What You Should Consider Before Taking Progesterone
Have you been sold on using progesterone oil or cream by an influencer on social media or essential oil consultant? I’m sure it sounds appealing because progesterone is an amazing hormone. But, it is a HORMONE! We should not just be taking hormones willy nilly without working with a legit practitioner.
Sorry to break it to ya but most of these consultants are not educated in women’s health + nutrition. (not dissing consultants by any means) That’s why I am here! To help you understand your body better so you can make an empowered decision to use these products.
So as your consultant would say “ladies, we all need this”- Yup, she’s correct we all need to be making progesterone, key word MAKING progesterone, not putting creams + oils on our body when unnecessary.
However in some cases, taking progesterone can be beneficial but there are things to consider before doing so.
If you are unfamiliar with progesterone it is needed for pregnancy but is also pro-thyroid, anti-stress, anti-aging, promotes restful sleep, and helps with anxiety/ depression.
Sounds amazing right? Well thank god our body naturally makes it!
What would cause low progesterone? A stressed out, nutrient depleted, poor functioning, estrogen/ toxin ridden body.
These are what need to be addressed before jumping into progesterone oils + creams otherwise you are just putting a bandaid on the symptoms or in some cases just adding fuel to the fire.
Other things to consider:
Progesterone can turn into estrogen if over-used/not in the right dosage. Hello estrogen dominance!
Progesterone is a pre-cursor to estrogen, testosterone and cortisol so it will affect these hormones.
Not all progesterone is created equal. Creams + oils that go on the skin are hard to gauge dosing + can easily be over-done. It really depends on what your skin feels like absorbing that day. Another thing to keep in mind- what goes on your skin can rub off onto your husband + kids giving them hormonal probs. 😳
A cycling female should not be taking progesterone all cycle long but only from ovulation until menstruation.
Progesterone speeds up your metabolism + warms you up, great right? But if you are not ready for it you can actually feel worse + not better.
Basically if your body is still stressed out and your are still exposing your body to excess estrogens your progesterone will never get in check.
So the next time you are tempted to hop on the progesterone train, I hope you take this into consideration. Your best bet would be to get tested (urine or saliva, blood work is a waste of money) + address why you might be low in progesterone in the first place before jumping on board.
_______
Offerings:
Membership: The Wild + Well-Fed Wellness Collective
Online Course: Rewild Your Gut