Chapter 9. The Importance of BioIdentical Hormones

Chapter 9.

The Importance of

BioIdentical Hormones  

What is a Bioidentical Hormone, and How Do They Differ From Synthetic Hormones?

First of all, let us look at the definition and meaning of “bioidentical hormones”.  How do bioidentical hormones differ from the synthetic hormones offered by the mainstream medical system?  Bioidentical hormones are the hormones that exist in the human body naturally.  Synthetic hormones are these very same human hormones that are chemically altered.   Here, we are referring to the chemical structure of the molecule.  Bioidentical hormones have the naturally occurring chemical structure, so it cannot be patented.  Synthetic hormones have been chemically altered so they CAN BE patented. This is the key distinction.

Why Chemically Alter a Human Hormone?

You might ask, “Why Chemically Alter a Human Hormone”?   This is done in order to obtain a patent.  The drug company hires chemists to alter the structure of human hormones in the laboratory so the drug company can obtain a patent on the new chemical structure, which is a new drug.  The patent grants exclusive marketing rights to the drug company, and is necessary to protect profits.  Because of a quirk in our patent laws, only chemically altered substances can be patented.  Natural substances like human hormones cannot be patented, and are therefore generally not profitable to manufacture.

 Chemically Altered Hormones are Monster Hormones

The reality is that it is not a good idea to alter the chemical structure of a human hormone. Hormones fit onto their receptors just like a "lock and key", so any slight alteration of their chemical structure creates a "monster hormone" with unintended effects.   These resulting "monster hormones" are never found in the human body or anywhere else in nature.  The reality is that these synthetically altered monster hormones should never have been approved for marketing and sale to the American People, and yet that is exactly what your mainstream medical doctor will offer you if you ask for hormones.

Why do we use the word bio-identical to describe natural human hormones?

You are probably wondering why we use the word, "bioidentical"?  That's an excellent question.  I can remember back when I was in first year medical school learning biochemistry at the University of Illinois in Chicago.  Our class used Lehninger's classic textbook of biochemistry which is still in use today.(5)  Dr. Lehninger never uses the word, “bio-identical hormones”, because all human hormones are by definition, “bioidentical hormones”.  Dr Lehninger’s biochemistry book simply used the word, "hormone".  Using a word like "bioidentical" was simply redundant and unnecessary for biochemistry textbooks, as it should be today.

The Medical Information War and Terminology

Years ago, after the invention of synthetic monster hormones, an information war was launched by the drug industry creating confusion in the public and even among medical professionals about the difference between natural human hormones and synthetic monster hormones.  Because of this medical information war, we must use the terminology, "bioidentical hormones”, which really means human hormones, in order to differentiate them from synthetic hormones.   In reality, it is an embarrassment to medical science that we use the word "bio-identical" for natural hormones found in the human body.  We shouldn't feel that we are forced to do this.  It should be sufficient to use the same old names in the biochemistry text books.  The simple word “hormone" should suffice.  Yet here we are again finding ourselves using the word "bio-identical hormone" thanks to the "Information War" going on between natural medicine and the drug industry. 

How do Hormones Work?  They Turn on Protein Production

Hormones are messengers that attach directly to the DNA of trillions of our cells and influence gene expression.  Once bound to the DNA, the hormone messenger turns on DNA expression of protein synthesis.   DNA contains the source code for the manufacture of proteins.  The Hormone is a messenger that tells the DNA to produce these proteins.  You might ask, “Why Are Proteins Important ?”  Proteins are the major building block for the human body, and all life for that matter.  Proteins serve a variety of functions.  For example, "structural" proteins make up the structural elements of the body such as bones, skin, arteries, hair, connective tissue, ligaments, tendons, muscles.  Other proteins called enzymes are involved in energy production.  There are proteins involved in communication, neurological function, and cognition called neurotransmitters.  There are proteins involved in the immune system called antibodies, and the list goes on.  The various types of proteins are used to make the cells in every organ in the body.

