Biologically identical hormones are created in a lab (not extracted from humans). They are usually derived from soybean and wild yam plants and have the exact same molecular structure as hormones made in the human body. In other words, they are indistinguishable from one another. Because their chemical structure is identical, they generate the same physiological responses in the body as do hormones already produced in the body. In this way, they replace and replenish the balance your own hormones naturally provide.
Injectable human insulin is a well-known example of a biologically identical hormone used in the treatment of diabetes.
Our bodies produce more than one hundred different types of hormones. They act as chemical messengers, continuously circulating in the bloodstream affecting cellular and organ function. Proper hormone balance is critical to our health, affecting our breathing, stimulating our immune system and our metabolism. This balance also impacts the sex hormones: estrogens, progesterone and testosterone. A natural decline in these hormones occurs as women approach menopause.
Biologically identical hormones are either manufactured or compounded; ones that are manufactured are FDA approved, are mass-produced and are only available in limited dosing strengths and formulas (Prometrium, Climara, Vivelle-Dot). Compounded prescriptions can be individualized to each person’s needs in specific dosages and formulations. For some people, a cream or gel may be preferred if they have difficulty swallowing and to enhance absorption. A practitioner can fine-tune the dose as an individual’s needs change and multiple hormones can be combined into one prescription, which may ensure better compliance.
Awareness, education and communication are the keys to optimal hormone balance. One size does not fit all, in hormones, vitamins, supplements or in the amounts of nutrients in foods.