were hypothyroid. Progesterone deficiency in perimenopause or menopausal years
can predispose a woman to hypothyroidism during this time of her life.
Thyroid and Estrogen Dominance
Estrogen dominance, that is an excess of estrogen in relation to progesterone,
inhibits thyroid function and can result from taking birth control pills, hormone
replacement therapy, or exposure to environmental estrogens. A poorly functioning
liver, exhausted adrenal glands, insulin resistance, compromised digestion and
candida can also contribute to estrogen dominance. There are receptor sites for
estrogen and progesterone in every cell throughout the body. Thus the immune
system, the nervous system, the circulatory system, the digestive system the
vascular system, the respiratory system all are effected by the flow and proper
balance between these two hormones. Thyroid hormone is required to convert
cholesterol into the vital anti-aging steroid hormones, pregnenolone, progesterone,
and DHEA. Pregnenolone converts to progesterone and DHEA in the body.
Progesterone and DHEA are precursors for more specialized hormones, including
estrogen, testosterone, and cortisol. Pharmaceutical progesterone is made from
wild yam using a chemical conversion process, but wild yam roots do not contain
and are not converted into progesterone or DHEA in the body.