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HORMONES

PLEASE NOTE All the research papers on this Web have been written by Sue Visser and will be forming part of a book she is writing. Although you are welcome to read them, you will have to ask for permission to publish or lecture about any part of her original work. You would be held responsible for any errors they might contain. (There are often important updates that have to be included )

HORMONAL IMBALANCES. STRESS, H.R.T., LOW SEX DRIVE,STEROIDS

HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY by : Sue Visser April 1999

A hormone is a substance that is released into the bloodstream to regulate bodily functions. Hormones act as chemical messengers to create specific effects that control and coordinate activities in the body such as metabolism, reproduction, growth and development.

Over 30 hormones are produced by the human body. Hormone is a Greek word, meaning : to set in motion and hormone means: to stir up. Hormonal activity is controlled by the pituitary gland that is situated at the base of the skull. This gland reacts to stimuli from the hypothalamus of the brain that monitors our emotional status as well as direct feedback from glandular output. The body uses hormones to tell various organs what to do .The situation is assessed by the brain, based on the way you are feeling as well as the condition of each organ, hormonal level and system in the body.

The hypothalamus of the brain is like a central processing unit of a computer. The hormones from the pituitary gland only give specialised instructions to endocrine glands and other sites of hormonal manufacture. An endocrine gland is a ductless gland, so hormones are secreted directly into the bloodstream where they are rapidly transported to tissues and organs. The pancreas has a duct for releasing other digestive enzymes but within it are the islets of Langerhans, the beta cells that secrete insulin. The hormone glucagon also comes from this gland. These two hormones raise or lower our blood sugar by giving out instructions that are then carried out by the liver and other groups of cells and tissues. Even a single cell can respond to a hormone as it is equipped with special receptor sites that the hormones attach to when they arrive at the end of their journey from an endocrine gland.

The cell has many receptor sites but each has a particular shape that accepts or rejects the messenger. Foreign substances such as fats or sugar often take over these receptor sites and block the activity of the hormone. Even when endocrine glands are healthy, hormonal activity may not be effective due to this type of communication error.

The genetic make up of plant and animal cells ensures the possibility of hormonal activity being expressed from within each cell and to neighboring cells. Cellular communication takes place with the aid of hormones and neurotransmitters. Hormones of all types circulate around the body and often bear no relationship to their site of manufacture or to the organs they may be present in. This is why we find gastrointestinal hormones in the brain, for instance.

Cancer cells in abnormally acidic areas with a faulty DNA structure (from, for instance, free radical damage by the sun or toxins) can unexpectedly start to make hormones and this in turn may explain how other cells can become cancerous. In the human body specialist glands and cells produce a diversity of hormones but they have to be controlled by the pituitary gland which in turn is controlled by the brain which responds to your own mental and emotional state of mind. This may serve as an explanation as to how the mind can cause or cure cancer of a hormonal type. We can communicate directly with hormones via our thoughts to our brain and they can communicate directly with each cell, tissue and organ of the body.

Enzymes

Hormones rely on enzymes and specific precursors for their manufacture. If there is a lack of a particular hormone the body will respond by making a new supply. Communication takes place between the stimulating agents and the hormone producing mechanisms. For example, calcium and adenosine monophosphate (cyclic AMP) initiate the making of steroids or (steroidogenesis). We know that athletes are disqualified for taking steroids. We immediately think of Russian females with hairy chests and huge muscular thighs. Anabolic steroids can do that. But a steroid is merely a 17 carbon atom arranged in a 4 linked ring. The diagram looks like a piece of honeycomb with four cells and is easy to recognize. Carbon, hydrogen or oxygen atoms latch onto these hexagons in different ways, giving rise to a large family of steroids and the original sponsoring substances we call precursors. Basically they are all constructed in the same way, with the distinctive four rings. Steroid hormones are made in specialized plant and animal cells from certain nutrients and enzymes according to instructions given by other hormones. We consume steroids in foods such as soy beans, sweet potatoes and liquorice.

This is why we can have certain reactions to certain foods. Eating a lot of liquorice will cause one to swell up because liquorice contains the steroid hormone : aldosterone which controls the balance of sodium and potassium in your body and this affects the amount of water you retain or excrete. This hormone prepares you for a stressful event such as running through the desert whilst you flee for your life so it retains water for the journey by shutting off the diuretic hormone and activating the antidiuretic hormone.

Cholesterol

If you drink a glass of apple cider, the potassium it contains will cancel the antidiuretic hormone, reactivate the diuretic hormone and you run to the toilet and excrete far more liquid than you had to drink! We make our own steroids effortlessly although we often neglect to supply vital nutrients for the stress hormones we run out of in later life and our steroid factories pack up, leaving us dependent on supplements in order to survive. The steroid we all enjoy making is Vitamin D. Believe it or not, Vitamin D is also a 19 carbon atom with a 4 ringed structure. All we have to do is expose our skin to the sunlight in order to photosynthesise Vitamin D out of the raw material, cholesterol which is transported in the blood in the low density format we are familiar with as low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. We think of this as “bad” cholesterol but LDL is the only form used for making all our steroids out of. This substance is converted to pregnenolone and then progesterone which gives rise to: cortisone, aldosterone, DHEA, estrogen and testosterone.

