According to Census data from 2000, there are about 37.5 million women reaching or currently at menopause (ages 40 to 59). For many consumers, "natural" implies "safer". That perception explains the demand for natural products. Often however, the manufacturing of natural products are not well-regulated and the significance of the word "natural" has different meanings for consumers and manufacturers.
Natural hormone replacement therapy (NHRT) is a misnomer. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BNRT) is the proper term. This article will explain the important differences and why you should use Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy
Bioidentical hormones have the exact molecular structure as those made in the human body. In other words, the two are indistinguishable from each other. Bioidentical hormones produce the same physiologic responses as those of endogenous(bodies natural hormones) hormones. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers bioidentical hormones to be natural regardless of their source, and as a result they cannot be patented.
Misconceptions About Bioidentical Hormones
Many women are unfamiliar with the significance of bioidentical hormones, it seems they are more concerned about the source of the hormones rather than the effects produced by those hormones. Bioidentical hormones can be extracted and derived from a variety of different sources such as plants (soy or yams) or animals (pigs or horses). They can also be produced synthetically. However, hormones of plant or animal extraction that are bioidentical to human hormones are still not completely natural in the purest sense, because they undergo a laboratory process and several processing steps before the bioidentical end product is obtained.
The Important Issues When Deciding Bioidentical Therapy
Natural hormone replacement therapy involves two important issues. The source of the product, trying to acquire a natural source from plants and the end product, trying to obtain something bioidentical. Which is more important? The physiologic effect, which occurs with a bioidentical product. This should be the most important focus, but women are most comfortable with hormones that are obtained from a plant source and that are as bioidentical. Few commercially available products fit this description. But, thanks to WHI (Womens Health Initiative) findings that exposed the failure of synthetic hormone replacement, women are selecting what has been available for over 20 years, bioidentical hormones that are plant derived.
Pharmaceutical companies profits come from patents that insure them seven years of profits, where no other company can manufacture a product like theirs. Hence, the cost of this product is determined totally by them.
There are several new products that have been marketed as being natural because they are derived from plants such as soy or yam, but few are truly natural because they are not bioidentical. Sometimes, a bioidentical hormone is combined with another completely synthetic non bioidentical hormone, and the results is advertised as a natural product. Premarin for example is advertised as a natural estrogen replacement therapy because it is derived from the urine of a pregnant mare but it is not bioidentical to human estrogen and has been found to have devastating effects on women. The manufacturer of this product is beginning to prepare for the national class action suit for the greatest hoax on women in the last century. The benefits that they claimed women would receive were not only false, their drug actually ended countless women's lives.
Bioidentical Hormones-Allvia Progesterone
Allvia pharmaceuticals use natural plant compounds to create the bioidentical hormone progesterone. The percentage used is 1.6% or 20mg per dispensing transdermal dose. 20 mg has been found to be the appropriate dose for women needing to supplement with progesterone. Allvia must comply with the regulations of the highest grade (United States Pharmacopoeia (USP)).
The following information on commercially, compounded and natural hormone replacement products is featured. The source of the ingredients is listed, and whether it is considered bioidentical.
- Micronized estradiol/Estrace-Synthesized from soy and yam.*
- Estradiol/Climara-Synthesized from soybeans.*
- Estradiol/Estraderm-Synthesized from Mexican yams.*
- Estradiol/Fem Patch-Synthetic.*
- Estradiol/Vivelle, Vivelle-Dot-Synthesized from Mexican yams.*
- Estradiol/Estring-Synthesized from Mexican yams.*
- Conjugated estrogens/Premarin-Pregnant mares' urine.*
- Conjugated estrogens/Cenestin-Synthesized from soy and yams.*
- Esterified estrogens (estrone, equilin)/Estra Tab-both estrone and equillin are synthesized from soy and yams.*
- Esterified estrogens (estrone, equillin)/Menest-Both estrone and equillin are synthesized from soy and yams.*
- Micronized estradiol/Estrace-Synthesized from soy and yams.*
- Estropipate/Ogen-Synthesized from Mexican yams.*
- Estropipate/Ortho-Est-Synthesized from yams.*
- Ethinyl estradiol/Estinyl-Synthesized from Mexican yams.*
- Estradiol cypionate/Depo-Estradiol-Synthetic.*
- Estradiol valerate/Delestrogen-Synthetic.*
Use PhytoEstrogens Not Estrogens
A Phytoestrogen is a naturally-occurring plant nutrient that exerts an estrogen-like action on the body without the harmful effects of estrogen. This is what the Japanese women have used and why they have almost a non existent occurrence of menopause symptoms and a greatly reduced cancer rate compared to the United States. It is believed that the xenohormone exposure that exists in the U.S. creates endocrine disruption. These terms are defined in various places on this site and can be searched for so better understanding. In abbreviation xenohormones are any substance that acts on the endocrine system/hormone production to exhert an outside influence on receptor cells and therefore hormone receptors throughout the body.
