MORE HORMONES THAN WE NEED: FINDING BALANCE IN A WORLD OF EXTREMES

by Marcia Jones, Director: Tides Of Life PMS & Menopause Center

Hormones are the chemical messengers of the endocrine system that impose order through an intricate communication system among the body's estimated 50 trillion cells. Endocrine glands, including the ovaries, testicles, pancreas, adrenals, thyroid, parathyroid, and thymus, are central to the regulation and normalization of all the body's complex, interconnected systems. It is hard to talk about one endocrine hormone without describing its relationship with the endocrine system as a whole.

Science has known for years that estrogen levels drop in a woman at the time of menopause. More recently we have discovered that progesterone levels drop five to eight years earlier, if not more in some cases. This drop in progesterone signals the onset of that often-uncomfortable stage known as peri-menopause. Women begin to "feel different." Many start to experience PMS-like symptoms, such as mood swings, water retention, weight gain in the abdomen, hips, and thighs, breast sensitivity, lowered libido, etc. Yes, life changes—more for some than others.

The conventional way of treating women in this stage of life has been to quickly put them on some combination of synthetic hormones. For instance, birth control pills (which may contain estrogen or progestins, [progestogens], or both). Sometimes symptoms initially improve; for some women symptoms immediately worsen. Endocrine balance and functioning is always disrupted.

What happens? Synthetic hormones bind to our natural hormone receptors, which are like molecular "docking" sites. The chemical engineering of synthetics give the final product a half-life. Receptor sites fill up with synthetic hormones and hormones produced by the body find nowhere to "park." This is the point, several months down the road, when even women who did well on synthetics initially, begin to develop symptoms. Serum levels raise and eventually the body senses the overload. The message is sent to the brain that sufficient hormones are available: DO NOT MAKE MORE! The woman stops producing hormones and every day her body waits for the synthetic hormones it is used to having delivered like pizza, via pill, suppository, Depo-Provera shots, etc.

On the other hand, there are many NATURAL alternatives for women experiencing PMS and menopause. The truth is that being a woman is not a disease and manipulating the entire endocrine system because a woman has gotten "out of balance" is a great disservice to both the woman and her family. Fully, 10% of the calls we get on the hotline are from family members who complain that their mother/wife no longer interacts with them due to over medication with "nerve pills." One husband whose 41 year old wife was on 3P's (Premarin, Provera, and Prozac), said he would rather have the woman with the mood swings back! He said, "It doesn't matter if the kids are good or bad . . . she just sits on the couch and stares at them with this vacant look on her face!"

I used to recommend that we first look to DIET for our vitamins and minerals. Of course eating well is very important, but in recent years I have discovered that even the best diet is not enough. Crops are no longer rotated as they once were and the land is not left fallow long enough to recover depleted minerals. Food is now grown on nearly sterile soil to which less than a dozen of the normal seventy-plus known minerals have been artificially re-added. When it comes to vitamins, I now believe that RDA's are a lot like minimum wage, and not sufficient for a good life or optimal health.

Vitamins and minerals should be taken separately. Vitamins are best taken in the morning because they deliver energy to be used throughout the day. Minerals are best taken at night because the body uses minerals to grow and repair, which is done during sleep. I personally use and recommend plant-derived liquid colloidal minerals. Of course flavored preparations are easier to get down. The body cannot assimilate ore minerals, in fact they can cause constipation and become kidney and gall stones, etc. Plants that are grown near ore bed streams uptake the minerals into a form that is easily utilized by the body. 

Many women will do well to increase calcium, magnesium, A, C, and E as well as their B vitamins. The B vitamins should be added as a full complex rather than increasing only B6 or B12. Brewer's yeast is an excellent source of the full B-complex. Kelp tablets may also be suggested for women who need extra iron, which can be helpful for any woman who complains of heavy bleeding. Recent studies also show that best results are obtained when calcium and magnesium are added in equal amounts. Like estrogen and progesterone, the ratio between the two is more important than the amount of either. For instance, a woman can have enough progesterone, but if her estrogen level is too high she can experience estrogen dominance symptoms. These symptoms are weight gain, fluid retention, migraine headaches, irregular menstrual flow, depression, fibrocystic breasts, and so on.