Some people do not have enough cholesterol to make these hormones and they become seriously ill. The main cause for reduced hormonal output is a lack of enzymes, essential fatty acids and micronutrients. The body makes steroids out of its own cholesterol. Plant precursors with a similar structure known as ecdysteroids, eg: yam, hypoxis, typhus, soya, etc. can also contribute to steroid manufacture within the body. However, some of these plants are toxic and hormones like estrogen and cortisone are developed from them in laboratories to be used for hormone replacement therapy. THE THREE GROUPS OF SEX STEROIDS ARE:.21-carbon series- corticoids and progesterone 19-carbon series- androgens eg: DHEA, testosterone 18-carbon series- estrogens: estriol, estrone, estradiol

Does it work? Are there alternatives? Do we really need extra hormones ?

by Sue Visser

We develop medicines to do the work that our bodies were designed to do and create a complex new chain of incurable chronic diseases. By not stimulating and supporting our immune systems we have fallen victim to a host of killer viruses that we cannot defend ourselves against. We pollute our air, land and water. We eat plants and animals that have assimilated these toxins and when we get sick, we unquestioningly consume medications and hormones to get better, regardless of dangerous or toxic side effects. If we don’t improve, we demand more chemicals and toxins, pay more money and complain bitterly.

Can you believe it? We were created with magnificent bodies that are fully equipped to cope with diseases, stress and other hardships. Has the instruction manual been forgotten in the rush to spend more time achieving less and less? Health is our greatest asset. As it declines, money cannot buy it back for you and hormone supplements could be causing more damage than you bargained for. Even Hippocrates used to say: Let your food be your medicine. Do you believe that you can make your own hormones throughout your life?

Today many of us seem incapable of granting our creator with any intelligence with regard to how we have been designed to cope with all the natural processes we experience in a lifetime. The assumption is that, as highly civilized beings, there are many things we can do better than the body does. For instance, we have taken it upon ourselves to produce and supply hormones for ourselves. What a splendid idea, we say. Let us convince people that the only way to survive is to take hormones. We will not bother to investigate the initial cause of the deficiency. There is also no need to understand the delicate interplay between the body and it’s hormonal activities. That would not do. If a symptom can be taken at face value, all one needs is a prescription for the hormone we suspect is not doing it’s particular job and away we go. Or better still, we can jump onto the natural hormonal bandwagon and help ourselves to all sorts of hormonal panaceas.

Hormone Replacement Therapy

Let’s be honest. If this way of thinking and acting has genuinely renewed our constitutions and released oodles of health and well being along the way, our hospitals would not be so full. Our Medical Aids would not be groaning and our doctors would not be so frustrated by patients who can’t seem to make any sense out of a complex and tangled web of therapeutic options. Hormone supplements do have a vital role to play in the Medical world. In the hands of a skilled practitioner, hormones have saved and improved the lives of thousands of people without causing any negative side effects. Hormonal replacement therapy has also caused the deaths of thousands of people, causing cancer and major constitutional imbalances along the way. Fortunately most death certificates can be filled out to deny the actual cause of death. Cardiac arrest and hypoxia will usually suffice .

Understanding Hormones

Let us get acquainted with hormones. If we want to take them, let us at least know what they do, where they come from and how they are manufactured. Can we make our own hormones or change the levels of some hormones ourselves, by thinking and acting differently? Yes we can.

Hormones affect the mind, body and soul. Conversely, the mind, body and soul affect our hormones. the endocrine system happens to coincide with the seven major chakra points. These are known as energy gateways and any Kirilan photograph or aura scan on a computer will show you the activity of the energy fields that reside over your endocrine glands. So, yes, the mind does affect the endocrine system and you can see the changes happen in these energy fields.

Thoughts of fear, anger, hate and envy stimulate the release of adrenalin. The energy field shows this, quite clearly. Some people can see this energy and read it like a book. Most of us think they come from another planet and no orthodox scientist would believe them. That’s like saying you have never seen a movie on cable TV. Just because you don’t have a decoder, it does not mean the movie wasn’t showing. It simply means that you don’t have a decoder and you don’t pay a monthly fee to see the movies that other people see. At this stage, all we are concerned about is the fact that hormones do have a relationship with our metaphysical component and there is sufficient evidence of this.

Hormone levels are different in people because of their mind and body interactions. A stressed individual will soon burn out his adrenals, just because of his attitude. People who meditate regularly have much healthier adrenals. People who feed their bodies correctly, supply sufficient raw materials for adequate hormonal output. There are those who know of the exact quantity of herb, vitamin or mineral to take to restore any hormonal function providing an endocrine gland is not already beyond repair. Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine are superb examples of how this is done, using just about any plant, animal or mineral substance as a medicine.

Some people have sufficient faith to achieve miracles, using only prayer, meditation and a positive attitude. Spontaneous remission of an incurable or terminal disease has been well documented and many people have been fully restored to health again without any medications or surgery. Brilliant scientific research has achieved another miraculous breakthrough : complete restoration of a damaged endocrine gland using cellular transplants from foetal tissue. This renders the patient a lifetime of freedom from having to take daily hormonal supplements such as insulin. At this stage, simply know that we can make positive and negative changes to just about any hormonal level without administering a single foreign hormone or dangerous drug that may have side effects. We can gather this evidence in laboratories by analysing blood, urine and saliva specimens.

