Lower Serotonin = Lower Depression

Per the Serotonin Delusion post, the evidence continues to mount that Serotonin is far from being the happiness chemical in the brain.

I am reblogging this from friend and respected researcher Georgi Dinkov AKA Haidut over at haidut.me original article here: http://haidut.me/?p=1514)

A very, very inconvenient study for mainstream medicine and its Big Pharma goons. The so-called “serotonin hypothesis” is slowly crumbling and the results from the most recent studies are so unequivocal that the fraud about serotonin as the “happiness hormone” may go down in history as one of the most open and grotesque examples of medical genocide. It seems that at this point even mainstream media (MSM) is afraid to twist the study findings and report them in a way that portrays serotonin in a positive light. Namely, the study below talks about the so-called serotonin transporter (STT), which is responsible for deactivating serotonin in a sodium-dependent fashion (yet another reason not to restrict your salt intake). As such, high levels of STT means low-levels of (extracellular) serotonin. The SSRI class of drugs inhibit STT, and thus raise serotonin levels. In previous studies with similar findings, MSM fraudulently reported that “low serotonin” levels were implicated in depression, when those other studies also talked about low STT levels (i.e. high serotonin). This time, even the “scientific” press is reporting accurately that the findings of the study directly “challenge” (IMO, “invalidate” is the more appropriate word) the so-called “serotonin hypothesis”, and by extension the entire multi-billion dollar SSRI industry. I wonder if we will finally see a class-action lawsuit challenging this medical fraud that has persisted for more than half a century…The evidence is now too strong to suppress, and too big to go away.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-021-01376-w

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/05/210510085851.htm

“…”Our results suggest that changes to the serotonin system are part of the biology of depression and that this change is related to the episode rather than a static feature — a state rather than a trait,” says the study’s last author Johan Lundberg, researcher at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet. “The finding raises many questions about the function of the serotonin system in depression and opens up for lines of research that could challenge the prevailing concept of serotonin and depression.” Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that affects, amongst other things, mood and emotion. Its transporter protein, 5-HTT, is considered to play a critical part in depression, as it pumps serotonin away from the cerebral neuron synapses, thus regulating the amount of active serotonin the brain. Many modern antidepressant drugs inhibit this transporter, which increases the concentration of serotonin in the synapses. However, the effect of these drugs can be delayed by several weeks and in certain cases they have no effect at all, so the need for new or improved drug therapies is pressing. To achieve this, more knowledge is needed about the biological causes of the disease. Earlier studies have shown that depressed individuals have lower levels of 5-HTT in the brain than healthy individuals. This finding is somewhat surprising given the dominant theory of serotonin function in depression, “the serotonin hypothesis.” This theory dictates that low levels of synaptic serotonin causes depressive symptoms, and since the function of 5-HTT is to reduce the concentration of serotonin, high levels of the protein could be expected in depressed individuals. To better understand these findings a longitudinal or post-treatment study design can be used to answer the question of whether 5-HTT is temporarily or chronically low in people with depression.”

“…The researchers found that levels of 5-HTT were on average 10 percent higher after three months’ treatment, when 13 of the 17 patients reported a significant improvement in their symptoms. Prior to treatment, the individuals with depression had roughly the same average level of 5-HTT as a control group of 17 healthy individuals. “Instead of lower levels of serotonin transporter when depression had been treated, we found the opposite — more transporter after improved symptoms,” says Jonas Svensson, postdoc researcher in Dr Lundberg’s group.”

A New Paradigm (Part 1)

Thomas Kuhn, a philosopher of science, coined the term “Paradigm” 40 or so years ago, when he was investigating scientific revolutions, or by what means science “changed” its views.  The word “Paradigm” became a term used to describe the underlying set of theories that are accepted as the current truth in any given area of science.  Kuhn was fascinated by the resistance we have to changing our belief systems, and this resistance can be observed as a common thread throughout human history.   When a new idea comes up that challenges the current paradigm, rejection of the new idea appears to be the default stance of the establishment, as it perceives a radical idea as a threat.  One example is Gallileo’s counter to to the “earth-as-the-centre-of-the-universe” theory, which resulted in him being placed under house arrest for challenging the Church, which was the established paradigm at the time.

Kuhn made several other notable claims concerning the progress of scientific knowledge: that scientific fields undergo periodic “paradigm shifts” rather than solely progressing in a linear and continuous way; that these paradigm shifts open up new approaches to understanding what scientists would never have considered valid before; and that the notion of scientific truth, at any given moment, cannot be established solely by objective criteria (think Randomised Controlled Trials) but is defined by a consensus of a scientific community.

