progesterone

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Dr. HingHau Tsang's Crusade on NutritionNewsletter #75 --- Estrogen Dominance, Natural Progesterone and MenJust as in women, men suffer the effects of "estrogen dominance".Many researchers including John R. Lee, M.D (Leading pioneer in naturalprogesterone therapy), Dr. Jesse Hanley and Dr. Peter Eckhart are coming tothe conclusion that the over abundance of estrogen and estrogen likesubstances (xenoestrogens or foreign estrogens) are responsible for a vastnumber of today's health problems. This over abundance of estrogen isreferred to as estrogen dominance which is an increasingly serious problemfor both women and men. Dr. Lee believes that it is excessive exposure toestrogen that is the primary cause of prostate enlargement and prostatecancer. Xenoestrogens in the environment are among the culprits. Sources ofxenoestrogens includes commercially raised beef, chicken and pork, birthcontrol pills, spermacide, detergent, plastics, plastic drinking bottles,pesticides, herbicides, personal care products, canned foods and lacquers.Men produce estrogen (Estradiol) but in much lower amount than women. Menalso produce progesterone, but about half the amount from that of females.Progesterone is made in men by the adrenal glands and testes. Progesteroneis vital to good health in both women and men. It is the primary precursorof our adrenal cortical hormones and testosterone. The male hormone,testosterone, is an antagonist to estradiol (E2). It is made fromprogesterone. Men normally continue to produce relatively normal level oftestosterone for their age and well into the seventies. Contrary to commonperception, testosterone does not cause prostate cancer. Young men have highlevels of testosterone and old men low levels. If testosterone were thecause of prostate cancer, young men would be dying of prostate cancer.Studies had shown that men with the highest level of testosterone have theleast prostate enlargement. Conversely, men with the highest level ofestrogen have enlarged prostates. Declining testosterone from aging,together with increasing level of estrogen, is the most likely reason forprostate enlargement and cancer in men.The prostate is embryologically the same as the uterus in the female.Research Studies (Listed at the end of this newsletter) have shown that whenprostate cells are exposed to estrogen, the cells proliferate and becomecancerous. When progesterone or testosterone was added, cancer cell dies.During the aging process, progesterone level falls in men, especially afterage 60. Progesterone is the chief inhibitor of an enzyme called 5-alphareductase that is responsible for converting testosterone todihydrotestosterone (DHT), a much more potent derivative that is linked toprostate cancer. When the level of progesterone falls in men, the amount ofconversion from testosterone to DHT increases. Unfortunately, DHT is not aspowerful an inhibitor of cancer cell compared to testosterone. When thelevel of testosterone decreases, the relative level of estradiol in menincreases. Estradiol, turns on BCL2 oncogene (Onco means cancer) andincreases the risk of prostate cancer if adequate amount of progesterone isnot there to counteract its effect by stimulating the P53 cancer protectiongene.Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a prostate enlargement condition, is acommon condition affecting the majority of male above age 50. Prostatecancer is a leading cause of cancer in men. It is slow growing, with adoubling time of 5 years. Numerous anecdotal reports of reduction of BPH andreversal of prostate cancer through the use of natural progesteronesupplementation have been reported.Clinical EvidenceDr. John Lee's women patients used natural progesterone for osteoporosis.Some of their spouses also used it for their bones and their prostate cancerwent into remission. Dr. John Lee has had about 10 out of 10 men inremission from prostate cancer using Natural Progesterone cream. One man wasbeing treated at Mayo Clinic for prostate cancer and it had spread to thebone. He began to use his wife's progesterone cream for his bones. After 6months of progesterone cream applied to his skin, Mayo Clinic could find noevidence of any prostate cancer. Several men with prostate cancer have toldDr. Lee that their PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) level-decreased when theystarted using a daily dab of progesteorne cream, and that they have had noprogression of their prostate lesions. Dr. Peter Eckhart also had patientsin remission from prostate cancer. Studies had shown that PSA level returnsto normal upon application of natural progesterone cream before or afterprostate surgery.Dr. Lee reported twelve men who applied natural progesterone cream for theirosteoporosis. All of them began to experience relief from their condition,after three months of daily massage, they were also experiencing an improvedurine flow, with less pressure on their prostate glands and a noticeabledecrease in nightly urination. Each patient was also suffering from enlargedprostates.2 Ways to combat "Estrogen Dominance" in Men1. Cut out the estrogen mimicking chemicals in our lifeUse glass or ceramics whenever possible to store foodIf you must use plastics, do not heat them up in the microwave oven or leavethem in the sun.Use a simple detergent with less chemicals (e.g. Nature Clean)Use a simple soapUse natural pest control not pesticides.Avoid Synthetic Chemicals.Don't use herbicides.Buy hormone free meats to eat.Buy "Organic" produce, produce grown without pesticides, herbicides orsynthetic fertilizerUse Condoms without spermicide for Birth control.2. Apply Natural Progesterone creamProgesterone cream can help to reduce the prostate size. Progesterone'sinhibitory effect on 5 alpha reductase is far more effective than Proscarwhich is standard agents used in traditional medicine to cure BPH. All menover age 40 should consider natural progesterone replacement therapy, oreven earlier if there is a history of prostate caner or BPH. The amountneeded is 8 - 12 mg a day (1/8 tsp -1/4 tsp twice daily). Men should applydirectly to their scrotum (testical sac) twice daily. This allows it to getinto the prostate receptors.Symptoms of prostatism such as urinary urgency and frequency decreasedconsiderably after application of Natural Progesterone cream. Physiologicaldoses of progesterone also appear to enhance sexual drive. Naturalprogesterone cream prevents osteoporosis in men. Natural progesterone creammight decrease male balding due to the corresponding rise in testosterone.Progesterone cream might provide relief from pain and swelling of rheumatoidarthritis when rubbed into the joints.Side Effects of Natural progesterone creamSide Effects for Natural Progesterone taken in physiologic doses areminimal.In a study in the Medical Tribune fifteen years ago, progesterone was givento college age men. Sperm maturation was observed to be inhibited. In otherwords, it appears that progesterone taken by men in physiologic doses mayact only as a contraceptive. In women, progesterone increases sex drive.Progesterone has no feminizing characteristics.Research StudiesIn 1988 a very important study was done at Nanjing Medical College in Chinawhere progesterone reduced the prostate weights of test animals.Six different studies at the University of Milan in Italy, the University ofTurku in Finland, Montreal General Hospital in Quebec, St. George's Hospitalin London, the University of Mainz in Germany and the Roswell Park MemorialInstitute in New York all independently had results that suggest thatprogesterone is a powerful 5-alpha reductase inhibitor that stops theconversion of testosterone into DHT in test animals.At Staten Island College in New York and Mt. Sinai Medical School (also inNew York ) progesterone was shown to raise the level of androstenedione inthe prostate gland itself. Remember that a healthy prostate needs anabundance of androgens such as testosterone and androstenedione and DHEA tofunction well as it does in your youth.At the University of Maryland in Baltimore human prostate cells were shownto have progesterone receptor sites. This was also demonstrated at theInstitute of Clinical Medicine in Rome.The Center for Drug Research in India did four different studies suggestingthat progesterone shrank enlarged rat prostates, progesterone antagonizedthe stimulating effects of estrogen, that progesterone stimulates alkalinephosphatase and depressed acid phosphatase in the prostate and generally issupportive of proper prostate function.At the University of Laval in Quebec progesterone inhibited estrogen frombinding to the prostate and progesterone receptors were clearlydemonstrated.