Beyond the Womb: Who Benefits from Progesterone?

At Platt Wellness, we believe in empowering you with accurate, science-based information to truly understand your body and optimize your hormone balance. Today, we're diving deep into a hormone often overlooked and misunderstood: progesterone. As Dr. Michael Platt, a leading menopause expert, emphasizes, it's far more than just a "female" hormone!"

For too long, the role of progesterone in medical training, including Dr. Platt's own, was narrowly taught as primarily protecting the lining of the womb. This limited perception has unfortunately overshadowed the systemic, profound impact this vital hormone has on nearly every cell in your body. When in fact, progesterone is the most important hormone after a hysterectomy. However, many doctors still only prescribe synthetic estradiol after a hysterectomy when likely that is what caused the issue to have one in the first place.

Progesterone: A Natural, Biologically Active Powerhouse

Progesterone is a natural hormone produced by your ovaries and even your brain. Its levels naturally fluctuate throughout your monthly cycle and decline as you approach perimenopause and menopause. What's truly astonishing is that progesterone receptors are found on every single cell in your body, triggering a cascade of beneficial reactions when activated.

Beyond womb protection, natural progesterone plays a crucial role as a powerful anti-inflammatory agent. It supports the efficient functioning of your cells, including the mitochondria—the "powerhouses" responsible for your body's daily operations, immune system, and organ function.

The Brain-Body Connection: Progesterone's Impact on Your Mental Well-being and Beyond

Dr. Platt highlights that our brains produce progesterone, where it acts as a vital neurotransmitter, influencing critical chemical pathways. 

This directly impacts your:

• Mood and Calmness: Progesterone boosts calming chemicals like GABA and "happy hormones" like dopamine and serotonin. Adequate progesterone can help you feel calmer, reduce anxiety, and lift low mood.

• Cognitive Function: Many women find that sufficient progesterone improves clear thinking, information processing, and makes difficult tasks easier. It can even alleviate symptoms for those with ADHD or OCD.

• Sleep Quality: This hormone is renowned for its ability to improve sleep, which is why it's often recommended to be taken at night.

• Nerve Health: Progesterone helps build the myelin sheath, which is essential for efficient nerve conduction throughout your body.

• Brain Repair: Fascinatingly, your brain immediately produces progesterone after a stroke or head injury, demonstrating its repairing, anti-inflammatory, and regenerative properties for brain cells.

But its influence doesn't stop at the brain. Progesterone receptors are present in your cardiovascular system, lungs, bladder, muscles, joints, and bones, emphasizing its wide-ranging health benefits.

Bio-Identical" Matters: The Crucial Difference in Progesterone Types

When discussing progesterone for HRT, it's vital to understand that not all progesterone is the same. Dr. Platt strongly advocates for natural, body-identical progesterone, which is biochemically identical to what your body produces.

• Micronized Progesterone: This is the most common form of body-identical progesterone taken by cream or suppositories for therapeutic purposes.

• Synthetic Progestogens: In contrast, synthetic progestogens (like those found in many contraceptives or the Mirena coil) are chemically altered. They bind to receptors differently, sometimes blocking the beneficial actions of natural progesterone. Many instances of "progesterone intolerance" (mood changes, bloating, skin issues) are actually caused by these synthetic versions, not the body-identical progesterone.

Beyond the Womb: Who Benefits from Progesterone?

While traditionally added to HRT for women with an intact uterus to protect against endometrial thickening from estrogen, Dr. Platt stresses that progesterone's systemic benefits extend to all women. Even women who have had a hysterectomy often find significant relief from menopausal symptoms like anxiety, sleep disturbances, brain fog, and even muscle and joint pains when they add progesterone to their HRT regimen.

Furthermore, progesterone can be incredibly beneficial for women with conditions like:

• PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) and PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder).

• Endometriosis, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), and Fibroids, due to its anti-inflammatory properties.

• Breast protective - even though women who have had a hysterectomy, most traditional medical doctors who prescribe estrogen after a hysterectomy are not factoring in the breasts to protect against estrogen dominance and risk of breast cancer.

Personalization and Pathways: Taking Progesterone Safely

The best way to take natural, body-identical progesterone is throughout the day before meals if dealing with insulin sensitivity, or post-menopausal in the am and pm. However, for some that are dealing with PCOS or endometriosis that need a higher dose, compounded suppositories are effective.

It's important to remember that HRT dosing, including progesterone, is not one-size-fits-all. It requires an individualized approach, listening to your body, and working with a knowledgeable practitioner who understands the intricate balance of hormones.

Your Health, Your Choice, Informed by Science

The conversation around hormone replacement therapy has long been clouded by outdated fears and misconceptions. Dr. Michael E. Platt’s insights into progesterone illuminate its critical, multi-faceted role in women's health and beyond. By understanding the difference between natural, body-identical hormones and their synthetic counterparts, and recognizing the vast systemic benefits of progesterone on your brain, bones, and overall well-being, you can make empowered choices about your health.

If you're experiencing menopausal symptoms or simply want to learn more about how hormone balance can transform your life, seek out a practitioner who prioritizes evidence-based care and a personalized approach. Your health journey deserves the clarity that modern science provides.

Resources:

For DIYer's we have free download guides:

https://plattwellness.com/pages/progesterone-guidelines

https://plattwellness.com/collections/free-guides

Dr. Platt's books:

https://plattwellness.com/collections/books

Sources:

Progesterone’s Neuroprotective & Brain-Regulating Roles

• Traumatic brain injury & neural repair
  Progesterone helps reduce brain inflammation, prevent neuronal apoptosis, support remyelination, and aid recovery after injury.  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6025750/
  

• Regulation of cognition, mood, mitochondria, and myelination
  Emerging data show progesterone acts through diverse receptors in the brain to support cognition, emotional health, neurogenesis, mitochondrial function, and nerve repair.
  pharmacology.arizona.edu

• Progesterone during brain development and stress response
  It’s crucial during neural development, modulates dopamine pathways, and affects emotional and stress-related circuits.
  WikipediaResearchGate

• Functional connectivity in working memory centers
  Progesterone levels correlate with increased functional connectivity between regions like the DLPFC and hippocampus—areas vital for memory and attention.
  Frontiers

• Broader influence in the brain across the life cycle
  Progesterone and its metabolites affect neurotransmitters like GABA, serotonin, and dopamine, influencing mood, behavior, and cognition throughout a woman’s life.
  FrontiersWikipedia

Bioidentical vs. Synthetic Progestins—Key Differences

• Systematic review: bioidentical progesterone vs synthetic progestins
  Micronized (bioidentical) progesterone closely matches the body’s own hormone and exhibits fewer risks—such as for breast cancer—compared to synthetic versions.
  PubMedPMCBMJ

• Distinct breast cancer risk profiles
  Evidence from large studies indicates that estrogen + bioidentical progesterone does not raise breast cancer risk, whereas synthetic progestins may.
  womensinternational.com