Regenerative and Reparative Proteins

We need a constant supply of proteins to repair the body's wear and tear.  A marathon runner, for example, suffers wear and tear on the tendons, ligaments and muscles used in the marathon run.  Recovery time after a marathon depends on the speed of repair of these injuries.  During recovery, new proteins and new cells are manufactured and used for repair.

New Cell Layers Are Needed for Life

In order to live, we need to make new cells.   As our older cells and cell layers age and eventually die, we must have the ability to manufacture new cells.  Examples are blood cells that must be replaced by the bone marrow every 90 days, the skin cells that slough off as the outer layer to be replaced by new layers of cells underneath.  The gastrointestinal lining is generated at the basal cell layer.  These basal cells mature as they migrate to the surface where they eventually live out their life span, die and slough off.  All organ systems in our body require new cells to replace old ones.  These new cells are made of proteins, so regeneration of new cell layers requires the DNA to be "turned on" to make these new proteins and cells.

Hormone Levels Decline with Age

We know from observational studies that hormones levels decline with age.  Starting around age 50, the abrupt hormone decline in women is called menopause with cessation of ovulation.  In men, hormonal decline after age 50 is called Andropause, with a gradual decline in testosterone levels.  

Increase in Human Life Span

Starting around the year 1820, which marks the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, there has been an increase in the human life span.(1)  I suspect this is due to improved living standards, mass production of goods and services,  and better nutrition.   Before 1900, most people did not live past 50 years, so hormonal decline was not an really an issue in the population.  However, after the year 1900, people are living beyond the age of 50, with the onset of hormonal decline called menopause in women, and andropause in men.  This trend has increased to the point that we now have more people over fifty than ever before, creating a huge population of people with hormonal decline.

Lack of Reparative Proteins Leads to Degenerative Diseases of Aging

Without this hormone message which turns on DNA expression of protein synthesis, we lack the reparative and regenerative proteins needed to prevent the degenerative diseases of aging.  A Natural Medicine approach provides bioidentical hormone replacement which prevents (and in some cases reverses) these degenerative diseases of aging.  Here is a list with the mainstream drug treatment offered.

Degenerative Disease Means Great Profits for Drug Companies

The major drug companies make most of their profits on blockbuster drugs aimed at one of the above degenerative diseases of aging.  Since all of these degenerative diseases are directly caused by hormonal decline, they can be prevented or reversed (at least partially reversed) with the use of bio-identical hormones, representing direct economic competition with the drug industry which sells a drug for each degenerative disease (see above chart). 

Natural Medicine Means Lost Profits for the Drug Industry

If bio-identical hormones were widely used, this would mean massive lost sales and lost profits for the drug industry.  It is not difficult to understand why there is animosity and competition between the drug industry and natural medicine, and especially between the drug industry and natural bioidentical hormones, with a raging medical information war going on.

For references and links, see my web site: www.bioidenticalhormones101.com

Articles with Related interest:

Bioidentical Homrones Prevent Osteoarthritis

Bioidentical Hormones Prevent Heart Disease

The Importance of Bioidentical Hormones

The Importance of the Pelvic Sonogram

The Safety of Bioidentical Hormones

References for Chapter 9. The Importance of BioIdentical Hormones

(1) http://www.demogr.mpg.de/publications/files/brokenlimits.htm Broken Limits to Life Expectancy Jim Oeppen and James W.Vaupel. also see:  http://www.prb.org/pdf06/nia_futureoflifeexpectancy.pdf

(2) http://www.postgradmed.com/index.php?article=1949 Postgraduate Medicine: Volume 121: No.1 January 2009. The Bioidentical Hormone Debate:Are Bioidentical Hormones (Estradiol, Estriol, and Progesterone) Safer or More Efficacious than Commonly Used Synthetic Versions in Hormone Replacement Therapy?Kent Holtorf, MD

(3) http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123717056802137143.html March 16, 2009 The Truth About Hormone Therapy Wall Street Journal by Erika Schwartz , Kent Holtorf , and David Brownstein,