Members Log in
The Book	Understanding Hormone Restoration by Joseph Collins, RN, ND
Menopause Type^® Questionnaire	Hormone Function
Find a Healthcare Professional	The human body depends on hormones even before birth. While in its mother’s womb, a child’s adrenal glands produced great amounts of DHEA, which benefited both the baby and the mother. The levels of DHEA decreased shortly after birth, only to increase again in late childhood during a hormonal change called adrenarche (“adrenal beginning”), which occurred a few years before puberty. With puberty, the gonads (ovaries or testes) matured to their adult form. As the years pass, women will cease having the monthly cycles that began in puberty, and move out of reproductive years, in a transition called menopause. Each of these changes is normal, and the body should make the transitions with relative ease.
Lab Tests
Join Our E-News
See Website Table of Contents
For Healthcare Professionals
Members Log in
	When hormones do not function as they should, these transitions become difficult. Some women go through menopause with great ease, while others experience significant disruption in their quality of life. Some men experience decreased testosterone function as they age. Decreased function of insulin, adrenal hormones and thyroid hormones may be experienced by men and woman of any age.
	When hormones function properly there is improved quality of life and decreased risks for many diseases. When they do not function properly many symptoms and diseases could result. It is widely accepted that low hormone levels are associated with disease and poor quality of living. Hormone replacement therapies that are often employed include estrogens, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid hormones, and insulin. It is important to recognize that these substances are given specifically to replace normal hormones, for the most part; they do not restore hormone production.
	It’s Not Just the Levels, It’s the Listening
	An important breakthrough in hormone health is the recognition that hormone levels do not, in and of themselves, tell us how well the hormone is functioning. It is not uncommon for patients with “normal” or even “high” levels of a specific hormone to have almost every sign and symptom of low hormone function. The key word here is function. Just because there are hormones that can be measured in the blood, saliva or urine, it does not mean the hormones are functioning properly. What appears to be an inconsistency between hormone levels, and the symptoms that a patient experiences is actually a sign that the cells of the body “do not listen” to the hormones as well as they should. The most well-known example of this insulin resistance, a widely recognized condition in which there is plenty of insulin in the blood, but the cells throughout the body are resistance to the insulin. Hormone restoration requires both the support of tissues that make hormones, and the support of the cell response in every tissue that is affected by hormones. Functional endocrinology always requires a more detailed analysis of the physiological response to hormones, or how well cells “listen” to each hormone. Cellular response is as important as the function of hormone production.
	Hormone Restoration
	Hormone restoration is accomplished by first supporting the biochemical pathways that create the hormones. These pathways require a wide range of vitamins and minerals as cofactors. At the same time, increase the ability of cells to “listen” by increasing the amount of fatty acids, which improve cell membrane health. A vitamin/mineral formulation and essential fatty acids are the Foundation Interventions.
	The next course of action is to use phytotherapeutics (herbs with therapeutic value) targeted to the specific hormone that needs to have its function restored. The Endocrine Restoration Formulations may be chosen based on the specific needs to restore optimal function to estrogens, progesterone, testosterone, insulin and/or thyroid. Each of these formulations must be compatible with each of the other formulations so that they work together synergistically to address all of the hormone needs of an individual.
	Through customized dosing, the Foundational Interventions and Endocrine Restoration Formulations can effectively restore optimal hormone function by directly supporting the function of hormone producing tissues, and the function of tissues throughout the body that respond to hormones. In those situations when it is not possible to achieve full restoration, the Foundational Interventions and Endocrine Restoration Formulations are able to support at least partial function. If the partial restoration required that some hormones be prescribed, the partial restoration invariably is effective enough to allow much lower dosages of hormones, and much better clinical outcome from the lower dosage. Before hormone replacement therapy is chosen whether it is traditional (HRT) or bioidentical (BHRT), Hormone Precursors & Metabolites should always be considered, as they are most often able to complete the hormone restoration, when used in conjunction with Foundational Interventions and Endocrine Restoration Formulations.
	Foundational Interventions:
	Lifestyle Management is Critical for Restoration of Optimal Hormone Function
	Since lifestyle stress has a great impact on the endocrine system, appropriate diet, exercise, rest, sleep, recreation, social interactions, hydration, and detoxification are important issues to address when first endeavoring to restore optimal hormone function.
	Vitamins & Minerals are Foundation Cofactors for All Hormone Production
	Vitamins, minerals, trace minerals and other trace nutrients are critical cofactors for the production and metabolism of all hormones. An effective dosage of these hormone supporting nutrients should be taken on a daily bases as foundation nutrients. Keeping hormone supporting nutrients separate from the actual herbal formulation allows clinicians to adjust the dosage of phytotherapeutic agents without the risks of toxicity that would result if a specific mineral were placed within a hormone specific formulation. By not adding zinc and copper to herbal formulations, clinicians can adjust the dosage without concerns about zinc becoming antagonists to steroidogenic pathway enzymes. Use a formulation that has the right proportions of vitamins, minerals, trace elements, and other nutrients to support optimal endocrine health, without danger of toxic build-up or other side effects It also provides significant antioxidant support, which is required by adrenal, gonadal and thyroid tissue.
	Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) is the Fatty Acid that Improves Hormone Signaling
	DHA improves cell membrane health by changing the lipid structure of the membrane in such a way as to actually improve the ability of the cell to receive hormone signals. It also affects the movement of molecules in the cell, affecting organelles within the cell such as the mitochondria, the principal energy source of the cell. Increasing DHA in the mitochondria through nutraceutical support improves the ability of mitochondria to create cellular energy, and to carry out the message that it received from the hormone. The high DHA:EPA ratio is critical for cell membrane health
	Endocrine Restoration Formulations :
	Based on the needs of each individual, endocrine restoration formulations may be chosen to restore optimal function of estrogens, progesterone, testosterone, insulin and/or thyroid. Since excessive testosterone may have to be restored to safer levels, there may be a need to use an endocrine restoration formulation that eases the signs and symptoms of excessive testosterone.
	The six endocrine restoration formulations are designed to:
		Support Estrogen Function by improving endogenous estrogen function
		Support Progesterone Function by improving endogenous progesterone production and function
		Support Testosterone Function by improving endogenous testosterone production and function
		Support Calmer Testosterone Function by easing signs and symptoms of excessive testosterone
		Support Thyroid Function by improving endogenous thyroid production and function
		Support Insulin Function by improving endogenous insulin production and function
	Hormone Precursors & Metabolites before any HRT
	Use “Precursors” & Metabolites Before any form of HRT – Which is the Last Course of Action
	Before hormone replacement therapy is chosen whether it is traditional (HRT) or bioidentical (BHRT), weaker hormones such as pregnenolone, DHEA, and/or the metabolite 7-keto-DHEA should be considered. There will be situations where restoration of optimal hormone function cannot be achieved with lifestyle, nutraceutical and phytoceutical interventions alone. In those cases, the use of pregnenolone, DHEA, and/or 7-keto-DHEA can support the hormone producing pathways through supplementation instead of replacement. Since DHEA, pregnenolone and 7-keto-DHEA have physiological actions of their own, and provide benefits independent of BHRT, they increase the efficacy of BHRT if needed, and will allow clinicians to prescribe much lower dosages with increased success.
♦These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
YourMenopauseType.com, Inc. Copyright © & ® | Disclaimer and Legal | Contact Us