The Role of Progesterone in Women and Overall Health

 Typically, when thinking of hormones what initially comes to mind is their role in sexual reproduction, but hormones are apart of so much more than what we originally assumed. Hormones and their homeostasis are vital to maintaining our health in men and especially in women. Throughout a women’s life there are many stages that can cause major hormone imbalances and changes which can juristically affect their physical and mental health. 

In a study by Meharvan Singh (2024), introduced the idea of progesterones influence on Brain-derived neuerotrophic factor leading to an increase in neuroprotection within the central nervous system. The extensive research done by Singh and his team have used their previous studies to connect their new observations to find an understanding from the multiple factors that can affect the use of progesterone therapy in patients that suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, stroke and brain injury survivors. Singh and his team discovered natural progesterone, the synthetic medroxyprogesterone acetate and other progestins do not perform equally in brain function. They came to find a greater understanding of how progesterone increases levels of brain-derived neuerotrophic factors through a classical progesterone receptor along with BDNF release through a putative membrane progesterone receptor. This influx of BDNF leads to an activation of TrkB receptors causing an activation of survival cell signaling pathways within the brain. With a further understanding of progesterone’s relationship within the brain Singh hopes to use these findings for the development of stronger effective progesterone treatments for menopausal women and assist in reducing the risks of accumulating a neurodegenerative disease in the post-menopausal period. 

Many doctors such as Dr. Jenna Rayachoti advocate for women’s health and the importance of maintaining a hormonal balance. She expresses how vital progesterone is for the whole body not only the reproductive system. Dr. Rayachoti expresses the importance of progesterone in mood, sleep, bone health, sex drive, reducing PMS and its vitality in fertility. Symptoms found in patients with low progesterone range from irregular periods, premenstrual syndrome, fertility, sleep to various mental health concerns. In many cases the cause of these symptoms originate from low iron, thyroid issues, lack of nutrients, and stress. These common symptoms can be treated with oral progesterone supplements, but it is important to acknowledge where they originate from and make changes. 

References

Jenna, Dr. (2022a, March 7). The power of progesterone. Drjennarayachoti.com. https://drjennarayachoti.com/blog/progesterone-is-quite-amazing 

Singh, M., Krishnamoorthy, V. R., Kim, S., Khurana, S., & LaPorte, H. M. (2024). Brain-derived neuerotrophic factor and related mechanisms that mediate and influence progesterone-induced neuroprotection. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2024.1286066