Menu

Aloe vera blocks progesterone?

by anon9mous
(London)

Wray, I was looking around online about progesterone and read that aloe vera blocks progesterone. I have used two brands of bioidentical progesterone cream that both have aloe vera high up on the ingredient list. I have definitely noticed improvements from using them, better sleep, noticeable calmness and no more hot flashes. However, I can't lose weight even on six weeks of under 500 calories a day. My weight is in the upper part of normal BMI.

My logic tells me this is nothing to do with the aloe vera. I did notice that when I didn't use progesterone cream for a couple of weeks my weight fell slightly, and as soon as I used it again I bloated, within hours.

Comments for Aloe vera blocks progesterone?

Click here to add your own comments

Jan 24, 2011
 Aloe vera blocks progesterone?
by: Wray

Hi there Well I haven't read any adverse reports on it in connection with progesterone. Certainly no studies have been done. Aloe gel contains mono- and poly-saccharides, tannins, sterols, enzymes (including cyclooxygenase, amylase, lipase, alkaline phosphatase, and carboxypeptidase), amino acids, saponins, salicylic acid, arachidonic acid, lipids, vitamins, and minerals. It doesn't appear to have any oestrogenic effects, which would contraindicate it's use with progesterone. And none of the contents above would prevent the absorption of progesterone, or counteract it's effects. I think your logic is correct! The possible reason you can't loose weight is you are not using enough progesterone. Please see our page on How to use progesterone cream. Although you say it's helped you, it appears you still have excess oestrogen. This is a mitogen, causing cells to divide and multiply, including fat cells. It also causes water retention. This is the reason you bloated within hours of using it. Obviously you were not warned about Oestrogen Dominance. I would also say your low calorie diet is not helping much. With insufficient calories the thyroid slows down, in fact skipping a meal does this. Please have a look at our page on Nutrition and Diet. There are three options to choose from, all designed by experts, and all bring health. I know a raw food diet has done remarkable things for people, including huge weight loss, but it's the most difficult of the three, as it's such a change from how we normally eat. A lack of vitamin D not only reduces the benefits of progesterone, but causes weight gain. Living in London you could well have a low level, please have a test done. For more info see the Grassroots Health website. Finally you could have developed Insulin Resistance. Interestingly a lack of vitamin D causes this, as does excess oestrogen. Take care Wray
Jan 26, 2011
 Thanks Wray
by: Anonymous

Thanks for your help Wray. I have no idea how to find out if I have Insulin Resistance. I have horrible overwhelming thirst all the time however much water I drink, though the doctor did a fasting glucose test on me and said it was normal, I don't have diabetes. I think I probably have a lot of water retention too.

I have taken Vitamin D for years in the form of fish liver oil. Probably because it is cheap enough, and I know I don't get enough sunshine. I don't know if this is the best form to take Vitamin D in, or if I absorb it properly as from the little I understand there are a lot of biochemical pathways in the way the body uses Vitamin D, any of which could fail.

You are probably right about excess oestrogen, once I tried melatonin which is an oestrogen antagonist and for a while felt better, but continued use didn't help so I gave up. I have dark circles under my eyes which I don't remember having before.

Thanks for clearing up that it isn't the aloe vera.
Jan 26, 2011
 test result
by: Anonymous

Just to add, I found the test result for the fasting glucose test I had, it was 5, with a reference range of 3.2 to 6,
Feb 03, 2011
 Thanks Wray
by: Wray

Hi there The page on Insulin Resistance gives a number of tests taken to check for insulin resistance. Unfortunately there isn't just one test. Your fasting glucose is at the high end, Medline gives the range as 5.55 mmol/L, not 6. But I've found tests vary so much across the world! The page also gives a list of possible symptoms, see if you have any of the others. Fish liver oil is not the best form of vitamin D, it's probably giving you about 400iu's per day? And 4000iu's/day of vitamin A? Vitamin A prevents vitamin D from being activated, in fact Dr Cannell strongly advises against taking it. It's best to get vitamin A as beta-carotene which is not toxic, and vitamin D as a supplement or via the sun. But the UK has little sun, clouds block the UVB rays, plus the angle is too great to make much, none at all in winter. Please consider a test, but be aware the sufficiency range still used is far too low to do more than prevents rickets. Take care Wray
Jul 16, 2012
 Fasting produces estrogen
by: Anonymous

It is widely known that fasting itsself induces a surge of estrogen (see www.raypeat.com). This of course is the reason for bloating e.c. If you continue on too low an intake of kcal, you will star to lose muscle mass which is the beginning of a degenerative state with cell disturbance. The safe way to lose weight is to use progesterone, thyroid (if not possible, 5 big apoons of cocnut fat a day ... The odorless, refined kind, the virgin fat is allergenic), lots of protein (at least 100 g a day), lots of sugar to raise the metabolic rate and vitamin A (as palmitat) to lower estrogen. Good luck!
Jul 17, 2012
 Fasting produces estrogen
by: Wray

Hi there Ray Peat's site is well worth reading through, he has some excellent advise. Very few people are allergic to coconut oil, in fact it has anti-allergenic properties. I can't agree about the vitamin A though. As I said above it blocks the action of vitamin D, plus it can increase cancer risk particularly in the palmitate form, see here and here. Lots of sugar causes untold problems, besides putting a strain on the pancreas. SHBG drops if sugars are eaten, even those found in all grains, legumes, dairy and sweet starchy fruits and vegetables. Fructose, sucrose and glucose (all carbs are converted into glucose), reduce SHBG by 80, 50 and 40% respectively, see here. It's best to avoid all the foods and sugars mentioned. Low levels of SHBG cause testosterone to rise, initiating acne, oily skin and hair, excess facial hair and loss of scalp hair on a woman. Not something I would recommend. Take care Wray

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Progesterone faq.

Share this page:
Find this page helpful? Please tell others. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

Search over 8,400 pages on this site...