Maca, also known as Lepidium meyenii, is a perennial plant native to the high Andes of Peru and Bolivia. The hormone progesterone is important for the regulation of ovulation and menstruation and plays a role in maintaining pregnancy. Maca and progesterone may help certain health conditions such as menopausal symptoms. However, always consult a health care professional before taking any maca or progesterone supplements.
Maca
Maca is available in capsule, liquid, tablet and powder form. According to Drugs.com, the recommended daily dose of maca is one 450 mg dried maca extract capsule three times daily taken orally with food. Drugs.com also comments that women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should avoid taking maca due to lack of safety data. Patients with thyroid conditions should avoid maca because it contains glucosinolates. If glucosinolates are taken in excess with a low iodine diet, it can cause a swelling of the thyroid gland known as a goiter.
Progesterone
Progesterone causes the endometrium to secrete proteins during the second half of the menstrual cycle, preparing it to receive and nourish a fertilized egg. If implantation does not occur, progesterone and estrogen levels drop, the endometrium breaks down and menstruation occurs. If a pregnancy occurs, progesterone is produced in the placenta, and levels remain high throughout the pregnancy. The combination of high estrogen and progesterone levels suppress further ovulation during pregnancy. Progesterone also encourages the growth of milk-producing glands in the breast during pregnancy.
Amenorrhea
Amenorrhea is the absence of a women's monthly menstrual period. Women who have missed three periods in a row or girls who have not begun menstruation by the age of 16 have amenorrhea. Secondary amenorrhea occurs when a woman who has been having normal menstrual cycles stops getting her periods for six or more months.
In a study published in a 1999 issue of the "American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology," researchers studied the effect of a progesterone cream on 127 women with secondary amenorrhea. The team found that using a progesterone cream every other day for 6 doses a month was an effective,and well-tolerated option for hormone replacement therapy in women with secondary amenorrhea.
Menopause
Menopause occurs 12 months after a women's last menstrual period and is the permanent end of menstruation and fertility. Typical menopausal symptoms include hot flashes, night sweats, irritability, vaginal dryness and mood swings. According to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, maca may help with menopausal symptoms.
In a study published in a 1999 issue of "Obstetrics and Gynecology," researchers studied the effect of progesterone cream on controlling menopausal hot flashes and bone mineral density on 102 healthy women. The team found that progesterone cream did not affect bone mineral density but did help with hot flashes in menopausal women.
References
- "American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology": A new clinical option for hormone replacement therapy in women with secondary amenorrhea: effects of cyclic administration of progesterone from the sustained-release vaginal gel Crinone (4% and 8%) on endometrial morphologic features and withdrawal bleeding: Warren MP, Biller BM, Shangold MM: 1999
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer: Maca
- "Obstetrics and Gynecology": Transdermal progesterone cream for vasomotor symptoms and postmenopausal bone loss: Leonetti HB, Longo S, Anasti JN: 1999
