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Posts tagged ‘hormones’

The Good Bugs: Why You Absolutely Need Them

Lactobacillus acidophilus

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Probiotics, we hear all about them now. TV, radio and print ads! It’s great, considering that just a few years ago, most people didn’t know what they were. Probiotics, otherwise known as “good germs”, are part of the normal flora of our intestinal tract. They begin to inhabit our intestinal tract as soon as we’re born (by vaginal delivery, rather than caesarian delivery). They are nourished by eating healthy foods from infancy, starting by drinking mother’s milk (rather than cow’s milk or soy milk). As we age and are exposed to poor diet, antibiotics, chlorinated water, steroids and environmental pollutants (xenoestrogens), their numbers begin to decline. When their numbers decline, pathogenic yeast begin to overgrow (as well as bacteria), causing symptoms in both men and (more obviously in) women (such as vaginal discharge). Known functions of probiotics include: 1. the manufacture of B vitamins (such as folic acid, biotin, B3 and B6); 2. the manufacture of the enzyme “lactase”; 3. produce antibacterial substances; 4. produce anti-carcinogenic compounds; 5. help reduce high cholesterol levels; 6. improve the efficiency of the digestive tract; 7. help recycle hormones such as estrogen; 8. protect against radiation;  and 9. deactivate certain toxins, among many others. The primary bacteria inhabiting the small intestine is Lactobacillus acidophilus while that of the colon is Bifidobacterium bifidum. It is essential that these organisms be replaced when taking antibiotics of any kind. In today’s world, it’s a good idea to incorporate probiotics in a wellness program because of the antibiotics that we’re unknowingly exposed to (from food and perhaps, our water supply). There are different brands available. Some need to refrigerated while others do not. They come in various forms such as powders, liquid, capsules or “pearls”. To find out which brands are better, check out a study done by Consumer Labs. In the study, they found out that claims made by some companies such as number of viable organisms in their product somehow vary from the actual live cells. Factors such as improper storage and handling as well as shelf life affect these numbers. Therefore, it’s always important to do your own research.

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Breast Care

pink ribbon

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Breast cancer can be caused by a lot of things. These include hormonal imbalance (due to environmental toxins among others), ionizing radiation and trauma to the breast area, toxin build-up in the breast due to poor lymphatic drainage, tight bras (by impeding lymphatic circulation), genetic causes, etc. In a recent article on yahoo.com, it was noted that breast cancer rates dropped with a decrease in the use of HRT (hormone replacement therapy). The study was done in Canada on postmenopausal women in the earlier part of the decade. However, there is no mention whatsoever on what kind of hormones these women were put on. Synthetic hormones (non-bioidentical, derived from animal sources) could cause more hormonal imbalance in a woman’s body because the body is not used to processing these substances (unlike bioidentical hormones whose structure is similar to what the body produces and therefore is not recognized as foreign). It’s a good thing that there are bioidentical hormones available commercially now (at your regular pharmacies) as well as compounding pharmacies. All the risks and benefits should be taken into consideration before a person is placed on hormones. And for those women who prefer not be be on any hormones whatsoever, there are alternatives available including the use of herbal medications to alleviate the signs and symptoms associated with menopause. Homeopathic/spagyric remedies have also been used to help women go through perimenopause and menopause. As far as treatment for breast cancer is concerned (or any cancer, for that matter), I believe that an individualized, holistic approach should always be taken. In Europe, they are able to test cancer cell sensitivity to different chemotherapeutic agents (whether synthetic cancer drugs or natural agents), similar to how we are able to test infectious agent’s sensitivity to antibiotic medications. This test takes the guesswork out of what medication to use. For more information on this as well as other integrative approaches to cancer, please check out Suzanne Somer’s most recent book called “Knockout”. Check out http://www.breastcancerfund.org for more useful information on this subject.

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Balance Bars……

Fire and Ice

Image by ecstaticist via Flickr

That’s one of my favorite Olympic sports. I remember as a kid trying to balance myself on our “pader”, which is the Tagalog word for wall or a tall fence made of cement basically. It is a delicate balancing act. One wrong step and you’re off to the ground (just like Humpty Dumpy). Anyway, it’s the same balancing act that goes on with our hormones. Factors such as nutritional deficiencies (lack of selenium prevents conversion of T4 to T3), heavy metal toxicity (mercury attacks some hormones), or oxidative stress (excessive free radical formation could affect every cell in the body including our endocrine glands) could influence hormonal balance. Hormones by the way, are chemical messengers (secreted by endocrine glands in our body) that act on different target organs. Our hormonal/endocrine system is intimately connected to the nervous and immune systems (which secrete neurotransmitters and cytokines, respectively). These three systems work together bringing optimal communication among every cell in the body. There is such a strong connection among these systems that it’s difficult to treat one system without messing with the others. That’s the reason why we need to be careful about what we take in (whether it’s food, drugs, supplements, water, and yes, even our thoughts) because it affects everything. We cannot isolate one part of the body from the rest of it. In fact, I’m reminded of one Biblical verse which says that, “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it.” Just thought I’d mention that. Hope everybody’s having a great week!

