All Natural Hormone Replacement with Bioidenticals

Is there a difference between what is called natural hormones and bioidentical hormones?

Yes there is and it is a rather new division, therefore it is still somewhat ‘fuzzy’ in description.

Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (bHRT for short) is as diverse and as complex as the individual. Most of the prescribed therapies (preferably in creams, tinctures or sublingual drops) are specially made compounds for the individual taking them.

Some pharmacies and practitioners prefer the name ‘natural’ over bio-identical when it comes to the pre-fabricated and FDA approved bioidenticals. The reason? Because no further mixing or compounding is required. Estradiol (E2 – a natural human estrogen) and Prometrium (progesterone) products are prime examples of pre-approved bioidentical hormones ready to go under a few different brand names. As these are prescribed supplements you’ll want to talk to your doctor about your options.

It is important to note that any hormone is best taken transvaginally, transdermally, or sublingually and this is true even of a bio identical based hormone replacement therapy.

I’ve been talking quite a bit about a natural approach to hormone replacement for menopausal or peri-menopausal women, so I’ll share what I’ve learned here about these.

Essentially these bioidenticals are derived from plant sources. Plants that carry the same hormonal compounds as found in our own bodies. This could also be considered in the realm of phytotherapy.

Plants that have been used by herbalists, medicine doctors of old, and in current naturopathic medicine are listed below (and this list may not be complete until I have uncovered and/or found a few studies for each item on the list through secondary sources and supporting research).

I’m including their scientific names here as well so you know what to look for on the bottle or jar of any natural hormone remedies:

• Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
• Black cohosh (Actaea racemosa)
• Chastetree (Vitex agnus-castus)
• Kudzu (Pueraria lobata)
• Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)
• Red clover (Trifolium pratense)
• Soy (Glycine max)
• Wild Yam (Dioscorea villosa)
   
  

Wild yam and soy are the only two that are identical in composition to human hormones and are extracted for use in a scientific lab. The others are supporting plants for hormonal balance.

There is more of this to know – such as the binding agents and which hormones you’re attempting to support at the outset, but every bit of information will get you closer to a personalized solution. I started with the Nutrapathic Hormone Balance and got tested by my doctor until my system felt more aligned – pay attention to your feelings, your symptoms and your system!

Once you start learning about the dangers of synthetic hormones and the most popular prescribed hormone replacement pills such as Premarin (made with the urine of a pregant horse) and Prempro (more horse estrogens mixed with synthetics) – the question arises, “Why the hell are so many millions of women on this crap?”

So here’s your answer…

Because it was sold, pitched to us, as a way to help women with hot flashes as well as keep us youthful. At a time in our lives when estrogen was declining we could regain or hold onto our youth a little longer by supplementing with mare urine. We were told it would help us build stronger bones longer, prevent heart failure, maintain youthful skin and keep cognitive function, longer. All the things that lack of estrogen promised to rob us of!

Sadly the promise was unfounded. Instead we kept all the risks, but added more to our future “what can go wrongs” – like increased chance of breast cancer, blood clots and strokes. Yay.

Now why wasn’t all this tested/documented before it was released and sold to millions of women in the United States alone – not to mention millions across the generations, and in neighbouring countries such as Canada? Mostly because it’s big business, but also because we women were screaming for the ‘magic blue pill’ that would make our hot flashes go away.

Oh, they went away all right. And we started dying off earlier than we needed to.

So what’s new in 2010 regarding research and studies? As far as I can tell – but I’m not finished with my own research – the studies have all but stopped and the same pills are still prescribed by the millions.

Enter bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. Safer. Organic. It may seem – but no major studies have proven it so I’m hard pressed to state it as ‘fact’. However, I can’t see how rubbing wild yam extract on your skin will cause you to contract breast cancer or taking supplements made of proprietary blends of burdock root and sasparilla could cause clotting.

Precisely why, when my doctor advised against synthetic hormone replacement therapy, I took off to a more natural way of achieving hormonal balance.