In women, too much testosterone can cause insulin resistance and abdominal weight gain.
That’s why androgen excess contributes to the weight gain associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), menopause, and some types of birth control.
menopause
Natural and nutritional treatment for the symptoms of menopause.
A Safer Type of Hormone Therapy
If you’re going to take hormone therapy, it’s safer to take hormones that are identical to human hormones. In other words, hormones that are body-identical or bioidentical. The concept of bioidentical used to be controversial but is now conventional and mainstream.
In episode five of my podcast/YouTube video, I discuss hormone therapy, including why the concept of bioidentical was controversial when it didn’t need to be; oral micronized progesterone for heavy periods, mood, sleep, and perimenopausal migraines; and some quick facts about body-identical estrogen.
What Is Bioidentical or Body-Identical Hormone Therapy?
Bioidentical or body-identical hormones are estradiol and progesterone that are molecularly identical to human hormones. Most (not all) modern menopause hormone therapy is bioidentical. Keep reading for a list of brands.
The difference between “bioidentical” and “body-identical” is that body-identical is the preferred conventional term and bioidentical is the term traditionally applied to customised hormone formulas dispensed by a compounding pharmacist back when compounding was the only way to obtain such hormones.
How Phytoestrogens Can Lower Estrogen and Lighten Periods
Phytoestrogens are a special group of phytonutrients that occur naturally in most plant foods. The two major classes are isoflavones in soy, and lignans in seeds, whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables.
They’re called phytoestrogens because they interact with estrogen receptors but they’re not estrogen. In fact, they bind so weakly to estrogen receptors that they effectively block estradiol and are therefore better categorized as anti-estrogen.