Many women experience estrogen dominance a condition where a woman can have deficient, normal or excessive estrogen, but has little or no progesterone to balance its effects in the body. Even a woman with low estrogen levels can have estrogen dominance symptoms if she doesn't have enough progesterone.
Phytoestrogens bind to estrogen receptor sites preventing too much estrogen and thereby rebalancing the hormones. Phytoestrogens are identifiable to your body, they are easily cleaved from your estrogen receptor sites and stimulate them for a short time. Synthetic forms of estrogen are un identifiable and our body does not posses the enzymes to cleave or separate them from our receptor sites. This results in excess stimulation of endocrine tissues; breast, uterous and ovaries. If we look at the body closely we find that all tissue; hair, skin, mucous membraines/vaginal tissue, subcutaneous fat and even the brain tissue is adversely affected by excess synthetic estrogens found in our environment. All petrochemical derived products exhert an estrogen like influence on our body. Petrochemical derived products; all pharmceutical drugs, plastic, styrofoam, herbacides, pesticides the list is frightening.
- Micronized progesterone/Prometrium-Synthesized from Mexican yams.*
- Micronized progesterone/Crinone-Synthesized from Mexican yams.*
- Micronized progesterone (Allvia Manufacturer)-Synthesized from Non GMO yams.*
- Medroxyprogesterone acetate/Provera-Synthetic.*
- Medroxyprogesterone acetate/Cycrin-Synthetic.*
- Medroxyprogesterone acetate/Amen-Synthetic.*
Bioidentical Progesterone for Menopausal Women
Bioidentical progesterone research reveals that the traditional treatment methods of Menopause were wrong. Synthetic hormone replacement therapy is very harmful, and much less effective than bioidentical progesterone. Research unearthed that bioidentical progesterone not only eliminates many or most menopausal symptoms, it effectively negates the harmful side effects of synthetic hormones.
Combination HRT Replacement (2 or more hormones), Non Bioidentical
Compounded Hormone Replacement Therapy, Bioidentical
- Conjugated estrogens & Medroxy progesterone acetate/PremPro-Pregnant mares' urine & Synthetic.*
- Conjugated estrogens & Medroxy progesterone acetate/PremPhase-Pregnant mares' urine & Synthetic.*
- Esterified estrogens & Methyltestosterone acetate/EstraTest HS-Synthesized from soy and yams.*
- Esterified estrogens & Methyltestosterone acetate/Estra Test-Synthesized from soy and yams and Synthetic.*
- Ethinyl estradiol & Norethindrone acetate/Femhrt-Synthesized from soy.*
- Estradiol & Norgestinate/OrthoPrefest-Synthesized from soy & Synthetic.*
- Estradiol & Norethindrone acetate/Combipatch-Synthesized from soy & Synthesized from yams.*
- Estradiol & Norethindrone acetate/Activella-Synthetic.*
Formulated by a specializing compounding pharmacy. Individually mixed for each women based on a profile that is done by blood. A saliva test is more preferable and accurate.
- Estrone, Estradiol & Estriol (Triple estrogen)/Compounded-Synthesized from soy.*
- Estradiol & Estriol (Bi-estrogen)/Compounded-Synthesized from soy.*
- Estriol/Compounded-Synthesized from soy.*
- The information in this article was compiled from literature supplied by the manufacturers of the products listed and/or by the manufacturer's technical support staff.
- The list of products is not complete but rather reflects the most commonly prescribed hormone replacement products.
- *Generic name, Brand name and Source of ingredients
Progesterone Cream-Progensa 20
Bioidentical progesterone reduces the symptoms and discomfort of menopause, perimenopause and PMS without the side effects associated with synthetic hormone replacement therapy.
Progesterone Plus with PhytoEstrogens-Progensa Plus
Bioidentical progesterone with phytoestrogens will reduce the symptoms and discomfort of menopause, perimenopause and premenstrual syndrome without the side effects associated with synthetic hormone replacement therapy.
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