The liver breaks down most of the hormones we swallow. Could this be beneficial or counterproductive for us? What of the high levels of xenoestrogens we ingest from chemically aberrated foods: these counterfeit estrogens aggressively latch onto normal estrogen receptor cites. They interfere with our hormonal activity and have alerted us to the condition of “estrogen dominance” in males, females and our precious wildlife. In turn, this has lowered the age of reaching puberty by a few years and some young boys develop increased amounts of breast tissue.

Infertility has risen by over 50% in the last number of years. These false estrogens accumulate in the liver if they are not broken down and excreted. During the estrogen dominant phase of a woman’s monthly cycle she often complains of sore breasts, especially around the armpits. She also gets headaches or migraines. The estrogen overload in the liver takes it’s toll at this time. The body has to cope with hormonal excesses as well as deficiencies. A healthy liver is able to recognise and eliminate foreign compounds and toxins more efficiently than a sluggish, fat bound organ that cannot even process normal meals, let alone fake hormones.

Estrogen can be displaced by progesterone and vica versa . Treating symptoms of estrogen dominance that have been mistaken for signs of hormonal withdrawal cannot justify additional HRT in the form of even more estrogen. As many a lady will tell you, it really is not the answer. Bloating, fatigue, bad moods and continuous weight gain will get worse with more estrogen.

Estrogen supplements will certainly increase the risk of cancer and heart disease. In the cases where estrogen is contraindicated, alternatives are not always given. Nor is any nutritional advice. Thus, one wonders if it is the well-being of the menopausal woman that is of primary concern or the sales of estrogen? Triumphant purveyors of progesterone have a more justified case. Progesterone will shift back the excess estrogen and exert a more positive influence on the tissue acidity that estrogen causes. In turn this helps to prevent cancer from developing.

When we address the procedure of supplying hormones in response to what we observe as symptoms of hormonal deficiencies, the process of hormone manufacture by the body is unnaturally altered. If circumstances for hormonal production are not ideal, the stimulating mechanisms for releasing hormones will continue to make demands which can no longer be met by the various sites of hormone manufacture. This process can be compared to the simple analogy of Mary baking cakes. She needs eggs, flour, butter, milk, sugar and baking powder. If she has to supply five cakes for a party, but the flour is missing, there will be no cakes. She apologizes to the disappointed family who ask her to buy five cakes from the shop. They did not ask her why there were no cakes and she didn’t tell them. Next time there’s a party, even more cakes are bought from the shop. Mary’s feelings are hurt. Nobody had brought her the flour. She has a perfect oven, all the other ingredients and plenty of time. Now her friends prefer cakes from the shop. After a while Mary’s eggs go rotten, and she becomes too lazy to bake her own cakes. She gives up because her friends no longer want them. She throws away her stove

Mary can be compared to one of our endocrine glands that produce hormones. If hormone levels drop, should we immediately supply hormone tablets ? What if the gland is still healthy but certain enzymes, nutrients or communications are out of balance. How do we know that hormone supplements are not going to cause an endocrine gland to atrophy or become damaged ? For example, a low thyroid hormone status : Could it be symptomatic of other deficiencies? Regular doses of thyroxin will restore the hormone levels but the feedback loop of supply and demand will change and before you know it, the body begins to prefer the new replacement to making it’s own hormones and the gland will atrophy. Just like Mary when she ran out of flour.

We all know that iodine is essential for making thyroid hormones. Who would dare to treat an iodine deficiency with thyroxin? What of insulin, cortisone or estrogen? Isn’t it easier to dose patients with these hormones anyway, regardless of the deficiency of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes ? In acute cases, if the body needs a boost of cortisone, it seems to be beneficial, but administering the essential micronutrients will also work, as it will restore the endogenous supply of cortisone, at exactly the correct levels, thus avoiding harmful side effects, withdrawal symptoms and long-term cortisone dependence. In the meantime, are we aware that cortisone, especially regular doses interfere with insulin which forces the blood sugar up for long periods of time.

Cortisone

Cortisone is an insulin antagonist. Who told you that? We develop diabetes in later life and some of us eventually regress to full-time insulin dependence. Why? Because nobody helps us to make our own insulin. Nobody teaches us about glucose tolerance or how to improve the potency of insulin. We don’t believe in eating the proper foods to control blood sugar levels in the first place because we are taught to treat low blood with sweets, glucose , chocolate bars and Coke.

We also have to take cortisone for other diseases we develop along the way. Why? because we thought that cortisone only comes from pills and injections. We prefer to put the adrenal glands to sleep, they burnt out a long time ago. Nobody warns us that cortisone is one of the major insulin antagonists and so is too much thyroxine. How can diabetes be avoided when we use hormone supplements that are given according to prescription?

