Progesterone and Men- GETTING RID OF BELLY FAT Robert Carlson, MD

Is It Hot In Here?
We joke gingerly about women having a “personal summer” or “power surges” but for those going through it it’s no joke. And men who have low progesterone and excess adipose (brown) fat around the belly that actually produces estrogen can experience a form of male menopause called andropause. Progesterone helps reduce hot flashes in women; but men with low levels of progesterone and testosterone along with higher levels of estrogen will get hot flashes too. For both men and women, progesterone can help calm the fire.
Men can even fall victim to breast cancer thanks to hormonal imbalances! Progesterone can protect men breast tumors. Progesterone insufficiency causes norepinephrine and epinephrine levels to go up which increases your anxiety levels. Your aldosterone levels will also go up which results in swelling. Progesterone stimulates the parasympathetic system which helps to calm you. However if your levels are low you’ll get stressed, anxious and find yourself constantly worrying. And if that weren’t enough problems because of low progesterone, if you have elevated estrogen levels you’ll have problems with constipation too.
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One of the more surprising things I’ve been seeing in my patients’ lab work lately is men with estrogen levels that are off the charts! Estrogen dominance in men is a recipe for disaster. When you have a progesterone deficiency and elevated estrogen levels, you will have difficulty voiding because estrogen causes an increase in the size of your prostate. Men with progesterone deficiency have an enlarged hard fibrous prostate. Estrogen also promotes the development of fibrous tissue within the prostate. The urethra which carries urine from the bladder, passes through this enlarged fibrous tissue and gets narrowed and subsequently blocked by the enlarged prostate. Numerous studies have identified the effects of elevated estrogen levels and an enlarged prostate. Sadly, most of the studies are missing the point! Researchers aren’t measuring progesterone levels. You can easily combat the problem and reduce estradiol levels up to 30% with the addition of 100 mg of progesterone at bedtime. Progesterone will reduce prostatic volume, weight, and the DNA content.
I am deeply concerned not just about progesterone deficiency, but also about the estrogen mimics and interrupters men are flooding their bodies with. Our rabid fascination with soy is dangerous. Soy is a phytoestrogen. Chemicals in our shampoos (dandruff shampoos are the worst), skincare products and *** are fooling our endocrine systems and creating sky-high levels of estrogen in men.
We need to balance our bodies and replenish our depleted levels of progesterone. Progesterone helps men and women fall asleep, stay asleep and wake up rested, while getting rid of their sleeping pills and the nasty brain fog side effects. Do you find yourself feeling grouchy? Men can be very irritable and tense in the face of low progesterone levels. By just correcting progesterone levels we can restore calmness and help you get a better night’s sleep. It protects you from the accumulation of fat within the abdomen – the dangerous fat doctors call visceral fat.
Is Your Health a House of Cards?
Everywhere I look I see the effects of excess estrogen and low progesterone in men. Metabolic syndrome with its high blood pressure, dyslipidemias, elevated insulin levels, and increased abdominal fat can be turned around with progesterone. Belly fat can begin to melt off with progesterone. Prostate enlargement can be shrunk with progesterone. And male pattern baldness can be reduced just by using progesterone.
Without enough progesterone over a prolonged period of time, you’ll start to see major problems domino out of control in all the systems of the body. Progesterone is foundation for health, youth, and vitality.
It’s time to work with your doctor to assess your hormone levels in a full blood panel screening. So when was the last time you had your progesterone checked? Consider using bio-identical (not synthetic!) hormone therapy to restore your body’s progesterone levels. If your doctor poo-poo’s your request, find another doctor who will listen to your concerns. Remember, if your lab results are “normal” but you still don’t feel up to par, you need a doctor who will help you get to the bottom of the problem and put your health back on top.