June2015_GET TO KNOW YOUR HEALTH: Hormones – Part 3
Hormones – Part 3
Progesterone
Congratulations! We are about half way through the sex hormones. This month, we’ll look at progesterone, which is the last sex hormone that is primarily associated with women.
In humans, progesterone is produced in women in high amounts by the ovaries (the corpus luteum part) from puberty through till menopause. It is also produced in smaller quantities in both sexes by the adrenal glands and in nervous tissue (especially the brain), and adipose tissue (fat). Last, high amounts of progesterone is produced by the ovaries and placenta during pregnancy; at about the “oh, crap! How the hell am I going to get this out!” stage (8 weeks).
After reading that little piece of information, you probably won’t surprised to know that progesterone is sometimes called the “hormone of pregnancy”. It’s primary activity in the body relates to this role including such functions as: allows changes to the endometrium to prepare the uterus for implantation; during gestation, it appears to decrease the maternal immune response allowing acceptance of the pregnancy; and it decreases uterine contractility. If pregnancy does not occur, the woman’s progesterone levels will fall, leading to menstruation. Normal menstrual bleeding is actually, progesterone-withdrawal bleeding.
Progesterone also has heaps of other roles including;
Raising epidermal growth factor-1 (helps stem cell growth),
Mammary development in the breast, and inhibition of lactation during pregnancy (levels drop after birth, instigating lactation)
Increases core body temperature,
Reduces spasm and relaxes smooth muscle, i.e. Bronchi (airways) are widened and digestive process slows )
Is anti-inflammatory and regulates the immune responses
Affects the pancreas and insulin (appetite and body weight)
Appears to prevent endometrial cancer,
But the most important function of progesterone is probably to regulate (control and oppose) the function of estrogens. Progesterone is produced in a woman’s body in quantities a thousand-fold greater than estrogens, without it there would be no menstrual cycle or ability to reproduce. Progesterone helps to balance and neutralise the effects of excess estrogen, both in men, and in women. This hormone imbalances (excessive estrogen) can be harmful and can cause some unpleasant effects, such as: bloating, water retention, breast tenderness, and depression. If untreated, it also predisposes women to more serious conditions like osteoporosis and heart disease.
So if the phrases; “I’m just too tired for sex”, or “Forget the sex, I just wish I had some energy at all”, sound familiar, or it could be, “I sleep for 9 hours and still need more”, or “It’s all too much, I don’t want to go out tonight”, maybe it’s time for a blood test to check those progesterone levels!
More information is available at www.primecompounding.com.au or if you feel like a bit of a chat, just drop into the pharmacy or visit another local health care practitioner .
Written by Andrew Harvey
Dayboro Pharmacy, Phone 3425 1435,
Mon – Fri 8.30am – 5.30pm Sat 8.30am – 12.30pm