The communication between the natural hormone sites and the pituitary gland has been bypassed and there is no control. The insulin cannot function due to these antagonists and it should be no surprise to find higher sugar levels in the urine. Is the insulin at fault? The impaired glucose tolerance in this case may have nothing to do with a so-called lack of insulin. If we now supplement with insulin, the circus can continue. Too much insulin causes the classic attack of hypoglycemia. The patient is taught to immediately remedy the situation with glucose before they collapse into a coma.

Some little children go to school with their diabetic kit and a chocolate bar. Adults have been encouraged to drink fizzy drinks.(8 spoons of sugar and loads of phosphates to add to the acidic burden). The glucagon that should be naturally restoring the blood sugar has long been forgotten. A steady stream of insulin encourages obesity as a bonus. Who needs to complicate matters by releasing stored blood sugar when eating the real thing is now fully justified. Of course, unlike endogenous glycogen released in the exact quantity, the latest pig out on sugar by the uninitiated diabetic causes the sugar levels to surge up again, requiring more insulin. By now the patient is not feeling too good. Increased acidity in the blood is beginning to take it’s toll and the free radicals are setting in for a feast. Without sufficient antioxidants for protection, the pancreas is vulnerable to attack. Beta cells are steadily destroyed, heralding the initial stages of true insulin dependent diabetes. With many years of uncontrolled insulin therapy and no adjustments from the pituitary gland, the classic diabetic patient emerges.

We have all heard of a total burn out. It’s very easy to achieve. All you need is loads of stress and a deficiency of one B Vitamin : Calcium D Pantothenate or Vitamin B5. This vitamin is vital to the production of cortisone, the stress hormone. After constantly producing copious quantities of cortisone, the adrenals run out of essential raw materials.

As your levels of cortisone decrease, you become quarrelsome, hot-tempered, tearful or easily upset. You develop low blood pressure, dizziness, extreme fatigue, muscle weakness, sleepiness, constipation, rapid pulse on exertion, sore throats, lots of colds and flu and asthma. Your stomach churns and twists into knots and it feels like an ulcer is on it’s way. The feeling of excessive acidity is, ironically, a sure symptom of a lack of hydrochloric acid. Other digestive enzymes begin to falter and so does your digestion.

Allergies develop as do food intolerances. Sugar cravings increase and hypoglycemia sets in. If other stress nutrients such as Vitamin C, E, B2 and B6 are in short supply, the symptoms can become even more severe ,if not fatal. Cortisone supplements are usually given to take the place of these nutrients and continued doses of this hormone creates imbalances that in turn , require more and more hormones. Is this the way to go?

Changes during menopause

During the menopause we also tend to override this delicate mechanism of supply and demand and the body will react accordingly, just like Mary and the cakes. What we must understand about the female menopause is that it is a changeover from ovarian production of the sex steroids : estrogen, progesterone, and the androgens: testosterone and DHEA to the alternative site in the adrenal cortex where other steroids like cortisone are also made. It is a time of glandular adjustment and some of the discomforts involved are merely just that: hormones under new management.

Given the correct circumstances and raw materials, the new post reproductive phase can be launched and maintained without any additional foreign hormones. The logic in only replacing the estrogens with an extract from pregnant mare’s urine as a justification for relieving women of their midlife crises is mysterious. Especially as the risk of cancer is increased to say nothing of heart disease. Other indignities are: bloating, increased fat deposits and unavoidable weight gain. Now that these effects have been caused, we seem to feel the need for having a crack at adding progesterone. So-called natural progesterone is just a lucrative manoeuvre to load another naturally artificial hormone into the body without again seeking to understand the circumstances that may be inhibiting the synthesis of the woman’s own hormones.

As soon as we give medicines that prevent the body from performing its own natural functions we are once again reverting from the simple to the complicated approach. The body is going to react. Firstly by shutting down it’s natural communication and feedback system and then by going on strike at the sites of hormone manufacture. If you supply the real thing instead of the raw materials, the gland will cease to excrete any more hormones. When the gland begins to atrophy or suffer from free radical damage within the inner structures, it can become tumorous or the tiny blood vessels clog up with dead blood cells and scar tissue. All because we ignore the need for hormonal precursors and correct nutrition during menopause.

The final blow is dealt by now having adrenal glands that are unable to function as a back up system at this stage. Throughout our lives we use our adrenals to deal with stress. Copious quantities of stress hormones are excreted in response to negative emotions we indulge in such as anger, jealousy, hate, frustration or envy. These are apart from everyday stresses resulting from work, environment, travel and our modern lifestyles. We service our car and fill the petrol tank regularly, knowing full well that we have to look after our wheels. How about the adrenal glands and the extra load they are having to carry? Before we think of helping out with more cortisone, HRT and other hormones off the shelf, let us look at the type of maintenance they require and what has to be done at the panel beaters before they can perform again at peak levels.

Estrogens are not only manufactured in the ovarian stroma ( connective tissue surrounding the ovary). They are also found in abundance in males as well as plants . All steroid hormones have the same basic structure. A minor variation in the configuration of the carbon atoms determines their diverse functions. There are three groups of sex steroids and they are all derivatives of the major building block: cholesterol. They all share the same four-ringed structure that is linked together to form a base to which the carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms attach themselves . These atoms can be altered by various mechanisms. In laboratories, any hormone can be synthesized. Basic plant materials such as soya are converted into hormones or animal glands and urine can provide a base for hormonal extraction. Hormones are interchangeable between mammals as well as plants. A low hormonal output can thus be rectified in two ways: by adding new hormones or encouraging the body to make its own hormones .

