Flax Seed Plant 
HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY
Most Hormone Replacement has focused on estrogen replacement in woman at menopause when the ovaries are producing approximately 10% of estrogen compared to youthful level. I am going to give you an overview of the entire Hormonal Cascade and then talk about natural replacement.
Estrogen is used to control menopausal symptoms. The most popular form of estrogen replacement in post menopausal woman is/was Premarin. Premarin is sourced from pregnant mare urine and consists of steroidal, estrone, estriol plus two equine estrogens, equilin and equilenein. The latter two are completely foreign to the female body. No research exists that actually determines how these two hormones are excreted.
The balance of the Hormone Cascade in the human body is often ignored and possibly misunderstood in its role to health and vitality.
The principle Hormone Cascade looks like this:
- Pineal Gland - Melatonin
- Hypothalamus - Selegiline, Acetyl L Carnitine
- Pituitary - Growth Hormone, Thyroid Stimulating Hormones
- Thyroid - T4/T3
- Adrenals DHEA
- Testes Testosterone
- Ovaries Estrogens, Progesterone
Melatonin:
Melatonin is largely responsible for regulating sleep cycles. It is also involved in protecting the brain against oxidation and free radical damage. Melatonin has the ability to penetrate cell walls and protect the DNA against free radical damage and aging.
For some people, the decline in melatonin production starts generally around the age of 30 for some people. Evening snacks that include cooked oatmeal or brown rice can improve levels of melatonin to some degree. Calcium supplements of 500-1000mgs. can also be effective. There is also evidence taking supplemental melatonin at levels of 3 -5 mgs. can be helpful. The most effective time to take melatonin is approximately an hour before bed to synchronize with your night time peak levels. Sublingual supplements seem to the most effective. Absorption is enhanced through the mucus membranes under the tongue promoting quicker absorption.
Selegiline:
Selegeline works to improve cognition, libido and well being in individuals. It also enhances one of the main excitatory neurotransmitter - Dopamine.
Selegiline is also an MAO inhibitors. It is contraindicated for individuals who have hypertension.
Selegiline has been used extensively in Europe and the United States from 1988. Chocolate is a food source of this hormone, particularly dark chocolate.
Acetyl-L-Carnitine:
Acetyl-L-Carnitine is found naturally in the body and in food as the amino acid. The richest source of L-Carnitine is found in lamb.
In order to pass through the blood/brain barrier, l-carnitine is required to be in the form acetyl-l-carnitine.
Protective properties of this hormone include anti-oxidant effects in brain lipids.
L-carnitine also works as a fat burning nutrient in the matrix of the mitochondria.
L-carnitine coupled with CoQ10 and Alpha Lipoic Acid works to enhance the rejuvenating ability of the mitochondria.
Acetyl-L-Carnitine has shown to improve vision, memory and mood stabilizing effects.
Human Growth Hormone and Thyroid Stimulating Hormones:
Proper nutrition and sleep patterns improve human growth hormone. Efforts have been made to use supplemental HGH, however, they should be used with great caution and only under the supervision of a qualified physician. There are also many sources of precursors that are promoted to impact HGM, by manufacturers. They should also be used with discretion and caution.
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone regulates the thyroid gland. Excessive levels of sTSH output indicates hypo or low thyroid function and low sTSH can indicate an over active or hyper thyroid. These conditions are largely evidenced by blood tests, specifically sTSH and others like Free T4, Free T3. A qualified physician will order, measure and control potential problems with the thyroid. Proper nutrition and exercise are useful in maintaining a healthy thyroid. Be very cautious about retail products that offer ‘precursor nutrients like tyrosine, to improve the thyroid. There is very little evidence of the these products being effective.
For more information on this very important are of thyroid function please visit my thyroid matters page.
DHEA: DHEA is manufactured from cholesterol at the cortex of the adrenal glands. It has been used in many studies from heart disease to fat loss as well as its use as a mood enhancing hormone. This steroidal hormone is involved in protection against breast cancer in pre-menopausal woman, heart disease when taken in combination with natural progesterone in postmenopausal women. Because DHEA can cascade into testosterone and estrogen, supplementation has to be administered with caution.
Estrogen:
The female body produces three types of estrogen in varying degrees of strength. Estriol, safest, estradial and estrone. Post menopausal woman have reported that replacement of estrogen has helped control the symptoms of menopause.
