Osteoporosis 9 – Is Natural Progesterone Really Better?

Why use natural progesterone to reverse osteoporosis? Won’t the progestin drugs work the same?

How does natural progesterone differ from the progestins (synthetic drugs that mimic some actions of the human-body-produced progesterone)?

Hormones proceed through metabolic pathways in their production. Progesterone holds a pivotal place in that pathway which starts with cholesterol. (See, I’ve told you elsewhere that cholesterol is actually a good guy. One good thing is the production of vitally needed hormones.)

There are actually several intermediary hormones that are produced in the sex hormone pathway with big fancy names. But for our understanding today let’s keep it simple. Estrogen and testosterone are the end products of this pathway. They both come from the upstream hormone progesterone.

Find cholesterol at the top left corner of the above diagram. Follow the arrow pointing down. In two steps cholesterol becomes progesterone. Then in several steps to the right it becomes testosterone and estradiol (estrogen).

These three hormones progesterone, estrogen and testosterone easily cross the cell membrane of target cells. There they combine with receptors inside the cell which carry them to the brains of the cell (the nucleus). By influencing certain genes in the nucleus, they trigger the production of specific cellular products.

In this process progesterone is a key player since it can go down the pathway to produce adrenal hormones or down the pathway to the production of the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone.

Interestingly, the progesterone and testosterone molecules look very much alike, indicating that they may share common receptor sites and probably have some similar functions. And they affect the electromagnetics of the cells in a different way than estrogen.

The Electromagnetic Effects on the Cell

Did you pick up on that? The difference in the way a molecule is shaped causes different electromagnetic effects on the cell. Most of us know very little about the electromagnetics of our bodies. We do know that we carry electric charges since we pick up static from some carpets or other charged surfaces that cause us to discharge a spark and a pain prick when we touch another person or object.

The electromagnetic functioning in our bodies plays a huge part in how the cells respond to stimuli. Substituting a different shaped molecule like a progestin for natural progesterone can significantly affect the electromagnetic influence of that molecule on the cell producing unwanted or toxic effects.

Progestin Side Effects

So a progestin may occupy the same receptor site on the cell as the natural progesterone but the message to the cell is different. That’s why many precautions and side effects of the progestins have to be disclosed including

Fluid retention (edema)

Jaundice from sluggishness in the liver and bile ducts

Fatigue

Nausea

Allergic reactions

Loss of scalp hair

Facial hair

Bleeding

Mental depression

Unfortunately some of these side effects of the progestins have been linked with natural progesterone. But on the contrary natural progesterone does not foster these adverse events.

Dr. John Lee, MD recognized the benefits of natural progesterone. Perhaps the most important one was the bone building effects of natural progesterone. Other doctors had observed that men deficient in testosterone developed osteoporosis. Giving them testosterone reversed the osteoporosis.

Since testosterone and progesterone shared some similar functions, he began to see the link between progesterone and bone building.

Beneficial Effects of Natural Progesterone

He also observed other beneficial effects of natural progesterone:

Regulates salt in the tissues

Blood sugar control

Modulation of nerve functions

Promotion of a healthy thymus gland

Relieves fluid retention

As opposed to estrogen – no adverse effect on blood fats (cholesterol and triglycerides)

Helps decrease facial hair in older women who produce testosterone-like hormones to compensate for their progesterone deficiency.

Dr. John Lee, MD actually began studying Raymond F. Peat’s observations about progesterone in 1982. With all of this information in mind he started using natural bio-identical progesterone to treat his osteoporotic patients.

And that’s the story in the next article.