OPTIMIZE YOUR HORMONE HEALTHReal Answers to the 24 most asked questionsyou have now

1What is a hormone?A hormone is a biochemical substance. It's secreted by one tissue and travels by way of body fluids to affect another tissue or organ in

your body. In essence, hormones are "biochemical messengers."

2What are some of the key hormones in a woman’s body? Many hormones, especially those affecting growth and behavior, are significant to both men and women. The amount and levels of hormones change daily. The key sex hormones, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, are secreted in short bursts -- pulses --

which vary from hour to hour and even minute to minute. Hormone release varies between night and day and from one stage of the menstrual cycle to another.

3Where are Estrogen and Testosterone produced?The ovaries produce both Testosterone and estrogen. Relatively small quantities of testosterone are released into the bloodstream by the ovaries and adrenal glands. In addition to being produced by the ovaries, estrogen is also produced by the body's fat tissue.

4Where is Progesterone produced? Progesterone is produced by the corpus luteum (what’s left of the follicle after a woman ovulates) typically for 14 days during a women’s menstrual cycle. If during that time, a woman does not become pregnant, the corpus luteum stops producing progesterone

and menstruation starts, the shedding of the uterine lining. Progesterone will also be produced by the placenta if a woman gets pregnant. Progesterone is produced to a lesser extent by the adrenal glands. These sex hormones are involved in the growth, maintenance, and repair of reproductive tissues. But that's not all. These hormones have a powerful influence on every other part of the body, cognitive functioning, and emotional well-beingry.

5What is Estrogen? A common misconception is that estrogen is a specific hormone. Estrogen actually refers to categories of hormones – natural, environmental, and man-made – that bind to and trigger estrogen receptors in the body's cells. Estrogens vary in strength. They vary in

how long they bind to the receptors and how powerfully they stimulate them. In general, when estrogen receptors are stimulated by an estrogen hormone, the message to the cell is to grow and replicate. This is the reason estrogen is associated with growth, increased fat (a feminizing trait), and when unbalanced or unchecked -- cancer (breast and uterine). The body naturally produces these main estrogens: estradiol, estrone, and estriol.

Estradiol is made in the ovaries and is responsible for breast enlargement as well as changes in the body shape affecting bones, joints and fat deposition. It is the strongest natural estrogen made in the body.

Estradiol

8What is Progesterone?Progesterone has a calming effect in the body. It builds bone, and is a natural diuretic and fat burner. It restores proper cellular

oxygen levels, improves vascular tone, normalizes blood clotting, and prevents cyclical migraines and arterial plaque. Progesterone

helps balance the actions of estrogen and acts with estrogen and testosterone to prevent cancer and other degenerative diseases.

9What happens if my body is low in Progesterone?Deficient levels of Progesterone results in irritability, anxiety, obsessive behaviors, weight gain, itching, bloating, sweating, digestive

problems, and loss of memory.

7How can certain foods disrupt my hormone balance? Some of our food comes from livestock treated with hormones to increase their size or milk production. Unfortunately, these hormones are passed on to us when ingested and end up being “endocrine disrupters” or “hormone disrupters” that most commonly

target estrogen receptors in our body.

6What are Xenoestrogens? Xenoestrogens are external or man-made chemical agents, often referred to as “endocrine disrupters” or “hormone disrupters” that bind to and stimulate estrogen receptors in our body. Xenoestrogens can be found in pesticides, cleaners, plastics, shopping receipts,

and other places in our environment.

Estrone

Estriol Estrone is primarily made in the adrenal glands. Elevated levels of estrone in obese women is associated with higher risk of breast cancer. It is a moderately strong estrogen.

Estriol is made in the placenta during pregnancy. During this very critical time in life when the developing embryo is differentiating into hands, feet, eyeballs, brain and myriad other functional organs, it is bathed in estriol. Estriol is the weakest estrogen made in the body.

