Bio-identical hormone therapy is becoming increasingly popular for its potential benefits in addressing age and hormone-related conditions. While the therapy may offer many advantages, it may also present risks of undesirable side effects. To enhance the safety and effectiveness of this treatment, it’s vital to understand how your body metabolizes hormones and how you can support their benefits via diet, lifestyle, and supplements.
As you age, your hormonal profile changes. For instance, menopause can deplete essential female hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Bio-identical hormones can be applied transdermally (on the skin) to offer safe support during these circumstances. To make this therapy even safer, it’s crucial to evaluate how hormones are metabolized in each person and optimize hormone therapies with tailored lifestyle habits, food choices, and supplementation.
Urine hormone testing is a relatively new tool to analyze how the body processes hormones, which increases the safety of hormone use by supporting healthy hormone breakdown. This test can provide insights into possible risk factors for breast, prostate, and other hormone-related cancers and guide treatment strategies, helping those who are proactive in healthy aging and cancer prevention, and those taking hormones for hormone-dependent cancers. By identifying individuals with troubled hormone breakdown, additional support can be provided to enhance hormone therapy safety for both men and women.
Several nutrients, foods, and lifestyle interventions can support healthy hormone metabolism and breakdown. Supplements that offer benefits include:
- Activated forms of B vitamins like methylcobalamin (B12), 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (folic acid), and pyridoxyl-5-phosphate (B6).
- Trimethylglycine (TMG).
- Sulfur donors like SAM-E, whey protein, and MSM.
- DIM.
- Zinc.
- Flax lignans.
- Cruciferous vegetables.
- Medicinal mushrooms.
- Compounds such as quercetin and curcumin.
- Integrative formulas for women that include herbs, flavonoids, reishi, and astragalus.
- Integrative formulas for men that consist of minerals and medicinal mushrooms.
Creating a healthier lifestyle can also positively impact hormone balance and breakdown. Minimizing alcohol intake, consuming an organic unprocessed diet, getting sufficient sleep, reducing stress, and regularly exercising can all promote normal hormone balance. Additionally, improving the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio in the body with balanced omega or essential fatty acid supplements can contribute to hormone health.
By taking a comprehensive approach to bio-identical hormones, the safety of this valuable therapy can be enhanced. If you are considering or already taking hormones, speak to your doctor about urine hormone testing to help evaluate and guide your hormone treatment plan. By understanding your body’s hormone metabolism and making the appropriate lifestyle, diet, and supplement adjustments, you can amplify the benefits and minimize the risks associated with bio-identical hormone therapy.