Understandings of health have been adapting lately, but it always appears that despite our scientific understandings in biology being as advanced as they have ever been, we have never had more illness. The majority of the research done in turning over the stones of what creates illness is done within the current accepted theoretical models, and as such the limitations of these models become self evident.  As a direct result, it always seems like there is more to learn, because the human body is a complex tool that we have barely brushed the surface on understanding, yet we keep turning back to our biochemistry and physiology texts from the 1930s as foundational.  If these texts really told the whole story of how the body works as we revere them for, would we really still be worried about illness?  One would hope we would not, yet the evidence is to the contrary.  We have never been more confused.

Biology and Medicine today are disorganized collections of disparate facts.  There is no connecting design. One reason for this apparent confusion is that the “disciplines” in science and medicine (the scientific community) do not cross paths enough to truly understand what they are talking about. What therefore emerges are multiple fragmented views on the way things work, which become ever reduced as the scientific discipline continues to attempt to explain every phenomena within its current conceptual understanding.  Even when the current set of theories fails to explain a given phenomena, the paradigm is never questioned or refuted.  This is a direct result of biomedical science’s tendency to view its current theories as absolute truths, when, of course, taking any physical theory as an absolute truth tends to fix the general forms of thought, thus contributing further toward fragmentation.  In this regard, it might be said that any theory is predominantly only one form of insight, a way of looking at the world, and not a form of knowledge of how the world really is.

At this stage, Physics and Biophysics are important sciences in helping understand Biology because they encompass the study of the infallible laws of the universe and of nature (or, at least, how man understands them, and seeks to describe them currently). Quantum Physics and its contemporary relatives are the most “mature” of the sciences, in that when their experimental data does not match their hypotheses, the hypothesis is rejected. 
Biology does not seem to subscribe to this level of honest maturity in scientific inquiry. 

In the same way the laws of Physics describe everything around us, they also affect us as organisms. Furthermore, in the same way the laws of Physics apply to the colossal scale of planets, they also apply to the minute scale of cellular Biology and the sub-molecular scale of charged particles that make up our mass.  It could be said that Physics, whilst itself being only one mode of observation, tends to follow in the wake of the waves and particles it seeks to describe, in that it is forever shifting and curious of what is unknown.

Quantum Physics is, at this stage, the foundational descriptor for all the sciences.  Biologists and Medical researchers tend to rely on the outmoded, albeit tidier Newtonian descriptions of how the world works, sticking to the physical world, and ignoring the invisible quantum world of Einstein, in which matter is actually made up of energy, and there are no absolutes.  At the atomic level, matter does not even exist with certainty; it only exists as a tendency to exist.  In fact, quantum physics says that the very act of measuring changes reality!

Newtonian physics, as rational as it may seem to Biologists, simply cannot offer the whole truth about the human body.  Medical science keeps advancing, and yet living organisms stubbornly refuse to be quantified.  Whilst medical science makes discovery after discovery about the mechanical interactions of chemical signalling of hormones, cytokines, growth factors etc, it remains dumbfounded to explain “paranormal” phenomena such as spontaneous healing, psychic phenomena, acupuncture efficacy, etc.  In fact, medical scientists and practitioners burdened by their limited theories often arrogantly denounce practices such as acupuncture and other complimentary therapies as the rhetoric of charlatans.  This is an extremely myopic view, which will no doubt turn out to be somewhat embarassing for these individals in the future. 
Consider that in 1893, the chairman of the physics department at Harvard University proclaimed that there was no need for any new Ph.D.s in physics, because the science had established that the universe is a “matter machine” made up of individual atoms that fully obey Newtonian physics.  Only three short years later, the notion that the atom was the smallest particle in the universe was shattered, as the discovery that the atom itself was made up of smaller sub-atomic particles was made.  Even more of a blow was the discovery that atoms emit various energies such as x-rays and radioactivity.  Within another decade, physicists had abandoned Newtonian physics altogether, coming to the realization that the universe is not made of matter suspended in empty space, but rather that it was made of energy.

Today, biomedical sciences are being taught with a Newtonian, materialistic bias, whereby the beliefs that mechanisms of our physical bodies can be understood by taking cells apart and studying their “building blocks” prevails.  These teachings instil the belief that the biochemical reactions responsible for life are generated through “assembly line” style processes in a linear flow.  This reductionist model suggests that if there is a problem in the system, which shows as a physical symptom, the source of the problem must be due to a malfunction in one of the steps of the linear progression.  By providing a functional “replacement part” for the assembly line (pharmaceutical drug) the defective point can be “repaired” and health restored.

In contrast, the flow of information in a quantum universe is holistic.  Cellular constituents are woven into a complex web of crosstalk, and a biological dysfunction may arise from miscommunication along ANY given route of flow.

