C. W. Randolph, M.D.
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 As stated in the previous chapter, hormone balance is a process, not a fixed state. Although progesterone production is the first to decline in women, with age the production of estrogen and testosterone will also decline. This means that the hormone replacement that works for you today might not work for you five years from now.
How will you know if you are one of the 20 percent who also needs to address a shift in estrogen and testosterone production? Your symptoms will be your first clue. |
Donna Jackson Nakazawa
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 What researchers do know is that sex hormone balance is a crucial factor in the optimum regulation of immune and inflammatory responses and that hormones such as estrogen that women produce modulate the activity of proteins in our bodies, leading in ways we do not yet fully understand to a more reactive autoimmune response.
At the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, researchers have made some headway in explaining how the genetic difference between the sexes plays a role in why women develop multiple sclerosis almost twice as often as men. |
Herbert Ross, DC with Keri Brenner, L.Ac.
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 Other foods that have been found detrimental to hormone balance include saturated fats (commonly found in fast foods, processed foods, and red meats), hydrogenated oils, preservatives, and products containing refined sugar.
The minerals zinc, copper, and selenium are necessary for normal hormone production in men. In one study, a group of patients was given 1.4 mg of zinc daily while a second group received 10.4 mg per day. While blood levels of zinc did not vary between the groups, the low-zinc group had significantly lower levels of testosterone. |
C. W. Randolph, M.D.
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| The role of hormone balance in the development and prevention of hormone-dependent cancers is still a subject of much controversy in the conventional medical community. More research is definitely needed in this area; however, in more than a decade of treating thousands of women suffering from hormone imbalances, I have only had two patients who were later diagnosed with breast cancer. This is far below the national average. |
Ron Garner
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 There is a simple hormone balance check that can be done by sending a saliva sample to a laboratory for analysis. I strongly recommend that anyone who may suspect they have a hormonal imbalance problem seek further assistance on hormone balancing and saliva testing. One possible information source is www.helpforhormones.com.
LISTENING TO YOUR BODY
The section on Symptoms versus Causes in chapter 6 talked about how your body communicates with you. |
| Lee, and is entitled hormone balance for Men. Dr. Lee presents conclusions from documented studies showing that contrary to the prevailing conventional medical approach for treating prostate cancer, testosterone is not the culprit; estrogen is. He points out that the blame attributed to testosterone is based on false assumptions drawn from experiences with prostate cancer patients by Dr. Charles Huggins in 1941. Also, absent from many of the early prostate cancer studies was the measurement and consideration of progesterone and estrogen levels.19 Dr. |
| However, a hormone balance assessment may also be beneficial for longer-term health considerations, to be certain that problem causes are being addressed. Hormone levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone can be easily and accurately checked with a saliva test, which Dr. Lee says is the only sure method of measuring "free testosterone."28 One source for further information and advice on how to do this is www.help forhormones.com.
When hormone levels are returned to more normal levels, many of the declining health and physical factors of andropause can be reversed. |
| Even though they may be in small amounts, it takes very little to upset the delicate hormone balance in the body. Other food products such as those made from soy contain phytoestrogens, naturally occurring estrogens that are reported to be at much higher levels than those found in meat products. Several scientific studies have linked high levels of phytoestrogens to many hormonal problems, including early puberty in girls.31
When we understand how such foods are grown, processed, chemicalized, and promoted to the public, these hormonal side effects should not be too surprising. |
Hyla Cass, M.D.
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 These medicines can also change hormone balance in men in ways that cause them to grow female-like breasts.
Other problems that have been reported in statin users: peripheral neuropathy (numbness, pain, or tingling in extremities), sleep problems, sexual problems, fatigue, dizziness, unexplained swelling, shortness of breath, vision changes, weight change, changes in blood sugar or blood pressure, nausea, upset stomach, and ringing in the ears.
If you don't feel like yourself while on statins, don't let anyone tell you that it couldn't possibly be the effects of the medication. |
Rick Levy and Lou Aronica
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 Studies with women also show that artistic expression improves hormone balance.
Creative writing is another very effective means for achieving emotional release, mental clarity, peace of mind, and improved health, especially for people who've experienced traumatic or otherwise stressful events in life. Creative writing has many forms. Expressive writing (EW) involves putting your thoughts and feelings down on paper, and you can use EW in a freeform way to address how you feel about your illness or important events and people in your life. |
C. W. Randolph, M.D.
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| Keeping a balance of calcium and magnesium is critical for optimal physical functioning and for hormone balance.
/ YOU SHOULD TAKE A CALCIUM-MAGNESIUM SUPPLEMENT THAT CONTAINS A RATIO OF TWO PARTS CALCIUM (1,500 MG) TO ONE PART MAGNESIUM (750 MG).