13Do sex hormones decline with age? Hormone decline starts to happen 15-20 years before a woman reaches menopause. As a woman passes her prime child-bearing ages and enters her mid-30s, levels of all her sex hormones start to decline. As she ages, Progesterone tends to decline quicker than

estrogen for several reasons. First, there are more places in the body that produce estrogen than Progesterone. Second, Progesterone levels are much more dependent on a woman’s reproductive cycle and reproductive age. Third, endocrine disrupters common in our environment and food supply mimic Estrogen, not Progesterone. The result is a much greater tendency toward estrogen dominance.

14What has been the traditional solution for treating hormone decline with age? For decades, medical providers prescribed Estrogen-replacement to older women which provided symptom relief in the short-term, but ended up compounding the problem of estrogen dominance and its associated symptoms. Recently, it has been discovered that it’s

critical to balance the effects of Estrogen with Progesterone, the key to achieving a Youthful Hormone Balance.

11How are Estrogen and Progesterone different?“heating” versus “cooling” One way of looking at the relationship of estrogen and progesterone is that Estrogen is the “heating hormone” causing tissue to grow, body fat to increase, bloating, irritability and progesterone is the “cooling hormone” causing tissue to

differentiate and mature, emotional calmness, and in general balancing the effects of Estrogen. Both are necessary and must work in balance for good health and vitality. Women that are pregnant have high levels of progesterone throughout their pregnancy. This contributes to their glowing skin, full hair, and calmer demeanor. Progesterone plummets after giving birth and the benefits reverse themselves. In many ways, progesterone can also be called “the youth hormone” when it works with and properly balances estrogen.

10How does Estrogen and Progesterone work together in a woman’s body?(This section only deals with basics of the reproductive cycle and does not address the important functions of these two hormones in other health and bodily functions.)

During a woman’s menstruation, her uterine lining is eliminated. After menstruation, estrogen starts to peak in her body and this stimulates tissue growth, creating a new uterine lining during the first half of her cycle. During the latter half of her cycle, estrogen declines as progesterone increases. Progesterone stops the growth of the uterine lining and causes the tissue to differentiate and mature to a healthy state in preparation for the uterine lining to support a fertilized egg. If the woman does not get pregnant with a fertilized egg attaching to the uterine lining during the latter half of her cycle, progesterone plummets and the drop in progesterone initiates menstruation. The declining level of progesterone is what causes breasts to swell and the pain and irritability associated with “premenstrual syndrome”. If the woman suffers from abnormally low levels of progesterone or excessive amounts of estrogen, the “premenstrual syndrome” can be severe.

12What is Estrogen dominance?Many women experience estrogen dominance, an excess of Estrogen and/or a deficiency in Progesterone. This often happens as a result of age-related hormone decline that affects all women 35+ or as a result of exposure to endocrine disrupters that can affect

women of all ages. In Estrogen dominance, the balance of estrogen to Progesterone skews too heavily towards estrogen. This condition may include symptoms such as heavy bleeding that may include clots, endometriosis, fibroids, unexplained weight gain, bloating, water retention, breast tenderness, depression, fatigue, poor sleep, irritability, poor concentration, decreased libido, and worsening PMS.

15What is perimenopause?Perimenopause is the period of transition before menopause. Women going through perimenopause may experience dramatic weight gain along with other menopause symptoms. For instance, there may be irregular menstrual periods, hot flashes, and vaginal dryness.

On average, menopause occurs at age 51. When it does, a woman's body produces dramatically less sex hormones. The steep drop of hormones at menopause can cause uncomfortable symptoms, including:

16What is Testosterone?Testosterone is a hormone that is primarily anabolic and androgenic. Women typically have about 1/8 of the levels found in men.

17What does Testosterone do in a woman’s body?Testosterone is important for maintaining healthy musculoskeletal composition and mentally for drive and clarity. Sexually, Testosterone in women improves clitoral and nipple sensitivity, libido, and the ease and quality of orgasms.

18What are bio-identical hormones?Bio-identical hormones are chemically identical to the hormones naturally occurring in your body. As a result of financial and political reasons, mainstream medicine often does not view bio-identical hormones as valid treatment options compared to

pharmaceutically-created synthetic analogs of these natural hormones.

