Hormones, chemicals produced in one part of the body to affect functions in another part of the body, regulate nearly all metabolic functions. When hormones become unbalanced, such as during menopause---a period in a woman's life when estrogen and...
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is finding increasing research, use and support as a viable alternative to conventional hormone replacement therapy. In part, the move away from synthetic hormone replacement has increased as a result of...
Bioidentical natural hormones are being used as an alternative to synthetic hormones in various types of HRT (hormone replacement therapy). Bioidentical hormones come from plants and are mixed and sometimes altered by a process called...
Conventional hormone replacement therapy became highly controversial following the Women's Health Initiative Study, which was halted, according to the April 2004 "Journal of the American Medical Association," when it was determined that the health...
Bioidentical hormones and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy programs are targeted at menopausal and post-menopausal women, women with hormone imbalances, and women who have had hysterectomies. Though these medications claim to mimic the...
Bioidentical hormones are synthesized in a laboratory, from chemicals extracted from plants, including yams and soybeans. They are biologically identical in molecular structure and behave just like the hormones your body produces. They are...
SottoPelle is a form of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy used for both men and women. The product comes in the form of pellets, no larger than a grain of rice, and they are implanted under your skin. The pellets last four to six months and...
Bioidentical drugs can replace hormones lost to disease and aging. These substances, similar to chemicals made by the body, effectively treat a wide range of medical conditions. Natural progesterone, for example, can play a positive role in...
Bio-identical hormones are treatments produced in a compounding pharmacy that are designed to work in the same manner as natural hormones. Women experiencing severe or uncomfortable side effects from menopause typical use hormone replacement...
The endocrine system releases hormones that control physiological processes throughout the body. Disease and aging break down this system, creating hormonal deficiencies. Prescription medications and nutritional supplements can help rectify these...
You and your husband embark on a joint weight loss program. At the end of the first week, he's lost 5 lbs. to your measly 8 oz. What's a woman to do? Your female hormones are meant to sustain you through years of baby-making, lactating and beyond....
There are several hormones that are considered "female" hormones, though some of them are naturally produced in a man's body as well. What gives them the characteristic of being a female hormone is the role they play in a woman's fertility, and...
Fosamax is a biosphosphonate prescribed to prevent and treat bone loss, a condition commonly diagnosed as osteoporosis or osteopenia. Concerns about the side effects and long-term safety of Fosamax and other drugs have caused many women to seek...
A disruption in the ovaries' ability to produce progesterone can occur at any time in a woman's life. Unless there is an underlying disorder, a low progesterone level is most likely to occur during perimenopause and menopause. Low progesterone...
As a woman ages, her body produces fewer female hormones required for reproduction and menstruation ceases. Menopause causes an array of emotional and physical symptoms. Many women survive the negative effects of menopause with the help of hormone...
Consumers want to take natural products for their medical problems. Bioidentical hormones are considered equally effective -- and perhaps safer -- alternatives to synthetic drugs, according to a June 2011 review in "BMC Women's Health."...
Naturally increasing testosterone can have many health benefits for aging men. Between the mid-30s and the age of 80, testosterone levels may decline to as much as 20 percent of youthful levels, according to "Life Extension Magazine." Low...
Use of herbal remedies and supplements for the symptoms of menopause increased in 2002, when the Women's Health Initiative, a large study of menopausal women, showed that synthetic hormone treatments appear to increase the risk of breast cancer...
Bioidentical hormones are made from plant steroids that are compounded together so that they resemble the natural hormones produced in the human body. They are identical in every way, except that the plant steroids are synthetically restructured...
Plant-derived hormone replacement in the form of bioidentical hormones is an alternative treatment to synthetic medication. Harvard Health Publications explains that bioidentical hormones have the same chemical structure as hormones naturally...
The onset of menopause signals the end of one life stage and the beginning of another. As noted by the Mayo Clinic, the bridging period, or time before you actually reach menopause, is often accompanied by hot flashes. Hot flashes are...
Atropic vaginitis is a condition of inflammation that occurs along the skin and mucosal layer of the vagina and vulva. The inflammation develops most commonly in women going through menopause. The diminishing estrogen levels of the menopausal...
Progesterone is the precursor to many hormones, including testosterone, the sex hormone that emphasizes male characteristics, and estrogen, the sex hormone that emphasizes female characteristics. Progesterone plays an important role in regulating...
Hormone Replacement Therapy, also known as HRT, helps eliminate symptoms of menopause. It can greatly improve the quality of life for a woman going through this time of her life. Hormone replacement therapy replaces the hormones a woman's body...
Bioidentical hormones, available by prescription or over the counter, contain both active and inactive ingredients. The active ingredients, chemicals similar to natural hormones, replace substances lost because of disease or aging. The inactive...
Celebrities like Suzanne Somers and Oprah Winfrey have promoted natural hormone replacement therapy using bioidenticals. These drugs, similar to substances manufactured by the body, can correct hormone deficiencies in some people. Such patients...
Although medications containing phytoestrogens have been used for centuries, natural hormones, plant-based hormones and bioidentical hormones are relative newcomers to hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, in modern Western medicine. Phytoestrogens...
Bioidentical drugs, similar to body's natural hormones, can play a positive role in women's health. A 2006 review in "Life Extension Magazine" describes how bioidentical progesterone can help women cope with common reproductive issues. According...
In 2002, a large federally funded study by the Women's Health Initiative revealed an increased risk of heart disease, breast cancer and stroke in women using synthetic prescription hormone replacement therapy. This widely publicized report, along...