7-Keto Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is one of the hormones produced by the adrenal glands. After being secreted by the adrenal glands, DHEA circulates in the bloodstream as DHEA-sulfate (DHEAS) and is converted, as needed, into other hormones. Since it is a precursor to testosterone, DHEA may help to build muscle. |
| When you do, you will continue to reduce your unhealthy estrogen load, support overall hormone balance, protect yourself from hormone-dependent cancers, and keep your belly flat for life.
I I 11— I I—I \ 1 I_/ I_I_I_ I I V>M I 1—1 I l_
RECIPE COLLECTION
MAIN DISHES..............
VEGETABLE DISHES........
SALADS, SALAD DRESSINGS, AND SNACKS.............
121
MAIN DISHES
Asparagus Omelet
4 egg whites Vi teaspoon salt 4 egg yolks Dash of pepper
1 cup 1 % milk fat cottage cheese 1 ]A tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 6 asparagus spears, trimmed and slightly steamed
Preheat oven to 350°F. |
David Steinman
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 The natural female hormone drug progesterone that offers women the chance for hormone balance is derived from diosgenin, a steroidal chemical found in wild yam, a dietary staple of New Guinea's rain forest natives. Less than 1 percent of tropical forest species have been thoroughly examined for their chemical compounds. A typical four square-mile patch of rain forest contains as many as fifteen hundred species of flowering plants. No doubt, your cure or mine is there, waiting. |
Brenda Watson and Leonard Smith
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 Essential fatty acids, especially omega-3, are needed for a healthy cardiovascular system, for proper nerve and brain function, proper hormone balance, proper elimination, and a solid immune system. Unfortunately, most of our foods are devoid of these essential fatty acids, leaving the general population deficient as well. The best foods to get your essential fatty acids from are fish such as salmon, sardines, and anchovies as well as some plant oils such as flax oil.
There are three types of omega-3. |
Marshall Editions
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 However, the remedies listed below can be helpful in establishing hormone balance, especially when combined with positive changes in lifestyle. Symptoms of this kind may respond positively to self-help measures, but if an improvement does not occur within a maximum of four monthly cycles, seek professional treatment.
Pulsatilla: If irregular, frequently late periods are accompanied by severe symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), use Pulsatilla. Breasts are tender and enlarged, and premenstrual headaches also tend to develop. |
| You can also take 1,000 mg of ashwagandha to improve stress hormone balance and relax the nervous system.
TIP: GET ASSESSED FOR HEAVY METAL TOXICITY
A naturopathic physician can determine the levels of heavy metals, such as mercury, in your system. These have a strong affinity with the nervous system and may contribute to depression.
HOMEOPATHY
Feelings that will respond well to the remedies suggested below are more appropriately described as the "blues," rather than a full-scale episode of moderate to severe clinical depression. |
Bottom Line Health
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| These seasonings contain very small amounts of phytoestrogens (plant-based estrogens, such as lignans and isoflavones, that occur naturally in certain foods) and can help restore hormone balance.
•Cut down on caffeine. Caffeine stimulates the adrenal glands, leading to a spike in blood sugar levels followed by a plunge in blood sugar to levels even lower than before. This stresses the body and aggravates menopausal woes.
If you don't want to give up coffee completely, have one cup a day with food. Don't use coffee as a stimulant between meals. Instead, eat frequent small meals for energy. |
Gabriel Cousens
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 The theory must also include hormone balance and enzyme levels, as the degenerative metabolic process affects the hormone flow and is affected by it. In addition, it is affected by our enzyme levels and function, as diabetics have significantly less lipase, amylase, and proteases. The theory needs to include the process of inflammation advancing to fibrosis, which seems to be somewhat reversed by proteolytic enzymes, which also minimize and reverse the degenerative process of heart disease, kidney disease, retinopathy, and neuropathy that are the long-term complications of diabetes. |
C. W. Randolph, M.D.
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| On my website, I offer a viable option for those women or men who believe or have evidence that their hormone balance has shifted and requires treatment. You can go to www.hormonewell.com/hormoneconsultation.html to learn more about how you can obtain a comprehensive hormone level profile via a saliva test or schedule a one-on-one telephone consultation with me or one of my personally trained nurse practitioners. |
Hyla Cass
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| These medicines can also change hormone balance in men in ways that cause them to grow female-like breasts.
Other problems that have been reported in statin users: peripheral neuropathy (numbness, pain, or tingling in extremities), sleep problems, sexual problems, fatigue, dizziness, unexplained swelling, shortness of breath, vision changes, weight change, changes in blood sugar or blood pressure, nausea, upset stomach, and ringing in the ears.
If you don't feel like yourself while on statins, don't let anyone tell you that it couldn't possibly be the effects of the medication. |
James F. Balch, M.D. and Mark Stengler, N.D.
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 Fibroids often increase in size during perimenopause, when women do not ovulate regularly and thus have relatively higher estrogen levels (as ovulation increases progesterone). Thus hormone balance is the key factor with this condition.
