Progest+

Description

Progest+ is our high purity, USP grade progesterone supplement. Specially formulated for women, but also suitable for men in the right dosage and usage, Progest+ can be used for achieving ideal hormonal homeostasis.

Although progesterone quite literally means “for pregnancy”, this powerful steroidal hormone does much more than support reproductive and fertility health. In fact, most of the protectives hormones are produced in abundance during pregnancy for the sake of safeguarding both mother and baby from the stress of pregnancy and their environment.

There is an abundance of medical literature that shows progesterone’s far-reaching, physiological effects, including anti-stress and anti-aging qualities and its ability to act directly on the cardiovascular system, central nervous system, metabolic system, skin, and bones. 1,2,3,

Some of the important functions of progesterone include:

• Fertility/Pregnancy: Progesterone is essential and required for optimal fertility health and pregnancy. Regarding men’s fertility, progesterone is used to produce testosterone, which is needed for all aspects of sperm health (quantity, quality, motility, and utility). In women, it is responsible for both health fertility, and pregnancy. Progesterone supports all aspects of the luteal phase. It is needed for the preparation of the endometrium for implantation. While estrogen stimulates cervical mucous, progesterone thickens it to ensure implantation. It also helps to maintain the health of the gestational sac in the uterus by modulating the maternal immune system. Additionally, progesterone is anti-inflammatory through its interaction with progesterone receptors at the decidua level, which adds to its maternal protective mechanisms. Optimal progesterone concentrations in the smooth muscle of the uterus are also able to counteract prostaglandin stimulatory activity, which results in less painful contractions, and may prevent tearing and hemorrhaging. Progesterone also encourages blood flow, specifically uteroplacental circulation. 1
• Progesterone/Estrogen Balance: For good health, progesterone to estrogen must be balanced, in a ratio of 10:1, ideally. Since estrogen rises persistently during acute stress, it is easy to have an inverted estrogen: progesterone ratio. Most mainstream scientific literature today tends to confuse the effects of estrogen and progesterone. As a result, most people think estrogen is the “female hormone” while ignoring its stressful effects.“Estrogen was originally considered to be the “hormone of shock” because of its ability to steal oxygen from mitochondria, shifting patterns of growth and adaptation, and inducing hypoxia (oxygen deprivation) and shock.” – Ray Peat“Estrogen also directly lowers the body temperature, while progesterone raises it.” – Ray Peat“In the first part of the 20th century, the original research around estrogen considered it to be a carcinogen.” – Ray PeatToday, we are aware of a variety of carcinogens that are known to be estrogenic including a variety of herbicides, pesticides, heavy metals industrial foods, and various chemicals commonly used in skincare products. Taking progesterone can help to keep more optimal progesterone to estrogen balance, despite the various modern-day stressors that are also estrogenic. 5, 6
• Cognitive Function: Progesterone is one of the key “youth steroids”, needed for optimal brain function. As stated, progesterone assists in the proper storage of glycogen, which is stored glucose – the main fuel for the brain. The mammalian brain depends on glucose as its primary source of energy. The strict regulation of glucose metabolism is critical for brain physiology. Additionally, progesterone decreases the reliance on cortisol, which in excess catabolizes the brain tissue and causes oxidative stress by inhibiting the cellular utilization of glucose. In these ways alone, progesterone is essential for maintaining proper brain and cognitive function.
• Anti-Stress Action: Progesterone is needed for resisting stress in a non-destructive and efficient manner. When progesterone is low, our body’s rely more heavily on cortisol, which can have destructive effects over the long term, breaking down collagen, elastin, and bone, leading to an increased likelihood of wrinkles, joint problems, and tooth and bone loss.“In experiments, progesterone was found to be the basic hormone of adaptation and of resistance to stress” – Ray Peat
• Thyroid Function: Progesterone assists in the normal functioning of the thyroid gland, amongst other glands.“It promotes the secretion and transport of thyroid hormones from the thyroid gland, where estrogen blocks it. Both an excess of estrogen or a progesterone deficiency can lead to hypothyroidism and the enlargement of the thyroid gland.” – Ray Peat
• Energy: Stress and estrogen deplete the glycogen in the liver and tissues, which is one of the most crucial elements for their function. Progesterone opposes this effect of estrogen and helps to maintain the glycogen stores of the muscle, liver, and other tissues. When the liver is properly fueled, thyroid conversion is optimal, thus supporting the proper oxidation of glucose for energy, energizing the body on a cellular level.

