Natural Hormone Replacement (HRT) for Women

Natural hormone replacement (NHR) applies some much needed common sense and logic to the controversial subject of hormone replacement. The basic principle of NHR is that if hormones need replacing, then they should be replaced, as far as possible, with the identical hormones, and that the natural balance between these hormones should be maintained. In contrast, conventional hormone replacement (HRT) replaces the hormones that are lacking with synthetic versions (which have a different molecular structure and are totally foreign to the body, e.g. progestogens rather than progesterone), extract of pregnant mares’ urine (again totally foreign to the human body!) or strong, unbalanced forms of oestrogen (such as oestradiol, in oestrogen patches). It is no wonder that so many women discontinue their HRT due intolerable side effects!

Prior to the menopause, the ovaries produce the following hormones (all of which have effects on health and wellbeing):

1. Oestrogen

• Oestriol: comprises ~80-90% of the total circulating oestrogens. Oestriol is the weakest oestrogen but is present in the greatest quantity. Oestriol appears to have some protective effect against breast cancer, and can thus be regarded as a ‘good’ oestrogen.
• Oestradiol: comprises ~7-10% of the total circulating oestrogens. Oestradiol is the strongest of the body’s oestrogens but is normally present only in relatively small amounts; it is also the most potent oestrogen for promoting breast cancer growth, and unopposed by oestriol, can thus be regarded as a ‘bad’ oestrogen.
• Oestrone: comprises ~3-10% of the total circulating oestrogens. Oestrone is also a potent/breast cancer promoting oestrogen, though is slightly less ‘bad’ in this respect than oestradiol.

Under normal circumstances, the two stronger (or ‘bad’) oestrogens are balanced by the less potent (or ‘good’) oestriol.

2. Progesterone
Just as there is normally a healthy balance between the natural oestogens in the body, the oestrogens as a whole are balanced by progesterone, which has a protective effect against breast cancer.

3. DHEA
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is mainly produced by the adrenals, but also in smaller amounts by the ovaries.

4. Testosterone
Whilst testosterone is generally thought of as a ‘male hormone’, it is also a normal hormone in women, though of course the amounts produced are much less than in men. (Likewise, oestrogens and progesterone are normal hormones in men, but in quantities far smaller than in females.)

NHR involves the replacement, in the correct proportions, of all or any of the above hormones (as appropriate in each individual case) with bio-identical natural hormones produced from precursors which occur naturally in plants (e.g. diosgenin from wild yam). The idea of the right molecule and the right balance is of course nothing new - this is exactly what nature has been doing for millions of years!