Bio-Identical Hormone Balancing for Men and Women

The first and best way to achieve and maintain optimal hormonal function is to follow the previous five pillars of diet, supplements, exercise, stress management and detoxification. The perfect diet will help to maximize healthy hormone production late into life. Supplements can provide the nutritional precursors to hormone and herbal stimulants to endocrine glands including the pituitary, the thyroid, the adrenals and the sex glands. Appropriate exercise has been shown to stimulate hormonal production as well. Stress can have major effects on hormone production and managing stress effectively can be crucial. Removing toxins, which are often endocrine disruptors, from the body, will allow the endocrine glands to function at optimal efficiency.

However, eventually, there will come a time when the delicate balance of our hormones begins to falter. Bio-identical hormones can provide the key to achieving and preserving vibrant health well into our advanced years.

Bio-identical hormones are formulated to be identical, molecule for molecule, to our natural bodily hormones. They are not patentable because they are natural to our body. There is therefore no interest by the pharmaceutical companies to fund studies to show they are effective. In fact, pharmaceutical companies see them as a potential threat to their profits and actively campaign against them, including petitioning the FDA to prevent their sale and relentlessly marketing to doctors to convince them that bio-identicals are worthless and even dangerous.

This is not to say that bio-identicals are perfect or are without potential dangers. In truth, although there are a number of studies showing their effectiveness and safety (including a recent large-scale meta-analysis), there is not an extensive body of large-scale studies as there is for the conventional HRT’s. However, logically, the bio-identicals should be safer than the synthetic hormones because the body already has enzyme pathways which work perfectly with the bio-identicals. We are also able to prescribe precise, individualized dosages so that physiologically normal levels can be maintained.

It is always important when evaluating a patient for hormone balancing, to look at all the hormones of the body which interact in a perfect symphony of function. In addition to sex hormones, we also attempt to balance thyroid, adrenal and pituitary hormones.

Although bio-identical hormone balancing seems to be more accepted by women, testosterone optimization can profoundly improve a man’s quality of life. It can improve cardiovascular health (as opposed to synthetic testosterones which can cause heart troubles), as well as improve strength and muscle mass. Hormone balancing may also reduce body fat, improve bone health, and help with blood sugar management. It can even relieve depression!

Linchitz Medical Wellness is the only Long Island practice featured in Susan Somers’ books “Ageless” and “Breakthrough”.