Understanding Progesterone: The Essential Balancer of Estrogen
We've come to the end of March and this inquiry into all things female sex hormones, and the final installment regarding Progesterone + Testosterone.
During a woman's reproductive years, an egg is released from the ovaries each month during ovulation, and this egg has a protective body known as the corpus luteum. Progesterone is produced by the breakdown of the corpus luteum and prepares the uterus for pregnancy if the egg is fertilized, and if not Progesterone levels will fall, and the cycle will begin again.
Like Estrogen, there are Progesterone receptor sites in reproductive tissue and non-reproductive tissues alike, and can be found throughout the entire body.
We can think of Progesterone as the tango partner of Estrogen, the sister that dances with and balances out her potent sibling. As women we just feel better when these two hormones are in balance. Progesterone is powerful in it's own right:
Major benefits of Progesterone include:
Natural Anti-inflammatory
Promotes uterine muscle contractions and uterine relaxation
Neuro-protective, modulates pain and plays a role in cognition
Protects bone density by reducing resorption
Improves insulin sensitivity
Supports healthy sleep patterns and hygiene
Produces a calming effect, is a known anti-anxiolytic reducing stress and fear
It might surprise you to learn that the most abundant sex hormone in a woman's body is Testosterone. Yes, you read that correctly. We definitely don't have as much Testosterone as men, but in terms of ratio, a young woman's ovaries produce 3-4 times as much Testosterone as Estrogen! Even when the ovaries stop producing Estrogen in menopause, Testosterone continues to be produced there as well as in the adrenals, and plays a key role in the production of Estrogen.
Major benefits of Testosterone include:
Helps maintain bone and muscle mass
Supports brain function, concentration, memory and cognition
Maintains healthy sex drive and libido
Increases motivation
Beneficial impact on wellbeing, energy and mood
Lowers triglycerides and cholesterol
Maintains normal metabolic function (blood pressure, lipids, glucose)
My sincere hope is that you've learned something from this series, and by now it's quite clear that all hormones function best when they are in balance.
Supporting Balanced Hormones for a Thriving Life
Maintaining healthy levels of all our sex hormones will ensure that we can continue to live a thriving, abundant life, full of energy to do the things we want and to share in the everyday adventures this wide wonderful world has to offer us. A few words worth repeating to support our efforts towards a thriving state of being:
maintain a healthy weight and body composition: more muscle = better metabolic function
incorporate weight lifting (yes, that's right ladies:)
reduce stress - meditation or mindfulness practice
move the body everyday - walk, dance, hike
get adequate sleep 7-9 hours each night
reduce or eliminate alcohol
reduce sugar and refined carbohydrates,
prioritize protein and ensure your plate is 50-75% leafy greens and vegetables
Have you experienced any type of hormone imbalance?
What, if anything has helped? Are you still struggling?
I can help you.
Reach out.
I'm Lisa Thompson, a Functional Nutritionist (FNTP) and I'd like to guide you on a journey to optimal health by providing education, support, accountability, motivation and inspiration. Using a holistic approach, I look deeply at how all of our inter-dependent systems work uniquely, and specifically in each of us- keeping in mind the bigger picture and LIFESTYLE choices that impact our well-being. For instance: how and when we eat, whether we get good sleep, what role exercise plays in our life, and how community, friends, family and belief systems impact our health and vitality.
I am currently taking new clients at this time and would love to work with you.
Email me: lisa@lisamarlenethompson.com