The body is able to transform plant precursors into steroid hormones and does so in response to any low level of hormone that is reported to the pituitary gland, given the appropriate substances to undertake this activity. Although the subject is debatable, there is new evidence to support this fact.

A lack of enzymes and micronutrients to complete the chemical reaction may have accounted for earlier results that were not as convincing. The Mexican Yam controversy is an example of a withdrawal from using a phytosteroid precursor and replacing it with the finished hormone in a subcutaneously absorbable cream. Today many natural progesterone creams contain the actual hormone and as Mexican Yams are no longer so abundant, soy beans are used. This is just another form of HRT and the body is not being encouraged to make it’s own hormones.( 8 ) Plant steroids known as ecdysteroids belong to a group of phytosterols that can be metabolized by mammals to either androgen or estrogen-like substances.( 7 ) It is important for the body to respond to it’s own lack of hormones before swamping it with the finished commercial product. By providing the correct enzymes and hormonal precursors to these endocrine glands, we can restore their normal function and avoid having to take hormonal supplements or HRT for the rest of our lives.

If the body makes it’s own selection, the hormones are provided at the correct time in the right quantities. Making our own hormones bypasses the hit and miss approach we have in trying to override the intricate planning and timing of the pituitary gland that God gave us. This natural process is not limited to the number of years it is considered to be safe to take HRT before the threat of developing cancer becomes a reality.( 8 ) Thus phytosterols offer us an opportunity to give our endocrine systems another chance to make up for the shortfall of hormones we think we need so badly at the time of menopause.

All we need to do is supply the right ingredients and the body does the rest! If we eat a progesterone precursor from the yam species, it may be toxic or be destroyed by the liver. So we can either rub it onto our skin so that it bypasses the liver or we can introduce it directly into the bloodstream. The safest way of doing this is to make a tincture from a non toxic yam. When a correct dosage has been calculated, all we have top do is take a few drops into the mouth so that it is absorbed directly into the bloodstream. This plant extract can then be converted into progesterone, estrogen, androgens or any other steroid hormone the pituitary gland gives the signal to make.

The lifespan of the ovaries as a site for estrogen manufacture is limited to the menopause. Subsequent adjustments are then activated via a complex series of communications between the hypothalamus of the brain, the pituitary gland and the adrenal cortex. At this stage the adrenal glands become the primary source of estrogen. Thus the postmenopausal woman begins to make her estrogen in the same way that males do. Her testosterone levels increase slightly, the post reproductive phase begins naturally and easily as it is a normal process, not an illness.

We are constantly warned of the connection between high levels of cholesterol and heart disease and we believe the myth to such an extent that we consume poisonous trans-fatty acids in margarine to stay healthy. Does cholesterol come from all the fatty foods that we are forbidden to eat? The cholesterol confusion causes high blood pressure. People argue about it and get so angry about defending their point of view that their blood pressure rises. We can make cholesterol in the liver out of carbohydrates like pasta and white bread, believe it or not. Some people eat loads of eggs, fats and red meat. Yet they have very low cholesterol levels. It depends on your genetic make up.

Cholesterol is a naturally occurring substance that is found in all animal fats and oils including the blood and most bodily tissues. It is another member of the steroid family with the same four ringed structure as estrogen, Vitamin D, etc. It thus serves as the precursor of many other steroid hormones as they all originate from it .

Cholesterol is transported by lipoproteins of which there are five categories. All types of cholesterol are made from the original substance called a chylomicron that is composed of 10% cholesterol and 90% triglycerides. Lipoproteins transport fats in the bloodstream. Cholesterol in the high-density lipoprotein format (HDL) is also derived from this initial substance but the low-density (LDL), very low -density and intermediate-density lipoproteins are stages in between whereby the protein is converted to its highest phospholipid content. The conversion process from low- to high- density lipoproteins relies on fat soluble anti-oxidants such as vitamin E and Vitamin A . Otherwise the level of oxidized low-density lipoproteins gets too high in the bloodstream and the risk of heart disease increases. Conversely, as soon as these levels are lowered by cellular uptake, liver metabolism or the conversion to high-density lipoprotein, there is a decreased risk of heart disease although the overall cholesterol reading may appear to be high, ( 1)

INCREASED RISK OF ATHEROSCLEROTIC DISEASE = low HDL + high LDL

DECREASED RISK OF ATHEROSCLEROTIC DISEASE= high HDL + low LDL

Some of this low-density lipoprotein is also used up in the process of making hormones for the body or it can be broken down and excreted by the liver. The rate of cholesterol metabolism depends on the individual amount of LDL receptor sites you have in your cells, especially in the liver where LDL cholesterol is lowered.

