Bioidentical Hormone Therapy - The Most Natural Way to Go

By Jake Alexandre


Hormone replacement therapy using bioidentical hormones has a significant number of staunch supporters, but it has an equal measure of harsh critics, and the medical community remains undecided as to its merits. Bioidentical hormones are defined as "exogenous" (meaning produced outside the human body) hormones that have an identical chemical structure to "endogenous" hormones (hormones naturally produced inside the human body). Bioidentical hormones are typically synthesized from so-called "natural" botanical sources, typically soy beans (an excellent natural source of estrogens) and wild yam (high in progesterone).

The hormones that are used in bioidentical hormone therapy include estrone, estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone and estriol. Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) is a form of alternative medicine, and has been promoted as a panacea for many diseases rather than a means of relieving the symptoms of menopause and/or reducing the risk of osteoporosis (the goals of traditional hormone replacement therapy).

It is inevitable that every human being will experience a gradual decline in their health as they age and be exposed to a multitude of toxins. These factors contribute to a variety of uncomfortable symptoms, adverse conditions and notable changes in the body - including menopause and perimenopause in women and andropause in men. All of these factors can contribute to conditions and diseases that can occur at any stage in life, resulting from an imbalance of hormones: * Adrenal fatigue * Thyroid disease * Metabolic Syndrome * Sexual dysfunction Weight gain, sleeplessness, hair loss, poor concentration, memory loss, depression, limited energy and fatigue are some of the other conditions which are a result of hormonal imbalance and must be addressed.

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), also known as bioidentical hormone therapy or natural hormone therapy is a term referring to the use of hormones that are identical, on a molecular level, with endogenous hormones in hormone replacement therapy. The term is also associated with pharmacy compounding, blood or saliva testing, efforts to reach a targeted level of hormones in the body (as established through blood or saliva testing) and unfounded claims of safety and efficacy.

Specific hormones used in BHRT include estrone, estradiol, progesterone (which are available both in FDA-approved manufactured products and as pharmacy-compounded products) testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (both products have more limited availability and approval in Canada and the United States) and estriol (which is available in Europe but is not approved in Canada and the United States).

Proponents of what some refer to as "bioidentical hormone replacement therapy" (BHRT) claim that this is a safer, more effective alternative to traditional hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which utilizes synthetic hormone molecules (often synthesized from sources such as the urine of pregnant horses) which are administered at uniform doses. HRT has been virulently criticized for its serious health risks (including an increased risk for heart disease and certain types of cancer), but some claim that bioidentical hormones are safer and more effective than traditional HRT, because they match exactly the chemical structure of human hormones.




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