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Blood sugar – low (hypoglycemia) and high (hyperglycemia)

One of the many functions of progesterone is blood sugar regulation in all vertebrates. If the blood sugar becomes either too high or too low, loss of consciousness occurs, followed by death. The blood sugar is kept stable by eating slow release carbohydrates. If refined foods or sugar are eaten the body responds by creating a surge of insulin to prevent hyperglycemia. It does this by converting the excess sugar into fat which then gets deposited in the fatty tissues. If too much insulin is released because too much sugar is eaten or too long an interval is left between meals, the blood sugar can drop below the critical baseline. The result is an outpouring of adrenaline which causes sugar stored in other cells in the body to pour into the blood bringing the level up again. As the sugar drains out it is replaced by water, causing bloating and weight gain. Too much adrenaline can bring on an attack of panic, migraine, epilepsy etc (see also aggression). Progesterone cannot be transported into the nucleus of the cells if there is no sugar in them, which means that any of the symptoms of progesterone deficiency become worse, it is also known that oestrogen causes an imbalance in the blood sugar. Progesterone is involved in the regulation of the lower sugar baseline, so if progesterone is too low, as in the days before menstruation; during post natal depression or the years before menopause, the lower baseline is raised. What this means is that if the blood sugar starts dropping it will hit the baseline quicker than normal and of course the body responds with its usual outpouring of adrenalin and its attendant symptoms. It is estimated that about 80% of women have hypoglycemia, the lucky 20% and most men are not affected. An interesting fact is that after a large meal the progesterone level drops. It is essential to eat small meals of slow release high fibre carbohydrate every 3 hours and to supplement with progesterone. Some people find it beneficial to add some protein to the meal, unless digestive disturbances are felt.

Breast tenderness

An excessive amount of oestrogen in comparison to progesterone causes water to be retained in the breasts, which results in swelling and pain. The swelling can occur naturally in the week or two before menstruation or artificially when on HRT. Oestrogen also stimulates breast tissue resulting in fibrocystic breasts. The cysts are extremely painful. HRT can increase the chances of a woman getting breast cancer by 40%. Keep the level of progesterone high in the two weeks before menstruation by using a cream containing it. Avoid all forms of HRT. The problem will resolve itself within three weeks to three months.