The conversation about hormones is raging around the country, in households and in the healthcare fields. Conventional medicine addresses hormones in the setting of synthetic hormone replacement therapies and treatments for diseases like cancer, thyroid, diabetes, prostate cancer and pituitary abnormalities. Alternative doctors see hormones as the fountain of youth.

Media trails behind unsuccessfully attempting to clarify the muddy waters of the world of hormones so few understand.

As my column develops, I will try to help shed light into the overall issue of hormones, how they affect our lives, identifying symptoms of hormonal imbalance and safe methods of treatment with an eye for balance and honest, unbiased reporting.

Understanding Hormones

Hormones are agents of change. Hormones are invisible to the naked eye, they are manufactured by specialized cells in specific organs in our bodies and they float throughout our blood stream affecting the action of every cell in our body and helping or ruining our lives depending on their balance, quantity, strength and body’s reaction.

Hormones are made in the ovaries, testes, adrenals, pituitary, pancreas, brain, thyroid, parathyroid, hypothalamus and other areas still not known to science.

By hormones I mean: estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, insulin, thyroid, cortisol, adrenalin, dopamine, serotonin and others either labeled as hormones or neurotransmitters. They are all hormones.

When our hormones are in balance we are young, healthy, radiant, fertile, wrinkle free and excited abut the possibilities life can offer.  Young people with healthy hormone balance have low incidence of heart disease, cancer, arthritis or other chronic illnesses.

Hormone levels that have declined or out of balance produce and contribute to chronically ill, dried up, sexually disinterested, overweight and fatigued people. In fact when you have no hormones, all you get is an old person.

So if, hormones are great for you in your 20s and keep you beautiful and healthy, then why would anyone debate their usefulness and desirability as we age?

Of course we would all benefit from a little hormone support as we age and in fact those of us who do, find aging a lot more fun and certainly trouble free. So, why doesn’t every doctor in the country prescribe hormones that are safe to the aging or hormonally challenged throngs?

Why Are Natural, Bioidentical Hormones a Secret or a Threat to Conventional Medicine?

Well, to answer that question we need to look at the pharmaceutical industry.

While everyone in both conventional academia and alternative circles agrees that we all need hormones and hormones are crucial to youth and health, drug companies are reluctant to improve our health with natural methods of hormonal supplementation.

Why would they be reluctant to give us a safe alternative to keeping us out of harm’s way?  Enter natural/bioidentical hormones.

Natural hormones or bioidentical hormones are molecularly identical to the chemical formula of hormones that our bodies make when we were young and healthy. Anything that occurs “naturally”, made by Mother Nature and not tweaked by human hands, cannot be patented. In business terms that translates into no dominion or ownership over the product, because everyone can use it without paying a fee to the owner.

To drug companies, who are only interested in making a profit, having no patent means not making enough money. So natural, bioidentical hormones are undesirable to the drug companies. Forget about the fact that they have been around since Adam and Eve and have been safely used by millions of people.

Enter Synthetic Hormones

Synthetic hormones are hormone impostors. Odd shaped molecules, which have been tweaked to look totally different from Mother Nature made hormones, become the desirable option for drug companies because they can own a patent on them.

Billions are spent on marketing them, supporting academic research and eliminating the bioidentical hormone distinction in the physician and public consciousness. End result: a patented product with no competition, a billion dollar industry and many sick people who need more and more drugs and procedures.

Back to Natural, Bioidentical Hormones

Supplementation of natural, bioidentical hormones have been used as an effective method of treatment for more than 30 years and there have been no reports of cancer or other side-effects. The fact that our bodies recognize bioidentical hormones as their own and do not react to them negatively is significant to you and me since all we care about is to be able to stay health and well for as long as possible.

To summarize the facts;

1. Hormones in balance are good for us. They keep us healthy, young and free of disease.
2. Only bioidentical hormones can help achieve the above goal due to their similarity to our own hormone structure.
3. Synthetic hormones are created to provide financial profit for big drug companies, not to help us feel healthy and well.
4. As we age and our hormone levels decline or become imbalanced, we can help boost our hormone levels safely and naturally by supplementing with natural, bioidentical hormones. 

