Anti Aging Hormone Balance

Basic A N T I – A G I N G H O R M O N E B A L A N C E Tips

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v THE PROCESS OF HORMONE BALANCE INVOLVES THREE SYSTEMS IN OUR BODIES: our endocrine system, our immune system, and our brain and nervous system. Specifically, it involves our adrenal glands, hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, pineal, pancreas, intestines, kidneys, heart, thymus, gonads (testes and ovaries), and adipose (fat) cells.

v NO WONDER HORMONE IMBALANCE CAN AFFECT US IN SO MANY WAYS! There is a delicate balance between these systems that needs to be restored and maintained holistically in order to achieve optimal prolonged hormonal balance as we age!

A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO HEALTH IS BASED ON MIND, BODY, SPIRIT, or the belief that our emotional, physical, and spiritual health are equally important and integrated aspects of well-being. If we have an imbalance in one, we need to consider how it is affected by and how it affects the others. A holistic approach is also based on the belief that the body has the ability to heal itself when given treatment that considers the body, the mind, and the spirit.

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v WHY BALANCE YOUR HORMOMES?
BASICALLY TO HELP:

· Reduce stress;
· Reduce hot flashes;
· Support healthy skin;
· Improve your moods;
· Increase your energy;
· Support sexual health;
· Support thyroid health;
· Support your immune system;
· Support increased bone mass;
· Normalize your sleep patterns;
· Maintain healthy blood vessels;
· Support healthy red blood cells;
· Lower your risk for osteoporosis;
· Lower your risk of broken bones;
· Assist with weight loss programs;
· Support your body’s breast health;
· Support healthy muscles and joints;
· Maintain healthy blood sugar levels;
· Balance pH to support the biological terrain;
· Improve delivery system for brain communication;
· Support hair growth and lessen unwanted, excessive hair growth;
· Assist your body in supporting heart health and related conditions;
· Reduce symptoms related to pre-menstrual and mid-life hormonal changes;
· Reduce your risk of “estrogen dominance” and hormonally dependent cancers such as breast, uterine, and ovarian.



v HORMONES

v HORMONES ARE “CHEMICAL MESSENGERS” released from our endocrine glands and transported in the bloodstream to specific cells in other tissues. Hormones alter cellular operations by affecting the types, quantities, or activities of important enzymes and structural proteins.

v HORMONES PLAY IMPORTANT ROLES IN KEEPING US HEALTHY. The information here is in regard to the steroid hormones, made from cholesterol, primarily in the ovaries in women, the testes in men, and the adrenal glands in both sexes. Some of the more familiar steroid hormones are estrogen (there are three estrogens), progesterone, and testosterone, the corticosteroids, such as cortisol (secreted by the adrenal glands), and DHEA. PROGESTERONE is the precursor to all of the steroid hormones, including estrogen and testosterone. Steroid hormones work in subtle and complex ways, and even a slight imbalance can have major affects on your health.

v ESTROGEN LEVELS FALL BELOW NORMAL (usually 40 to 60 percent below) at menopause. PROGESTERONE LEVELS ALSO FALL, and may be close to zero. Estrogen levels then become higher than progesterone levels, and this is referred to as “Estrogen Dominance,” or estrogen unopposed by progesterone.

v ESTROGEN DOMINANCE (see this link) doesn’t necessarily mean a woman has too much estrogen; it may simply mean that estrogen levels are relatively higher than progesterone levels, creating a hormonal imbalance with its attendant estrogenic side effects. (See this link on “Hormone Related Symptoms List.”

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v SUGGESTIONS TO HELP MAINTAIN
APPROPRIATE HORMONE LEVELS:


v HAVE HORMONE LEVELS TESTED WITH A “SALIVA TEST” (see this link) or blood panel. Not necessary but beneficial. A saliva test may prove to be more reliable. Your health care practitioner can assess needs based on your medical history in addition to the saliva or blood test, and can also monitor treatment. Avoid using progesterone cream or any other hormones or steroids you are currently taking prior to the test (with the advice of your physician and the lab where you’re obtaining the test), as they may alter the results of your test.