We do not live and operate in a universe with discrete, physical objects separated by dead space.  The Universe is one indivisible, dynamic whole in which energy and matter are so deeply entangled it is impossible to consider them as independent elements. 

Bruce Lipton has a “thing” he calls Universe Humor, others may refer to it as a Cosmic Joke, which describes times we thought we knew exactly how some event or incident was going to turn out. These are the times we could be so convinced that we “knew” what was going to happen, that we would have bet the family farm and the kitchen sink on the outcome of the event. It is at moments like this, the Universe surprises us by taking a left turn instead of a right.

Thankfully, we are currently at the edge of a very major revolution for medicine, the product of a very slow shift propelled by consumers who are seeking out complementary medicine practitioners in record numbers.  Whilst the Newtonian-reductionist practitioners arrogantly attempt to dispel the practices of complementary therapists (many of which have their foundations in an older, deeper understanding of the universe,) the scientific basis of such modalities continues to turn up via mounting piles of evidence emerging from cutting edge bio-physics research.  As the quantum age of medicine unfolds, the medical establishment will eventually be forced to reconsider (and perhaps even apologise for,) its doctrines, as this example of Universe Humor upends a foundational basic belief held by conventional science.

On the cutting edge of Health is a community that is shifting away from what is considered “new” or “highly advanced technology” toward what is reliable and foundational for living systems – the foundation of our whole, seamless and undivided nature.  This in-born intelligence does not reside in scientific concepts, although such concepts can be used as a pointer and to refine clarity.  

The Pedagogical steps required are to teach the essence or essential nature, which is none other than allowing the Intelligence to express through optimal living, as we honour the evolutionary history of all Living Systems.

The Serotonin Delusion

When most people are asked about the role of Serotonin in the body, almost all of them claim that it is part of the happy suite of neurochemicals, and talk of feelings of joy and euphoria. Internet pictures like the one shown below are commonplace, and even cafes have opened touting their food as the substance of happiness, and referencing serotonin.

A look into the literature dating back decades, as well as that of the politics in science, will show you that quite the opposite is true. Sorry “Serotonin Dealer…”
So exactly where did this erroneous idea come from? Its clearly stated in most textbooks, yet none of them are referenced.

The 1960s was time now referred to as the “Psychedelic Era,” a time of social, musical and artistic change influenced by psychedelic drugs. Psychedelic drug use during this period encouraged unity, the breaking down of boundaries, the heightening of political awareness, empathy with others, and the questioning of authority, and indeed, contempt for it.

Of course, this presents a very threatening situation for those in government, or those willing to control the population.

LSD was brought to attention of the USA in 1949 by Sandoz Laboratories, because they believed it might have clinical applications, It began to be largely understood that LSD exerted dopaminergic effects, and the substance became widely used in pychiatric treatments, and in those with addictions, with marvellous results. It was also understood at this time that dopamine and serotonin functioned in opposition to one another (had opposite effects,)

Sandoz halted LSD production in August 1965 after growing governmental protests at its proliferation among the general populace, having sanctioned research to show that the effects made you “insane.”

So if dopamine and serotonin function in opposite ways, and dopamine makes you crazy, then serotonin must make you “sane.” So the idea of the “hapy neurochemical” was born, and proliferates today.

But There is a Problem for the Serotonin Pushers…

To this day, the FDA does not recognize the claim that Serotonin is helpful for depression – therefore making such claims is illegal. To date, there has been no trial directly with Serotonin, or drugs that boost Serotonin, that have shown that Serotonin is the actual beneficial agent in treating depression.

In fact, GSK, a major manufacturer of the serotonin promoting SSRI class of drugs, was ordered to pay handsomely in a fraud settlement for claiming so.

Serotonin happens to be elevated in blood samples from individuals suffering the following presentations:

•Fibromyalgia
•Anxiety
•IBS
•Starvation
•Infection
•Migraine
•Inescapable shock
•Chronic social defeat
•Chronic Mild Stress
•Maternal separation and social isolation
•Learned Helplessness (modern human depression)
•Cardiac and Pulmonary Fibrosis
•Eczema and Asthma

And many more undesirable states. Serotonin’s other names include thrombotonin, thrombocytin, enteramine. These historical names derive from its role in the intestine (to stimulate acute peristalsis/diarrhea/elimination) and in blood vessels (to stimulate clotting,) futher indicating this chemical is anything to do with pleasure, and everything to do with shock and emergency response.

It comes as a surprise to many that blood serotonin is at its lowest in individuals who are in love.

The Literature on Serotonin Presents Many Issues For the Happy Hormone Story….

