Synthetic, Natural, or Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy?
Types Of Hormones Demystified
Most of us are familiar with the synthetic versions of medications; after all these are developed by pharmaceutical companies. They are ubiquitous and seen in advertisements on TV, in magazines, or conveniently placed on just about every object in a physicians’ office.
Many synthetic medications are derived from natural chemicals, which are then manipulated by the addition and subtraction of other molecules. This process allows pharmaceutical companies to patent and sell them to the general public.
What does this mean for you?
Synthetic Hormones
Well it means that you body must metabolize these foreign entities before they can be properly utilized. It’s like saying your car needs gas, but instead your going to give it oil. Oh yea, and by the way, the oil will be broken down to gas and in this process will cause damage to your car.
Does that make any sense? An example of this is Provera, a synthetic form of progesterone called a progestin. The process of metabolizing Provera has been shown to have many deleterious side effects as have many other synthetic medications. This is why we often see synthetic prescriptions being pulled off the market several years after their approval.
Don’t Fall For “It’s Natural” Either
Another form of taking hormone replacement therapy is with “natural” hormones. However, “natural” does not always mean that a specific medication is “natural” to the human body. Take Premerin for example. Premerin contains many forms of estrogen, all which are “natural”, however most, such as equilin, are “natural” only to horses and not humans. So once again we are being fed foreign molecules that must be broken down by the body to forms of estrogen that are identical to the human body.
What Bioidentical Means
So if our bodies are low on estrogen or testosterone than why don’t we simply add identical forms of estrogen and testosterone to our bodies? Simple enough right? This is common sense and one of the main benefits of natural bioidentical hormone replacement. Bioidentical hormones are derived from plants, such as yams and soy, and duplicate the exact structure of hormones found in our bodies. Therefore, we don’t have to do the extra work of breaking down and dealing with byproducts of foreign molecules. This breaking down process places strain on the body. In fact there are many studies that show that bioidentical hormone replacement therapy are not only safer than other forms of hormone replacement, but also provide many additional health benefits.
So why are synthetic and “natural” medications the ones that are being prescribed?
Well, identical and pure forms of our bodies own hormones cannot be patented as easily and thus are less lucrative. This makes them less attractive to companies looking to make a profit. After all the CEO’s and boards of these companies need to make sure that their stock rises.
So when pharmaceutical companies “create” medications they are often the synthetic or altered versions we discussed.
And who funds most of the studies for medications?
You guessed it; pharmaceutical companies provide much of the funding for universities to do studies on their medications. They also fund the FDA and give kickbacks to the insurance companies to be on their formulary. Now before you think that I’m becoming an iconoclast and hopping on the Michael Moore bandwagon, or getting ready to pitch him an idea for his next movie, think again. We are not saying that all medications are all bad. There are many medications that are helpful and make a big difference in people’s lives.
The point is that money speaks volumes and can cause us to only receive one side of the story. This is why it is important for you, the consumer, to do the research and know you sources.
So do your research, and stay tuned next week as we break down bioidentical hormones in more detail. For more information check out the links in this blog, the articles below, and contact Vitali-T Medical Clinics to find out if hormone replacement is right for you.
Article References:
A comprehensive review of the safety and efficacy of bioidentical hormones for the management of menopause and related health risks. Alternative Medicine Review 2006 Sep; 11(3): 208-23. Moskowitz. D. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17217322
The bioidentical hormone debate: are bioidentical hormones (estrodiol, estriol, and progesterone) safer or more effiacious than commonly used synthetic versions in hormone replaement therapy? Postgrad Med 2009 Jan; 121 (1) : 73-85. Holtorf. K. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19179815
Point/Counterpoint: The Case for Bioidentical Hormones. Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons Volume 13: 43-46 Summer 2008 Number 2. StevenF. Hotze., Donald P. Ellsworth. http://thefansproject.com/images/fckuploads/File/CaseForBioidentical(1).pdf