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BHRT: Is It Right For You?

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Long before bioidentical hormones became a hot topic, there were already doctors using the therapy with great success.  It took Suzanne Somers, a celebrity actress and health promoter, however, to bring the topic of bioidentical hormones to the general public.  I am fortunate to have learned about this therapy (from some of the pioneers in alternative medicine) about 13 years ago.  One thing I learned from these generous individuals is that everybody is different. Such is the concept of biochemical individuality.  What does this have to do with bioidentical hormones?  What this means that everyone is unique and as such, a program that works for one person may or may not work for another.

What are bioidentical hormones?  These are hormones that have the exact molecular structure that our bodies produce.  Any structure that deviates from the original endogenous molecule is synthetic and as such is not bioidentical.  Therefore, a person who gets a synthetic hormone is not having his or her hormones replaced.  What they’re getting is hormonal substitution.

A medical doctor just recently appeared on the Oprah show, who said that bioidentical is just a marketing term.  Dr. Christine Northrup, M.D. one of the main proponents of the use of natural bioidentical hormones, gently corrected her.  I’m still amazed at how people in the mainstream don’t think for themselves but just follow the “party line.” It’s like having an “earth is flat” mentality.

I believe that our hormones are like a symphony orchestra. If one is off, the rest get affected. Even so-called “minor” hormones have a great role to play. That’s why it’s important to balance everything. In my practice, I’ve encountered people who are just taking one hormone thinking that that would resolve their issue.

I believe in the concept of yin and yang in Chinese medicine.  For instance, when I treat the thyroid, I look into it’s sister organ, the adrenals. Their functions are closely linked together. Thus, it’s important to support both organs.

When I see a new client, I am always humbled because of all the new things I learn.  I look into a person’s signs and symptoms as well as their lab work.  One is as important as the other.  As the saying goes, “if it talks like a duck and walks like a duck, then it must be a duck.”  The problem with “what’s going on” is that if a person falls within a normal range, even though they may be symptomatic, they may be denied proper treatment.  What we do as healthy aging  practitioners (also known as anti-aging), is that we look at optimal ranges rather than normal ranges.

For individuals who may not be candidates for bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), there are alternatives available.  Besides the use of herbal medicine, I’ve used medical aromatherapy with essential oils and spagyric/homeopathic remedies.

For anyone seeking answers to their health issues, my advice is to listen closely to your body and to always keep an open mind.

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Breast Care

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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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