This is a term that some of you may have heard but are not really sure what it means.
To explain this I think it is important to look at hormones from a larger perspective.
Humans have evolved over many hundreds of thousands of years. The hormones that nature developed to regulate the body must have specifically been developed for the purpose intended.
So, why do we use hormones that are different from the ones nature intended. Why do drug companies make synthetic analogue hormones for the use of regulating the body?
The main reason is that natural molecules cannot be patented. Drug companies will not spend millions researching a natural molecule because they cannot patent it and therefore exploit it. They invent a “similar” molecule, which has similar actions and this molecule CAN be patented and then exploited.
So which hormone molecule would you like to use. The one that has developed by nature over hundreds of thousands of years or a similar molecule that a drug company invented so it could be patented?
I know which one I would choose!
Let's look at it another way.
If you were to take you car, your BMW or Mercedes, or whatever for a service and a new part is needed, what would you choose? A genuine replacement part …or a non-genuine but similar part. I know most would choose a Genuine Replacement Part.
Why should your body be any different?
The use of Bio-Identical Hormones is becoming more and more popular for many reasons.
1/ Many women are on the synthetics and just do not feel well.
2/ Synthetics have a longer list of side effects.
3/ These Bio-Identical Hormones need to be made for the person concerned. Therefore the dose is tailor made, largely by "guestimation" and by trial and error. The proprietary synthetic drugs come in set doses and tailoring an appropriate dose is more difficult.
The proponents of the synthetic hormones say that these bio-identical hormones have not been researched. They claim that their synthetics have been through rigorous testing and study.
To one extent that is true. However, bio-identical hormones have been through a practical trial over hundreds of thousands of years.
Are they safe?
Some studies have been done on the hormones and have been to be safe, or should I say, they are SAFER.
What hormones are we talking about?
There are many Bio-Identical Hormones that are available and in regular use. They are the sex hormones such as Progesterone, Oeastrdiol, Oestrone, Estriol, Testosterone.
Other hormones are DHEA, Melatonin (the sleep hormone), even Desiccated thyroid can be considered a form of Bio-Identical Hormone.
These products are made up by a Compounding Pharmacist and are made up according to the doses recommended by the prescribing doctor. The doctors who use Bio-Identical Hormones have been trained to use these products.
The Australasian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (ACNEM) run accreditation courses in the use of these hormones.
Anyone prescribing these Bio Identical Hormones should be appropriately trained.