Hormones are the controllers of your bodily functions at a primary level; they control your height, your weight, your physical appearance, your mental health, and such. Hormones are basically chemical messengers that are carried by your blood vessels and received by the tissues of your body. These hormones carry different types of messenger functions for your body and are present in every primary and secondary function. You need them for digestion, for good sleep, for carrying out your daily tasks. Also, hormones are the chemical messengers that fuel your imagination. The little sparks in your neurons are caused by these hormones. Hormonal imbalance can cause several types of problems such as indigestion, irregular sleep cycle, lack of concentration, and much more; without proper hormones, your immune system and libido can also be affected.
These hormones are secreted by glands situated at different parts of the human body. Once you reach puberty these glands start secreting these hormones and as a result, your mind and body go through changes.
When people start feeling a drop or unbalance in their hormone secretion levels they decide to go for hormone replacement therapies. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is one such therapy that has become popular in recent years. It has garnered much attention due to its claim of being an entirely natural solution. But how effective are these claims and what exactly is BHRT (bioidentical hormone replacement therapy)? Also, how is this therapy different from other hormone replacement solutions? These are the questions that might be propping up in your mind. Well, we are here to answer all your questions.
What is BHRT
BHRT is a treatment process that can be used to cure patients suffering from hormonal disbalance. Also, hormonal disbalance might not be the disease particularly but it can cause many other complications and diseases. For example, in perimenopause and menopause, hormonal levels are affected severely. To treat such conditions BHRT is used. Also during cancer treatments, the body is exposed to a lot of chemicals. These chemicals deplete the hormones of the human body. So BHRT helps to restore the body’s natural hormone levels. Other than these BHRT can be used to treat several disorders such as osteoporosis, resistance to insulin, thyroid disorder, and fibromyalgia.
Bioidentical hormones are developed from plant-based estrogens. They are man-made hormones developed in labs. The plants used in this process produce chemicals identical to human bodies. The most commonly treated hormones are estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Bioidentical hormones are available in different forms:
- Pills
- Creams
- Patches
- Injections
- Gels
Components of BHRT
Mostly bioidentical hormones are custom made by a pharmacy under a doctor’s supervision as per your complication. This is known as the compounding phase of BHRT. The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized some companies to manufacture and sell common forms of bioidentical hormones. Estriol is an example of one such hormone produced and sold by drug companies in the U.S. However, when it comes to custom-made bioidentical hormones FDA has not approved their manufacturing.
This is because many medical organizations have claimed that these hormones are produced without any regard for safety and purity. They have also strongly opposed the use and marketing of unapproved bioidentical hormones.
Other than bioidentical hormones, hormonal imbalance or deficiency of hormones can also be treated with the help of synthetic hormones. But bioidentical hormones are considered a safer way as opposed to synthetic hormones. The medical community might be divided over this as there is a scarcity of reputable clinical trials regarding the effectiveness and efficiency of bioidentical hormones.
Traditional methods vs bioidentical
Bioidentical hormones differ from the traditional hormones earlier used in hormone replacement therapy. The hormones used earlier in the therapy were made from synthetic hormones. On the other hand, bioidentical hormones are made from plant based estrogens, and these plants have a similar chemical base to that of our bodies.
Users of bioidentical hormones claim that these hormones are a safer alternative to synthetic hormones. They say that these hormones are natural in nature and mirror the functions of the hormones the body produces naturally. But experts claim that there are still many risks involved even with the bioidentical hormones. The lack of credible information plays a spoilsport for the bioidentical hormone replacement therapy process.
Benefits of BHRT
The BHRT process can be used to treat people who are past their youth and have low hormone levels. It can be used to treat problems such as:
- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
- Mood changes
- Memory loss
- Weight gain
- Sleep issues
- Loss of interest in sex
BHRT can help to cure these symptoms and also help you to eradicate the risk of loss of teeth, diabetes, and cataracts. With increased hormonal levels in your body, you will also have good skin, few wrinkles, and better hydration levels.
For people who have undergone chemotherapy, BHRT is a good option to restore their body’s strength. Also, the chemicals used in chemotherapy disrupt the estrogen levels of the body. BHRT can replenish them. BHRT can improve the quality of life by increasing the general well being of the body.
