Bioidentical progesterone – is it safe? Have you heard of bioidentical progesterone before? Sounds like it would be good and beneficial since it has been touted to match our own hormonal makeup, but what is it really?
What is Bioidentical Progesterone?
Bioidential progesterone starts with natural plants found in nature like Wild Yam or Soybean, but it does not end naturally. According to ScienceDirect.com;
“Commercially marketed ‘natural’ progesterone (which is the exact chemical duplicate of the hormone) is synthesized using the plant steroid diosgenin as a precursor.”
The National Institute of Health states;
“Progesterone (UPS) is synthesized from a starting material from a plant source and is chemically identical to progesterone of human ovarian origin.”
In a lab, diosgenins (a steroid saponin found in a number of plant species) are typically extracted from wild yam or soybeans and then chemically changed to mirror human progesterone’s DNA, naturally created in the ovaries. The exact method used to alter the natural disogenin has not been made public. (I will update this if I find a source)
It is safe to say that bioidentical progesterone is not natural and is, in fact, synthetic. Synthetic supplements have adverse side effects and are a “band-aid fix”, not a way to heal the body.
According to ClevelandClinic.org, the side effects of bioidentical progesterone (and other bioidentical hormones):
“It can increase the risk of blood clots, stroke, and gallbladder disease. Your risk of heart disease and breast cancer may also increase if you are older or use hormonal therapy for an extended period.”
Avoiding "Natural" Products
Another way this bioidentical progestrone is presented is USP-Grade Progesterone. According to LabManager.com, USP-Grade means that it:
“meets or exceeds requirements of the United States Pharmacopeia (USP). This grade is acceptable for food, drug, or medicinal use. “
Some popular “natural” brands you may recognize that contain USP-grade Progesterone are:
- Progessence Plus by Young Living Essential Oils
- P-Boost by Rowe Casa Organics
- Molecular Progesterone Complex by Forefront Health
When researching ingredients, you may see the synthetic progesterone listed as:
- USP-Grade Progesterone from Wild Yam Extract
- USP-grade progesterone (from wild yam extract)
- Natural Progesterone
- Natural Bioidentical Progesterone (USP)
- Progesterone Micronized USP (wild yam)
- USP bio-identical progesterone (ultra-micronized)
Things to Consider
It is important to educate ourselves on how marketing is used in order to sell a product. “Natural”, “Bioidentical”, “Derived from”, and even “Organic” are often used as marketing terms and may not have any bearing on how wholesome or healthy the product actually is. I encourage you to research each product prior to purchase or even look into products on your sink counter.
Some things to consider:
- Sourcing – it is key to know where the ingredients come from. We believe no ingredient should be sourced from China, due to lack of accountability and regulation.
- Why? – Knowing why each and every ingredient is included in the final product.
- Details – Contact the company and ask for details and make sure all of your questions are satisfied. If they are not willing to share, I would recommend finding a company that will.
- Customer Reviews – Amazon reviews or on-website review sections may be paid for.
- Social Media Influencers – Be careful who you trust online. Sometimes influencers, with small or large followings, are “brand ambassadors” (receive payment for the post), participate in “affiliate marketing” (receive payment for a click thru to the product), or may be misinformed about the product.
And last but not least, a great (and actual) natural solution is to turn to herbs found in nature in their native state – grown organically or wild harvested. Wild Yam Root, Chaste Berries (Vitex), Evening Primrose, and Black Cohosh (to name a few) are excellent aids in helping the body to naturally balance.
