Progesterone Therapy Uses and Benefits

Progesterone therapy is not just for women – that is a misconception.

It is time to learn the facts about progesterone therapy uses and benefits in adults – all adults.

Progesterone is not a “sex” hormone although it is secreted by the ovaries and testes.

Progesterone starts out as cholesterol (see – you need this in your diet) that the body converts into pregnenolone which later becomes progesterone before turning into other hormones such as testosterone, estrogen, and cortisol. There are a few other steps in the process, but you get the picture.

Progesterone has many purposes in the adult body:

It is the source or precursor hormone for the production of other hormones
It helps maintain strong bones
It protects the heart
It impacts sexual function
It has protective properties for the prostate
It prepares the uterus for conception
It improves mood and helps with depression
It sharpens memory and brain functions
It reduces the risk of certain cancers
It normalizes blood clotting
It helps improve results in cases of traumatic brain injury
It has anti-inflammatory and diuretic benefits

Does progesterone therapy cause weight gain?

It is rare for the use of progesterone to increase fat retention. If anything, progesterone helps to reduce excess fat. What can happen for some people is edema – or swelling in the feet, ankles, and lower legs. While side effects of progesterone are extremely rare, they can occur.

Does progesterone therapy cause cancer in men and women?

There is a minimal risk of breast cancer in women between the ages of fifty and seventy-nine, which is why doctors conduct careful health screenings before prescribing treatment. The biggest part of this risk is associated with the use of progestin – a synthetic form of progesterone. HT Medical Center understands the risks and differences between progestin and progesterone, and only provides natural, bioidentical progesterone therapies to men and women.

Benefits of Progesterone Therapy for Women

Progesterone has unique benefits for women at different times of their lives.

During the early years of adulthood, progesterone helps in the following ways:

It helps to regulate menstrual cycles

It prepares the uterus for implantation of the fertilized egg

It helps reduce the risk of subsequent miscarriages in women who have experienced problem pregnancies

It helps stimulate milk production

It reduces the severity and effects of postpartum depression

How does progesterone therapy work for menopausal women – what does it do at this stage of life?

Progesterone provides the following benefits in later years:>

It helps reduce hot flashes and night sweats

It helps prevent or reduce the risk of uterine fibroids

It protects against ovarian, endometrial, and breast cancer

It keeps bones and muscles strong

It helps maintain proper brain function

It reduces the risk of heart disease

It increases energy levels

It enhances sex drive

At every point in a woman’s life, progesterone offers benefits. It prevents the condition known as “estrogen dominance” from taking over and leading to weight gain and serious hormonal imbalance.

Benefits of Progesterone Therapy for Men

Men need progesterone. Without it, they would likely have very little testosterone in their bodies.

The testes take progesterone and use it as the base for testosterone production.

During andropause, testosterone and progesterone levels often decline, and we see a situation where the natural balance is offset because the body may be converting too much free testosterone into estradiol which results in a condition called estrogen dominance. When estrogen production is unopposed by progesterone, a person will gain weight which increases the production of the enzyme aromatase that is responsible for the testosterone to estrogen conversion – worsening this imbalance.

One of the benefits of progesterone therapy for men is the opposition progesterone brings to offset estrogen levels while increasing testosterone secretion.

Another benefit of progesterone for men is the inhibiting effect on 5-alpha reductase, an enzyme that converts testosterone into DHT (dihydrotestosterone), a hormone that can increase hair loss, prostate size, urinary issues, and decrease sex drive.

Is progesterone therapy safe for men to use?

Progesterone is one of the safest forms of hormone replacement therapy but must be prescribed by an experienced doctor. Hormone replacement therapy specialists know what tests to run and how to interpret their findings before prescribing any medication.

For additional information about the uses and benefits of progesterone therapy, women and men throughout the US can turn to HT Medical Center for a free consultation, convenient diagnostic testing centers, and affordable treatment options.