What Are Natural (Bio-identical) Hormones?

Natural hormones are identical in structure to the hormones naturally found in the body. For this reason, they are called bio-identical. They are compounded in a special type of pharmacy known as a compounding pharmacy. These are regular licensed pharmaceutical companies. They acquire the pure pharmaceutical grade hormone and compound it into the form ordered by the treating provider. This makes your program very customized and personalized.

Aren’t health food store products “natural”? Products in health food stores provide people with a variety of natural options, usually from an herb or plant source. Folk medicine, naturopathy, and herbalists have evolved such that there is more substantiation and better acceptance of these alternative, herbal products.

However, the products from compounding pharmacies are different in several ways. First, the dose provided by a pharmacy requires a prescription. Health food store products (and over the counter products sold at pharmacies) are most often of a dose that is insufficient to produce a measurable difference in the body based on actual laboratory tests. They do sometimes help to relieve symptoms.

Second, the products from the compounding pharmacy utilize ingredients of pure pharmaceutical grade that are micronized. Micronized means that the product is a fine grain that will be well absorbed. This results in less waste as it processes through your digestive system. Remember that not all compounding pharmacies are equal in quality.

The Dangers Of Synthetic Hormones

Synthetic hormones produce toxic metabolites in the body, whereas natural hormones do not. Studies have shown that altered, unnatural hormones will cause side effects. Premarin, derived from pregnant mare’s urine, has over 30 different equine estrogens that are foreign to a female, human body.

Provera, another synthetic drug, has been molecularly altered and has been known to cause uncomfortable side effects from its very inception. The Journal of the American Medical Association found that progestin (the same content found in Prempro), the synthetic progesterone, raised the risk of breast cancer well beyond the risk found in the use of estrogen alone. This has not been the case with Natural Progesterone. This result was made clear in the Women’s Health Initiative Study which reported that synthetic prempro increased the risk of heart disease, stroke and breast cancer in women.

A study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism reported that out of the women who were placed on three different regimens: estrogen, estrogen and progestin, or placebo, the women on estrogen and progestin had a greater breast epithelial cell proliferation and density than women on estrogen alone or nothing at all. The Journal of the National Cancer Institute has also concluded that there is an associated 10 percent higher risk of breast cancer for every five years of supplementation with a synthetic progestin. The common denominator, of course, is the synthetic progestin.

The Truth About Hormones

*“Synthetic hormones are simply no replacement for natural hormones. After many years of getting poor or no results with conventional HRT in my practice, natural hormones proved more effective and safer than any other treatment I’ve seen or used.”Erika T. Schwartz, M.D. author of The Hormone Solution.

“What people need to understand is that when their natural hormones are at optimal levels in their youthful prime is when they are the healthiest. It’s only when hormones decline and synthetic hormones are introduced to the body that we see these problems. In my practice of prescribing natural hormones to women for five years, I have never seen the problems and side effects as we have seen with the synthetic hormones. Why not replace the body with natural biologically identical hormones. Anything else, as we have seen with the recent discontinuation of the WHI Trials, is dangerous to a woman’s health.” Neal Rouzier, M.D., author of Natural Hormone Replacement for Men and Women: How to Achieve Healthy Aging.

To learn about all of the health benefits of natural hormones, for both men and women, visit www.nbhlifetimehealth.com or call for a consultation at 512-266-6713.

By NBH, Director of Education & Research
NBH Lifetime Health Weight Loss & Hormone Clinics, Medline South

 [/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Share this post:

Scroll to Top