Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Information for Women About Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy

By by Anju Mathur, MD

Replace Hormones With Bioidentical - It's Natural

Understanding the word bioidentical is important. The word Bio is defined as life; living organism. Identical is defined as being the same. Put the two words together and it means any thing that consists of the same substance that is found in the living organism. The reference of bioidentical is used especially for any natural hormone with the same cell structure as that found in a human body.

The popular thinking nowadays is that synthetic hormones are used because a human body is unable to create the hormones it needs from natural sources. Bioidentical natural hormone replacement is hardly known about today because of this. Truth be known, women has lived from generation to generation without synthetics and using only natural remedies.

Should Hormones Be Replaced?

Hormones are chemical substances, produced in the body from the nourishment that is given it, that are then transported by the blood to other organs to stimulate their function. The functions are numerous and include growth, muscle tone, bone density, energy level and more.

With each passing year after age 35, our organs produce less and less of the hormones needed to maintain a healthy body. The decrease of hormones includes estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid and others.

Should we be with out these hormones in perimenopause (the time prior to menopause) and menopause years? Climacteric symptoms " ones that indicate the period of decrease of reproductive capacity in men and women, culminating, in women, in the menopause, can span over 30 years from age 35 to 70 years. The first hormone that declines is progesterone (causes anxiety, irritability 15 years before menopause) followed by Estrogen (causes hot flashes and vaginal dryness, may last up to 2-3 years in 75% and in the rest can last way longer) and then Testosterone which is required to maintain muscle mass and strength and libido.

Should we just let nature take its course and suffer through? NO!!

Do Hormones Have Anything to Do With Cancer?

Estogen hormones come in three different forms: Estrone, Estriol, and Estradiol. One of the forms, Estrone, causes clots and is the one that stimulates the breasts, causing cancer. Estriol is the most beneficial of the three as it has anti-cancer characteristics. The synthetic hormones used in this day and age are derived from horse urine, have no Estriol and has nearly forty percent of equine estrogens which are not compatible with human female hormones.

Bioidentical hormones are made either from Soy or Yam and modified in the lab to be exactly the same as human hormones. Synthetic progesterone causes weight gain, irritability, acne, migraine, fluid retention and bad cholesterol ratio which in turn causes other body problems. Synthetics are given daily which is not the female cycle " it only naturally occurs for 15 days of every month.

Bioidentical progesterone gives improved mood, less irritability, less bloating, a relief from hot flashes, plus a decrease of other symptoms such as digestive problems, flatulence, and loss of memory. Bioidentical progesterone also reduces breast tenderness and reduces vaginal bleeding.

In conclusion bioidentical progesterone makes happier women, a better quality of life, more cardiovascular protection, better cancer protection, more brain protection and better bone protection. On the other hand synthetic progesterone antagonizes the beneficial effects and creates the opposite results.

Why is there a higher risk of cancer problems during menopause?

During menopause, the lack of hormonal balance begins to happen in a women's body. Estrone levels that escalate too high and progesterone levels that fall very low are what need to be paid attention to. Estrone that is way too high causes cancer and progesterone, which is cancer preventative falling too low creates problems. Replacing bioindentical hormones in women makes a natural balance of the two hormones. Creating this natural balance is evident with a happier and higher quality of life for women. - 14130

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