What are Bioidentical Hormones?
They are molecules that have the same molecular structure as our own hormones. Would you
want to put any other kind of "hormone" in your body? The bioidentical steroid hormones are
synthesized in laboratories using a plant molecule, diosgenin, as the raw material--but so are
all the patented designer steroids. It doesn't matter what the raw material is, whether the
molecule was made in a lab or an animals's body, whether the molecule is "synthetic" or
"natural", or whether it's in a pharmacy-compounded or FDA-approved pharmaceutical product;
what matters is that the molecular structure is right and the route of delivery is appropriate
(e.g. transdermal for estradiol). Hormone-like molecules that do not belong in the human body
are properly called "alien".
The term "bioidentical" had to be invented because drug companies call their patented
non-natural molecules "hormones". They have always tried to blur the vital distinction between
bioidentical and alien molecules. Because of drug companies, "Hormone Replacement" has
come to mean the treatment of menopause with pills containing horse urine estrogens and
test-tube progestins, neither of which are human hormones nor have their same benefits, and
both of which can cause serious medical problems. Bioidentical hormones given in the correct
dose, by the correct route, and correctly balanced with each other have not been shown to
cause the same problems. Of course, even bioidentical hormones can cause harm if not
restored properly. For example, women should never replace their estrogen (estradiol) without
also replacing progesterone as progesterone counteracts estradiol in the uterus and breast
and helps prevent uterine and breast cancers (EPIC-E3N 2005). On the other hand, Provera®,
the most widely prescribed progesterone mimic (progestin), increases the risk of breast
cancer. (WHI 2002)
Why are Bioidentical Hormones so Controversial?
Since your hormones cannot be patented, they are available at very low cost from any
compounding pharmacy ($10 to $40 per month per hormone). Seeking to maximize profits on
their own bioidentical and non-bioidentical hormone products, pharmaceutical corporations are
trying to get the congress and FDA to make the compounding of bioidentical hormones
essentially illegal. (See Wyeth corporation's appeal to the FDA and Sen. Kennedy's proposed
anti-compounding legislation.) They are trying to eliminate the competition. Until they control
the market, pharmaceutical corporations want "bioidentical" and "compounding" to be dirty
words. In addition, the drug companies are facing thousands of lawsuits due to the serious
problems caused by their hormone substitutes (Prempro® WHI study 2002); so they have a
temporary goal of equating their hormone substitutes with our natural hormones--claiming that
our hormones, not their patented substitutes, are the problem. They are spending vast
amounts of money to spread disinformation about bioidentical hormones, compounding
pharmacies, and the doctors who use them. They use their funding leverage to get physician
organizations like the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology to make official
anti-bioidentical, anti-compounding statements--which most doctors believe, not realizing that
they are just drug-company propaganda. So when your doctor says things like, "They haven't
been tested.", "There's no proof they are better than regular HRT.", "Hormones are hormones.",
"You never know what's in compounded hormones", etc.; he/she is just repeating drug
company propaganda. If doctors understood the importance of vitanutrients and bioidentical
hormones in the many disorders and diseases they see every day, they would have to
drastically change the way they practice medicine. (powerpoint presentation.)
They are molecules that have the same molecular structure as our own hormones. Would you
want to put any other kind of "hormone" in your body? The bioidentical steroid hormones are
synthesized in laboratories using a plant molecule, diosgenin, as the raw material--but so are
all the patented designer steroids. It doesn't matter what the raw material is, whether the
molecule was made in a lab or an animals's body, whether the molecule is "synthetic" or
"natural", or whether it's in a pharmacy-compounded or FDA-approved pharmaceutical product;
what matters is that the molecular structure is right and the route of delivery is appropriate
(e.g. transdermal for estradiol). Hormone-like molecules that do not belong in the human body
are properly called "alien".
The term "bioidentical" had to be invented because drug companies call their patented
non-natural molecules "hormones". They have always tried to blur the vital distinction between
bioidentical and alien molecules. Because of drug companies, "Hormone Replacement" has
come to mean the treatment of menopause with pills containing horse urine estrogens and
test-tube progestins, neither of which are human hormones nor have their same benefits, and
both of which can cause serious medical problems. Bioidentical hormones given in the correct
dose, by the correct route, and correctly balanced with each other have not been shown to
cause the same problems. Of course, even bioidentical hormones can cause harm if not
restored properly. For example, women should never replace their estrogen (estradiol) without
also replacing progesterone as progesterone counteracts estradiol in the uterus and breast
and helps prevent uterine and breast cancers (EPIC-E3N 2005). On the other hand, Provera®,
the most widely prescribed progesterone mimic (progestin), increases the risk of breast
cancer. (WHI 2002)
Why are Bioidentical Hormones so Controversial?
Since your hormones cannot be patented, they are available at very low cost from any
compounding pharmacy ($10 to $40 per month per hormone). Seeking to maximize profits on
their own bioidentical and non-bioidentical hormone products, pharmaceutical corporations are
trying to get the congress and FDA to make the compounding of bioidentical hormones
essentially illegal. (See Wyeth corporation's appeal to the FDA and Sen. Kennedy's proposed
anti-compounding legislation.) They are trying to eliminate the competition. Until they control
the market, pharmaceutical corporations want "bioidentical" and "compounding" to be dirty
words. In addition, the drug companies are facing thousands of lawsuits due to the serious
problems caused by their hormone substitutes (Prempro® WHI study 2002); so they have a
temporary goal of equating their hormone substitutes with our natural hormones--claiming that
our hormones, not their patented substitutes, are the problem. They are spending vast
amounts of money to spread disinformation about bioidentical hormones, compounding
pharmacies, and the doctors who use them. They use their funding leverage to get physician
organizations like the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology to make official
anti-bioidentical, anti-compounding statements--which most doctors believe, not realizing that
they are just drug-company propaganda. So when your doctor says things like, "They haven't
been tested.", "There's no proof they are better than regular HRT.", "Hormones are hormones.",
"You never know what's in compounded hormones", etc.; he/she is just repeating drug
company propaganda. If doctors understood the importance of vitanutrients and bioidentical
hormones in the many disorders and diseases they see every day, they would have to
drastically change the way they practice medicine. (powerpoint presentation.)
For Health and Quality of Life
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