FAQ
FAQ Dr Lee & Progesterone Print E-mail

Dr. John R. Lee was a family doctor in Northern California when, in the early 1970s, he began seeing a lot of menopausal women with health complaints who weren't able to use estrogen because of a high cancer risk, heart disease, or diabetes for example. About that time he attended a lecture by Raymond Peat, PhD. who claimed that estrogen was the wrong hormone to be giving menopausal women, and that what they really needed was progesterone. Dr. Lee took a list of Dr. Peat's references and checked them out, and sure enough, it looked like Dr. Peat was right.

Once he started treating his own patients with a natural progesterone cream, he saw results immediately.  It would seem, natural progesterone is much safer than those synthetic alternatives created by pharmaceutical companies. These companies can not produce natural progesterone because a natural molecule cannot be patented.  Natural progesterone cream contains the exact progesterone molecule as produced by the body.

According to Dr John R. Lee, natural progesterone USP has a molecular structure identical to the progesterone produced by the human body. Natural progesterone is produced through the fermentation (and other steps) of the Mexican Wild Yam. Dr. Lee points out that if the molecule produced from the extract of the Mexican Wild Yam is molecularly identical then it is indeed the identical hormone.

Natural progesterone is the natural way to rebalance what age and our lifestyles tend to rob from us.

What does this mean to you?  Natural replacement of this vital hormone aids to balance the body reducing menopausal symptoms and may even assist fertilization, and premature delivery of infants.  Natural progesterone is a much safer alternative to the synthetics with few if any side effects, the pharmaceutical companies can't claim that.

Progesterone's Many Roles:
  • Precursor of other sex hormones (estrogen and testosterone) and cortisone
  • Maintains lining of the uterus
  • Promotes the survival of the embryo and fetus throughout gestation
  • Protects against fibrocystic breasts
  • Natural diuretic thus helping to control fluid balance
  • Promotes fat burning for energy (thermogenesis)
  • Acts as a natural anti-depressant
  • Aids thyroid hormone action
  • Normalizes blood clotting
  • Maintains sex drive
  • Keeps blood sugar levels normal
  • Normalizes zinc and copper levels
  • Promotes proper cell oxygen levels for enhanced energy
  • Protects against endometrial cancer
  • Helps protect against breast cancer
  • Promotes bone building and protects against osteoporosis
References
1. Hargrove JT, Maxson WS, Wentz AC, Burnett LS. Menopausal hormone replacement therapy with continuous daily oral micronized estradiol and progesterone. Obstet Gynecol. 1989;73:606 612.
2. Barnard ND. Natural progesterone: Is estrogen the wrong hormone? An interview with John R. Lee, MD. Good Health. 1994 Spring.
3. Prior JC. Progesterone as a bone-trophic hormone. Endocrine Reviews. 1990;11:386-398.
4. Lee J.R. What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause. New York: Warner Books; 1996.
5. Lee J.R. Is natural progesterone the missing link in osteoporosis prevention and treatment? Medical Hypotheses. 1991;35:316-318.
6. The Writing Group for the PEPI Trial. Effects of estrogen or estrogen/progestin regimens on heart disease risk factors in postmenopausal women. JAMA. 1995;273:199-208.
7. Estratab (esterified estrogen tablets). Product Information. Physicians' Desk Reference: Medical Economics; 1996.
8. Archives Journal Club/Women's Health. Estrogen replacement therapy and heart disease: A discussion of the PEPI trial. 1995