Next week, I will address symptoms of hormone imbalance and how to identify the problems caused by hormone issues regardless of your age.

I know people have thanked you for rescuing them but I would like to take a moment to tell you what I was rescued from.Until about three years ago my life was a pleasure cruise.Great family, great friends, everything was great.  Suddenly I fell overboard.  No one noticed because I didn’t yell or scream; I was too embarrassed.  I finally called out to doctors, only to receive leaky lifeboats and lead-weight life preservers.  As I sank further under the water, I could see the party going on above me.  People were waving at me, telling me to swim faster, try harder, and hold my breath.  I began to understand why some people decide to breathe in the water, to make the decision to drown.  I was so tired; I just couldn’t swim one more minute.

Imagine being so very tired that you just want to give up and drown to have yet another doctor diagnose you with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and tell you to take anti-depressants and get more exercise!  I have five children under the age of six; I don’t need to tell you how much exercise I get every day! 

That diagnosis came at the end of a long stressful week and I just fell apart.  I called my mother-in-law in Katy and she told me about the Hotze Health and Wellness Center.   When I spoke with the new guest coordinator, she threw me a real life preserver, and told me to hold on – that help was coming.
 
When I walked into the office, the smiling, genuinely concerned faces I saw was like looking up to see the Coast Guard coming to rescue me!  Me of all people!  I was worthy! I was important!  Somebody stopped the boat just to rescue me.  They didn’t think I should keep trying to swim.  Not only did Sheri Gruener, Dr. Phillips and the support staff rescue me, they dove in after me, carried me back to the ship, dried me, gave me fresh clothes and put me back in the middle of the party.
 
Everyone knows a Coast Guardsman by his uniform.  My rescuers wore nicely tailored black suits.  Just like you know the man in a uniform is a highly trained professional, the office atmosphere, décor and the uniforms, let me know that I was in good hands.
 
I don’t know how much longer I could have held on.  With no hope of rescue, no sign of land anywhere, I was tempted to give up.  I can hardly believe that I have changed so much in one short month.  The combination of medication, supplements, and a staff that cares has given me real hope.  And that is enough to put me back into my life, my party.  Thank you for all you do and all the effort you put into expanding your knowledge.  It has really made a difference in my life.
 
My husband Chris, and our children, Justin, Micah, Desi, Renee, and Rebekah would like to thank you as well.  Despite what I believed while under water, I realize now my family and friends really did care and missed me, they just didn’t know how to help.
 
With sincerest love and gratitude,
 
Jessica- A renewed wife, mother, daughter and friend!

Like many women, I came to Hotze by way of desperation, and with the hand of divine intervention!! My name is Carol Fall, and I own and operate Fall Farm Country Inn in Mineola, Texas. It turns out that I was born to be an innkeeper, and after 14 years in business I am still passionate about serving my guests.  But, I was ready to give it all up two years ago because I could no longer hide my fatigue, depression, and pain from my guests.  I could barely fake a smile when greeting my guests at the door, and was beginning to dread each and every reservation.  It’s not as if I hadn’t tried to get better, but there were no longer any options out there for me.  I was in perimenopausal misery, my cycles were in the twilight zone, either nonexistent or in the emergency room with hemorrhaging; I was depressed, and had absolutely no reason to be; my mood swings were affecting everything in my life, most especially my marriage; my hair was thinning; I experienced extreme fatigue, with joint and muscle aches that didn’t make any sense;  I had brain fog and memory loss, cold hands and feet, and, oh, did I mention that I was 100 lbs. overweight?  I was 45 years old, and I thought to myself, “Is this it for me?”  I asked my doctor to give me Synthroid, but he couldn’t because my “blood test” came back in the normal range, which puzzled both of us.  So, instead, he gave me an antidepressant!  After two years on Zoloft, I took myself off because it was attacking my nervous system – go figure!!  This brings me to November, 2005 – I didn’t have any other alternatives through traditional medicine, and had been praying for another way to be revealed to me.  A wonderful couple who have frequented Fall Farm for many years came for their stay, and this time brought me a gift of the book, Hormones, Health, and Happiness.  They had no idea how incredible the timing was – they had only seen my health deteriorate through the years, and were concerned about their friend.  I read the book, which made so much sense, and made an appointment.

