Is Any Hormone Safe?

This is a question that I am asked almost daily and many times a day. Maybe we should just let nature take its course when it comes to hormonal problems; after all, we’re not going to live forever. It’s interesting that when people get pneumonia, or diabetes or have a heart attack or stroke, most would not think twice about whether to treat the problem or "let nature take its course." "You know, doctor, there has been so much bad written about hormones that I’m kind of afraid to take them."

Perhaps we should look at the evidence and also, consider seriously the differences between synthetic hormone substitution and bio-identical hormone re-balancing. A very large study was reported on July 17, 2002 in a well-respected medical journal, The Journal of the American Medical Association, which involved 16,608 post-menopausal women ages 50 to 79 years. The study had been stopped prematurely because of the very high incidence of breast cancer, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. For non-medical people, that means heart attacks and strokes. It was after this that many physicians began to suggest that maybe we ought to "let nature take its course." This was quite a shift in attitude by conservative mainstream medicine.

Unfortunately, the medical establishment has not been doing what they thought or said they were doing – that is, they were doing synthetic hormone substitution and calling it hormone replacement therapy. At best, they have been poorly informed. There is now a large and growing body of evidence that shows that not all hormones are created equal. The establishment has largely ignored this body of evidence.

The hormones are a complete system of chemicals that signal and control all of the complex inter-related functions that keep us alive, breathing, taking in nutrients, expelling toxins and wastes and keeping the race going through procreation. It is all very complex and difficult for even well trained medical people to understand and keep track of this fabulous interplay.

For the most part, the functions that we consider unique to the female gender are controlled by two groups of hormones; the estrogens (as there is more than one) and progesterone. In fact, there are many more hormones involved that come from the brain (pituitary, hypothalamus and pineal gland), the thyroid gland, ovaries, adrenal glands, skin and fat cells. For the sake of time, simplicity and to facilitate some degree of understanding, we’ll leave that latter group out.

Lets look at the effects of estrogens that your body makes. The estrogens in conjunction with other hormones cause breast and uterine cells to grow and divide, fat cells to grow and divide and growth centers in long bones to cease dividing and growing. In addition, some of that inter-play just mentioned causes an egg to be released from the ovaries. The estrogens can improve the cholesterol profile, slow the loss of calcium from the skeleton and in normal conditions do not stimulate blood clotting.

Progesterone, that your body makes, helps to control the growth and division of cells caused by the estrogens and exerts a calming effect by causing the brain to make a natural anti-depressant called serotonin. Progesterone also helps calcium to be incorporated into the bone. Rapidly falling levels of the estrogens and progesterones cause menstruation to occur.

Synthetic hormone substitution involves the use of totally man made extremely potent estrogenic substances (as in oral contraceptive pills) or a complex mixture of estrogens from pregnant mares urine that contains at least three estrogenic substances that humans are unable to metabolize since they are unique to horses. As well, the predominant estrogen (estrone) is most often associated with excessive cell growth and division. If the uterus and ovaries have been removed, most mainstream doctors usually prescribe only estrogens. This results in a major hormonal imbalance that can predispose to the development of cancer in the breast, and in the lining in the uterus, if it is still present.

Provided that hormone levels are monitored from time to time, bio-identical hormone replacement is extremely safe. The most accurate way to do this is with a saliva test. A number of different labs around the country do these test but the most accurate are performed at ZRT laboratories in Beaverton, Oregon. The test is performed at home with saliva being collected first thing in the morning and sent in the regular mail, with a report being sent in two weeks. The results are extremely reliable and very helpful to a trained individual in adjusting the hormones to more youthful levels. Hormone replacement should not be attempted with out testing and regularly monitoring levels.

Two other major hormone systems impact the levels and effectiveness of the sex hormones – the thyroid gland and its production of thyroid hormones and the adrenal glands and their production of stress hormones including cortisol. So important is the latter, that if cortisol levels are not brought to normal, all other hormone replacement attempts will be futile.

Since we take a comprehensive approach to problems, the following are recommended:

1. Eat a nutritionally sound diet with regular small meals to avoid Insulin spikes which lead to
significant weight gain. This can affect your cells natural ability to behave and respond normally.

2. Don’t forget your nutritional supplements since you can no longer get your nutrition exclusively from foods unless they are all grown organically or hydroponically with all of the necessary trace elements. The best supplements on the market carry the USANA label – "nutritionals you can trust."

3. Discuss with your health professional your desire to live a long and healthy life through adjusting
your hormones safely to a more youthful level. This can be done by the above recommended
method and then having true bio-identical hormone replacement or adjustment when indicated.

THE QUESTION IS, "DO YOU NEED HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY AND IF SO HOW MUCH?"

Schedule an appointment with my office or with a physician that prescribes only non-synthetic hormone replacement therapy and do the saliva testing. The results will indicate if your body needs hormonal balance of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and thyroid.

If you have further questions, these may be addressed to Dr. Gerald Miller @ 1960 NW 167th Place Suite 103, Beaverton, Oregon, 97006-4805 or docshar@aol.com.

Dr. Miller is my personal doctor and I highly recommend him for natural balanced hormone therapy. It’s wonderful to have a doctor that believes in preventative medicine while at the same time prescribes only safe hormone replacement. If you would like to talk with me personally call my toll free number at 1-800-337-8225, email kathy@corwins.com, or click on the link below" Kathy Corwin

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