What Makes Progest+ Better? 

Like our other products, Progest+ is formulated with a few advantage points: 

• Progest+ features a micronized bioidentical progesterone. The particle size makes a difference in regards to absorption and utility. Generally speaking, the smaller the better.  Tests have shown that micronized progesterone has a significantly higher absorption rate than standard milled progesterone. The standard milled progesterone has an average particle size of approximately 45 microns, whereas the micronized progesterone in Progest+ less than 15 microns. Beyond this, it is the formula and its inherent stability that determines the availability of the product. Due to its unique formulation, Progest+ has a functional progesterone particle size over a thousand times smaller than micronized progesterone and is a highly, biologically pure product.
• Progest+ contains a highly bioavailable, USP grade progesterone that is made for topical application. The advantage of a topical product over an oral form is that a much lower dose is needed since it will not need to be metabolized by the liver.
  
• Before blending, our progesterone is dissolved in vitamin E oil (derived from wheat germ, no soy or sunflower), which increases the absorption and efficiency of the progesterone, ensuring it is rapidly dispersed to all of the tissues. Unlike other vitamin E products, ours is completely free of soy, sunflower, safflower, and other potentially rancid vegetable oils. 1
• In addition to our soy and sunflower oil-free vitamin E, we add organic squalane oil, which further enhances the topical absorption of the progesterone. Squalane shares a similar chemical structure to our own skin oil (sebum). When applied it penetrates deeply and absorbs almost immediately, which is why it is commonly used as a carrier for topical and injectable therapeutics.
• We use high purity, pharmaceutical grade USP progesterone from wild yam, which is bioidentical (same chemical structure as the progesterone the body makes). This ensures a biocompatible product that works with your physiology without toxic effects.

Benefits and Uses of Progest+

• Hot Flashes
• Menstrual pain and PMS symptoms
• Ovarian cysts/PCOS
• Fibrocystic breasts
• Estrogen Dominance (supports full-spectrum issues related to estrogen imbalance)
• Stress (hypercortisolism)
• Hypothyroidism
• Anti-aging
• Skin health (wrinkles, acne, sun damage, varicose veins, cellulite, )
• Cognitive support
• Support metabolism
• Infertility
• Low libido

Is Progesterone Only for Pregnancy?

Although the term pro-gesterone would lead one to think it is strictly a fertility hormone; it is important to emphasize that progesterone is far more than just the hormone of pregnancy. Using progesterone only for pregnancy would be akin to a man only optimizing his testosterone level if he were planning to become a father. Like testosterone, progesterone’s effects far exceed fertility, and progesterone has a far more widespread, and general significance in health than even testosterone.

Can Men Take Progest+ Too?

While progesterone is not necessarily a male hormone, men do naturally produce some progesterone too, and can sometimes benefit from using it in the right mannerism and dose. In the male body, progesterone has a few important functions. First, progesterone provides basic anti-stress action, driving up the metabolism to ensure adequate energy supplies to safely stress without relying on cortisol. Cortisol too can temporarily increase the availability of glucose for energy during stress but tends to do so through rapidly dissolving the thymus gland, skin tissue, and collagen. Cortisol can also lead to problems utilizing glucose over the long term and deactivates thyroid hormone (t3). Progesterone provides a far safer means of managing stress. In addition to anti-stress benefits, progesterone is also used to synthesize the “male steroid”, testosterone. Low testosterone is associated with a wide variety of issues, including weight gain, depression, poor resistance to stress, hair loss, and declining cognitive function.

Source of Vitamin E

Almost all commercial vitamin E available today is derived from soy or sunflower. Sometimes they are organically derived, but more often than not, the soy/sunflower is genetically modified. The products being produced from those particular sources not only contain low-grade vitamin E but also tend to be contaminated with herbicides/pesticides. Manufactures of soy/sunflower-derived vitamin E often leave in a good amount of residual whole oil which results in a product with a high PUFA content.

