Has anyone else heard of bioidentical hormone therapy? The reason I ask, is because I've only recently become aware of it myself and wanted to know why is was not more widely available.
You may already know that traditional Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) replaces some of the hormones that are reduced during menopause and alleviates the symptoms of menopause by adjusting hormonal levels.
Because taking estrogen alone increases the risk of cancer in the lining of the womb, HRT usually includes a combination of estrogen and progesterone. Although it's OK to have estrogen only HRT if you have had a hysterectomy.
BUT, traditional hormone therapy uses the urine from horse's - pregnant mare's to be exact, plus a host of chemical additives to achieve the same effect as the hormones that are naturally produced by our body. These elements can have some very undesirable side effects on the body, as they are basically synthetic.
So, how come bioidentical hormone therapy (BHT), which is derived from plant extracts and can be tailored to suit the individual needs of the patient is not offered as an alternative?
Well, from what I can gather, the big pharmaceutical companies are not able to patent the ingredients as they emulate the naturally occurring hormones in the body so accurately, that, in the same way that blood cells can't be patented, neither can BHT. Which basically means that these companies will not be able to make huge profits out of it and so therefore aren't interested in selling it. Also, due to the varying compounds being made up for the individual patent, it has not been possible to gain approved by the FDA.
You may be able to find a doctor who is championing the use of BHT or even a pharmacist, but if not, why not do your own investigation and find out more. I for one intend to look into this further and will keep you posted.
If anyone has any experience with BHT, I would love to hear from you.
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