“Bio-identical Hormones” is a term that is commonly used today by doctors, pharmacists, and patients alike. However, “Bio-identical” is not a proper term to describe the kind of hormones we are talking about. “Natural Hormones” and “Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy” are the correct terms. Natural Hormones are hormones that are biochemically identical to the hormones found in the human body, and they are derived from plants. Hormones, such as progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, and DHEA can be manufactured from plant-derived substances, such as soybeans and Mexican wild yams.
Examples of the hormones used in conventional hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are conjugated equine estrogens (Premarin), which are from the urine of pregnant mares, and synthetic hormones such as progestins. HRT uses hormones that do not match human hormones and are not natural to what the human body is familiar with; where as Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy uses hormones that are biochemically identical to the hormones in the human body. The argument here is that this difference contributes to some of the side effects of HRT. Women may break down these foreign hormones differently, which can lead to the production of harmful bi-products that cause a variety of side effects within a woman’s body.
In clinical practice, women largely tolerate natural progesterone better than synthetic progestins, and those who commonly have trouble with a foreign estrogen do much better on a natural estrogen. Natural Hormones deserve attention, but also require research as well as scrutiny from the modern conventional medical world. They offer not only a potentially safer and more comfortable alternative, but also one with more individualized treatment options to meet the unique needs of each woman.
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