In addition to the PUFA content, whole soy and even sunflower contain other undesirable substances such as goitrogens and phytoestrogens. In an attempt to remove these, manufactures often use hexane to eliminate them. Hexane is an unbranched alkane solvent containing six carbon that is used to extract oils from seeds and legumes. Studies have found that acute inhalation/exposure to high levels of hexane can cause mild central nervous system reactions, including dizziness, giddiness, slight nausea, and headaches.

In short, the attempt to “purify” the vitamin E results in a potentially toxic and low-spectrum product, usually containing only one isomer. This results in a “purer” product, but also one potentially less therapeutic, and due to. the hexane may be problematic.

We do not use soy or sunflower-derived vitamin E that is processed with hexane. Our vitamin E is derived 100% from wheatgerm and is distilled to remove “impurities”. The result is a clean, high potency product that contains more of the beneficial isomers, and best of all, free of soy and other possible GMOs.

What if I Have a Wheat Allergy?

Progest+ contains a high tocopherol vitamin E from wheat germ. For those with celiac or a wheat allergy, you may be concerned about possible reactions. Fortunately, an allergy to wheat is usually due to interactions with certain proteins. Regarding wheat; gluten and gliadin are the main proteins that can cause allergenic reactions in people. The oily fractions of plants do not contain any proteins. Our vitamin E; although less adulterated than commercial vitamin E, has been distilled to remove proteins, most of the unsaturated fats, and other impurities, leaving behind the mixed tocopherols and long-chain fatty alcohols. 

To be safe, if you have a wheat allergy, it is best to first test on a small area of the skin (ankle or top of foot) and see if you have any adverse reactions.

Tips for Use/Dosage

Progest+ is a 10% solution containing high-purity, USP bio-identical progesterone. One, average-sized drop contains about 3 milligrams of progesterone. Each 30ml bottle contains 3 grams of progesterone, or roughly 900, 3 mg. drops.

*Shake product before use

For systemic use, apply to any area with minimal hair and rub in until dissolved. Examples; inner thigh, belly, inner arm, etc.

General Use: The female body normally produces 10-15 mg. or progesterone naturally. Therefore, 3-5 drops applied topically will provide daily support.

Skin and Hair: For skin, scalp, or local inflammation for treating (acne, sunburn, skin aging, wrinkles, varicose veins, hair loss, tendonitis, arthritis, etc.) apply 1-5 drops of Progest+ in vitamin E locally to the affected area.

PMS: The ovaries secret large amounts of progesterone at the beginning of ovulation and at the end of the menstrual cycle each month (days 14 through day 28), producing a much small amount the following two weeks. An average woman will produce about 10-15 mg daily, but twice as much (30 mg) during these two weeks. Progest+ contains 3 to 4 milligrams of progesterone in each normal-sized drop. For PMS symptoms, 3-4 drops, or about 10 to 15 milligrams will help to restore progesterone levels during the cycle. Take this dose on days 14 through 28 of your menstrual cycle.

Perimenopausal: Leading up to menopause, there are several well-known changes that are all related to declining progesterone levels. Since progesterone production cycles two weeks on, two weeks off, taking 3-4 drops, to mimic a healthy body’s natural production will generally help to ease symptoms.

Postmenopausal: Since estrogen levels naturally rise with stress and age, women tend to reach “menopause” at some point in their lives. Despite mainstream literature, this is due to a lack of progesterone, an excess of estrogen, not the other way around. The cyclic use of progesterone during menopause may be helpful since the pituitary gland and brain can continue to cycle long even after menstruation has stopped. As we have discussed, progesterone is not just for fertility but is also an important regulator of the overall physiology, especially for the thyroid, pituitary, and brain function. Since progesterone affects the secretion of the thyroid of thyroid hormone, the pituitary’s release of prolactin, and the secretion of the adrenal glands of cortisol, taking progesterone post-menopause can help to protect against the toxic effects of these hormones. It, therefore, may help slow the aging process, including osteoporosis, hair loss, skin aging, and improve the resistance to stress. 3-4 drops of Progest+ daily should suffice, in some days, you can repeat this dose as symptoms arise.

