Creating Hormone Balance And The Low Down On Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)
How would you like to live with vim and vigor past 100 years old? In order to optimally live past that age you need to be hormonally and nutritionally balanced. Many people do live to or past 100 years old, but their quality of life has been significantly reduced due to chronic illness or mobility issues. All of the hormones in our body act in synergy, like a symphony, where all of the instruments must be in tune with each other. Hormonal imbalance can cause symptoms in women and men of all ages. If balanced, these hormones can help you to create optimal health and a vibrant life.*


What Is A Bio-Identical Hormone?

A hormone is a chemical released by a cell within a gland in one part of the body that sends out messages that affect cells in other parts of the body. Only a small amount of hormone is required to alter cell metabolism. It is essentially a chemical messenger that transports a signal from one cell to another. A bio-identical hormone is an exact match to those that our body produces. A non bio-identical hormone is a hormone that been altered in order to be a patented medication and therefore a pharmaceutical. It is my deep understanding and belief that the body can tell the difference between these two and the change from the original human blueprint is more toxic and creates side effects within the body. The closer that we can stay aligned with how nature created us, the less stress that it will create within the body.


What Are The Major Hormones In Our Body?


We have many hormones that are involved in creating balance in our body and here are a few of the most common imbalances the can occur:

• Thyroid hormones (T3 & T4)
• Estrogens (Estrone, Estradiol & Estriol)
• Progesterone
• Testosterone & DHEA
• Cortisol
• Pregnenolone
• Human Growth Hormone
• Oxytocin
  
  

These are the major hormones that are tested for and used in hormone replacement therapy. Many doctors will test these hormones only through blood, which typically will not give you an accurate measure of what is truly happening over a 24-hour period in the body. Most hormones are released into the bloodstream sporadically based on the body’s need. Once a hormone is released, it slowly decreases until a feedback loop tells the gland to either stop production or to release more. This is the biggest problem with solely relying on blood tests to evaluate hormone levels. You can have your blood drawn several times per day in order to test for a single hormone and the results will change with each draw. 24-hour urine hormone assessments and salivary hormone testing has revolutionized hormonal testing by producing a much more accurate result of what is going on with your hormones.


What Are Some Symptoms Of Hormone Imbalance

Can I Just Take The Same Hormone Replacement Pill, Patch, or Cream As Everyone Else?

Our bodies need hormones to maintain optimal health. They are safe and effective when used in small physiological doses and by ensuring that the body is processing them effectively. As Naturopathic Doctors, we will assess how your individual body is processing and utilizing hormones. Then we will use only the lowest dose of natural bio-identical hormones in order to get your body into the optimal physiological range. These small biological doses allow support and balance where your body is missing the hormones all with few to no side effects as opposed to mega dosing or using non bio-identical therapies. Hormone replacement therapy is not safe as a one size fits all approach. By assessing your individual levels and hormone processing capacity, a perfect balance for your body can be discovered and prescribed.*


Keys To Making Hormone Therapy Safe And Effective:

• Use only Bio-Identical Hormones: A true copy of nature.
• Use topical hormones where applicable to decrease liver processing of hormones, which will in turn decrease side effects and toxicity.
• Every body has a slight variation in the optimal level of hormones that will create perfect balance. It is important to make sure that your hormone support is individualized for your own body.
• Make sure that your prescription for hormones are the lowest physiological dose in order to create the biggest impact.
• Ask doctor to retest levels of your hormones at least every year.
• Ask your doctor to test your liver processing of hormones every year if you are taking any form of HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy).

‘Menopause’ Vs. ‘Man’opause

Everybody is familiar with the declining hormone levels within women that inevitably lead to no longer having a menstrual cycle. This is called Menopause. It can create irritability, hot flashes, memory loss, decreased bone density, increased risk of heart disease, and fatigue to name a few symptoms. The shear mention of this term can strike fear into the heart of a man. Well, I hate to break it to all the men out there, but there is a masculine equivalent called andropause, which I referred to above as ‘man’opause. As men age, they also have a significant reduction in androgens such as testosterone and DHEA that can create roughly the same symptoms as menopause. On the positive side, Bio-Identical Hormone Therapy can help both men and women keep their hormone levels at a physiological level that is equivalent being years younger.* This can create a life that is more vibrant, more sexual, and creates far more happiness!