Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy

Top advantages of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy

Hormone replacement therapy has now become a standard procedure for women who are approaching menopause. The premise is simple: by the time a woman reaches menopause, her estrogen levels have almost flattened out. The lack of hormones produces hormonal imbalance in the body, which in turn leads to a number of symptoms, mostly related to aging. When the hormonal imbalance is set right by replacing lost hormones, the body is able to overcome the affects of hormonal deficiency, including the signs of aging!

Hormones are powerful substances and are therefore known for the powerful affect they have on health. Originally, hormone replacement therapy involved the use of synthetic hormones. These hormones often produced harmful side-effects like increased risk of breast cancer, nausea, gallbladder disease, mood swings and so on. In 2003, the Women’s Health Initiative clearly showed that women who were on conventional hormone replacement therapies could develop stroke or cancer. That was when experts began to explore the possibility of using bioidentical hormones instead of synthetic hormones.

Bioidentical hormones are not to be confused with ‘natural’ hormones. Bioidentical hormones are those that are similar in structure to the natural hormones in the body. When the molecular structure of the new hormone is the same as the one being replaced, the body is able to accept the new hormone more easily and naturally. So, even though a hormone like Premarin is naturally occurring (it is found in mares), it is not bioidentical because it is not similar in structure to the hormones produced by the human body. The problem with hormones that are not ‘native’ to the human body is that there is insufficient data on how these hormones may act inside the body.

Bioidentical hormones may be produced from natural or synthetic sources. But since they are chemically similar to hormones found in the body, there are several advantages associated with bioidentical hormone therapy.

• Bioidentical hormones are administered transdermally using patches and creams. These have far smaller doses of hormones than hormones that are administered orally.

   

• When hormones are administered transdermally, they skip the first level of metabolism, which takes place in the liver. Thus, they are absorbed more quickly and far more efficiently.

   

• Most importantly, bioidentical hormones are similar to the hormones that are naturally produced by the body. Hormones control various functions within the body. They provide millions of instructions. But, if the molecular structure of the replaced hormone is different, even by a single atom, the instructions provided to cells may start varying.

   

• In conventional hormone replacement therapies, doctors administer oral hormones without actually measuring the current levels of hormones in the body. It must be remembered that every aging person may not suffer from hormonal imbalances. Precise calibration is vital to administering the right amount of hormones. Bioidentical hormone therapy measures the existing levels of hormones before treatment starts.

   

• Since conventional hormone treatments make use of non-bioidentical hormones, undesirable side-effects may be produced. This is ruled out in the case of bioidentical hormones.

These are some of the reasons why experts agree that bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is by far the safest way to address problems caused by hormonal imbalances within the body.

About the Author

BHRT involves use of supplemental doses of hormones, with 3 important criteria. Using bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, you get hormone balance back that creates a state of homeostasis & helps you to feel normal again.

Cheering myself up and HRT effects handwriting?

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 7th, 2009 at 2:27 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.