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For Men Only (and for those who love them)

There are a lot of symptoms of male menopause that’s commonly attributed to the normal aging process. Symptoms are usually subtle unless there’s an abrupt decline in hormones. These symptoms include the following: abdominal obesity, decreased muscle mass and strength, loss of self-confidence, depression, fatigue, hot flushes, decreased sex drive, decreased ejaculation volume, decreased strength of erections, anxiety and loss of interest in life. Among the signs of testosterone deficiency include: loss of muscle tone, wrinkles at corner of eyes or above the lips, flabby belly or increased abdominal fat, prostate hypertrophy or atrophy, small/atrophied/flaccid penis and male pattern baldness. Anyway, a lot of men usually suffer in silence because complaining is not a sign of being macho. Oftentimes, men just deal with these nagging symptoms until things get worse. For instance, erectile dysfunction could be due to low normal testosterone levels. Treatment is usually not given until a person’s level is really deficient or below normal. So, instead of getting testosterone treatment, men are given “rocket boosters” like Viagra, Cialis or Levitra or supplement-wise, tribulus, maca, or L-arginine. This is all fine and dandy. However, it’s better to address the root of the problem rather than just treating symptoms, just like anything else. Sometimes, the first symptom of low testosterone is a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack. Scary, right? Anyway, it’s also important to check estrogen levels in men. High levels could lead to gynecomastia, prostate issues and emotional imbalance while very low levels could lead to osteoporosis. So again, it’s all about balance in everything (yin yang in Chinese medicine).

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Rhythm is the Answer

Overview of biological circadian clock in huma...

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There is a rhythm in life. You see it everywhere in nature. Moon cycles, seasonal changes, circadian rhythms, migratory patterns, growth spurts, planting/harvesting times, etc. There is nothing static in nature. Everything is in a constant flux. The only thing that’s static is death. At least, that’s what we know for now. If there are rhythmic patterns in our bodies, doesn’t it make sense to give hormones (if a person’s symptomatic, deficient or has sub-optimal numbers) in a rhythmic pattern as well? This idea was actually brought forth by a person named TS Wiley. She’s trained as an anthropologist and unfortunately (or fortunately?) is not an MD. Otherwise, a lot of doctors, especially in the anti-aging community would have jumped onto the bandwagon of prescribing bioidentical hormones in a rhythmic manner. That is, changing the dose every so often, to mimic nature. Doctors, just like every one else, are creatures of habit. Nobody wants to mess with the status quo. A German philosopher named Arthur Schopenhauer put it succinctly, “All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” Anyway, hormonal imbalance is just one of the causes of accelerated, symptomatic aging. Other factors such as nutritional deficiencies, chronic inflammatory processes, toxicities, oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction need to be addressed as well if a person wants to age well.

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HGH for Optimal Health

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One of the hormones that decline as we age is HGH (human growth hormone). This hormone is responsible for growth and development in children and teens and for regeneration and repair in adults. It has been used traditionally for dwarfism but it is now being recommended for adult growth hormone deficiency. There are a lot of signs and symptoms associated with low HGH levels in adults. Among the physical signs of HGH deficiency are sparse/thin hair, sagging cheeks, droopy eyelids, loose skin under the chin, prematurely aged or obese body, droopy abdomen, and generalized muscular atrophy. Mental symptoms of low HGH include a poor quality of life, chronic anxiety, low self-esteem or self-confidence, lack of concentration and self-control and a tendency to social isolation. Physical complaints include decline in physical appearance, poor health, exhaustion, cold intolerance, erectile dysfunction in men, light or poor sleep and a low appetite for protein. There are different ways to boost HGH production. Exercise of course, does that. Sleep and certain amino acids also trigger the release of HGH from the pituitary. There are certain peptides such as Sermorelin, GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 that also stimulate the release of HGH but this is given in an injectable form. Last but not least is the use of actual HGH. This is now made by recombinant DNA technology, unlike previously, when it was sourced from cadavers. There are various ways to check for HGH deficiency and they include checking your blood for IGF-1, IGF-BP-3, basal GH and stimulated GH (using HGHRH, insulin, arginine, clonidine, glucagon, propanolol) or doing a 24 hour urine collection for HGH. It’s important to work with your doctor to minimize side effects and optimize results. Common side effects are carpal tunnel syndrome and hyperglycemia, which can easily be reversed by fine tuning the dosage of the hormone.

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Sleeping Beauty

Main pathway in growth regulation by the endoc...

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Funny title, huh? Sleep is something we often take for granted until we lose it. A few times in the past (esp. during internship and residency), I’ve had poor quality sleep and boy, it really affected me. I was useless the following day and oftentimes, I became bitchy towards others. Yep, blame it on lack of sleep! Anyway, sleep’s main goal is to help us regenerate. That’s a time when anabolic and healing hormones are secreted by our endocrine glands. These hormones include melatonin, prolactin and growth hormone. If you wanna age better than your counterparts, get some sleep or else……

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