New Research Shows Benefits of Progesterone

A group of scientists from the University of Adelaide in Australia and at Cancer Research UK have confirmed what we in the natural medicine field (referring to those who use bio-identical hormones) have known for over ten years about the benefits of bio-identical progesterone.

Until recently, doctors [especially in the great state of California] have been divided on the effects of progesterone compared to its synthetic counterpart–progestin. Some doctors assumed progesterone promotes breast cancer like progestins do.

Let’s talk estrogen and progesterone receptors.

Estrogen and progesterone receptors are proteins found in some cells in the body, such as breast cells. The receptors are a mechanism that allows estrogen and progesterone to change the behavior of those cells. When an estrogen or progesterone molecule comes in contact with its respective receptor the molecule binds to the receptor and activates it. Once it enters the nucleus of the cell it can “turn on” or “turn off” specific genes that governs the behavior of the cell. The receptors can only do their work if the body provides them with enough progesterone or estrogen to activate them.

For years scientists have known that when activated by most forms of estrogen, estrogen receptors turn on genes with cancerous cells that program those cells to multiply rapidly and stay alive rather than die off as normal, healthy cells do. That means most forms of estrogen, especially estradiol [and it’s metabolites] are potent fuels for breast cancer.

In the latest research study scientists wanted to learn more about progesterone receptors, since most research prior has been spent on the effects of estrogen and their receptors. Which is why we know estrogen receptors fuel cancer cells. But what do progesterone receptors do?

These scientists took breast cancer cells and exposed them to just enough estrogen and progesterone to activate both the estrogen and progesterone receptors. What happened next amazed them.

When activated by progesterone, the progesterone receptors attached themselves to the estrogen receptors. At once the estrogen receptors stopped turning on genes that promoted the growth of cancer cells. Instead it turned on genes that promote the death of cancer cells and the growth of healthy, normal cells.

Many people are deficient in progesterone due to stress caused by adrenaline dominance which can cause a person to become estrogen dominant. If estrogen dominance occurs in women there is more estrogen for estrogen receptors to turn on the genes that promote [breast] cancer cells. A 5% bio-identical progesterone cream can help in a number of ways. By activating progesterone receptors that turn off genes that promote cancer, but also help decrease the symptoms of adrenaline dominance–stress, depression, hyperactivity, irregular blood sugar, and sleep depravation.

by John Connor, CNC