Additional benefits for women include: improved brain function, diminished muscular aches and pains, improvement of skin problems including acne, seborrhea, rosacea, psoriasis and keratoses, and improved sleep pattern. John R. Lee, M.D. with Virginia Hopkins What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause. The Breakthrough Book on Natural Progesterone. New York: Warner Books, 1996. John R. Lee, M.D., Jesse Hanley M.D.

There is much evidence that men and women, especially women, suffer from reduced levels of progesterone. Keeping progesterone levels to optimum levels can help fight depression and anxiety, increase sexual libido, prevent bone loss (osteoporosis), fight aging skin, wrinkles and brown spots, help oxygenation of cells, alleviate sleeplessness, control acne, reduce premenstrual discomforts, protect against breast fibroids, reduce hair thinning, reduce hot flashes etc.

Natural progesterone usage depends on your current hormonal and menstrual status. The following are general recommendations that should be confirmed or modified in concert with your health care provider. Please keep in mind these are general recommendations that may need to be modified for your specific situation. When selecting a progesterone cream, it should contain approximately 20 mg of progesterone per 1/4 teaspoon. Begin using natural progesterone after you have ovulated.

Dr. John Lee who studied the effect of progesterone on osteoporosis concluded that progesterone may help build new bone by stimulating osteoblastic activity.

According to Dr. Lee, a product that contains at least 480 milligrams of progesterone per ounce is needed. There are now many products on the market that contain less than 10 milligrams per ounce which are likely to be ineffective.

If you are still menstruating, use one-fourth to one-half teaspoon of cream twice a day after ovulation (which is generally 12-14 days from the first day of menstrual flow) until day 26. You do not need natural progesterone while menstruating; however, if you experience menstrual cramps try rubbing a small amount of cream on the lower abdomen. For migraines, rub cream on back of your neck.

Men over 45 can use natural progesterone. One benefit is an increase in the libido. Progesterone is the precursor of testosterone. Testosterone can stimulate new bone formation, increasing bone density; a lack of it can cause osteoporosis. Older men with rheumatoid arthritis have reported relief from pain and swelling after rubbing natural progesterone in a cream base on their joints.

In his book, Premenstrual Syndrome & You, Neils H. Lauersen, MD, from the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, states that natural progesterone may be helpful to maintain pregnancy. However, synthetic progestagens should not be used because they may adversely affect the developing fetus. No adverse effects on fetal development have been reported when natural progesterone was used during pregnancy. Dr.