Unlocking the Secrets of Youth: Bio-Identical Hormones Explained!

Bio-available, bio-identical, and free-fractioned hormones are related concepts in the field of endocrinology and hormone therapy, but they have distinct meanings and characteristics. Let’s explore each term individually and then discuss how they are related:

Free-Fractioned Bio-Available Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Cannot Be Measured by Serum/Blood Hormone Tests.

Serum/Blood Hormone Tests cannot measure Bio-Identical Hormone levels.¹^,²^,³^,⁴

Natural Hormones

Natural protein-bound hormones in the bloodstream play a crucial role in regulating various physiological processes in the body. These hormones include substances like thyroid hormones (thyroxine and triiodothyronine), cortisol, sex hormones (such as progesterone, testosterone, estrone, estradiol, estriol and other estrogens), and many others. Here’s an explanation of how these hormones travel in the blood and can be sampled by the hypothalamus.

Protein Bound Hormones: Sex Binding Globulin renders the Natural Hormones INACTIVE for transportation in the blood to their target organ. These hormones are typically produced by specialized glands like the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, and gonads (ovaries and testes). Once produced, they are released into the bloodstream in response to specific signals and triggers.

Hormone Elimination

Women’s Hormones

Imagine your body is like a well-oiled machine that constantly processes various substances to keep everything running smoothly. One important group of substances in your body are hormones, which act as messengers, sending signals to different parts of your body to perform various functions.

Imagine your body as a factory that makes different types of hormones, like estradiol and estriol. These hormones are important for various bodily functions, including regulating your reproductive system.

Now, when everything is working smoothly, your body produces the right amount of each hormone, and they’re all balanced. But sometimes, things can get a little out of whack.

If you’re not pregnant but your estriol levels are high, it could mean that your body isn’t getting rid of hormones as effectively as it should. It’s like the hormone “trash” isn’t being taken out properly, so it starts to pile up.

One reason for this buildup could be that your body is converting too much estradiol (another type of estrogen hormone) into estriol. It’s like your body is taking too much of one ingredient and turning it into something else, which can throw off the balance of hormones in your system.

This imbalance isn’t ideal because hormones play a big role in many processes in your body, so having too much of one type and too little of another can cause problems.

In summary, if you’re not pregnant but your estriol levels are high, it might mean that your body isn’t getting rid of hormones properly, leading to too much conversion of one hormone into another. This imbalance could potentially cause issues with your body’s hormone balance and functions.

Men’s Hormones

Now, let’s focus on a particular hormone called estrogen. In males, estrogen is present in smaller amounts compared to females, but it still plays a role in important bodily functions. There are different types of estrogen, and one of them is called estriol.

When the level of estriol in a male’s body is high, it can indicate that something isn’t quite right with the way the body is getting rid of hormones. It’s like having too much of a particular ingredient in a recipe, which can throw off the balance.

This high level of estriol suggests that the body might be having trouble eliminating other forms of estrogen, such as estradiol. When the body can’t properly get rid of estradiol, it can lead to a buildup of this hormone. This buildup can cause problems, one of which is related to the liver.

The liver is a crucial organ responsible for filtering out toxins and processing various substances, including hormones. When there’s an excess of hormones like estradiol, the liver may struggle to keep up with the workload. This struggle can lead to a condition known as fatty liver, where fat accumulates in the liver cells, affecting its function.

Moreover, this buildup of fat in the liver can contribute to another condition called portal hypertension. This condition occurs when there’s increased pressure within the portal vein, which is the blood vessel that carries blood from the digestive organs to the liver.

So, in simple terms, when a male has high levels of estriol, it can be a sign that his body isn’t eliminating hormones properly. This can lead to problems like fatty liver and portal hypertension, where the liver isn’t working as it should, and there’s increased pressure in the blood vessels around it.

References

1
Elshafie M. et al. Transdermal natural progesterone cream for postmenopausal women: inconsistent data and complex pharmacokinetics. J Obstet Gynecol. 2007. 27(7)655-9.
2
Kuhl H. Pharmacology of estrogens and progestogens: influence of different routes of administration. Climacteric. 2005;8(suppl 1):3-63
3
North American Menopause Society Estrogen and progestogen use in postmenopausal women: 2010 position statement of The North American Menopause Society. Menopause. 2010;17(2):242-255
4
Files JA, Ko MG, Pruthi S. Bioidentical hormone therapy. Mayo Clin Proc. 2011 Jul;86(7):673-80, quiz 680.

Unlocking the Secrets of Youth: Bio-Identical Hormones Explained!

Natural Hormones