This brings us to the topics of the hour: ERT (Estrogen Replacement Therapy) or HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy). Every woman knows other women who are on ERT or HRT. We have seen many of them put on 30-50 pounds in the first couple of years. Most of us also know someone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer, for instance, and these days the first questions we ask are: "Were you taking Estrogen?" and, if so, "How long?"

We are dealing with the most educated female population yet and in light of the growing evidence of estrogen induced female tumors and cancers, I tend to agree with Dr. Phillip Corfman of the FDA who says, "If you don't really need a drug, any risk is unacceptable." The good news is that women no longer have to choose between unbearable symptoms or adverse side effects and the risk of cancer. The question that I hear every day is: "What can I do for PMS (or menopause) that is natural?"

In dealing with all types of menstrual irregularities over a number of years, I have found herbs with centuries of empirical healing wisdom behind them that truly are effective: wild yam, black cohosh, licorice, and angelica. These have become a traditional part of women's medicine in every part of the world where they grow.

Wild yam for instance, contains the phytogenic diosgenin, which is nearly identical to progesterone produced by the human body. In its natural state it has been extremely helpful to women who have not been subjected to a lot of synthetic hormone manipulation. There are over 110 identified species of yam, some are more potent than others, and I have found that a blend of three or four of the most potent species offers women the most complete activity. For women who have taken some or many synthetic hormones in their lives, or who are truly progesterone deficient because of illness or age, this may not be enough. In that case, such women can usually find relief with USP progesterone, often referred to as "natural progesterone," which is a non-patent pharmaceutical made from diosgenin in the laboratory via seven or eight enzymatic conversions. For the best results, a progesterone cream should have wild yam extract re-added so the the natural plant enzymes, peptides and sterols are present. 

Black cohosh is a well known source of natural estrogen, which has shown to be receptor-binding. Again, these are most effective in the natural state in terms of reducing symptoms for women who have not undergone synthetic hormone manipulation. 

The soy phytogenin stigmasterol has also been taken into the lab and converted to non-patent estrogens like estrone, estradiol, and estriol, often referred to as "natural estrogen." Because the isoflavones are no longer present in the USP pharmaceutical and because of the chemical engineering, however, these should be considered potentially tumor forming. "It is believed but not proven," says Dr. Lita Lee, "that estrone is even more carcinogenic than estradiol." This is certainly alarming since orally administered estradiol is mostly converted to estrone in the small intestine.

Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) has a long history in women's medicine. Part of this herb's effectiveness may be that it contains, in its natural form, effective amounts of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron. It also contains some Vitamin A, pantothenic acid, silicon, and phosphorus. 

Licorice (Glycerrhiza urlensis) is another good source of natural estrogen, with the added benefits of nourishing and supporting the adrenal glands, which help the body to better cope with stress. Licorice also contains Vitamin E, phosphorus, B-complex, biotin, niacin, and pantothenic acid, as well as lecithin, manganese, iodine, chromium, and zinc.

Angelica sinesis, known as Don Quai to the Chinese, also shares this long history of qualities that have been found to be helpful in balancing and correcting menstrual disorders. Angelica contains Vitamin E, calcium, and some wildcrafted species contain B_12, which is rare in vegetation.

I encourage women without serious illness or disease to give some of these pharmaceutically delivered botanical products a try to see if they work for them. I also encourage health care providers to support their women patients in this. Sometimes I must remind doctors that a good scientist always keeps an open mind and never assumes that he or she "knows it all" about anything.

You will find that better than 85% of the women who try these preparations get excellent results; the rest can make a few lifestyle changes, (like exercising, cutting out sugar, caffeine, etc.) to bring them up to par. The few who still need additional help will need much less synthetic manipulation, which cuts down their side effects and cancer risks.

References:

1.      Lita Lee, "Estrogen, Progesterone, and Female Problems."

Alvin Follingstad, "Estriol, the Forgotten Estrogen?" Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 239, No. 1, January 2, 1978