After beginning the Hotze program, it was evident that I was suffering from hypothyroidism, and had been since I was a young girl.  I was also estrogen dominant, and suffered from adrenal fatigue.  And, not surprising, my obesity was linked to all of these conditions, as well as a hefty yeast overgrowth problem.  I had my work cut out for me, but I was ready and committed.  What I call the “Hotze process” has been an incredible journey for me – one of discovery and empowerment.  From the start my body was singing relief, and I was more than grateful to have the support of the dedicated Hotze staff at my fingertips. . . a concept that is foreign to our traditional medical community.

I am today, physically fit, emotionally stable, and, for the first time in my life, feel a “sense of well-being”.  I see hope, where I never did before.  My “Hotze process” is ongoing, and I am energized to take charge of my health and happiness . . . as every person should.  I’m now able to work hard here at Fall Farm, fall into bed, sleep through the night, and bounce back up the next morning.  I have a renewed sense of passion as an innkeeper, and look forward to every guest that walks through the door!  I’m a happier wife, as well, that does not react to the least little thing anymore – my husband is also happier – ha, ha!!  And, oh yeah, I’ve lost 100 lbs. –  yippee!!!

I am humbly and sincerely grateful to Dr. Hotze for his compassion, vision, and dedication to educating us all about bioidentical hormones.  To give hope to someone who is desperate is a precious gift . . . one that he gives freely, and lovingly.  And I hope that my experience in this program helps make a difference with others.  Thank you for allowing me to share my story of success!

My husband was on a business trip, and he brought something back for me. He had read an article about bio-identical hormones and the Hotze Health and Wellness Center in the airline magazine. The article’s title was “How to Get Your Wife Back”.  He said I needed to check it out because it was a story about me.

I had a complete hysterectomy nearly two years prior. My surgeon had placed an estrogen patch on me in the recovery room.  Within days, I was feeling the effects of the patch.  I had terrible nightmares and could not sleep.  I began gaining weight so quickly it was frightening, nearly 5 pounds a week, no matter how little I ate.  After recovery from surgery, I felt terrible.  I had been fit and exercised regularly before surgery.  Now, my muscles were like jelly and I had no energy.  But the most troubling was my inability to remember and to concentrate.  I had always been a very decisive person, now I could not make even a small decision. Within months I felt like I had aged 15 years.  My surgeon said I was just getting older and I needed to accept it. She said I was depressed and prescribed an antidepressant. 

Of course I was depressed, duh!!!  I had gained 50 pounds in a matter of months, was tired all the time, and did not have the passion and libido that my husband and I cherished, and I could not remember anything!!  I was afraid to drive because my reactions were so slow, but I knew I did not want to take antidepressants.  I had done research and believed that my hormones were not in balance.  I tried a combination of synthetic testosterone and estrogen.  It affected my gall bladder to the point that the surgeon wanted to take it out!! She did not believe it was the synthetic testosterone, but as soon as I stopped taking it, my gall bladder no longer hurt.  I tried several other combinations of synthetic hormones, and nothing helped.  Then I read my story in the airline magazine. 

I began the Hotze Health and Wellness Center’s program and my life changed.  Within two weeks, I experienced a positive difference in my sleep, my energy level and my mood.  My muscle strength felt much better, and I was able to begin to exercise again.  Now, 18 months into the program, I am still improving.  Even when I think I can not feel any better, I do.  My thinking is clear, and concentration is easy again. My only regret is that I did not know about the program and bio-identical hormones before my surgery, so I would not have gone through what I did.  The good news is, I know it works. I am living proof.  It was what I needed for my husband to get his wife back.
 

I have been using the word counterfeit to refer to patented drug company hormonal preparations and “natural” or “bioidentical” to refer to the kinds of hormones that I and other wellness physicians recommend. I prefer the term “bioidentical” because it accurately conveys the most important aspect of these hormones. They are biologically identical to hormones produced in our bodies.

