Progesterone levels

Progesterone levels should be optimised to maintain good health. Levels vary considerably in women, rarely in men.

Progesterone plays a major role in the body. It is not a female hormone. It is not a sex hormone, it plays no part in the secondary sexual characteristics which develop at puberty. It is the precursor to the two sex hormones oestrogen and testosterone.

It is secreted primarily by the ovaries in females and the testes in men. Smaller amounts are produced by the adrenal glands, the brain and glial cells.

There are no great quantitative differences between men and women, at least outside the luteal phase.

It's in this last phase of the monthly cycle, the luteal phase as it's normally called, that progesterone levels rise considerably above that found in the first half or follicular phase. Rising from as little as less than 1ng/mL to 20ng/mL (serum levels). Saliva levels are much higher (see ZRT Labs below).

When a test for progesterone levels is performed it is essential to realise two things...

what unit of measurement was used... SI or conventional? The two cannot be compared unless a conversion is made
was it a serum test or saliva test? These also cannot be compared

Many women are told their progesterone levels are far too high. This is usually the case if supplemental progesterone is used and a saliva test has been taken.

However, this is no cause for alarm. The main concern should be whether or not all symptoms of oestrogen excess have gone? If so, then the amount of progesterone used can be reduced until the optimum dose is achieved.

It is the fluctuating progesterone levels, together with the rise and fall of oestrogen, that result in changes of mood, sleep patterns, cravings/appetite, PMS etc.

It is the ratio between these two hormones which causes problems. If there is too much oestrogen in relation to progesterone then all hell breaks loose!

Oestrogen is an excitatory hormone, causing cells to divide and multiply, including fat cells. It's implicated in inflammation, cancer, endometriosis, fibroids, PMS, migraines/headaches, cravings, incontinence, generalised aches and pains, flaking nails and weight gain.

Progesterone, on the other hand, is a calming hormone, reversing or preventing the above symptoms.

There are now over 90 oestrogen mimics found on earth, in our food, air, water, plastics, skin care, to name a few. All these have a bearing on our health and how we feel, men are not exempt either.

It is now more important than ever to make sure the balance between these two hormones is correct.

Progesterone levels

The following reference ranges are given in SI units.

Institute of Bio-Medical Science

Salivary 17ß-oestradiol, progesterone and testosterone reference ranges...

.	17ß-oestradiol	Progesterone
Follicular	2.0 - 8.0 pmol/L	53 - 193 pmol/L
Midcycle	6.0 - 17.1 pmol/L	142 - 522 pmol/L
Luteal	5.5 - 13.2 pmol/L	259 - 979 pmol/L
Non-ovulating	3.00 - 12.0 pmol/L	50 - 325 pmol/L
Male values	2.80 - 8.80 pmol/L	24 - 104 pmol/L

The following reference ranges are given in Conventional units.

Fertility Plus (excellent site showing all hormone levels)

Follicular phase	<1.5ng/ml
Mid-Luteal Phase	>15 ng/ml
First Trimester	10-90 ng/ml
Second Trimester	25-90 ng/ml
Third Trimester	49-423 ng/ml

Medline Medical Encyclopedia

Serum progesterone	.
Female (pre-ovulation)	less than 1 ng/mL
Female (mid-cycle)	5 to 20 ng/mL
Male	less than 1 ng/mL
Postmenopausal	less than 1 ng/mL
Pregnancy	.
1st trimester	11.2-90.0 ng/mL
2nd trimester	25.6-89.4 ng/mL
3rd trimester	48.4-425 ng/mL

ZRT Labs

The tables and figures that follow indicate how the progesterone reference ranges were determined.

Classical vs. Optimal Ranges for Progesterone by Gender

Group	Classic Range	Observed Range
Premenopausal	0 - 275 pg/ml	75 - 270 pg/ml
Postmenopausal	0 - 133 pg/ml	12 - 100 pg/ml*
Male	0 - 146 pg/ml	15 - 100 pg/ml**
.	Serum Level	Expected Saliva Level at 2%
Estradiol	100 pg/ml	2 pg/ml
Progesterone	10 ng/ml	0.2 ng/ml = 200 pg/ml
Testosterone	500 ng/dL =5 ng/ml	0.1 ng/ml = 100 pg/ml

The Progesterone levels paradox...

Salivary hormone levels are often higher than serum levels when hormones are delivered topically

One of the most perplexing issues surrounding saliva testing is the odd phenomenon that topically delivered steroids cause a dramatic increase in salivary hormones without a concomitant increase in serum levels.

For example, 30 mg topical progesterone supplementation results in an average rise in salivary levels from about 50 pg/ml (0.05 ng/ml) to 500 to 3000 pg/ml (0.5 to 3 ng/ml), a 10 to 60-fold increase.

This increase is proportionally even greater when progesterone is supplemented at 100 to 200 mg per day, a common topical dose used by many doctors, resulting in salivary progesterone levels rising to as high as 10,000 to 100,000 pg/ml (10-100 ng/ml).

Under the same conditions, serum progesterone levels only increase about 4-fold, from about 0.5 to 2-3 ng/ml. The same disproportionate increase in salivary hormone levels is seen with topical delivery of all the other steroid hormones (eg. estradiol, testosterone, DHEA etc).

Click here for more information on progesterone levels, and how best to use a topical progesterone cream.

You'll find below a link to an an excellent website for converting Conventional units into SI units, which is the internationally recognised system of measurement.

“All systems of weights and measures, metric and non-metric, are linked through a network of international agreements supporting the International System of Units. The International System is called the SI, using the first two initials of its French name Système International d'Unités. The key agreement is the Treaty of the Meter (Convention du Mètre), signed in Paris on May 20, 1875. 48 nations have now signed this treaty, including all the major industrialized countries. The United States is a charter member of this metric club, having signed the original document back in 1875.”

SI Units for Clinical Data

The following table provides factors for converting conventional units to SI units for selected clinical data.

Conversion...

to convert from the conventional unit to the SI unit, multiply by the conversion factor
to convert from the SI unit to the conventional unit, divide by the conversion factor

Component	Conventional Unit	Conversion Factor	SI Unit
Progesterone	ng/mL	3.18	nmol/L
Estradiol	pg/mL	3.671	pmol/L
Estriol	ng/mL	3.467	nmol/L
Estrone	ng/dL	37	pmoI/L
Testosterone	ng/dL	0.0347	nmol/L

For some specifics on low progesterone levels click here.

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