Taurine: 5 Benefits for Women’s Health
Taurine is one of my favorite prescriptions for perimenopause, menopause, sleep, mood, insulin resistance, and migraine prevention.
Taurine is an amino acid, but unlike most amino acids, it doesn’t build protein. Instead, taurine has directly beneficial effects on the liver, brain, mitochondria, immune system, and nervous system. Taurine is so important that it makes up about 0.1 percent of total body weight.
Perimenopause Is Second Puberty and Is Temporary
Perimenopause, or “second puberty,” is the two to ten years before the final period. It’s different from menopause (or post-menopause), which is the life phase that begins one year after the final period. Symptoms can occur during perimenopause and are temporary.
The Crucial Difference Between Progesterone and Progestins
Progestins such as drospirenone, levonorgestrel, or medroxyprogesterone are not progesterone.
That’s because progesterone is not a generic term like estrogen. Instead, progesterone refers only to the hormone made by the corpus luteum or taken as oral micronized progesterone.
How Science Got It Wrong About Progesterone
Progesterone has been both ignored and mistakenly blamed for side effects it does not cause. How did that happen?
First, progesterone was discovered after estrogen, so, according to endocrinology professor Jerilynn Prior, missed being part of the tidy hormone dichotomy of “testosterone for men and estrogen for women.”
What’s the Story With Dairy and Period Problems?
For some women, stopping normal dairy products can relieve period symptoms. But why?
In the latest episode of my podcast and YouTube video, I discuss the inflammatory effects of A1 casein and how a mast cell histamine response can drive period problems such as premenstrual mood symptoms, heavy bleeding, and pain.
The Right Way to Test Progesterone with the Menstrual Cycle
The next time your doctor orders a progesterone test, ask yourself: “When is the right day to do this test?”
Forget “day 21 progesterone.” There’s no reason to test progesterone until you are approximately one week before your period. That will depend on how long your cycle actually is.
Here’s what you need to know about progesterone testing.