Why you should choose Bioidentical Hormone Replacement (BHRT), you may have been thinking about getting it, but you’re still not quite sure if you can benefit from it or if it is even safe.
After all, wasn’t there a big scare about how hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is dangerous and that it can cause more problems than it fixes? There has been a lot of research on HRT in the last 20 years and what they found is HRT is one of the most effective and safe ways to find relief from hormonal imbalances.
Is HRT Safe?
- In 2020, WHI published its long-term randomized clinical trials. These showed a significant reduction in breast cancer diagnosis and mortality in women using HRT.
- In 2012 a large controlled trial from Denmark reported that healthy women taking combined HRT for 10 years immediately after menopause showed a reduced risk of heart disease and dying from heart disease.
- Cochrane data-analysis has shown a decrease in cardiovascular events and deaths in women taking HRT within 10 years of menopause or under 60 years of age.
How Does HRT Work?
Because of the advances in research, the stigma around HRT use for treating women and men with hormone imbalances is quickly disappearing. There has been significant growth around the world in the use of HRT as well as growth in research. Scientists and researchers continue to find more reasons why hormone optimization is essential in preventing disease, strengthening immunity, and the treatment of symptoms.
Although HRT is not entirely risk-free, it remains the most effective solution for the relief of menopausal symptoms. It is also effective for the prevention of osteoporosis, hypogonadism, and andropause in men.
BHRT vs HRT – What You Need to Know
Before we get into the benefits of bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), let’s take a quick look at how it compares to traditional HRT. Bioidentical hormones are chemically identical to those your body produces naturally and are made from plant estrogens. The hormones used in traditional HRT are synthetic. They are similar but not identical to the hormones your body produces and are typically made from pregnant horses’ urine and other synthetic hormone sources.
How Do You Know if You Need HRT?
Anyone who has a hormone imbalance can benefit from bioidentical hormone therapy. That includes both men and women. If you suffer from the symptoms of a hormone imbalance, the most logical thing to do is to add hormones back to the system to get them back into balance again.
Bioidentical hormones are formulated from natural plant sources, like yams, and exactly match the molecular structure of natural hormones present in your body. As such, these hormones are able to bind to your body’s hormone receptors in the same way as the hormones produced naturally by your body. The dosage can be custom-tailored to each individual’s unique body to achieve optimal levels.
Benefits of BHRT Therapy For Women
It’s a common misconception that only women going through symptoms of menopause can benefit from BHRT. However, women of all ages can suffer from imbalanced hormones. These symptoms can range from mild to severe and disrupt your life and your health.
BHRT can help women who have hormone imbalances caused by menopause, PMS, estrogen dominance, low libido, organ dysfunction (thyroid), or organ removal (ovaries). For women who are struggling to make it through peri-menopause or menopause and keep a semblance of their sanity, BHRT can help:
- Increase energy and decrease fatigue
- Relieve hot flashes
- Eliminate night sweats
- Improve sleep
- Ease vaginal dryness and itching
- Make sex less painful
- Increase libido
- Assist with mental focus and memory
- Settle mood swings
- Aid in depression
- Lose or maintain weight
BHRT can even affect your health in positive ways after menopause, as studies have shown it helps prevent fractures caused by osteoporosis (thinning bones), makes some women less likely to have heart disease, and lowers your chances of breast cancer Alzheimer’s, and dementia.
Benefits of BHRT For Men
Many men think that hormone shifts, drops, and imbalances don’t happen to them – that’s just something that middle-aged women go through. It’s not something they think they have to worry about. But it is.
Testosterone hormone levels start dropping by 1% each year as early as your 30th birthday. By the time you are a middle-aged man, you may go through male menopause, aka andropause. Also, some men have unnaturally low levels of testosterone. For example, hypogonadism, a dysfunction of the testicles, can cause unnaturally low levels of testosterone.
There are many benefits of BHRT. It offers both better quality of life and improved health with the right treatment plan. Men who have undergone BHRT report benefits including:
- Reduced body fat
- Weight loss
- Increased energy
- Lower anxiety
- Increased muscle mass and strength
- Boosted sexual performance and desire
- Improved memory and mental clarity
- Increased libido
For Men, as with women, BHRT can also assist in the prevention of heart disease, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s, dementia, and prostate cancer. When appropriately prescribed and given to the right individual for the right reason, BHRT is an effective treatment for many hormonal imbalances.
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy with Nava
At Nava, we take care to do in-depth assessments and comprehensive wellness diagnostics. This helps your Nava practitioner determine whether or not BHRT is the best way to help you address the side effects resulting from menopause or other hormone shifts.
If you are a good candidate, Nava’s BHRT doctors will choose the delivery method that is best suited to what your body needs. Not only that but, we’ll make sure that your BHRT is paired with our exclusive hormone supplements to achieve the best results.
Contact us for a consultation today!
A Medical Director, and one of the first physicians to join the Nava Health & Vitality Center, Dr. Douglas Lord has made significant contributions to our Center and its founding principles. Dr. Lord has helped develop and implement the Nava Method™—Nava’s proprietary approach to total body wellness. He has also been instrumental in liaising with other expert practitioners to successfully implement Nava’s range of therapies, treatments, and products.