NATURAL HORMONES

by Dr David Smallbone MB, ChB, LRCP, MRCS, MFHom, FCOH

A doctor's view

These days I am very interested in the use of natural hormones for some of my patients. One of the things that impressed me recendy was a seminar with Dr John Lee on natural progesterone. It was the first time I had met him and I was impressed both by his scientific approach and by his humanity. Plus I was really pleased to see that he wasn't recommending progesterone alone. He also recognises the need for nutritional factors and a change of lifestyle to get the best results.

Dr Lee wants to draw attention to the fact that many women are being treated erroneously around the time of their menopause and after, for conditions that are iiot related to oestrogen. Very often in these situations, oestrogen is actually contra-indicated or, at the very least, it aggravates the woman's condition and doesii't do an awful lot for her symptoms. For instance excess oestrogen causes weight gain in many women on HRT, and triggers undesirable activity in the cells as well, because alongside weight gain and water retention, there is also an inappropri- ate movement of electrolytes aroulid the body. Aiid of course we know that oestrogen can increase the risk of breast cancer and endometrial disturbances such as fibroids and cancer of the womb.

A light being turned on

Since I have started prescribing proges- terone it has been like a light being turned on. I was never happy that so many of the women who came to me were on hormone replacement and needless to say I didn't prescribe it myself. But I felt that something was missing, that there was something I wasn't able to do for them. There's no doubt that being able to prescribe progesterone in a form that I know is going to be assimilated into the body, and that acts exacdy like the body's own progesterone, is getting some very good results, That is partly because one of progesterone's key roles is to counteract oestrogen dominance, or the relative excess of oestrogen.

What is sometimes difficult for medical doctors to understand, is that progesterone has such an 'across the board' activity, but it's because the body uses it to make so many other hormones, such as the hormones that control stress, salt and water balance, and the other sex hormones. Most of the symptoms I prescribe it for are around the period cycle, or the menopause itself, and these can include hot flushes, depression, irritability, osteoporosis, fibrocystic breast conditions and fibroids.

Oestrogen dominance can also cause water retention and weight gain, especially around the hips and thighs, and even sugar cravings, and these conditions can be helped with progesterone. But we're begin- ning to find that progesterone is protective against heart disease and strokes too, and that there are even progesterone receptors in the brain.

There are two exceptions that don't respond so readily in menopausal women. One is hot flushes or sweating and the other is vaginal dryness. If progesterone alone hasn't resolved these problems after a few months, a very small amount of oestrogen may be necessary as well.

"Oestrogen dominance can also cause water retention and weight gain, especially around the hips and thighs, and even sugar cravings, and these conditions can be helped with progesterone"

Progesterone for men?

Interestingly, although much less is known about men as far as hormones are concerned, there is no doubt that progesterone can have a beneficial effect on men too. We know that testosterone can be formed from progesterone, so this makes good sense. The progesterone applications that seem to be coming to the fore for men are the inflammatory processes. Men get arthritic conditions and these of course tend to occur around what is sometimes laughingly called 'the male menopause'.

I think progesterone may also be useful in restoring male libido, without resorting to giving testosteroiie itself - which you don't want to do, because if a man has a potential prostate problem, giving testosterone is a virtual guarantee of producing it.

In fact it is beginning to look as if progesterone has a role in preventing prostate cancer. Dr Lee has heard of several successes in this area, and one of the cases I am now tising it on is a case of a man with suspected prostate cancer who doesn't wish to have any surgery. I think that, given time, we shall see some very definite reasons for prescribing progesterone for men, although we need to do a lot more investigatory work to properly determine its effect.

Yam is not progesterone

I mentioned that some women do need a small amount of oestrogen, but that can be taken in plant form. Plants produce many natural oestrogens - we call them phytoestrogens - which can have the desired effect. Unlike some of the oestro- genic drugs that are manufactured and synthetic, many of the plant oestrogens are similar in their activity to the body's natural oestrogen. One of these plants may be Mexican yam, which is getting so much publicity now.

First I'd like to debunk a myth. Taking yam by mouth or by applying it to the skin in a cream will not increase the body's progesterone one iota. Mexican yam is used in the laboratory to make progesterone and other hormones, but the body cannot do this for itself, The only way to increase the body's progesterone is by using a cream or an oral supplement which contains actual progesterone, and this, by the way, is only available on prescription in this country. Yam capsules or a yam cream contain just that - yam, not progesterone.

But yam is nevertheless a very useful herb, because it has oestrogen-like activity from the natural phyto-oestrogens that it seems to contain, So taking yam may definitely help those menopausal women who need a little extra oestrogen, and is likely to relieve menopausal symptoms in many cases, although I don't believe it will help to strengthen the bones. Of course. we may discover that yam has some phyto- progesterone activity as well, especially since it has been used as a contraceptive, although we know from laboratory testing that it doesn't increase the body's actual progesterone level.

So I think it's not unfeasible for a woman to use yam and progesterone together, and other doctors are finding this a good combination as well. The most important factor is getting the progesterone level right. But if, for instance, a post-menopausal woman is still getting hot flushes and vaginal dryness, then taking one or two yam capsules a day could be helpful. Also, when a woman is changing over from HRT to progesterone, in the first place she should continue on oestrogen (a patch for instance) for at least three months, but later she could use a yam supplement to boost her oestrogen more naturally, while she cuts out the patch completely.

By the way, there are a number of companies offering yam creams implying they contain progesterone or claiming to sell 'progesterone creams' without a prescription. Be suspicious. Ask for an independent laboratory report showing the level of progesterone, because these companies are operating illegally and may be fraudulent. It's always better to get a prescription. Progesterone is a hormone - it's important to have a doctor to call on.

The Natural Progesterone Information Service offer an information pack with more detailed information on progesterone and doctors who prescribe it. Send a first class stamp to
NPIS
PO Box 24
Buxton
SKI 7 9FB
Telephone: 07000 784849

This article was first produced by Higher Nature