There is a symphony of hormones in your body. Sometimes harmonious, sometimes not. Women tend to undergo the greatest degree of hormonal fluctuations of either of the two sexes and this is why bio-identical hormone therapy is marketed mostly to women. The mis-management of taking hormones can prove to be a nightmare. If done correctly, with self-titration and based upon laboratory data, low doses of certain bio-identical hormones can provide a positive push and can improve your health. Yet this should be done cautiously and with other foundational, adjacent nutritional therapies.
What Is a Hormone & What Does It Do?
A hormone is a chemical messenger that is produced by either a gland or a cell. The hormone is then sent to another part of the body for utilization. Hormones affect metabolic processes. Hormones have many, very powerful effects and will result in changes in metabolism, mood, weight, fluid balance, and many other processes.
Simply put, hormones are powerful substances. Many doctors and naturopaths put women on bio-identical hormones because of hormonal and health issues. There can certainly be value to hormone therapy if done correctly.
Natural hormone therapy should be done based upon specific saliva hormone test results, not blood hormone results. Blood steroidal hormones are less accurate because they are bound to certain proteins. Saliva hormone levels are considered more accurate because the hormones are "free-fractioned" and "bio-available".
Testing Saliva Hormones
Testing salivary hormones should include a panel of more than just estrogen and progesterone. Ideally, a saliva hormone test is identifying the adrenal hormones cortisol and DHEA as well as testosterone, estradiol, estriol and progesterone. The Biohealth Lab offers a very good panel of salivary hormones.
The primary focus of testing salivary hormones is to assess adrenal function. This is why the lab looks at separate cortisol readings taken four times throughout the day. When understanding how other hormones are affected, it is first essential to understand adrenal function.
The adrenals are what are driving endocrine function. Precursors to the adrenal hormones such as progesterone and pregnenolone have specific functions. That is why it is important to view the levels of these hormones when taking into consideration how to dose certain bio-identical hormones.
Choosing A Lab Test for Hormones
As mentioned earlier, the saliva hormones (not the blood) are the preferred method for testing hormone levels. The Biohealth panel offers a very good array of hormones. Its important to realize that hormones that are out of balance is only the "tip of the iceberg". Equally important to identify is the status of gut function as well as your Metabolic Type.
The reason for this of course is that hormones are not something separate in your body. Nothing in the body functions independently of other systems in the body. Hormones and endocrine function is but one important system.