Short educational segment (YouTube video) by Dr. Tabatha Barber explaining that progesterone is needed throughout the body — not just the uterus — to balance estrogen in breast tissue, support healthy breasts and brains, and that a metabolite of progesterone binds GABA receptors in the brain, producing calming, anti-anxiety and sleep-promoting effects.
You need progesterone. Because we also have progesterone receptors throughout the rest of our body, not just in our uterus. So it balances the estrogen in our breast tissue. We need progesterone for healthy breasts. We need it for healthy brains. Part of progesterone gets metabolized into a byproduct that binds to our GABA receptors. Those are the calming neurotransmitter receptors in our brain that prevent us from feeling anxious. They help us sleep. So progesterone is our natural anti anxiety hormone.