The increase of inhibitory serotonin with stress and depression is probably biologically related to the role of serotonin in hibernation, which is an extreme example of "harm avoidance" by withdrawal. But serotonin is also elevated in aggressive phenotypes.

Serotonin and Aging

Fibrosis of all tissues is a hallmark sign of aging. Serotonin is a primary mediator of fibrosis, and is promoted by stress. Given that being alive longer allows us to be subjected to more stressors, the patterns we see inherent in aging become clear. In fact, while publicly continuing to claim that serotonin is good for us, Pfizer quietly pushed a drug through clinical trials that treats pulmonary and heart fibrosis (and of course it is a serotonin antagonist!)

"...Serotonin stimulates the proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells, and induces fibrosis in the wall of pulmonary arteries. Together, this causes vascular remodeling and narrowing of the pulmonary arteries. These changes result in increased vascular resistance and PAH. Due to the potential anti-proliferative and anti-fibrotic activity of terguride, this potential medicine could offer the hope of achieving reversal of pulmonary artery vascular remodeling and attenuation of disease progression."

In old age, the amount of serotonin in the brain increases. This undoubtedly is closely related to the relative inability to turn off cortisol production that is characteristic of old age.  Most people now understand that cortisol shreds the brain and is implicated in the progression of Alzheimer’s pathology.
In white hair, the amount of serotonin is higher than in hair of any other color. The presence in senile tissues is probably closely associated with the processes of decline. (Sapolsky and Donnelly, 1985).

Serotonin can reduce the production of energy by inhibiting mitochondrial respiratory enzymes (Medvedev, 1990, 1991,) and by reduction of oxygen delivery to tissues by vasoconstriction. It also appears to interfere with the use of glucose (de Leiva, et al., 1978, Moore, et al., 2004). Insulin resistance and decreased energy production is ALWAYS associated with the aging process, and is associated with most all chronic illness we see today.

Serotonin antagonists mianserin and cyproheptadine extend lifespan by up to 30% by mimicking the effects of caloric restriction. Mianserin has been shown to extend maximum lifespan by as much as 40% (in roundworms,) and TRIPLED the duration of the youthful state in these worms.

If this were to be applicable across species, the equivalent to humans is living beyond 120 years of age and being a college student for the first 60 of those years

"...Four compounds increased lifespan by 20%-30%: mianserin, mirtazapine, methioteptin and cyproheptadine. In humans, all four compounds are antagonists of serotonin 2 (5-HT2) receptor”

Unsurprisingly, a number of SSRI drugs caused decrease in lifespan, sometimes up to 80% (!!!)
Nature 450, 553-556 (22 November 2007) doi:10.1038/nature05991

Serotonin and Exercise

It has always been interesting to me clinically that people think of exercise a bit like an army drill, where the more exhausted and sore they are at the end, the better they’ve done for themselves. I have never seen another creature on this planet want to exert themselves beyond their capability when there has been no immediate reward at the of it, such as escaping imminent death! The post exercise “endorphins” (stands for endogenous morphine - and ONLY released in response to discomfort) is so often cited as another benefit, but is anything but. Endorphin, along with serotonin and adrenaline are key players in mediating the stress of exercise on the body.

“The fatigue produced by over-training is probably produced by a tryptophan and serotonin overload, resulting from catabolism of muscle proteins and stress-induced increases in serotonin.
Muscle catabolism also releases a large amount of cysteine, and cysteine, methionine, and tryptophan all suppress thyroid function” (Carvalho, et al., 2000)

Serotonin Clinically

As mentioned above, serotonin is implicated in many acute and chronic presentations, many of which (such as depression or fibromyalgia) are treated first-line by GPs with SSRI drugs that promote MORE of serotonins actions. You really couldn’t make this stuff up. Is it any wonder Fibromyalgia (FIBRO should be the big hint here…) is such a chronic disease mystery to doctors, who’s first line of action makes it worse? It appears that serotonin ANTAGONISTS seem to do pretty well at lowering the symptoms by as much as 40%

Moreover, tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitors completely eradicate IBS symptoms. Just put that into perspective with how many SSRI patients wind up with IBS and in a spaghetti heap of chronic illness.

So there you have it. Serotonin is not the happy hormone, unless aging, fibrotic cells and a zombified state are something you consider to be a feature of a state of bliss.

I think i should mail this to that cafe….

The Mirena and Menstrual Woes

A client recently asked if i would write a piece on the Mirena contraceptive device, and i think it is well overdue with all the clinical disasters i have seen occur as a result of its prescription over the years.

