Bioidentical hormones are, as the name suggests, chemically identical to human hormones. They are usually derived from plants and they have the same chemical formula as hormones produced by the human body. Some people may refer to bioidentical hormones to as “natural” hormones, although the word natural is here to represent the fact they came from plants. Mexican wild yam and soy are two most used sources for production of bioidentical hormones.
Transdermal Usage of Hormones
These hormones are usually given in the form of gels, creams or suppositories, so they could go through the skin and get absorbed into the blood. This is why doctors usually say these hormones should be given in transdermal (through the skin) form. If they were to be given as tablets, they would be destroyed or transformed to completely different molecules, which won’t have any therapeutic effects.
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Problems
Hormone replacement therapy, which may use bioidentical or synthetic hormones to treat different conditions and problems, is one of the most controversial fields of modern medicine.
Many women used estrogen and some other hormones for decades, but until recently they never thought that the treatment may not be safe, because of the origin of their replacement hormones. Provera is synthetic version of progesterone (not bioidentical, but synthetic), which is linked to increased number of breast cancer in patients treated with this drug. Estrogen used in HRT treatments (like Premarin) is usually not bioidentical to woman’s own estrogen, since it is derived from pregnant mare’s urine. Another possibly problematic HRT treatment is the combination of Premarin and Provera, known as Prempro.
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Benefits
Bioidentical hormonal replacement therapy may be beneficial for women. It can improve energy and deal with hot flashes and obesity women have been faced with, as well as return their sexual energy. As the matter of fact, bioidentical hormones can be “tailored” for every individual person and then used to her or his exact requirement.
Compound Bioidentical Hormones
There is another option - compound bioidentical hormones. These are hormone supplements with identical biochemical structure like those produced in the human organism. The downfall is that few doctors have had any experience with these compound hormones, since these are not yet approved to be used. Benefits of Bioidentical Hormones
Traditional hormone replacement therapy may cause many side effects but there are much fewer of these when using bioidentical HRT. Also, bioidentical hormones provide protection from heart diseases and reduce the risk of development of breast cancer. Patients using these hormones usually experience improved lipid profile, which is also beneficial for their health.
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