Micronized, USP, Wild Yam Extract - Clearing Up the Progesterone Confusion

In 1984, the U.S. Justice Department dismantled one of those most successful telephone companies in U.S. history, American Bell Telephone Company. From 1877 to 1984, Ma Bell (as she became affectionately known) ruled, though mostly by way of a monopoly, hence, the dismantling.

To hear my mother tell it, the government destroyed a "perfectly good company." That is because, she, like many other consumers, became frustrated with all of the subsequent choices she had to make about local and long distance phone services. When there were no choices it was easier. No one had to think about it. Everyone had vanilla, and that was that.

More Choices = More Confusion

So it is for many women in our modern health care system trying to make responsible decisions regarding their hormone health. Long gone are the days of paternalistic medicine where the doctor knows best and dispenses hormone replacement therapy with no questions asked.

Today, not only do women ask questions, but they are also willing to look outside of the traditional model of medicine for their answers. We know all about complementary and alternative treatments now. We have natural this and natural that, bio-identical this and bio-identical that, but what we don't always know is what it all really means.

Phrases like "micronized progesterone," "USP progesterone," and "progesterone from wild yam extract" are casually tossed around as if the average woman knows exactly what it is, when unfortunately, many of us just don't.

If you are confused as to what all of these terms mean, you are not alone. However, the answers are not as complex or out of reach as they may seem. With all of the choices that are available to us today, it is important to know exactly what you are putting in your body. Your health absolutely depends on it.

Micronized or Non-Micronized -- What is the Difference and does it Matter?

Micronized, by simple definition, means to be broken down into particles that can be measured as a micron. How big is a micron? A micron is 1/250,000^th of an inch. To put that in perspective for you, one human hair is between 30 and 120 microns. We are talking very tiny particles.

When progesterone is micronized, it is broken down into tiny microns and compounded (specially prepared) by a pharmacist into tablets, capsules, gels or creams, in doses usually prescribed by physicians. Progesterone that is micronized is said to be slow released and more readily absorbed by the body, making it a preferable choice for many physicians prescribing bio-identical hormones.

Not all progesterone is micronized. In fact, many over-the-counter progesterone creams that are sold have very little progesterone in them at all. However, you can be certain that if it is micronized, it will say so on the label. It is doesn't, chances are it is not.

If the progesterone you are using does not say it is micronized, you may want to consider switching to a different product. The better quality bio-identical progesterone is micronized and all of them will state that very clearly on the label.

What is USP Progesterone?

Before you can know what USP progesterone is, it's important to know what USP is, the United States Pharmacopeia.

According to their site, the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) is "a non--governmental, official public standards--setting authority for prescription and over--the--counter medicines and other healthcare products manufactured or sold in the United States. USP also sets widely recognized standards for food ingredients and dietary supplements. USP sets standards for the quality, purity, strength, and consistency of these products--critical to the public health. USP's standards are recognized and used in more than 130 countries around the globe. These standards have helped to ensure public health throughout the world for close to 200 years."

When it comes to USP progesterone, this means it is a product that has met certain standards of quality, purity, strength and consistency. While not officially regulated by the FDA, these products are subjected to a rigorous set of standards. For women health care consumers this is very good news.

The Wild Yam Extract Progesterone Connection

Contrary to what you may think, progesterone derived from wild yam extract is not a modern phenomenon of alternative medicine. In the late 1930s, early 1940s, a young graduate student by the name of Russell E. Marker , discovered that diosgenin, a compound extracted from Mexican wild yams, (not the yams we purchase in the grocery store today) could be converted into progesterone with exactly the same molecular structure as human progesterone, thus, the term "natural."

Not long after his discovery, pharmaceutical companies took the same diosgenin and altered it to create a synthetic version which could be patented. The progesterone found in what is called traditional hormone replacement therapy is this version.

While the synthetic version does indeed come from the same source as what we refer to as natural progesterone, the molecular structure is not identical to that found in the human body.

Bio-identical & Natural versus Synthetic

Not surprisingly, the medical community and pharmaceutical companies disagree wildly (no pun intended) among themselves as to the safety and effectiveness of progesterone synthetically derived compared to that which is not. It is a debate that will likely continue for many years to come.

However, for those of us who wish to make a choice as to the progesterone we want to put in our bodies, it is extremely useful to know the difference.

If you are choosing to use bio-identical progesterone, make sure you are using a product that is not only micronized, but USP progesterone as well. If you do, you can have the assurance that the product you are using has met certain standards of quality and will be absorbed and metabolized more effectively by your body.

Sources:

Associated Content.com

Women's Health.com

USP.org

Health Science.com