For those unaware, the Mirena is an Intra-uterine contraceptive device that secretes a synthetic progesterone surrogate known as Levonorgestrel. The two most common uses of the Mirena are for hormonal contraception, and to prevent endometrial hyperplasia (overgrowth) from unopposed estrogen in functional oestrogen dominance or hormone replacement therapy. The Mirena device is also used to “treat” secondary amenorrhea, dysfunctional uterine bleeding and endometriosis, and as palliative treatment of endometrial cancer.

The synthetic progesterone from the Mirena essentially “tricks” the body into thinking it is pregnant through constant secretion. Progesterone’s normal effects include a role in the maintenance of pregnancy, which requires the prevention of additional pregnancies during the course of an established one – herein lies the use of progesterone in birth control.

The Normally Functioning Menstrual Cycle

The menstrual cycle is regulated by the complex interaction of a few key hormones: luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone .

The menstrual cycle begins with menstrual bleeding (menstruation), which marks the first day of the follicular phase. Bleeding occurs after estrogen and progesterone levels decrease at the end of the previous cycle.
This decrease causes the top layers of thickened lining of the uterus (endometrium) to break down and be shed. About this time, the follicle-stimulating hormone level increases slightly, stimulating the development of several follicles in the ovaries.
Each follicle contains an egg. Later, as the follicle-stimulating hormone level decreases, only one follicle continues to develop. This follicle produces estrogen.

The ovulatory phase begins with a surge in luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone levels. Luteinizing hormone stimulates egg release (ovulation), which usually occurs 16 to 32 hours after the surge begins. The estrogen level peaks during the surge, and the progesterone level starts to increase.

During the luteal phase, luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone levels decrease. The ruptured follicle closes after releasing the egg and forms a corpus luteum, which produces progesterone .
During most of this phase, the estrogen level is high, but progesterone should outnumber its presence by a 300-400:1 ratio in a fully fertile healthy woman.
Progesterone and estrogen cause the lining of the uterus to thicken more, to prepare for possible fertilization. If the egg is not fertilized, the corpus luteum degenerates and no longer produces progesterone, the estrogen and progesterone levels decrease, the top layers of the lining break down and are shed, and menstrual bleeding occurs (the start of a new menstrual cycle).
If the egg IS fertilized, progesterone remains high, as its anti-inflammatory and protective properties (described below) ensure optimal health of mother and child.

Hormone and Menstrual Irregularity, a Leading Sign of Stress

Below is a simplified diagram of the hormone cascade, outlining the synthesis of hormones (pregnenolone) from LDL cholesterol, using the cofactors Free T3 and Vitamin A, through to the end products of the steroid hormones.

set up. The body is geared to read and react to environmental pressures, and survive at all costs in the face of stress. We can survive without Progesterone, but not without the life saving stress hormone cortisol.

Cortisol is the “wonder drug” that allows a human being to jump onto a roof out of the way of a derailed train, and leaves them wondering how in the hell they got there. It is what allows someone to lift a car off a crushed pedestrian after an accident. But our stress responses are geared for acute stressor like these only. The problem in a modern world is that the stressors we face are both chronic and numerous.

Note that a precursor for Cortisol is Progesterone. In essence, cortisol takes precedence at the expense of the sex hormones, for there is no point putting energy into the creation of a progeny when survival is at stake! The body is geared to only produce offspring when the conditions of existence are favourable, and stress is low, to ensure optimal health for both mother and child, and best epigenetic outcomes. Many issues involving bleeding irregularity, heavy periods, endometriosis (in fact everything that the mirena is used to treat) could be seen as a direct result of stress to the system, and the consequent shunt of progesterone to cortisol, resulting in estrogen dominance.

Summary: increased cortisol = decreased progesterone = low Progesterone:Estrogen Ratio = Crazy Fucked up Menstrual Symptoms.

SO….what does the Doctor do?

PrEsCriBe MiReNa oF CoUrsE – BcOz ProGeSterOne RiTe??

Wrong.

Naming and Confusion with Progesterone-Like Substances – The Problem with Progestins

All synthetic progesterones fall under the broad category PROGESTINS. Although Progestins act by binding to the Natural Progesterone “receptor,” and impart some similar actions in terms of signalling as natural progesterone does, it should be noted that they do not produce ALL the beneficial effects of true endogenous progesterone, and often act in opposition to natural progesterone in many ways, namely by competing with it at the cell “receptor” site, and affecting its endogenous production through negative feedback.
In fact, the in vitro relative binding affinities of Levonorgestrel at human steroid hormone receptors is 323% that of natural progesterone, meaning it is a direct competitive inhibitor of natural progesterone.

