Progesterone and Bone Health

Progesterone stimulates bone growth through several important mechanisms. Several lines of evidence suggest that progesterone supplementation can help maintain bone health:
1. In human bone cells, the administration of progesterone promotes bone formation by activating bone forming cells (osteoblasts). [58-60]
2. In postmenopausal women, progesterone supplementation decreases the risk of fractures. [61]
3. In postmenopausal women who had surgical removal of the uterus (hysterectomy), progesterone supplementation prevents osteoporotic fractures. [62-63]
4. In healthy women experiencing problems with fertility, progesterone supplementation increases bone mineral density (BMD). [64]
5. Progesterone improves bone health by interacting with bone-related molecules such as sclerostin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). [65-66]
6. In early postmenopausal women, progesterone supplementation prevents bone loss by decreasing bone breakdown. [67]
7. When combined with medications for bone loss, progesterone exerts greater increases in BMD. [68-70]