The Female Sex Hormones: What they do, how they keep you young and bio-identical hormone replacement

The Female Sex Hormones: What they do, how they keep you young and Bio-identical Hormones.

Suzanne Somers popularized bio-identical hormone replacement in her book ‘Breakthrough’. Interestingly bio-identical hormone replacement was pioneered by Dr. Jonathan Wright way back in 1982. (Click for website ) However his work was recognized only after Suzanne Somers recognized his brilliance and huge contribution and started writing about him. My interest in the study of hormones deepened when I had the privilege of working with Dr. Jonathan Wright for three years. His excellent mentoring helped me incorporate his 28 years of experience to my understanding of this field I already had from my Endocrinology background.

I am excited to write this article taking a quick look at the major hormone players in a woman’s body, what they do, and how to recognize symptoms of deficiencies and excess.

The two major hormone groups in a woman’s body are estrogens and progesterone. Estrogens get a little more attention because by nature they tends to be just a little more bold and exciting, but the role of progesterone is invaluable and vital in the human body.

Like the shy but strong and steady sister, progesterone keeps the body and mind calm and safe and is vital to offset the many problems that unopposed estrogen’s could cause in the body. Progesterone is an upstream hormone which means estrogen’s, testosterone and many other hormones are made from progesterone. Progesterone maintains the lining of the uterus (called endometrium), support survival of the embryo and the fetus in pregnancy, helps utilize fat for energy, supports thyroid function, helps eliminate sodium and water (diuretic) , preserves and calms nerve and even helps you sleep. Unfortunately many women are well familiar with the symptoms of progesterone deficiency that include PMS, heavy bleeding, cramps, all the symptoms of excessive estrogens (discussed later) including tender and fibrocystic breasts, irritability and sleep disturbances. Most women who are approaching menopause lose progesterone before they lose estrogen function.

Estrogens are slightly more complicated because they are more a group of hormones rather than a single hormone. There are more than twenty different estrogenic compounds made in the human body and hundreds more found in the environment – both natural and man-made. However the three most common estrogens found in the human body are estriol, estradiol and estrone. So it is important to not just have good levels of estrogen in the human body but also the relative proportions of the different estrogens.

Estradiol is the most publicized of the estrogens and is often referred to as the dominant estrogen in the human body. It is the estrogen that most impacts reproductive and sexual functioning and has effects on strengthening bone and preventing osteoporosis, supports brain function and mood, maintains elasticity of the skin, improves the function of the lining of your blood vessels (endothelium) and hence prevents heart disease, increases your good cholesterol and keeps your body young to name just a few! On the flip side estradiol has a stimulating effect on certain cells in the body, most famously on breast tissue and hence too much or unbalanced estradiol can have harmful effects.

Symptoms of hot flashes are most specifically due to low estradiol levels. The reason many women experience changes in their mental functioning at menopause is because the positive effect of estradiol on brain function is lost. Too much estradiol on the other hand will lead to conversion to estrone and the symptoms of estrogen dominance discussed below.

Estriol is the calming protective estrogen and is believed to even have a protective effect on breast tissue and possibly prevent breast cancer. The only part of the body that estriol has a stimulating effect on is the uterus. That is why vaginal dryness usually signifies a lack of estriol and too much of it can cause thickening of the lining of the uterus.

Estrone is probably the strongest of the estrogens and can cause a significant effect on stimulation of breast tissue. Too much estradiol in the body will lead to its conversion to estrone. This will cause a collection of symptoms termed Estrogen Dominance. Symptoms of estrogen dominance are heavy and irregular periods, breast tenderness, painful lumps in the breast, fibrocystic breasts, weight gain around the hips and the thighs, water retention and bloating, PMS and fibroids in the uterus.

Finally there is testosterone. It is considered a male hormone but now is the time to clarify that both men and women have all the sex hormones – it is only the relative proportions of each that varies. Men have much more testosterone, but even the smaller amount of testosterone that is in women is important in maintaining libido and sex drive. A decrease in sex drive in women is most often a lack of testosterone.

Bio-identical Hormone Replacement:
Once one understands that the sex hormones function like a part of a complex hormonal orchestra, the art of replacing hormones becomes straightforward. In the past mistakes have been made in equating all estrogens as the same. Now these subtle nuances are understood, and there are numerous tests available to measure the levels of all these different hormones in the human body. As always for me and my staff, safety is my number one priority in using this modality of treatment. By getting a sound understanding of the facts, we aim to provide replacement in the safest possible way while getting maximum benefit.