Natural, bioidentical hormones are derived from a plant molecule called diosgenin found in soybeans and wild yams. After diosgenin is extracted from these plants, it is converted into bioidentical progesterone in the laboratory. In turn, progesterone can be converted by a chemist into the three human estrogen hormones: estradiol, estrone, and estriol.

Because natural progesterone and the estrogens are biologically identical in structure to the hormones produced by the body, the cells of a woman’s body respond to them in exactly the same way that they respond to the hormones produced in her own body. This is good news for women, but the fact that these bioidentical hormones cannot be patented makes them unattractive to the pharmaceutical companies. Pharmaceutical drugs can only be patented if they are chemically unique, unlike any currently existing drug and unlike any substance that exists in nature.

This is the reason that you will rarely see major drug companies producing and promoting natural hormone preparations. Drug companies derive the bulk of their billion-dollar profits from the first seventeen or so years of a drug’s life, when its patent status protects it from competition and enables the company that holds the patent to charge whatever the market will bear. Without the possibility of patenting natural, bioidentical hormones, the drug companies have no incentive to produce and sell these hormones.  The profit margin is just too low.

Dr. Broda Barnes was a brilliant scientist. When a friend of his experienced a heart attack in 1950, Dr. Barnes reviewed his medical history, searching for clues. He found that his friend had suffered from symptoms of hypothyroidism for years, but had not sought treatment. Could this have been a factor in his heart attack?

Dr. Barnes knew of the relationship between hypothyroidism and high cholesterol and realized that his patients who were being treated for hypothyroidism had a remarkably low rate of heart attacks, despite the fact that the incidence of heart attacks was rising in the general population.

This observation led him to conduct a twenty-year study of the relationship between supplemental thyroid hormone and reduced risk of heart attacks. He was fortunate to have a landmark study against which to compare the heart attack rate in his own patients: the Heart Disease Epidemiology Study, also known as the Framingham Study, which began in 1949 under the sponsorship of the National Heart Institute and which continues to this day. In this study, five thousand residents of Framingham, Massachusetts, were selected to be followed medically for the rest of their lives in order to determine the cause of heart disease. Each person was followed with annual medical examinations and blood work. Their diets, smoking habits, and lifestyles were documented. However, these patients did not receive supplemental thyroid hormone.

In 1970, Dr. Barnes had 1,569 patients on natural thyroid hormone who were observed for a total of 8,824 patient years. These patients were classified by age, sex, elevated cholesterol, and high blood pressure, and compared to similar patients in the Framingham Study. Based on the statistics derived in the Framingham Study, seventy-two of Dr. Barnes’s patients should have died from heart attacks; however, only four patients had done so. This represents a decreased heart attack death rate of 95 percent in patients who received natural thyroid hormone—a truly remarkable finding.

Doctors often recommend that patients with an increased risk of heart attack take a daily aspirin supplement, pointing to studies suggesting that this will reduce the incidence of heart attacks by 28 percent. Why not consider using natural thyroid hormone supplementation to reduce the death rate from heart attacks? Remember thyroid production declines as we age. Fifty-year-olds produce one half the thyroid hormones that they made during their twenties.

You know vitamin C can help you prevent colds, but did you also know that it works as a natural antihistamine? 

If you suffer from allergies, you should consider Vitamin C, as it is a natural antihistamine capable of blocking the effects of inflammatory substances that some people produce in response to allergens such as pollen and pet dander.  Allergies are frequently an underlying reason of sinusitis and may also cause the intensely itchy rashes associated with eczema.  Vitamin C, along with other antioxidants could help these conditions.

Interestingly, vitamin C can help prevent or improve asthmatic symptoms as well; several studies have demonstrated that asthma sufferers are often deficient in vitamin C and other vitamins.  Further, vitamin C could stave off an exercise induced asthma attack if an adequate dose (typically between 500mg and 5000mg) of vitamin C is taken right before a workout1.

Talk to your doctor to see if vitamin C could help you to manage your allergies better.  Vitamin C is readily available from your local health store or click here to purchase from Physician’s Preference.

1. Cohen HA, Neuman I, Nahum H. Blocking effect of vitamin C in exercise-induced asthma. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 1997;151:367-70.