Progesterone Therapy and Weight Loss

Hormone replacement therapy encompasses many different types of treatment, each with a particular set of purposes, such as in the case with progesterone therapy. This report will focus on one of the reasons both women and men gain weight as they approach middle age – estrogen dominance. As crucial as estrogen is for both the female and male body, it also brings a wake of problems when the estradiol level in the body is higher than normal, and progesterone and testosterone are lower than ideal. That is why there is a direct benefit of progesterone therapy: weight loss!

While the targeted goal of doctor prescribed progesterone therapy is not weight loss, it is clearly a side benefit worth discussing. Ultimately, the reasons HRT specialists prescribe hormone replacement is to bring a state of homeostasis – balance – to the body. When hormone levels are balanced, everything can work in proper order, including metabolism. This allows for the proper conversion of food to fuel rather than to fat while also targeting fat cells for useful energy.

The connection between progesterone therapy and weight loss has a lot to do with overcoming estrogen dominance. Before menopause, the ovaries produce progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone. Progesterone and testosterone also have a small portion secreted by the adrenal glands, with the balance of estrogen produced by fat cells, primarily belly fat. Even though all three hormones suffer a decline from the ovaries, estrogen levels will remain higher than the other two, causing the dominating imbalance that can add to weight gain. You see, while fat cells help create estrogen, estrogen causes fatty tissue growth – a vicious cycle that requires help.

That help can be found in the form of progesterone treatment. Weight loss occurs because the higher level of progesterone in the body decreases the estrogen dominance and fatty growth.

The Role of Progesterone for Managing Weight

There are other roles for progesterone when it comes to managing weight. The next one to mention is that progesterone helps to lower insulin levels. Since estrogen dominance can exacerbate the release of excess insulin, resulting in sugar cravings and weight gain, there are clear benefits for low progesterone treatment. Weight loss occurs as insulin levels become balanced.

Progesterone is also vital for ensuring that thyroid hormones maintain a proper level of function. The liver increases production of TBG (thyroid binding globulin) that binds to thyroid hormones and blocks their actions. When looking at imbalanced progesterone, weight loss or gain occurs when levels are either too high or too low, affecting the ideal functioning of other hormones in the body. Progesterone is also a source hormone for the production of other crucial chemical messengers, including testosterone, which plays a role in metabolism and weight loss.

There are still additional benefits to using progesterone for weight loss, including:

• Natural anti-inflammatory – progesterone helps reduce inflammation allowing the brain to receive the hormone leptin which regulates appetite and controls overeating
• Fluid retention – progesterone is a natural diuretic that can help decrease bloating and swelling
• Sleep aid – progesterone exerts calming effect on the brain to help with sleep, enabling an increase in production of testosterone and growth hormone that aid in metabolism

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Can Progesterone Therapy Help You Lose Weight?

Even though it is not prescribed directly for this purpose, the use of progesterone therapy for weight loss is helping many women dealing with menopause and men facing andropause lose unwanted fat. As with any other hormone replacement treatment, progesterone therapy should not be prescribed until blood analysis has been completed and shown a deficiency.

One essential point to consider – progesterone is not the same thing as progestin. Progesterone is a bioidentical form of hormone replacement and progestin is a synthetic compound that is manufactured by drug companies to be different in structure to progesterone. That is what gives progestin its proprietary patents.

At Kingsberg Medical, our doctors have seen positive progesterone weight loss reviews from our clients who have received this type of hormone replacement therapy. For additional answers or information, or to arrange blood testing or a complimentary consultation, please contact us by phone or completing the form below.