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Oh, and, it seems to help with (or eliminate) incontinence, and, husband* is now 'borrowing' my progesterone cream as he finds it noticeably reduces frequent urination. (*Husband told bro-in-law, who uses it now too.) GIVE IT BACK!!
So here I've been taking calcium for years, both as a pre- and post-menopausal woman (husband as well to supposedly make strong bones). Turns out that it doesn't prevent weakened bones and fractures as much as it increases the risk of heart attacks and stroke. It seems that it is safe to get calcium from food, but not from supplements that release too much too quickly into the bloodstream. Glad that I can save some money in the future not buying calcium. On to decide about multi-vitamins, lutein, and flax seed oil....
This has been in the news for decades. Strangely, most doctors don't know about this, but cardiologists certainly do. They're adamant about getting calcium from food, not from calcium supplements. They say, one cup of yogurt or cottage cheese, or I suppose a glass of milk, is enough to maintain bone strength. I'm not sure if all-plant sources would provide enough for vegans, or for people allergic to dairy.
Progesterone, like calcium, seems to help support bone density.....
Progesterone as a bone-trophic hormone.
Prior JC. Endocr Rev. 1990 May; 11(2):386-98.
Experimental, epidemiological, and clinical data indicate that progesterone is active in bone metabolism. Progesterone appears to act directly on bone by engaging an osteoblast receptor or indirectly through competition for a glucocorticoid osteoblast receptor. Progesterone seems to promote bone formation and/or increase bone turnover. It is possible, through estrogen-stimulated increased progesterone binding to the osteoblast receptor, that progesterone plays a role in the coupling of bone resorption with bone formation. A model of the interdependent actions of progesterone and estrogen on appropriately-"ready" cells in each bone multicellular unit can be tied into the integrated secretions of these hormones within the ovulatory cycle. Figure 5 is an illustration of this concept. It shows the phases of the bone remodeling cycle in parallel with temporal changes in gonadal steroids across a stylized ovulatory cycle. Increasing estrogen production before ovulation may reverse the resorption occurring in a "sensitive" bone multicellular unit while gonadal steroid levels are low at the time of menstrual flow. The bone remodeling unit would then be ready to begin a phase of formation as progesterone levels peaked in the midluteal phase. From this perspective, the normal ovulatory cycle looks like a natural bone-activating, coherence cycle. Critical analysis of the reviewed data indicate that progesterone meets the necessary criteria to play a causal role in mineral metabolism. This review provides the preliminary basis for further molecular, genetic, experimental, and clinical investigation of the role(s) of progesterone in bone remodeling. Much further data are needed about the interrelationships between gonadal steroids and the "life cycle" of bone. Feldman et al., however, may have been prophetic when he commented; "If this anti-glucocorticoid effect of progesterone also holds true in bone, then postmenopausal osteoporosis may be, in part, a progesterone deficiency disease." Osteoporosis - Abstracts : Online Reference for Health Concerns
THANK YOU for this! Yes another reason to prescribe progesterone in menopause and even perimenopause. It's especially important for women with symptoms of estrogen dominance throughout their reproductive lives. (Gals: it makes that horrendous period pain go away. What's not to like? Beats chugging ibuprofen at that time of month )
Notice, that this is an article from 1990, yet primary care doctors and even many gynecologists aren't aware of this, and other benefits of progesterone, like restoring normal sleep function in middle age, and controlling the anxiety some women develop at that age.
It's been known since the 90's, due to studies by the NIH and other research, that women's progesterone declines to almost nothing in the final years of perimenopause, and takes all its calming power and sleep-stabilizing power with it, when it crashes. Yet, most doctors are in the Dark Ages about this important hormone.
Oh, and, it seems to help with (or eliminate) incontinence, and, husband* is now 'borrowing' my progesterone cream as he finds it noticeably reduces frequent urination. (*Husband told bro-in-law, who uses it now too.) GIVE IT BACK!!
He can buy it over the counter at vitamin stores. (lower dose than prescription progesterone)
Caveat-- a) Study is based on dietary questionaires. Do you remember what you ate for breakfast 2 weeks ago on Tuesday? All dietary studies based on questionaires are bogus.
2) The usual rate of MI for the general population is about 5 or 6 per 1000 per year, so if the calcium thing made a 25% difference, that's only about 1 extra MI per year for every 1000 pts. BFD.
Once you get to be middle aged, taking extra Ca won't help much. Start payng attention to dietary Ca as a kid, teenager and yoiung adult and carry thru as you age--- Don't let your bones lose the Ca early on and you won't have to try to replace it later when it's too late.
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