I know all or most of you remember when the World Health Organization cancelled a major study involving sythetic hormones because of the disasterous health consequences. That was in the late 1990's. Did you know that they were only using synthetic hormones? I can remember reading cautionary facts on synthetic hormones when Iwas in my early 20's. To say I was surprised at this ridiculous attempt to quantify the healthy use of synthetic hormones is a big understatement.
Here is how I approach the menopausal transition or the peri-post menopausal transition.
I concern myself with the pivitol organs involved in this transition:
Healthy Heart: I use a generous amount of healthy fats, including hemp hearts and ground flax seed. I recommend CoQ10 @ 100mg. daily. I use digestive enzymes and I have a comprehensive cardiovascular analysis done.
Healthy Thyroid: You probably weren't aware that well over half of the woman who near or at the menopausal transition demonstates clear symptoms of hypothyroidism.... Go my page and consider the signs When you consider the thyroid is the Commander in Chief of the Hormonal System, why wouldn't you think of the source first. Symptoms control is far more effective when you support the major organs that will support the Protocol you use.
Natural Source Hormones: Most Pharmacies have access to natural source Estriol and Progesterone. If you are peri-menopausal, you probably will be fine with herbal source estrogen or even fatty acids. In fact, with a healthy thyroid, you may be able to simply use your fatty acids, exercise, basic nutrition and progesterone to avoid any unpleasantries of menopause.
Healthy Bone Density: For my clients, nutrition, bone building soup broth that I have meticulously put together as a recipe, Vitamin D, yogurt (goat's milk or dairy but always organic!), natural progesterone cream to potentiate bone density and an extraordinary Calcium/Magnesium from Alacer Corporation. This particularly formulation has been so wonderful. It is taken at night and has a combination of Cal/Mag/Vit.C and Melatonin to sooth the soul and restore you to a restful night sleep. Just so you know, minerals taken at night, are very calming. Adding melatonin, just enhances the profile.
Evidence of natural hormones as opposed to synthetic hormones is not just mounting, it has launched a mounting attack on the irresponsible use of synthetic hormones and horse pee as suitable alternatives to hormone therapy. Do a quick search to see the terrible conditions of these poor horses that are sacrificial lambs to the pharmaceutical industry. Mount your own attack and say I don't think I want horse pee in my body, I don't care how much you've cleaned it up. If you moisten it, it still smells like pee. Equinine hormones have 2 other estrogen molecules. I have never read a study that tries to determine how the female body eliminates those extra two hormones. I don't think I'll be asking my own eliminator system to take on that challenge any time soon.
Remember as well progesterone cream of natural source will also stimulate estrogen receptors and contribute to alleviating menopausal symptoms, along with potentiating bone density. It has to read progesterone. Remember this, in order to patent products, pharmaceutical companies need to alter the spelling. So if you have a product called progesterin or progestin, or any other spelling besides progesterone, you have a synthetic product. Ask your physician to replace it with a natural progesterone cream. Compound Pharmacies will make up a hormonal cream that includes both estrial and progresterone.
To further protect against bone loss, the following strategies are also effective:
- Exercise both cardiovascular and using weight bearing equipment
- Use salt in moderation
- Eat an alkalizing diet.
- Avoid antacids. Antacids neutralize stomach HCI, depletes the mineral phosphorous, severely interferes with the absorption of calcium and complicates the bodies ability to break down amino acids, to name a few interferences. Use therapeutic digestive enzymes. If your acid reflux is difficult to manage, a Professional, such as myself, has other options to help you
- Limit caffeine consumption to 2 cups per day
- Limit alcohol intake to 1-2 glasses per day or less.
- Supplement your diet with high quality/potency multi-vitamin/mineral, calcium/magnesium/vitamin D supplement, organic yogurt, 1-2 cups daily.
- Use moderate amounts of natural source estrogen in the form of estradial
- Use moderate amounts of natural source progesterone to potentiate bone growth.
For other sources of interesting reading on Hormone Therapy :
Menopause - Hormone Replacement - Dr. Danial Cristan ND
Rx For Good Health - Balch MD
Hormone Replacement Therapy - Dr. Julian Whitaker MD
Hormonal Health Nutrition and Hormonal Strategies - Dr. Michael Colgan PhD
Know Your Fats - Mary Enig PhD
Natural Healing with Herbs - Dr. S. Santillo ND
www.westonaprice.org
Just the Perfect Webhosting Company
