplessness, control acne, reduce premenstrual
discomforts, protect against breast fibroids, reduce hair thinning, reduce hot flashes etc.
Why Natural Progesterone Only ?
Synthetic progesterone (progestins) simply do not perform the same functions in the body. They can even lower your levels of
progesterone. Natural progesterone is also the precursor to many other hormones in your body, so it is imperative that
it be used in its natural form.
What About My Emotions ?
Most women notice a leveling off of their emotions when they get their progesterone levels up to where they should be, especially
if they've been victim to estrogen dominance. Some women have actually reported a feeling of well-being or euphoria. Thus, it's
been dubbed "the happy hormone."
What About Using Progesterone If I Am On Birth Control Pills ?
Birth control pills usually contain synthetic progestins. It is not recommended to take them together. Birth control pills
have been known to cause many health problems when taken over a long period of time.
Do Post-Menopausal Or Hysterectomized Women Still Produce Hormones ?
The best way of describing a hysterectomy is this..."instant menopause." What is not really understood by most doctors is
that the body continues to produce about 40% of the estrogen it once had been producing before menopause or hysterectomy, even
though the ovaries have been removed. However, progesterone levels decrease more severely. The symptoms usually attributed to
low estrogen are really due to a lack of progesterone. Women who are in this category seem to notice the benefits of natural
progesterone much quicker than those who are still menstruating.
Can I Discontinue HRT ?
Many women now taking estrogen or estrogen combined with progestins are able to discontinue their HRT. Please consult with a
medical professional before doing so. It is possible that if adequate natural progesterone levels were present, any needed
estrogen could be made from it. Because progesterone sensitizes estrogen receptors, it makes sense to supplement with progesterone
rather than estrogen. If you are taking hormone replacements and begin applying progesterone and do not lower estrogen dosages,
you may experience symptoms of estrogen-dominance, so with your doctor's permission, lower your estrogen dose. Continue replacing
your HRT with progesterone and after a while you will have discontinued your HRT.
How Can I Tell About My Progesterone Levels ?
A woman can usually tell by how she is feeling. However, blood or saliva testing is recommended. (Dr. John Lee recommends only the saliva test.)
What About Estrogen And Cancer ?
There is now no question that estrogen can be linked to certain cancers. For instance, it's been shown to contribute
as much as a... 30% increase in breast cancer. It has also been shown that as many as two thirds of women taking estrogen
can develop uterine lining abnormalities. Also, evidence is showing that estrogen use can be associated with cancer of the bladder,
pancreas, cervix, endometrium and brain.
What About Osteoporosis ?
It is known that as much as 75% or more of women living in the United States will eventually develop osteoporosis. Fortunately, progesterone
can stop it and even reverse already existing bone loss.
What About PMS ?
Estrogen dominance is usually associated with PMS. In the earlier parts of the cycle and just before it begins, progesterone levels are usually low
while estrogen levels are beginning to increase. Applying progesterone is one sure way of balancing out the estrogen dominance. Numerous
benefits can occur by using a progesterone cream during the month. It is usually recommended to use it each day, except the days of menses.
Should I Use Progesterone ?
It is highly recommended. Due to faulty diets, decreased nutrients in our foods and the stress that we experience, most women have reduced levels of
all hormones, but especially progesterone. We are exposed to numerous xeno-estrogens (certain chemicals in the environment that have effects on the
body similar to estrogen). Keep in mind that health problems arise from not only the estrogen itself, but from imbalance resulting from a deficiency
in progesterone.
If Natural Progesterone Is So Wonderful, Why Isn't It Used By My Doctor ?
This is the question most frequently asked of Dr. Lee during his more than 30 years of active clinical practice. To quote from Dr. Lee: "The
medical-industrial complex refers to the close knit association of organized medicine with the pharmaceutical manufacturers and governmental medical
regulatory agencies... The system taken together is neither necessarily corrupt nor evil, but, like any human agency, is subject to the frailties
and faults of humankind. Medical research is dependent on the billions of dollars of grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the
private pharmaceutical industry. The two are closely interlocked.
Any given pharmaceutical company, like any private enterprise, must make a profit to stay alive. Profit comes from the sales of patent medicines. The
system is not interested in natural (non-patentable) medicines, regardless of their potential health benefits. Thus the flow of research funding does
not extend to products which cannot be patented.
Few people know that the definition of malpractice hinges on whether or not the practice is common among one's medical peers and has little
(usually nothing) to do with whether the practice is beneficial or not. A doctor willing to study, to learn the ins and outs of an alternative medical
therapy, and to put what he has learned into practice in helping patients is potentially exposing himself to serious charges of malpractice.
But what does all this have to do with natural progesterone? The answer is quite simple, really. Ample medical research regarding progesterone was
carried on from the 1940's through the 1960's, and amply reported in mainline, recognized medical literature. Since the early 1970's, however, medical
research has become much more expensive and the grants subsidizing progesterone research, (or any unpatentable medicine or treatment technique), have
dried up and been blown away by the contemporary trade winds of synthetic drugs, particularly the progestins. The potential market for patentable progestins
is vast-- contraceptive pills, irregular menses, osteoporosis--literally every woman through the age of puberty on is a target for a sale. Do you think
the prevailing powers wish to see this lucrative market left to an over-the-counter natural product not in the hands of physician prescribers and not
controlled by the pharmaceutical industry?
