subject: Women Need To Know What Hormone Are In Their Hrt Or Contraceptive Pill [print this page] Why should it matter and what's in a name anyway? Well when you are talking about hormones there is a great deal of difference, and it is a crucial one for a woman's health - particularly if she is taking Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT.) I have been writing about all aspects of health for over 30 years, and what I do know is that there is a major difference between the body's natural hormones and the synthetic/chemical substitutions.
It ought to be fairly clear; but read any piece on HRT and the problem becomes apparent. There is an assumption in the media that progesterone and progestin/progestogens are interchangeable and mean the same thing and that it does not matter which one you use: they are wrong.
Difference No 1: This is the easiest, most obvious and the simplest. One is natural but the other is a manufactured synthetic chemical. HRT contains synthetic progestins/progestogens and not the body's own natural hormone progesterone.
Difference No 2: Progesterone is the hormone naturally produced by women in the ovaries. Progestins/progestogens mimic the effect of the natural hormone, but they are not identical to that produced in the body and so not recognised by it as such. It is a little bit like a key that has been copied from the original but when you put it in the lock does not quite fit or turn. Progesterone is immediately identified by the body as natural to it, as the right fit, but the synthetics are not.
Difference No 3: This is a crucially important one. Natural progesterone has not been identified with any side effects, but the synthetics have a whole host that are associated with them. . They are known to increase risks in the areas of cancer (breast, uterus and ovary), disorders of blood clotting (strokes, heart problems and deep vein thrombosis), and can worsen mood, PMS and depression in vulnerable women.
Difference No 4: Bio-identical natural progesterone cream is exactly equivalent to the body's own production of progesterone, but progestins/progestogens are unable to replace the same effect c. Although not manufactured in the body it is recognised by it as being identical to the real hormone, whereas hormones such the estrogen in the HRT product Premarin could also be described as natural because it is prepared from pregnant mares' urine. If you are a horse then it's natural, but not if you are a human.
Summary:
However you choose to journey through the menopause, whether with HRT or bio-identical natural hormones, it helps to know just what your options are and exactly what is in the formulation you are using so that you can make an informed choice.
by: AnnA Rushton
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