Natural Progesterone
Friends who live abroad have been raving about the benefits of Natural Progesterone to relieve the symptoms of menopause and PMT. It is also said to protect against osteoporosis. However, there seems to be a lot of confusion between Wild Yam creams and Natural Progesterone. I prefer natural products where possible, but do not know enough about Natural Progesterone to be sure I am using the right cream.
The first point of confusion to clear up is the fact that Natural Progesterone does not mean natural at all. It is only called this because it is chemically identical to the progesterone that is produced naturally by the ovaries during the second half of the menstrual cycle and throughout pregnancy.
Natural Progesterone is a hormone, which means, in this country, you can only get it on prescription. Initially extracted from human placentas, but now made from soya plant sterols, it was first promoted in the 1960s as a cure for PMT. In America, it has been sold as a skin wrinkle cream but without FDA approval. There is no conclusive evidence it can protect against osteoporosis, but clinical trials are underway now. You also need to remember if you take it, you are in effect embarking on HRT but using progesterone instead of oestrogen.
Wild Yam is a herb. It can also be very useful for treating PMT and menopausal symptoms, although according to Dr Marilyn Glenville, author of Natural Alternatives to HRT (Kyle Cathie, £10.99), agnus castus is better.
You cannot take progesterone orally because it is destroyed in the liver, so the theory is that you can get around this problem by using wild yam since it contains a sterol called diosgenin, which the body can then convert to progesterone. This is, though, where the real confusion starts - because on this point, the experts do not agree. Some swear blind this cannot happen and the only time you get progesterone from wild yam is in the laboratory. Others say even if it did work, you have no guarantee about the dose you are getting.
To help you decide, I am going to quote from a book that is my own health bible - The Natural Pharmacy: 'Contrary to popular belief, wild yam is not a natural source of progesterone, nor has it been shown to reduce the symptoms of menopause. Although a pharmacuetical conversion process can produce progesterone from wild yam, the body cannot duplicate this conversion.'