Both men and women experience hormonal decline with age
For most of people the fifth decade of life is the time for hormonal changes. This is the time when ovaries, testicles and other endocrine glands decrease their production of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.
In men this phase of endocrine change is called andropause, and in women it is called menopause. The hormonal imbalance that ensues is associated with major physical and psychological changes.
The symptoms of hormonal imbalance differ according to the gender. In women the typical signs are depression, anxiety, daytime fatigue, insomnia, weight gain and lack of concentration.
Men typically experience include low libido, irritable mood and memory problems.
Although there are several ways of dealing with individual symptoms of menopause and andropause, hormone replacement therapy is the most comprehensive approach that can address multiple consequences of hormonal imbalance at once.
Conventional hormone replacement therapy uses synthetic hormones that are not an exact match of natural hormones. This means they need to be modified inside the body first which creates byproducts leading to dangerous side effects. Common side effects are stroke, heart attack, cancer and dangerous blood clots.
Bioidentical hormones on the other hand are identical in its molecular structure to the original human hormones produced by endocrine glands. Bioidentical hormones are derived from natural plant extracts which are biologically compatible with human body’s chemistry.
Hormone receptors in human cells easily accept bioidentical hormones without the need of modifying them first. This decreases the risk of side effects.
That is the reason Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) is the most natural way to treat the symptoms of menopause and andropause. With BHRT one can restore hormonal balance without dangerous side effects.
Sex hormones are not only important for reproduction and sex characteristics, but also they are involved in prevention of many chronic disorders and diseases as colon cancer, osteoporosis, cardiac diseases, strokes, Alzheimer’s disease, prematurely aged skin, diabetes and depression.
The most commonly replaced hormones in women are estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.
Estrogen is responsible for sexual characteristics but it plays additional important roles. It protects from colon cancer, strokes, heart attacks, osteoporosis and even dementia. It also helps with mood.
To avoid dangerous side effects, it is very important to balance estrogen with progesterone.
Progesterone helps lower blood pressure, is a natural antidepressant, improves sleep patterns, increase metabolism and stimulates new bone production. Progesterone adjust the amount of estrogen in the blood, so insufficient amount of estrogen can lead to estrogen dominance which is characterized by fatigue, anxiety, fibroids, breast cancer and endometriosis.
Men also benefit from bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.
At least 20% of men over the age of 50 don’t produce enough testosterone. Low testosterone level can affect muscle cell functioning by decreasing production of growth hormone called IGF-1.
Research shows that BHRT decreases accumulation of fats by increasing lean body mass and improving muscle strength in legs and arms. Testosterone therapy in older men can achieve great results in management of frailty especially in men over 70 years.
Testosterone plays an important role in women, too.
It is responsible for libido and proper cognitive function in both men and women.
Without enough testosterone on board, both men and women experience loss of concentration, memory problem and mood changes after the age of 40 because many parts of the brain as hypothalamus, hippocampus and amygdale are dependant on testosterone for normal functioning.
Adding testosterone to BHRT can achieve stronger sex drive, enhanced mood and a general sense of wellbeing in both men and women.