We make our own hormones throughout our lives. A deficiency of a steroid hormone such as cortisone or dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) will arise in later life, especially during prolonged stress if an endocrine gland runs out of vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, enzymes and hormonal precursors. Another reason for a lack of hormones is from a direct injury to the gland or from an autoimmune disease. In such cases, a lack of anti-oxidants will result in free radical damage to the hormone releasing cells inside the gland. If an endocrine gland does not produce hormones continuously, it will also shrivel up and cease to function. This can happen if we supply the body with hormone replacements without sufficient proof that the affected gland no longer functions. By automatically supplying hormones such as cortisol in response to a low blood level, we place our adrenal glands in a precarious position: They are still functioning but the low output of cortisol may be due to one or all of the following dietary deficiencies:

PANTOTHENIC ACID: VITAMIN B5.A deficiency causes the glands to shrivel and fill up with dead cells. This vitamin helps to replace the cholesterol in the endocrine gland once the cortisone has been released. All steroid hormones are based on cholesterol. Even if all the other nutrients are present, if there is no cholesterol in the gland, due to this one missing vitamin, these hormones cannot be produced. An adequate dose of Vitamin B5 can restore hormonal production within 24 hours.(A D p 12)

CHOLESTEROL. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) is the soluble form of cholesterol used as the base material for making all our steroid hormones. It requires Vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid for transport into endocrine glands from the bloodstream. This LDL cholesterol is converted to pregnenelone and becomes progesterone which gives rise to: cortisone, aldosterone, DHEA, estrogen, testosterone and pituitary hormones. (Gyne p7)(DHEA p4-7) In exceptional cases, very low cholesterol also prevents these hormones from being made. Plant sterols and sterolins are often used to boost the human endocrine system by supplying raw materials to make hormones. They are insoluble waxy substances like cholesterol and ergosterol which is a plant precursor to Vitamin D (collins)

LINOLEIC ACID, ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS,VITAMIN A, B2, & E. These nutrients are also crititcal to the production of hormones and any deficiency will cause a decreased output that can be restored by as much as 90% if the missing vitamins are once again made available.

Although this vitamin is not critical to the manufacture of hormones, a deficiency causes endocrine glands to haemorrhage and clog up with dead blood cells. When this happens, hormonal output is affected. Vitamin C. also accelerates and improves the utilization of steroid hormones.

EXCESSIVE CORTISOL : THE CAUSE OF DIABETES AND OSTEOPOROSIS? By Sue Visser

Although we need cortisol all the time, constantly high levels of this hormone affects us adversely.

As cortisol is designed to raise the blood sugar levels to prepare the body for physical activity in order to execute the fight or flight instruction from the pituitary hormones, too many false alarms are given when we express negative emotions. The blood sugar is not used up and it has to go somewhere. Insulin is released to mop up the glucose and convert it back into glycogen and triglycerides for storage. This in turn overstimulates the pancreas and beta cells begin to take strain. As the blood sugar goes up and down, the situation is aggravated by excessive sugar intake due to one’s own reaction to hypoglycaemia. When this low level of blood sugar is detected, the adrenals are forced to release more cortisol in order to raise it again. Sooner or later insulin sensitivity decreases and so does the output of insulin. Blood sugar surges up, escapes into the urine and the patient becomes thirsty. Urination increases and essential water balancing minerals like potassium begin to leach out of the cells. This typical prediabetic condition is often a direct result of excessive cortisone from medications used for allergies or asthma, etc. as well as prolonged stress reactions. Additional micronutrient deficiencies also play a role in decreased insulin sensitivity and output and a lack of protection for the endocrine glands under stress.

Raised cortisol levels suppress immune function and cause acidity in cells and tissues. This acidity has to be constantly neutralised by removing calcium from the bones if dietary intake is insufficient. High cortisone levels are directly associated with osteoporosis.(Silent p 19) The hormone DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is used to balance an excess of cortisol. As DHEA levels decline rapidly during stress in later years, it can no longer match cortisol levels as it should. Especially when cortisol medications are given. Thus, it is preferable to always administer DHEA with steroid hormones to restore the balance, especially in cancer patients as it has other immune boosting properties.(Serf p 99-100) . Attending to low levels of DHEA before such diseases are manifest is an even greater advantage.

The link between DHEA and cortisol is progesterone. It is a precursor to both these hormones, so the body is able to supply them throughout our lives. The only problem would be in supplying the correct information and materials to the endocrine glands involved. Without progesterone and cholesterol these hormones cannot be made. Estrogen production has similar requirements. They require all the appropriate nutrients, but progesterone is of prime importance. The name : progesterone makes us think of pregnancy and rightly so. The reason females have to produce large amounts of progesterone every time the endometrium builds up in anticipation of nurturing a foetus is for providing the new baby with a means of making it’s supply of corticosteroids, including high levels of DHEA. (Phys p 497)

Both males and females require progesterone to make corticosteroids. If we supply the body with a ready made progesterone, we interfere with the health of our endocrine glands and their delicate feedback mechanisms to and from the pituitary gland. The only alternative we have is to provide an adequate supply of endocrine nutrients : essential fatty acids, calcium D Pantothenate, and vitamin B2, B6, etc. as well as steroid precursors we get from plants like yams, soy, etc. The development of non toxic medications from these miraculous plants now enables us to take a measured dose of these ecdysteroids (plant hormonal precursors) both safely and effectively . By measuring and recording the dosages and the individual’s reaction to them, an ideal system of fine tuning can be established. The use of soya as a means of moderating estrogen dominance is also important.. An amount of 25 g of soya protein is recommended as a daily supplement, especially for those at risk of breast, uterine or prostate cancer.

