Bioidentical Hormone Therapy | Read This Before Taking BHR
Obviously when you’re going through the menopause and experiencing the annoying symptoms of hot flashes, mood swings etc, you want to discover a remedy that will relieve them. You basically have two paths to choose from: take the natural approach of herbal supplements and other natural help or go down the road of taking Hormone Replacement therapy.
If you or your physician choose HRT, then theres the choice of having traditional HRT or Bioidentical Hormone Therapy (BHT). A lot of women today are reluctant to take HRT due to its questionable links to breast, uterine and ovarian cancer, so the question you’re faced with is Bioidentical Hormone Therapy any safer to take than the traditional HRT. Here’s a few pros and cons of BHT
Lets discuss what Bioidentical Hormone Therapy is first. Bioidentical hormones are stated to be a natural alternative to HRT. The hormones are an exact copy of your natural hormones produced in the body, basically they are hormones created in a laboratory from plant compounds such as wild yam and soy beans.
At this point I don’t want to confuse you into thinking bioidentical hormones are plant extracts, yes, they are derived from plants but the plant ingredients have been transformed into bioidentical hormones during their time in the lab
The plant compounds are transformed by specialist pharmacists and are customised to the individual who will be receiving them. Normally a saliva or blood sample will be taken to record the patients needs. When the plant compounds have been processed they will become identical to the progesterone, oestrogen and androgen hormones which are naturally produced in your body, hence the name bioidentical
As BHT is a relatively new therapy there is not enough research into it today, to determine whether these manufactured oestrogen, progesterone and androgen hormones work in the exact same way as naturally produced hormones. To achieve Bioidentical hormones the procedures do slightly alter the chemical makeup and this may make them ‘work’ differently in your body.
The research continues, however there are many known benefits of taking BHT, they are proven to get back the hormonal balance in a natural way. Thus giving relief from the menopause hot flashes and mood swings. They are also supposedly able to help prevent osteoporosis, help you to get a good nights sleep and also be beneficial in having a healthy heart.
Choosing to take a hormone therapy is a big step for women to take, because everyone knows someone who had a bad experience with HRT, there is a lot of conflicting advice out there. Well now you’ve got another choice to make with Bioidentical Hormone Therapy and it’s for you to decide with your physician whether BHT is any safer than HRT. Heres a few points for you to consider:
Although the term natural is associated with BHT it can be somewhat misleading as the ‘natural ingredients’ have been altered in the compounding pharmacies, which by the way are not regulated in the same way as medical pharmacies. Therefore the doses may not be consistent or reliable. You could then receive variations in the formulae dependant on which pharmacy the BHT was dispatched from.
The FDA (Food & drug Administration) who are responsible for overseeing the safety of food and drugs, at this time of writing do not regulate the compounding pharmacies that prepare BHT hormones. This will need to change in the future to confirm all pharmacies will manufacture to the same standards and safety..
HRT has had a great deal of research into its effectiveness and safety, for instance your physician would not supply you with HRT if you suffered from chronic varicose veins. It’s therefore difficult to decide if HRT or BHT is safer for you than the other. Whilst a lot of users state BHT is the lowest risk alternative because your body wouldn’t react in a negative way to them, there is at present not enough research or evidence to support this.
Although bioidentical hormones are termed natural and may work well, at the end of the day they are still hormones and are chemically made up. They will give you the same benefits as HRT but also will carry the same risks.
The FDA have approved some bioidenticle versions of progesterone and oestrogen, which have been proven to aid menopause symptoms, you will only be prescribed these by your doctor. Be aware of BHT solutions peddled around the internet, these will probably not be approved by the FDA.
I hope you’ve learnt some facts about BHT in this article, but please if you are having to struggle with the symptoms of the menopause and are considering hormone replacement, then you should only discuss this with your Doctor. You can then discuss all the alternatives they can offer and hopefully get through the menopause hassle free…
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