Thus, when he (the physician) hears of the use of natural progesterone, he wonders why none of his associates know about it. If it is not commonly know,
'it must in some way be false and/or unapproved.' Having given lectures on the role and medical uses of natural progesterone, I have observed numerous
instances wherein perfectly fine physicians will inquire about obtaining product for use by their wives or mother-in-law but not for their patients. What
can account for such behavior by professionals? I suspect that it is fear of alienation from the flock that is paramount in their minds. If progestins were
the equivalent of natural progesterone in effect and safety, the argument would be moot. But progestins are not the equivalent of natural progesterone and
never will be."
Dr. John R. Lee, CA, USA
Why Is A Premium Quality Progesterone Cream Superior To Capsules Or Suppositories ?
Nature did not intend women to put hormones into their stomachs. Consequently, about 80% of orally administered progesterone is intercepted by the liver
and passed out of the body, unused. Progesterone in suppository form is also intercepted by the liver and bound up by the wax vehicle. In either case,
because there is no sound basis for putting an extra burden on the liver, informed women have chosen to use a transdermal cream which is almost 100%
biologically available, as shown by salivary hormone assays.
Why Progesterone ? Isn't Mexican Wild Yam Enough ?
A component of yam (diosgenin) was, at one time, thought to be converted in the body to progesterone but that has been proven to be unsubstantiated. In
fact, while it has certain health benefits, there are no published studies that would allow one to conclude that Mexican Wild Yam will increase progesterone
levels in humans or animals. Only supplemental natural progesterone has been demonstrated to increase serum and saliva progesterone levels in women, a fact
that is verified by ample clinical and published scientific research.
Are There Any Reported Side Effects Associated With Progesterone ?
There are no reports of any significant side effects or health problems associated with natural progesterone. However, the Physician's Desk Reference
has a long list of side effects and contraindications for what is commonly referred to as progesterone, but which are really synthetics.
Should Natural Progesterone Be Used During My Pregnancy ?
In his book, Premenstrual Syndrome & You, Neils H. Lauersen, MD, from the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, states that natural progesterone may be
helpful to maintain pregnancy. However, synthetic progestagens should not be used because they may adversely affect the developing fetus.
No adverse effects on fetal development have been reported when natural progesterone was used during pregnancy. Dr. Lauersen says studies on the offspring
of women who used natural progesterone during their pregnancies have given birth to especially well-adjusted children. Dr. Dalton summarized her 1968
research of 90 children whose mothers received ante-natal progesterone compared with matched controls. She noted that more children of mothers who had
received ante-natal progesterone were still being breast-fed at six months; more were standing and walking at one year; and at nine to 10 years of age,
more had demonstrated superior performance, compared to the control group, in academic subjects such as verbal reasoning, English, arithmetic and craft
work. Both groups were equally developed in physical education. None of the ante-natal progesterone mothers experienced toxemia during the pregnancy; in
the control group, more than half experienced toxemia.
The natural progesterone cream is not only safe for use during pregnancy, but is is also recommended. It is suggested to be used from conception to delivery,
applied primarily to the abdomen, breast, lower back and upper thighs (where it will tend to prevent the skin from stretching). For the first 2 trimesters
of pregnancy (the first six months), use an average of one-half to three-quarters of a teaspoon, 2-3 times a day. During the last trimester, apply one
teaspoon 2-3 times a day. Discontinue at delivery and resume again at one-quarter teaspoon twice per day beginning one month after delivery. The natural
progesterone cream is also useful for post-partum depression which many women experience after childbirth.
I Always Get A Yeast Infection After I Take Antibiotics Or While I Am On Birth Control Pill. I Have Heard That Hormones Aggravate
Yeast Infections, Is This True ?
Because of the general use of antibiotics given for a variety of conditions without accompanying acidophilus, Candida Albicans, the primary yeast fungus,
has become a serious health problem for many women (and men). Candida also aggravates premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Natural progesterone supports all hormone
activity in the body, so it acts to strengthen the body's defense (immune) system. However, the synthetic progestagens tend to weaken the immune system and
in general should be avoided. The progesterone cream, which contains natural progesterone, can be safely used because it supports the immune system and thereby
helps to correct the yeast fungus problems.
My Hands And Other Joints Are Swollen And Painful. I Cannot Make A Fist Or Grasp Anything Firmly. Will Progesterone Cream Help ?
There are reports from people (men and women) who experienced this problem. They claimed that after applying the natural progesterone cream several times a day
for five consecutive days and less frequently thereafter, there was a noticeable reduction in swelling and joint pain, and increased hand flexibility occurred.
Can The Natural Progesterone Cream Be Used On Abrasions, Muscle Soreness, Cuts And Skin Ulcers ?
The natural progesterone cream is reported to alleviate aches and pains from cuts, bruises, lacerations and skin irritations. It has been used to rapidly heal skin
ulcers and in some cases has also been reported to benefit skin graft operations. People who have muscle fatigue have reported relief from rubbing the natural progesterone
cream on the affected area. Incidentally, there have been reports from pet owners that application of the natural progesterone cream is also beneficial to animals with
lacerations or skin ulcers.