REFERENCES USED IN THIS SECTION

1 Clinical Gynecologic Endocrinology and Infertility by L.Speroff, R.H. Glass, N.G.Kase

2 Conversations with God by Neale Walsch. p 278, 297

3 Dr Schuessler’s Biochemistry by J.B. Chapman

4 Health trough God’s Pharmacy by Maria Treben

5 How to use the 12 Tissue Salts by E. Chapman

6 Let’s Get Well by Adelle Davis.p12,13

7 Medicinal Plants of South Africa by B. Van Wyk, B. Van Oudtshoorn, N. Gericke.

8 Natural alternatives to HRT by Dr. M. Glenville

9 Textbook of Physiology by G. Bell, D. Smith, C. Paterson. p 39, 90, 91, 490, 491, 462, 463,

10 The Collins Concise English Dictionary. Second Edition

11 The Penguin Medical Encyclopedia by P Wingate.

12 World Book Encyclopedia.

13 Your Gateway to Health and Wealth by Prof. W. Serfontein

Female Hormones

WHAT IS THE TRUTH ABOUT FEMALE HORMONES?

THE POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME AND OTHER HORMONAL HAZARDS :

Notes to accompany international BBC satellite broadcast with Noori Domingo & Sue Visser 19/7/2002

What are the symptoms of PCOS the polycystic ovarian syndrome in women?

Infertility

Ovarian cysts, many of them, thus it is called: polycystic.

Hirsutism: beard type hairs growing on the lady’s face

Aggressive behaviour (higher dopamine levels, more physical, brusque in manner )

Loss of insulin sensitivity: can develop into diabetes and can cause weight gain if not obesity.

Very uncomfortable menstruation: irregular cycles, too long, too short or skipping.

Bad skin, especially pimples and acne.

Raised levels of testosterone in her blood.

What happens when too much testosterone is active in females: how does this happen?

Masculine characteristics develop, both physically and emotionally.
Ovulation stops as each subsequent ovary becomes encased in a cyst. When many cysts cluster together because eggs are no longer being released, the condition is called: Polycystic ovarian syndrome. These can be physically felt, during a routine gynaecological examination or the show up on an ultrasound scan. The corpus luteum that catches the egg, no longer releases enough progesterone, causing a deficiency. In turn, if estrogen levels are high due to hormonal supplements, herb or food sources, the condition results in lowered thyroid activity as the estrogen is unopposed by the lack of progesterone.

Apart from hormonal imbalances, what are the other causes of cysts on the ovaries?

Some cysts are simply filled with blood and we call them chocolate cysts and they don’t seem to give any trouble. The main problem is definitely parasites in the body like flukes, giardia lambellus & gardinella organisms. The latter two are also responsible for the so-called leaky gut syndrome. The situation is compounded by pockets of bacteria and toxic residue that may collect around an ovary. The body tries to enclose the ovary to shut off the resultant invasion, thus forming a cyst. Whatever is now in the cyst can escape the watchful eye of the immune system and expand in peace. The body reacts by shutting off the production of hormones, or by overproducing them in the wrong amounts.

Modern medicine reacts by frantically trying to “balance” the hormones, but never to eliminate the underlying parasites & pathogens. We help bacteria and parasites to be released in our bodies by using chemical solvents in our cosmetics and detergents and by exposing ourselves to benzine and fluorocarbons (from air conditioning and refrigerators) The more “civilized” we become, the easier it is for parasites to hatch in our bodies as these solvents break open the egg and larval stages prematurely, inside us. Normally they would leave the body via the colon, like in the good old days. Bacteria that is always in the body at any time, can suddenly breed itself into a lethal colony, once it is exposed to various pollutants and metallic particles from our fillings or nickel from our jewellery & cutlery.
Reference: The Cure for all Diseases by Hulda Regher Clark p 91, 110, 255, 384.

If parasites can do this to an ovary, then what damage can they do to the uterus?

Endometriosis, fibroids, tumours and manifold miseries result from parasitic invasions in the uterus. They are attracted to solvents in the body and the uterus is no exception. I’m not even talking about the sexually transmitted diseases, that’s another story! Let’s take endometriosis, where bits of the uterine lining are disrupted and even travel to other parts of the body, believe it or not, causing menstrual complications! Do we cut all the pieces out? They will simply come back. Parasites like the four families of large flukes invade the lining and invite smaller parasites to come and live with them. They eat bits of the uterus and then migrate to other parts of the body and so this helps to explain why uterine tissue “travels”.

If pathogens invade the muscular tissue of the uterus, fibroids form. This area is fuelled by anabolic hormones such as estrogen. When we cut back on estrogen, the fibroids cannot grow at such a rate, but the pathogens are still there, safely inside the cyst and evading the immune system that cannot remove any precancerous cells like it usually does. These faulty cells divide rapidly when there is a lot of estrogen about (especially with the lady is taking HRT) We know the rest of the story: the connection between HRT and the increased risk of cancer.