v SUPPLEMENT WITH NATURAL “BIO-IDENTICAL” PROGESTERONE CREAM, USP Grade, from Mexican wild yams. PROGESTERONE has a balancing effect on estrogen. Dr. John R. Lee found with his patients that most often when progesterone levels are raised, the signs of estrogen dominance subside. Natural, bio-identical progesterone supplementation, used when the need is indicated, and in physiologic doses (no greater than what the body normally should be making), has no known side effects. If you have liver challenges, or are taking an oral supplementation with Wild Yam as an ingredient, topical (transdermal) cream application is preferred, as 85 to 95 percent of oral supplementation will be excreted immediately via the liver. For transdermal creams, it is preferable to have the label read “progesterone USP” (United States Pharmacopia), as you can then be sure it has been tested and measured for purity and exact progesterone content. Progesterone cream also has a toning effect on skin where it is applied…an added benefit!

v MEXICAN WILD YAM (Dioscorea), from which progesterone is made, is different from the yams we eat in North America. Mexican wild yam contains a structured steroid compound that is almost identical to the body’s own natural hormone precursors.

v BEST RESULTS MAY BE ACHIEVED WHEN PROGESTERONE IS TAKEN WITH THE B VITAMINS, especially vitamin B6, which is involved in the liver metabolism of estrogen and progesterone. (It’s most beneficial to take B vitamins in a B-complex form because of their close interrelationship in metabolic processes).

v NATURAL, BIO-IDENTICAL PROGESTERONE CREAM SUPPLEMENTATION AMOUNT and DAYS USED EACH MONTH may vary with each individual due to different biochemistries and ability to absorb the cream. Since natural progesterone is notable for its freedom from side effects, such latitude in dosing carries no risk, according to Dr. John R. Lee.

v IF TAKING ESTROGEN REPLACEMENT THERAPY, or an estrogen and progestin combination, you will need to check with your physician or refer to information such as that provided in Dr. Lee’s book, What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause before beginning supplementation.

v WOMEN NOT YET MENOPAUSAL can use progesterone cream approximately two weeks per month. Dr. Lee suggests using the cream between day 12 and day 26 to approximate normal levels (day one being the onset of bleeding), although again, this may vary with each individual. If sufficient progesterone is supplemented, the cyclic water retention and weight gain should no longer occur.

v FOR “PRE or PERI-MENOPAUSAL” and MENOPAUSAL WOMEN, the cream may be applied over a 14 to 21 day time period and then discontinued until the next month (i.e., use for up to three weeks and then off one week – or, instead of completely discontinuing use for one week, use half the normal dose). Apply ¼ to ½ tsp. (up to one teaspoon) to vascular skin-breasts, neck, underarms, back of knees, feet, palms, or vagina, etc., alternating areas, MORNING AND NIGHT. Progesterone cream can be applied up to four times a day, and may need to be used for up to three months before visible benefits are noted. After three months it may be possible to reduce amount used. Also, lower dosage anytime side effects from overuse occur, such as irritability, etc. A pump container offers the advantage of measured dosages and less contamination than a jar container. If using a jar container, use a clean measuring spoon each time instead of scooping out with your finger.


v ALSO, FOR MENOPAUSAL WOMEN who do not begin supplementation until after a number of years of progesterone deficiency, and since much of this fat-soluble hormone will be initially lost in body fat, it may be wise to use a full two ounce monthly dose for three months or so to overcome the deficiency state. After this, dosage can usually be reduced.

v ESTROGEN DOMINANCE SYMPTOMS, such as hot flashes, should subside if sufficient progesterone, or Wild Yam (Dioscorea) is supplemented.

v POST MENOPAUSAL WOMEN can continue to use progesterone cream the whole month if they prefer, but may want to cut the dosage to half the regular amount used for one week out of the month. (Post menopausal meaning having not had a period in over one year.)

v ANDROPAUSAL MEN could use approximately ¼ tsp. twice a day for the entire month. Apply to vascular skin-neck, underarms, back of knees, feet, palms, scrotum, etc., alternating areas. It is suggested in findings that men taking progesterone also take saw palmetto. In addition to saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), several other herbs and plant compounds are potentially useful in maintaining a healthy prostate gland, including pygeum, stinging nettle, isoflavones such as genistein and daidzein, rye pollen, phytosterols such as sitosterol, and carotenoids such as lycopene, according to http://www.raysahelian.com/saw.html (not a hot link.)

