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What is Bioidentical Hormone Therapy?
Natural or bioidentical hormone therapy uses hormones found naturally in the human body to bring the body back to a healthful hormonal state.
The hormones are used in amounts and patterns that reproduce natural healthy physiology. Therapy is tracked through testing, and is customized and fine-tuned based on each person’s symptoms and health goals.
What are bioidentical hormones?
Bioidentical hormones are hormones found naturally in the human body. Examples are estradiol, progesterone and testosterone.
How are bioidentical hormones different from other hormones?
Some prescribed hormones are found in nature, but not in the human body. An example is Premarin, which is horse estrogen. Other products called hormones are not found anywhere in nature. An example is medroxyprogesterone (Provera). These chemicals have hormone-like actions, but they are not truly hormones. Bioidentical hormone replacement uses only hormones that are naturally found in the human body.
Where do bioidentical hormones come from - what is the source?
Bioidentical hormones are made from precursors found in plants, typically wild yam or soy. The precursors are modified in a laboratory until they precisely match the hormones made by the human body.
What are the benefits of bioidentical hormone replacement?
For menopausal women, replacing lost estrogen and progesterone can relieve menopausal symptoms, prevent osteoporosis, protect cardiovascular health and prevent mental decline. For younger women, it can restore normal menstrual cycles and correct perimenopausal imbalances. In men, supplementation with testosterone (along with improvement of estrogen metabolism) can restore mood, vigor, muscle mass and sexual function.
To gain these benefits and avoid creating further imbalances, hormone replacement must be carefully monitored by a knowledgeable practitioner. Hormone replacement is powerful and in all cases should be taken seriously.