Levonorgestrel in the Mirena IUD is considered a progestin because it modifies the uterus in approximately the way progesterone does (by thickening the uterine and cervical lining,) but it is also luteolytic, and lowers the ovaries’ production of endogenous progesterone. Levonorgestrel s not supportive of gestation in the way that natural progesterone is (it has been used historically as the major active ingredient in the “morning after pill”), which should point to the reasons for concern in its liberal use – it lacks the beneficial anti-inflammatory, pro-gestational, restorative properties of natural Progesterone.

Severe “side” effects of Mirena (effects):• severe cramps or pelvic pain;
• extreme dizziness, feeling like you might pass out;
• heavy or ongoing vaginal bleeding, vaginal sores, vaginal discharge that is watery, foul-smelling, or otherwise unusual;
• severe pain in your side or lower stomach;
• pale skin, weakness, easy bruising or bleeding;
• fever, chills, or other signs of infection;
• pain during sexual intercourse;
• sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body;
• sudden or severe headache, confusion, problems with vision, sensitivity to light;
• jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); or
• signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Less serious “side” effects may include:
• irregular menstrual periods, changes in bleeding patterns or flow;
• breakthrough bleeding, or heavier menstrual bleeding during the first few weeks after device insertion;
• back pain;
• headache, nervousness, mild dizziness;
• nausea, vomiting, bloating;
• breast tenderness or pain;
• weight gain, acne, changes in hair growth;
• depression, anxiety, mood changes, loss of interest in sex;
• mild itching, skin rash; or
• puffiness in your face, hands, ankles, or feet.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur.

Progestins vs Progesterone

In contrast to Levonorgestrel, endogenously produced natural progesterone has a positive effect on the corpus luteum, further stimulating progesterone synthesis, and supporting gestation.
Progesterone participates in practically every physiological process in both men and women. Its tremendous increase during pregnancy serves to stabilize the organisms, both mother and child, during that crucial time. The stabilizing action of progesterone is especially visible in muscle tissue, such as the uterus, blood vessel walls, the heart, the intestines and the bladder. Less visibly, progesterone stabilizes and normalizes nervous, secretory and growth processes.
At levels reached just before delivery, progesterone produces anesthesia and contributes to tissue elasticity in the mother, allowing for easy delivery.  The rates of caesarian section deliveries in a modern world point toward estrogen dominance/progesterone deficiency.

The growing fetus requires large amounts of glucose, and progesterone makes it possible to be provided in abundance for ideal brain growth, by promoting the mother’s ability to use fat for her own energy. It is this efficient use of fat which gives women greater long-range endurance than men. When progesterone is deficient, there tends to be hypoglycemia, often combined with obesity.  Conversely when Progesterone is abundant, women tend to really “find their groove” in terms of body composition.  This is likely also an evolutionary signal to the opposite sex that the female is in good shape to have a healthy baby.

Recent studies show that progesterone prevents stress-induced coronary blood vessel spasms in aged hearts – probably explaining women’s relative freedom from heart attacks, so long as they retain functioning ovaries.  Other studies suggest that progesterone has a role in regeneration of damaged brain cells and prolonged growth of the brain. Delayed aging and longer life span have been very clearly related to extra progesterone.

Since progesterone normalizes the immune system (it causes thymus regeneration, for example) it is very effective in autoimmune diseases (which result from adverse reactions to one’s own tissues) and in those degenerative disease which have an autoimmune component.

Progesterone has been found experimentally to be the basic hormone of adaptation and of resistance to stress. The adrenal glands use it to produce their anti-stress hormones, as outlined above, and when there is enough progesterone, they don’t have to produce the potentially harmful cortisol. In a progesterone deficiency, we produce too much cortisol, and excessive cortisol causes osteoporosis, aging of the skin, damage to brain cells, and the accumulation of fat, especially on the back and abdomen.
Progesterone also relieves anxiety, improves memory, protects brain cells, and even prevents epileptic seizures. It reverses many of the signs of aging in the skin, and promotes healthy bone growth. It can relieve many types of arthritis, and helps a variety of immunological problems.

SUMMARY:

Progestins =/= Progesterone, Levonorgestrel is NOT Progesterone.

Levonorgestrel imparts an Estrogenic effect, despite mimicking some of the functions of Progesterone, by competing heavily for the Progesterone Receptor, and lowering normal progesterone production – sometimes irreversibly.

Lower endogenous Progesterone is linked with early onset of diseases of aging including osteoporosis, wrinkling skin, cognitive decline, obesity, arthritis and heart disease.