v FOLLOW THE “BASIC ANTI-AGING NUTRITION TIPS” for a hormone balancing diet. See also “FREE RADICAL & TOXIN MINIMIZING TIPS.”
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v DHEA (a hormone) is CORROLATED with HEALTH & LONGEVITY, and studies have shown levels can be raised by supplementing with Natural Bio-Identical Progesterone Cream. (It’s best to supplement based on Saliva Test {link} results, as too much could be detrimental to health). It’s recommended you have your hormone levels tested before you begin and again after starting supplementation to ascertain and monitor levels. It’s also recommended you obtain consultation with a physician trained in endocrine health before beginning supplementation with DHEA.
v KEEP OPTIMAL WEIGHT as fat cells convert adrenal hormones into estrogens. Excess fat is a factory for androgens, and testosterone, an androgen, is the precursor to the estrogens.
v EAT PLANTS RICH IN PHYTOESTROGENS such as soybeans and flax, as they have been used successfully to decrease symptoms of estrogen excess. Phytoestrogens are basically weak estrogen-like compounds that can stimulate your receptors to accept estrogen or block estrogen as needed. Also eat a wide variety of many kinds of fresh vegetables, as many plants make sterols that have some phytoestrogen effects.
v DO A COLON CLEANSE (link) as estrogen is stored in the colon. Even if your hormones are balanced, your body may have excessive storage of estrogen in the gut. A colon cleanse is beneficial once to twice a year.
v SEE “UNDERSTANDING THE DETOXIFYING AND HEALING PROCESSES” link (or sheet) to help with changes that may take place as you do your colon cleanse and change your dietary habits to healthier choices.
v INCREASE HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE (HGH) LEVELS. HGH declines with age and contributes to the aging process. Increasing levels of HGH may have beneficial effects on aging.
v EAT FOODS HIGH IN MAGNESIUM, as your body needs magnesium to manufacture progesterone. MAGNESIUM RICH FOODS are: the dried seaweeds, including wakame, kombu, kelp, hijiki, arame, and others; beans, including soybeans and their products (tofu and tempeh); also mung, aduki, black, and lima beans; whole grains, particularly buckwheat; also millet, wheat berries, corn, barley, rye, and rice; and dark leafy greens. Nuts and seeds, especially almonds, cashews, filberts, and sesame seeds, are good sources of magnesium, as are raisins, dried figs, and blackstrap molasses.
v AVOID XENOESTROGENS which are substances found outside our bodies that generally have very potent estrogen-like activity in our bodies and thus can be considered very toxic, even at inconceivably small doses. They are usually derived from petroleum oil, are fat soluble, and are found in pesticides, herbicides (including household bug sprays) plastics, medicines, clothing, food, soaps, even some perfumes, to name few. (See “Basic Free Radical & Toxin Minimizing Tips” page.)
v AVOID MEAT-BASED DIETARY ESTROGENS. Non-organic beef cattle are routinely injected with estrogenic steroids to fatten them up for market. These estrogenic steroids accumulate in their fat, and are passed on to you when you eat meat (or by-products, such as milk.) Animals are also routinely fed antibiotics, which are also passed on to you. Look for “free-range, hormone-free, organic” meat, or consider a vegetarian/vegan diet.
v AVOID FRESHWATER FISH AND FISH CAUGHT NEAR THE COASTLINE IN SHALLOW WATER. The best types to eat are cold water, deep-sea fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, and cod, for example. Albacore tuna is also good, although its flesh tends to accumulate mercury, so it’s best not to eat it more than once a week, according to Dr. John R. Lee.
v AVOID SYNTHETIC HORMONES made with unnatural and/or animal products. Synthetic hormones tend to be more potent than the body’s own hormones or natural, bio-identical hormones, and may cause harmful side effects. Also, with molecular shapes altered by the addition of atoms at unusual positions, synthetic hormones are not subject to the usual metabolic control provided by our enzymes. Thus, their effects cannot be “tuned down” or “turned off,” nor can these synthetic compounds be efficiently excreted by one’s usual enzymatic mechanisms, as can “natural, bio-identical” hormones. One artificial (synthetic) progesterone is Provera. The most common synthetic hormone replacement therapy for estrogens is Premarin, made from horses urine. Prempro is a combination of estrogens and a progestin. Again, natural “bio-identical” hormone replacement is best.

Dr. Cindy Bates