19What are progestins?Progestins are pharmaceutically-created synthetic hormones that mimic Progesterones. They are NOT chemically identical to progesterone that naturally occurs in the body. Progestins have some of the same biological activity but vary considerably from natural

progesterone in terms of the strength in which they affect receptors, how long it stays in the body, and what they breakdown into. Progestins can be used therapeutically (e.g. to prevent miscarriages) or in hormone replacement therapy. Critics question the efficacy or safety of using progestins rather than bio-identical progesterone because it is not fully understood how the body utilizes and metabolizes progestins.

20What is hormone replacement therapy?Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the administration of either synthetic or bio-identical hormones to make up for deficiency resulting from age or disease. HRT can provide significant improvement in health and quality of life, but the drawbacks are cost and the

need for frequent and diligent administering and monitoring to ensure correct dosing.

Hot flashes

Night sweats

Vaginal dryness or itching

Loss of libido or sex drive

Some women experience moodiness.

Lower levels of sex hormones may also increase a woman's risk for heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis and fractures.

21Women’s Health Initiative Study (WHI)The Women’s Health Initiative Study (WHI) was launched in 1991 by the National Institute of Health. It was a major 15-year research program to address the most common causes of death, disability and poor quality of life in postmenopausal women -- cardiovascular

disease, cancer, and osteoporosis. It was the first comprehensive study to examine the immediate and long term effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) that had been prescribed for years by physicians. Its results were alarming. In July 2002 investigators stopped the Estrogen-progestin arm of the study and in March 2004 investigators stopped the estrogen-only arm of the study. Depending on the type of HRT administered, it turned out that HRT was associated with significant increases in the occurrence of certain forms of cancer, coronary and vascular disease, and dementia. This had a significant impact on the understanding of the benefits and risks of HRT and many physicians discontinued it use. Today, we have a better understanding of the challenges posed by estrogen dominance, the use of non-natural synthetic hormones, and the difficulty in properly dosing and balancing any externally administered hormone. The ideal solution is to overcome Estrogen dominance by supporting the body to produce its own Progesterone to more youthful and balanced levels.

22What are other significant hormones in women?Follicle-stimulating hormone, (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) are central to regulating a women’s reproductive cycle and play a key role in the production and regulation of some of the sex hormones discussed earlier. FSH stimulates the ovaries to produce

estradiol during the follicular phase of a woman’s cycle and progesterone during the luteal phase. LH turns the follicle into the corpeus luteum by triggering ovulation.

23What are some of the key functions that make Progesterone “The Youth Hormone”?

When there is an imbalance of Estrogen and Progesterone levels, the production of serotonin is interrupted. Serotonin is a mood-regulating neurotransmitter that sends signals relating to emotional mood, appetite, and memory around the body. Consequently, a loss or imbalance of progesterone can result in unexpected mood swings.

Mood &Emotions

Brain

Ovaries

Heart& Liver

Uterus

Progesterone hormones are neurosteroids that influence synoptic functioning; synapses are the structures in the brain by which neurons travel. Consequently, progesterone helps to improve brain functioning, especially memory and thought development processes.

Progesterone also helps protect neurons. A drop in progesterone levels has the potential to cause brain damage.

Progesterone regulates blood clotting, which helps to maintain vascular and cardiovascular health.

Progesterone helps stabilize levels of copper and zinc in the body and promotes liver health.

Progesterone controls the effects of estrogen, an excess of which can result in endometrial cancer. A balance of progesterone and estrogen is vitally important.

Low levels of progesterone can cause infertility and increased risk of endometrial cancer.

Progesterone reduces gallbladder activity, preventing gallbladder disease and promoting a healthy digestive tract.

Progesterone increase levels of anti-inflammatory agents, which contribute to a healthy immune system.

Progesterone aids in blood clotting and cell oxidation.

Progesterone helps convert stored fat into energy.

High levels of progesterone help to keep bones strong and resilient.

Decreasing jaw bone density can lead to receding gums and the loss of teeth.

A loss of bone density can lead to osteoporosis, a condition characterized by brittle, fragile bones.

Bones

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24What are some other important roles of Progesterone in a woman’s body?