Recent interest within the medical community to find a more '
natural' approach to hormone therapy has focused attention on bioidentical hormones. Bioidentical hormones can be used as a treatment method to make up for the decline or lack of natural hormones produced in a person's body.
Keep reading to learn all about
bioidentical hormones, the risks and benefits of bioidentical replacement therapy, and alternative treatment options.
About Bioidentical Hormones
Bioidentical hormones are
plant-derived hormones that are identical in molecular structure to the hormones women make in their own bodies. Bioidentical hormones are not found in this form in the natural world, but are plant chemical extracts which are made or synthesized in a laboratory into the hormonal human form.
They are often made from botanical plants such as the
yam plant or
soybean plant.
Bioidentical hormones can be used to relieve the symptoms of menopause and other hormonal imbalances and so it is important for women to fully understand this treatment method.
Click on the following link to discover more
about bioidentical hormones; or continue reading to learn about how bioidentical hormones differ from standard synthetic hormones.
How Bioidentical Hormones Differ From HRT
The main difference between bioidentical hormones and traditional HRT treatments is that bioidentical hormones are derived from plants as opposed to synthetic chemicals.
While synthetic hormones are only available in oral form, bioidentical hormones can be taken by pills, patches, creams, lotions or as vaginal rings.
Click on the following link to learn more about how bioidentical hormones differ from HRT; or continue reading to discover the risks and benefits of using bioidentical hormones.
Risks and Benefits of Bioidentical Hormones
Are bioidentical hormones safer than synthetic hormones? Currently, the medical community is uncertain about this.
Studies have shown that bioidentical hormones can help relieve hot flashes and vaginal dryness, but as yet, few in-depth scientific studies have investigated the differences among the various hormones and methods of administration.
Detailed research needs to be conducted in order to get a full outline of the risks and benefits of using bioidentical hormones.
It is thought that because bioidentical hormones have the same molecular structure as the hormones made by a woman's body that a woman's body will more easily metabolize them, minimizing side effects. However, bioidentical hormones, like their synthetic equivalents (HRT), are still powerful substances that may provide health benefits, but also come with risks.
As bioidentical hormones have not been rigorously tested in humans yet,
they should be used with caution and only under the guidance of a trained medical professional.
Click on the following link to find out more about the
risks and benefits of bioidentical hormones; alternatively, keep reading to find out more about bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is a variant of conventional hormone replacement therapy.
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is
the replacement of hormones made naturally in the body with hormones that are plant-derived and equal in chemical structure and function to those produced naturally by the body.
Bioidentical estrogens and micronized progesterone are made into a range of products and come in a variety of forms, including pill, patch, cream and vaginal rings.
These products are identical to the chemical make-up of the natural hormones within the body. However, no long term tests have been carried out and so they should only be taken under the guidance of a trained medical professional.
As bioidentical hormone replacement therapy has
not been thoroughly tested by the medical community and may cause some side effects within the body, it is advisable for women to first try using alternative treatment methods to treat their hormonal imbalance.
The medical community is becoming increasingly interested in alternative medicine since breast and ovarian cancer as well as heart diseases, blood clots and other side effects are associated with hormonal replacement therapy.
Continue reading to learn all about the alternative treatments for bioidentical replacement therapy.
Alternative Treatments for Bioidentical Replacement Therapy
Before a woman makes the serious choice of taking synthetic or bioidentical hormones, to treat a hormonal imbalance, she might want to consider less risky approaches, like
lifestyle changes or
alternative medicines.
Lifestyle changes
By incorporating techniques for
stress reduction, such as yoga or meditation, into a daily routine, combined with
regular exercise and a healthy diet, a woman can greatly improve her well-being.
Making the effort to change these lifestyle factors will help alleviate many symptoms, but they do not address the problem directly at the
hormonal source and so further treatment may be necessary. Many agree that the most effective approach is to combine a few changes in lifestyle with alternative medicines.
Alternative medicines
Alternative medicine has proven to be excellent for treating hormonal imbalances in a safe and natural way. This treatment method can involve several different therapies.
Herbal supplements are the most well-known, though in addition women may wish to also try techniques such as acupuncture, biofeedback, massage, aromatherapy, or hypnosis.
A
combination of approaches is usually the most effective route to take. Lifestyle changes combined with alternative medicine will most likely be the best way to alleviate hormonal imbalance.
Click on the following link to learn more about
treatments for hormonal imbalance, in order to be able to treat hormonal imbalance in safe and natural way.