PUFA in Environmental and Evolutionary Context

In life, nothing ever remains the same for very long.  One state is continually moving into another in a ceaseless flow of energy and information.  Change, in this regard, is one of the essential characteristics of life.  Seasonally, we see constant environmental shifts, such as the bright, high energy states of spring and summer, flowing into the darker, lower energy states like winter and autumn.  On a smaller scale, similar shifts are seen on a daily basis between daylight and night time.

Such environmental changes elicit adaptive responses in all organisms, which can be observed seasonally in deciduous plants, for example, who lose their leaves in a process is called abscission.  In some cases leaf loss coincides with winter — namely in temperate or polar climates.  In other parts of the world, including tropical, subtropical, and arid regions, plants lose their leaves during the dry season or other seasons, depending on variations in rainfall.  Abscission demonstrates a conservation of energy when resources for growth or proliferation become scarce.
Many flowerers display reliable rhythmicity during circadian shifts in a 24 hour period, whereby the petals open and proliferate when light is available, and close down when the “stress of darkness” returns:

Similarly, mammals in temperate climates display behaviours of conservation in times of scarcity via the survival mechanisms of hibernation and deep sleep.
Mammalian hibernation consists of torpor phases when metabolism is severely depressed and various metabolically expensive systems and tissues are downregulated in their function.  Hibernation affects the function of the innate and the adaptive immune systems. Torpor drastically reduces numbers of all types of circulating leukocytes. In addition, other changes have been noted, such as lower complement levels, diminished response to LPS, phagocytotic capacity, cytokine production, lymphocyte proliferation, and antibody production.  (This probably underpins the phenomenon of winter illness in humans and the onsets of respiratory tract infections such as common cold around seasonal shifts.)

Stress can be broadly defined as any time in which the energetic requirements of the body outweigh its ability to provide energy.  It is by way of hibernation – of shutting down of expensive apparatus – that survival in times of uncertainty (scarcity stress) is possible for many creatures.

Metabolic Switches

The salmon run is the time when salmon, which have migrated from the ocean, swim to the upper reaches of rivers where they spawn on gravel beds. After spawning, all Pacific salmon and most Atlantic salmon die, and the salmon life cycle starts over again. The annual run can be a major event for grizzly bears, bald eagles and sport fishermen. Most salmon species migrate during the northern hemisphere Autumn (September through November).
Salmon, like all fish, are considered to be cold blooded, as their body temperature varies with their environment.  The unsaturated fat DHA tends to be found in higher concentrations in deep, cold water fish like these, probably suggesting it has roles in maintaining fluidity of membranes and allowing for light capture where it is scarce (Crawford.) Concentrations of DHA are lower in warmer bodied animals – even fish found in the Amazon have more saturated fats than unsaturated.
salmon roe has the highest concentration of DHA of all sources, suggesting the presence of the lipid at the time of spawn – going in to winter – is protective for the eggs in the freezing conditions.

Fatty acid composition of plants also appears to be determined by growth temperature, and chill-resistant plants tend to have a higher composition of unsaturated fatty acids in their membranes.  (note that vegetable or seed oils kept in a refrigerator tend not to harden, wheras saturated fat such as the tropical coconut oil tend to harden at room temperature.)

The effects of the consumption of unsaturated fats on warm blooded mammals also has the effect of coupling the organism to its local environment, whereby the ingestion of food acts like information for the system.  In this regard, the environmental lipids ingested by the animal may help in slowing the metabolism to prepare for hibernation.
It is well established that unsaturated fats suppress the metabolic rate, apparently creating hypothyroidism. Lab animals fed a PUFA deficient diet, (Burr and Beber 1934), displayed markedly higher metabolic rates compared with those who consumed PUFA.
PUFA deficiency is associated with increased activity of cytochrome oxidase – a fundamental mitochondrial respiratory enzyme (Kunkel and Williams 1951).  The more unsaturated the oils are, the more specifically they seem to suppress tissue response to thyroid hormone, and transport of the hormone on the thyroid transport protein.

Again we see a coupling of natures energy flows when we take a 50,000 foot view, that metabolism should increase when substrate is available and abundant (spring/summer,) when fatty acids are more saturated, and a suppression of metabolism when substrate is scarce (fall/winter) and PUFA rises.  PUFA really do, in thise sense, appear to be a metablic switch to “survival metabolism.”  A higher metabolic rate in the face of low substrate availability (scarcity) would be disastrous for any organism as it would entail literally oxidising any resources possible – effectively metabolising oneself to death.

