Many have heralded progesterone as the “forgotten hormone” in men. While we know – all too well – the role of progesterone in pregnancy, very little is known about the role it plays in men.Progesterone levels are just as high in men as they are during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle in women. Since the follicular phase lasts for two weeks, that means generally half the time, men and women both have the same levels of progesterone.
So what does progesterone do in men? It sure as hell isn’t there for show. The human body just doesn’t work that way, there’s always a reason behind everything.
The Multiple Roles Of Progesterone in Men
It turns out that men have progesterone receptors all over their body, just like women. This means progesterone has a wide range of different actions on the human body.
Progesterone acts on the testes to influence sperm production and function, and on the central nervous system, where it influences the secretion of other important hormones, helps improve sleep and mood, and affects tumor progression. It also acts on the immune system, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, the kidneys, helps with fat loss via direct action on adipose tissue, and does so much more.
How Progesterone Helps in Losing Man Boobs
We know that estrogen and testosterone are the two main hormones involved in gynecomastia and man boobs. Almost everything else that affects your man boobs, does so by altering the balance between these two hormones, and the effect these hormones have on your body.
Well you might be surprised to learn that progesterone is a precursor to both estrogen and testosterone. Both of these male sex hormones are produced from progesterone. So progesterone plays a huge role in determining the levels of these two hormones in your body.
Since man boobs are caused by high levels of estrogen and low levels of testosterone, progesterone will help by both reducing estrogen, and increasing testosterone.
The studies suggest that progesterone in men is more of a masculine hormone than a feminine hormone. Even if your levels of estrogen and testosterone are normal, progesterone will increase your masculinity by improving your libido, giving you stronger erections, increasing your muscle mass, and helping you to lose body fat.
This is because progesterone not only reduces levels of estrogen when they are high, it also antagonizes the effects of estrogen, and prevents the conversion of estrogen to its more active form, estradiol.
As well as testosterone being produced from progesterone when levels of testosterone are low, progesterone is also known to block the enzyme that converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is not only a far weaker stimulant of muscle growth than testosterone, it’s also the main cause of common conditions in men like male pattern baldness and benign prostatic hyperplasia. DHT has also been linked to prostate cancer.
So keeping in mind that progesterone not only decreases the estrogen to testosterone ratio, but also has it’s own actions that are very much similar to testosterone, it’s clear that this hormone can play a HUGE role in helping a guy to lose his man boobs.
How To Use Progesterone To Help Get Rid Of Man Boobs
Well as always, my first suggestion would be to increase levels of this hormone naturally through your diet.
Good food sources of progesterone include anything that contains high levels of magnesium. This includes pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews, brazil nuts and cocoa (in dark chocolate).
Brazil nuts are an excellent source of magnesium, which helps with progesterone production. It’s good to know that they’re also one of the best source of selenium, which helps with testosterone production.
Yams and sweet potatoes are also good sources of key micronutrients that lead to increased progesterone in your body. Native American women have traditionally used wild yam to relieve morning sickness, asthma, rheumatism, joint pains and labor pains, all of which are known to be relieved by progesterone.
Yams are a good source of micronutrients that lead to increased progesterone levels in your body. Natural progesterone is actually produced from yam and soy bean extracts.
Supplementing With Progesterone
Avoid Synthetic Forms Of Progesterone – Go Natural
When supplementing with progesterone, I highly advise you avoid any form of synthetic progesterone that you purchase with a prescription, like Provera. Synthetic progesterones have been linked with various cancers and a whole host of different symptoms and side-effects.
It’s pretty scary how in the scientific databases, doctors and biologists commonly don’t differentiate between synthetic progestins and natural bio-identical progesterone. All of the studies where progesterone has been associated with cancer and negative effects, have used synthetic progestins, and usually at much higher than physiological doses, where higher levels of progesterone are induced in animal models than could ever be achieved naturally.
On the other hand, when you use bio-identical natural progesterone at physiological doses (i.e. no more than 8-10 mg per day in men), there are virtually no side effects, and the body can actually use this progesterone to make other hormones like testosterone and corticosteroids where they are needed.
Always opt for micronized United States Pharmacopeia (USP) progesterone. The USP is a non-governmental, official public standards-setting authority for prescription, over-the-counter medicines and other healthcare products. They reliably ensure your progesterone is made and naturally sourced the way it says so on the bottle.
Avoid Pills & Tablets – Use Creams
I also advise you avoid taking progesterone orally. With the oral route, much of it is metabolized and inactivated by the liver, and you also have to deal with side-effects cause by the multitude of liver metabolites that result. It’s far better to introduce natural progesterone straight into your blood via absorption through your skin, by using a progesterone cream. The progesterone created by your own testes and adrenal glands enters your body in a similar fashion – straight into your blood, rather than through your gastrointestinal tract.
It is far better to use a progesterone cream than it is to take a tablet/pill. The cream enters straight into your bloodstream, just like the naturally produced progesterone in your body does. Tablets and pills have to go through your GI tract, where they undergo chemical changes and metabolism by your liver.
When using a cream, you don’t have to always apply it on your chest. The effect of a progesterone cream comes mostly from a raised level of progesterone throughout your body in your blood. I advise you apply it on different areas of your body to avoid any contact sensitivities. You can apply it on your chest, inner arms, inner thighs, or abdomen. Rotate from one area to the other, every few weeks.
Also, you’ll likely be befuddled by the fact that almost all progesterone preparations are made for women. It’s perfectly fine for you to purchase a women’s brand of progesterone, it’s all the same. Just make sure you don’t use the same dose as women do. Women are generally advised to use around 20mg per day. Men are advised to use 8-10 mg per day.
To Learn More About Progesterone And Losing Man Boobs…
You can learn more about how to use progesterone in losing man boobs over here in this article.
Important: Progesterone Alone Will Only Do So Much…
Though a good progesterone cream can be very helpful in losing man boobs, getting rid of excess body fat and growing some muscle, it’s still only one piece of the puzzle.
No supplement can replace a good dietary and exercise regime for losing man boobs. The modern environment has a huge influence on your estrogen and testosterone levels. To lose your man boobs, you have to use as many methods as you can to reduce the overall estrogenic effect on your body, and increase the overall effects of testosterone.
I have taken the theory and experimented with dozens of different methods both on myself, and as a personal trainer on a few hundred clients. I’ve found that some of these methods are far better than others. To discover what they are, watch this video on how to lose man boobs naturally.