Pregnancy and Other High-Stress Conditions: Postpartum, progesterone levels suddenly drop, which can produce unpleasant symptoms, especially compared to the soaring high levels associated with most of the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. Women breastfeeding or postpartum, or who generally have severely low progesterone levels, estrogen dominance, or PCOS may require a high dose a few times to “reboot” their levels. Try 100-200 mg. once before bed. This may result in a sedative-like effect since progesterone is an inhibitory substance and blocks excitation and stress. If you have been very low in progesterone for some time, taking a dose of this high may make you feel sleepy, so take it before bed.

Breastfeeding: Taking progesterone while breastfeeding may help support thyroid function and prolactin regulation. Postpartum, prolactin rises to support breastmilk production, mobilizing calcium to make milk. In good health, prolactin is kept tightly regulated by the thyroid hormone and dopamine. Progesterone stimulates the secretion of thyroid hormone and tends to support optimal thyroid function. Postpartum, progesterone levels tend to rapidly decline, making one more susceptible to hypothyroidism and hyperprolactinemia, which may result in postpartum hair loss, depression, and weight gain. Therefore, taking progesterone while breastfeeding may help keep thyroid and prolactin status in good standing. Also, taking progesterone may get into the breastmilk and into the baby, which may help with colic. Studies show that progesterone may be a root factor in colic, along with high prostaglandin D2 (high PUFA diet in mother). Also, giving progesterone to colicky babies was found to reduce symptoms and calm the baby. 1,2,3

For more information on Progesterone, dosage, and uses: http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/progesterone-summaries.shtml

How Can I Tell If It’s Working?

The basic important mechanism of progesterone is to oppose estrogen. Therefore, smaller amounts are effective even if estrogen levels are low. Acute stress persistently raises estrogen, so generally speaking, the less stressed you are, the less progesterone you need to see an effect. On the other hand, if you are taking the recommended amounts and not noticing any effect, it is possible estrogen is extremely high, and even large doses of progesterone will have no clear effect. If this happens, it is imperative to improve estrogen metabolism, through improved liver function, adequate diet, correcting thyroid deficiency, removing PUFA, alcohol, etc. We teach these things in our Perfect Thyroid course.

You will know it is working when you have a reduction in symptoms generally associated with estrogen dominance or low progesterone (i.e. energy, libido, skin, hair, weight, fertility, etc)

For the topical treatment of damaged skin, acne, wrinkles, varicose veins, age spots, etc. apply Progest+  directly to the affected area.

Storing the Product

Progest+ is in a base of pure mixed tocopherol (vitamin E), extracted from wheat germ oil. As such, our vitamin E oil contains long chain fatty alcohols; known as policosanol, which make it less susceptible to oxidation than most commercial vitamin E oils. However, it is still sensitive to sunlight, heat and air and therefore should be kept in a dark location at room temperature to maintain its integrity.

Although Progest+ is made of food-grade ingredients, we suggest using it external/topically. The viscosity of our vitamin E oil can be irritating to the intestines in larger quantities.

Natural vitamin E is more viscous when cold. To facilitate dispensing drops, and to maximize topical absorption, we have added organic squalane to Progest+.

Progesterone can settle with time, make sure to shake bottle daily if using infrequently to keep product well incorporated and mixed.

Other Tips

It is of upmost importance that a person consume a quality diet, high in protein (1.5 kg/g of lb. of body weight or 70-100 grams per day minimum), ideally from quality animal protein for cholesterol and vitamin A from retinol (not carotene) to support proper progesterone levels and its utility. Doing so can decrease the dose needed for progesterone. The body needs protein, cholesterol, vitamin A and adequate enzymes that support the conversion of cholesterol and vitamin A into pregnenolone, which makes progesterone. Ensuring an adequate diet and lifestyle will help reduce the need for progesterone at a high dose and improve its effect in the body.

If you are taking Progest+ and not seeing or feeling the effect even from a high dose such as 100 mg. then be sure to implement these changes.

Medical Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.**