Lifespan Considerations

The Fountain of Youth is a spring that supposedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks or bathes in its waters. Tales of such a fountain have been recounted across the world for thousands of years, appearing in writings by Herodotus (5th century BCE), the Alexander romance (3rd century CE), and the stories of Prester John (early Crusades, 11th/12th centuries CE). Stories of similar waters were also evidently prominent among the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean during the Age of Exploration (early 16th century), who spoke of the restorative powers of the water in the mythical land of Bimini.
The legend became particularly prominent in the 16th century, and ambiguity of the concept still continues to be an obsession amongst modern day humans.  There seems to be an innate attachment youthfulness as one ages.  Perhaps it is the longing for the energy of youth that one seems to only see the value in once it is gone.
The underlying cause of aging remains one of the central mysteries of biology. Recent studies in several different systems suggest that not only may the rate of aging be modified by environmental and genetic factors, but also that the aging clock can be reversed, restoring characteristics of youthfulness to aged cells and tissues.  Whatever the case, humans seem hellbent on finding the “sountain of youth” in pill form, or something they can purchase.

The “rate of living” hypothesis is popular amongst anti aging practitioners, some of whom subscribe to the notion that you can live fast and die young, or live slow and last a lot longer.  The rate of living theory postulates that the faster an organism’s metabolism, the shorter its lifespan. The theory was originally created by Max Rubner in 1908 after his observation that larger animals outlived smaller ones, and that the larger animals had slower metabolisms.
This theory has been clearly refuted by metabolic studies that are showing the opposite can be true – that intensified mitochondrial respiration decreases cellular damage, and supports a longer life-span. For example, small dogs eat much more food in proportion to their size than big dogs do, and small dogs have a much greater life expectancy than big dogs, in some cases about twice as long (Speakman, 2003). A similar association of metabolic intensity and life-span is seen in organisms as different from one another as are bacteria and mammals.

Bats, Birds and Tortoises all have extremely long lifespans when adjusted for body mass.  Bats and birds display an incredibly high metabolic rate, whilst tortoises have some of the lowest metabolic rates.  Tortoises are simple organisms, who, literally and figuratively, lead a sheltered life, moving around slowly and seemingly not being exposed to many stressors.
Conversely, birds and bats with their incredibly high metabolic rate, have the constant need for food, entailing moving about the environment and exposing themselves to stressors such as predators, environmental toxins, as well as constant energy expenditure in doing so.  It seems to handle a barrage of stressors, one requires energy.

In all of nature, it appears that higher energy states favour complexity, and lower energy states favour simplicity of organisms, pointing to the brilliance of Lamarck’s theory of evolution.

In a clinical sense, the rate of living theory is oversimplified.  Cell turnover needs to be qualified according to the context. Trying to keep ubiquitination and apoptosis low is not a winning strategy for many cells, and the conditions for the cells that should not turnover, like cardiac and brain tissue, require a high metabolism (brain tissue metabolism can be definition never be low, and even in prolonged fasting, there are huge adaptations to maintain the high energy state of the brain.)
On the other hand, if skin cells and intestinal cells are not turning over every 1-3 days, you are in for big trouble. Even peripheral nervous system tissue is probably something that we want to be able to turnover at appropriate intervals. This applies to everything from wound healing to movement quality to gut functions (the gut is heavily innervated, and needs to modify those networks accordingly). The collagen matrix and connective tissues that give the body its structure (and function!) need to be re-built on a daily basis, lest major degradation in movement occurs. Even the liver needs to turnover all it’s cells every few months.

We can then see how clinically, an attachment to the rate of living theory (or an inability to see things from a broader, energetic perspective) may explain the reason why things like omega 3 oils are routinely prescribed for inflammatory conditions. Often, patients seem to have good (short term) results (due to immune suppression,) but might this strategy be creating down-regulation of other systems to a “hibernation state” whilst the organism is still stuck in the crossfire of modern life stress?
Having high PUFA in blood and tissue is a great way to become insulin resistant, suppress hormone production, suppress immune function, slow down cell turnover, and drastically reduce metabolic rate and nutrient needs (just to name a few effects). This is a survival advantage for the many animals who rely on such adaptations to go through hibernating periods.  The same mechanics applied (though to a lesser degree) to humans in pre-electric times to help them get through low light environments.  It could certainly be used to slow down a body that is spiralling out of control, but should these things be implemented as an anti-aging strategy, as is so often touted?  A recent course i attended gave a “basic anti aging program” for an otherwise healthy adult, that included 6-8g of fish oil a day!

With PUFA depletion, hormone production and sensitivity of all forms increases, cell turnover increases, nutrient needs increase, and adaptability to various stressors increases.
Guenter Albretch-Bueller’s cell intelligence and ‘Anarchy of the Genome’ works show that metabolism is what cells use to generate the light signals they use to communicate with each other.  This means high metabolism is the “adaptive state” whereby groups of cells relay local and global environmental information to each other, and select (and modify) the genes needed to deal with that environment.