Hormones are critical for nearly every essential function of your body. They are the messengers that tell your cells what to do. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is one way you can continue to support and balance your hormones as you go through life. Your body will undergo numerous changes as you age. Often, these changes are unpredictable and unwanted, especially true for women whose hormone levels drop during menopause. These types of hormonal changes can negatively impact your quality of life.

Hormone replacement benefit

Causes of Hormone Imbalances

Causes of hormone imbalances may be health conditions or treatment-related, while others may be a body’s natural reaction to aging, stress, or other underlying factors. Potential causes of hormonal imbalances include:

  • Health conditions – Cushing’s syndrome or Addison’s disease
  • Chemotherapy
  • Stress
  • Poor diet or nutrition
  • Overweight
  • Thyroid disorders
  • Hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia
  • Allergies
  • Infections
  • Exposure to toxins or pollutants

Talk to your functional medicine doctor to determine the root cause of your hormonal imbalances. Once you understand the root cause of your hormone imbalance, you can address it with a natural hormone replacement strategy.

Natural hormone replacement with bioidentical hormones is a great way to restore your desired quality of life. Treating hormone imbalances involves many factors, starting with understanding the cause of your imbalance.

What is Holistic Hormone Replacement Therapy?

Holistic hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) utilizes bioidentical hormones to mimic those produced by the human body. Bioidentical hormones are artificial hormones processed from plant estrogens that are chemically identical to those made by the human body. BHRT helps treat men and women when their hormone levels drop or become unbalanced, such as when women experience symptoms of perimenopause and menopause.

hormones replacement therapy

Hormones are chemicals made by your endocrine glands. They tell other parts of your body how and when to function. Even the slightest imbalance can cause symptoms that disrupt your daily life. Holistic hormone replacement therapy helps with the treatment of these symptoms. Estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone are the most commonly used bioidentical hormones.

Synthetic Hormones vs Bioidentical Hormones

Bioidentical and synthetic hormones are both made in a laboratory. However, bioidentical hormones are considered “natural” because they are derived from plants rather than artificial chemical compounds. Bioidentical hormones such as estradiol, estriol, and progesterone have the same molecular structure as the hormones made by your body. A pharmaceutical company or a compounding pharmacy can produce bioidentical hormones. Bioidentical hormones have some distinctly different, potentially opposite, physiological effects compared with their synthetic counterparts, which have different chemical structures.

Synthetic hormones used in hormone replacement therapy do not have the same molecular structure as the hormones in your body. Your body has to work to break them into usable forms. While more research is needed, initial studies found that patients report greater satisfaction with HRTs containing progesterone than synthetic progestin.

How Do I Know if I Need Hormone Replacement?

The best time to begin natural hormone replacement therapy is when you start to notice symptoms of a hormonal imbalance.

For most women, this occurs when going through perimenopause and menopause. Menopausal symptoms often go unnoticed. Women blame things like loss of energy or weight gain on natural aging. However, when symptoms start affecting your routine life, you should consider natural hormone replacement. Common symptoms include the following:

Symptoms of Hormone Imbalance for Women

The goal of BHRT is to replace hormones that are lost, thus balancing your hormones. The amount of time it takes for natural hormone replacement therapy to work varies for each individual. Some experience relief within a few weeks, while others experience relief within several months.

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy comes in many different forms, including pills, patches, creams, gels, shots, or implanted pellets. You can try other forms to find the best one for you.

Who Should Avoid Bioidentical Hormone Replacement?

Are you a good candidate for BHRT?

You and your functional medicine doctor should weigh the risks and benefits before using bioidentical hormones.

Hormone replacement therapy may not be the best solution if you have or are at a high risk of developing any of the below conditions-

  • Blood clotting disorders
  • Heart or cardiovascular disease
  • Breast cancer
  • Stroke

Benefits of Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy

BHRT has numerous benefits. In addition to helping with menopause symptoms, it may also reduce one’s risk for diabetes, tooth loss, and cataracts. Evidence shows that it can improve skin thickness, hydration, and elasticity. Additionally, your doctor can customize bioidentical hormone replacement therapy according to each patient’s diagnostic results. Thus, each patient receives the exact amount they need.

Bioidentical Hormone Replacement BHRT

Here are just a few of the benefits of BHRT:

  • Improved energy levels
  • Better levels of mood, concentration, and memory
  • Reduced risk of depression
  • Improved libido
  • Reduced vaginal dryness and the incidence of hot flashes
  • Improved bone density
  • Reduced risk of osteoporosis
  • Reduced risk of heart disease
  • Healthier cholesterol levels

Risks of Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy

Research shows that there are some adverse effects to taking hormones. For example, hormone replacement therapy can increase your risk for conditions such as gallbladder disease, stroke, blood clots, heart disease, and breast cancer. However, research on those conditions and hormone replacement does not include BHRT. Some side effects associated with BHRT may consist of:

Hormone Headaches

As your hormones begin to regulate, these symptoms will eventually disappear.

Natural Hormone Balancing

If you are interested in hormone replacement therapy, you may also be interested in other ways to increase your hormones naturally. Here are a few strategies to address hormone imbalances naturally.

Healthy Diet
  • Balancing your diet with a nutritional treatment plan and health supplements.
  • Addressing poor digestive health in the gut and liver.
  • Preventing allergies and infections that can cause chronic inflammation, which impacts your body’s ability to self-regulate.
  • Healing infections and addressing allergies either by eliminating exposure or increasing immunity helps your body better control your hormone balances.
  • Additionally, chronic stress can have a negative impact on your hormone levels, making stress management equally important.
  • Addressing your sleeping patterns can have a huge impact on your hormones. Hormone levels rise and fall throughout the day. You can improve your sleep by having a predictable sleep schedule, eliminating light when you sleep, avoiding technology before bedtime, having a nighttime routine, and getting adequate sleep each night.

Bioidentical hormones used in natural hormone replacement therapy help people manage symptoms of hormonal imbalance due to aging and other factors. Combined with different methods to balance your hormones naturally, you can return to a high quality of life. Optimal health isn’t out of your reach. Consider working with our team of integrative practitioners to learn if you are a good fit for hormone replacement therapy.