Although estrogen is obviously an important factor in the development of fibroids, doctors do not know why the growths appear in some women and not in others. A tendency toward fibroids may run in families; the disorder is also more common in women who are obese or who have an underactive thyroid (which contributes to estrogen excess). |
| By this, we mean the state and the health of the digestive tract, the organs of detoxification and elimination, the immune system, and hormone balance. In particular, one often needs to improve digestion and elimination. The by-products of poor digestion can form metabolites that can promote Candida growth. Leaky gut syndrome, as the result of intestinal permeability, is often a root problem of chronic Candida. It is also imperative to promote the growth of the friendly flora that inhabit the digestive tract and many other areas of the body. |
| Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) improves liver detoxification and, indirectly, hormone balance. Take 250 mg of an 80 to 85 percent silymarin extract three times daily.
Homeopathy
Apis mellifica is for prostate enlargement when stinging pain accompanies urination. There may also be urinary retention present.
Causticum is indicated when one loses urine from coughing or sneezing. There can be a pressure sensation extending from the prostate to the bladder. Causticum is also indicated when sexual pleasure during orgasm has diminished. |
Michael Friedman, ND
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 Licorice also strongly influences hormone balance and may play a role in enhancing metabolism through regulation of the pituitary and adrenal cortex.
Gossypol, a Chinese drug derived from the cotton plant used to inhibit male fertility (as a birth control method) and to treat female gynecological disorders including endometriosis, reduces serum levels of T3 and T4 and increases TSH.32 Side effects of this widely used drug, such as fatigue, muscle weakness, and diminished sexual function, may be secondary effects of hypothyroidism induced by the drug. |
| Two thirds of the women reported that relatives also had diagnosed or suspected endometriosis, suggesting the condition may be inherited.
THE hormone balance TEST
(Reprinted by permission of John Lee at www.johnleemd. com)
Dr John Lee developed this highly effective questionnaire for diagnosing reproductive hormone disorders in men and women.
Find Out if Your Symptoms Are Due to a Hormonal Imbalance
1. Read carefully through the list of symptoms in each group, and put a check mark next to each symptom that you have. (If you check off the same symptom in more than one group, that's fine. |
C. W. Randolph, M.D.
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| Therefore, this diet does not allow refined or processed foods.
Caffeine. Studies have shown that drinking two cups of coffee a day can increase estrogen levels. In a clinical trial involving approximately 500 women between the ages of thirty-six and forty-five, women who consumed more than one cup of coffee a day had significantly higher levels of estrogen during the early follicular phase of their menstrual cycle. |
by Michael Murray, N.D. and Joseph Pizzorno, N.D.
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| Studies have shown that using chasteberry extract once in the morning over a period of several months helps normalize hormone balance and thus alleviates the symptoms of PMS. The typical dosage is 20 milligrams per day.
Prostate Enlargement
The prostate is a single, doughnut-shaped gland about the size of a walnut that lies below the bladder and surrounds the urethra in males. The muscular part of the prostate controls the release of urine. The prostate also secretes a thin, milky, alkaline fluid that increases sperm motility and lubricates the urethra to prevent infection. |
Byron J. Richards, CCN
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 A person who is overweight is likely to have other hormonal problems, as being overweight is reflective of a lack of proper hormone balance thus setting the stage for progressive decline. However, normal-weight or underweight individuals can easily have trouble with hormones, including inefficient function of leptin.
Fibromyalgia is a problem in the hormonal balance system that is quite serious. In terms of natural balance, significant fibromyalgia is reflective of worn out metabolism. Any person who struggles with any hormone imbalance is more at risk for developing fibromyalgia. |
Alan R. Gaby, M.D., Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Forrest Batz, Pharm.D. Rick Chester, RPh., N.D., DipLAc. George Constantine, R.Ph., Ph.D. Linnea D. Thompson, Pharm.D., N.D.
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 Lifestyle changes that may be helpful
Moderate exercise has many benefits to the overall health of premenopausal women, but intensive or excessive exercise can contribute to amenorrhea and increase the risk of early bone loss (page 333) due to detrimental effects on hormone balance.34 Exercise typically increases bone density, but a study of dancers with amenorrhea found that bone density measurements remained below normal for the entire two-yeat duration of the study. |
James F. Balch, M.D. and Mark Stengler, N.D.
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| Recommended Food
Since diet affects hormone balance, it's wise to give your body good general support with wholesome, freshly prepared meals. Base your diet around whole grains, vegetables, fruits, fish, beans, and soy products. To limit your exposure to pesticides, buy organic food wherever possible, and always wash your produce thoroughly.
Soy products and flaxseeds are good sources of phytoestrogens, substances that regulate the body's estrogen production.
Vitamin K will encourage proper blood clotting and may reduce an excessive flow of menstrual blood. |
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