Ecdysteroids from plants or food can convert into estrogen or testosterone: why into testosterone?

1 Too many free testosterone molecules are available in the bloodstream – not sufficiently bound by beta-sitosterol, due to insufficient supply. ( pumpkin seeds are good sources ) Also a lack of the Delta 5 reductase enzyme in the body.

2 Testosterone receptors are too active

3 Fake steroid hormones (xenestrogens from foods and plastics) give the wrong signals on testosterone receptors? ( Agnus Castus modifies testosterone receptors )

4 Estrogen precursors like pregnenelone oxidize incorrectly, due to a lack of antioxidants.

5 Insufficient or inactivated enzymes: 5-delta reductase enzyme may not be released from the liver.

We know about xenestrogens, the hormone mimics that we get from plastic and our polluted environment. An estrogen molecule can transmute between the plant, animal and “plastic” kingdom, it seems. Other sources of estrogen are from animal foods as pigs, chickens and cows that are fattened up with hormones and antibiotics to produce heavier stock for the meat market. The Frenchmen working with chickens who grew large voluptuous breasts had been eating chicken necks, where the estrogen hormones had been injected into the chickens. When they cut these out of their daily diet, they returned to normal.

Unfortunately this problem has overflowed into so-called organic vegetarian foods as well, due to the high hormonal levels in the animal manure. Zearalenone is an anabolic uterotropic metabolite, and it is excreted in animal dung and taken up by plants. We then eat it in our grains like corn, brown rice, etc. that have been affected, along with all sorts of moulds and aflatoxins. The result? Higher estrogen loads in both males and females and a lowering of the immune function.

What role does the liver play in helping us to control hormonal effects in the body?

Nobody thinks the liver is to blame when they get a hot flush, a headache or their body is sick and tired, but it is usually a liver problem. You see, the liver is actually where excess estrogen has to be broken down and eliminated. Benzene pollution inhibits this process along with a lack of liver nutrients and antioxidants. Then hormones like estrogen and even testosterone get tipped back into the bloodstream. Once the pituitary gland detects these higher levels, it shuts down hormone production. Ironically, the so-called lack of estrogen is thus self-inflicted by a faulty liver and thus too much estrogen. The liver is also vulnerable to parasites, especially the liver flukes we get from meat and milk. The liver is responsible for the production and the elimination of most of our metabolic processes and is always the first place to treat when the hot flushes set in.

What other hormonal upsets bother women the most?

Excessive estrogen type complaints, especially those on HRT and contraceptive pills: swelling, bloating, thyroid inactive or less active = fatigue, weight gain
Uterine fibroids, some very large. Most symptoms abate when estrogen levels are lowered by the use of selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMS) like red clover & black cohosh. Estrogen can also be displaced by increasing the activity of progesterone. This is done by influencing the pituitary gland with stimulants like red sweet potato. The effect is pretty immediate if taken by direct mouth absorption. The wild yam creams directly infuse the body with progesterone and some of them are known to contain synthetic progesterone as well. Wild yam cannot be taken by mouth as it is toxic. Topical application of wild yam is a long-term treatment, taking effect after a few weeks. Some ladies tend to gain weight with extra progesterone.

How are these symptoms being treated medically ?

1 Diane (cyproterone acetate with estrogen) An anti-androgenic drug.

Side effects: emotional problems ” I feel like killing or being killed” Weight gain, sore swollen breasts, bloating. The danger of taking tricyclic antidepressants to alleviate this feeling:
Cortisone supplements or drifting corticosteroids from “adaptogens and other herbal supplements” when taken with tricyclic antidepressants like Prozac can boost levels of prolactin, causing swollen, often leaky breasts. Hirsutism may also result. Blood pressure can elevate and clotting may occur.
Too much cortisone elevates blood sugar levels, resulting in insulin insensitivity, weight gain & water retention. The thyroid activity also weakens, causing a sluggish metabolism.

2 Zoladex (goserelin ) pituitary hormone: gonadotropin . Anti – cancer drug for prostate, breast & uterus.

3 Human gonadotropal hormones: Pergonal & Clomiphene citrate (from postmenopausal womens’ urine )

4 Provera : progesterone

What proposals do you have for naturally approaching the Polycystic ovarian syndrome?

Prevent oxidation of ingested forms of phytoestrogens and anabolic steroids

Look out for estrogen mimicking compounds in foods, chemicals and environment; PCB’s, dioxins.

Block testosterone receptors ( Agnus castus: Chaste Berry)

Bind up freely circulating testosterone (betasitosterol from pumpkin seeds or sterols & sterolins)

Treat liver to help control enzyme reactions ( 5-delta reductase enzyme) and to break down & excrete the excessive hormones.

Avoid benzene and solvents.

Eliminate all parasites.

Check foods and herbs that are estrogenic, excessive consumption causes symptoms of elevated estrogen, eg: sage, fennel, lentils, wholewheat, etc.

Check excessive exposure to hormone stimulants, eg: aromatherapists who use them daily on patients.

What hormones cause cancer? A closer look at hormone disruptors by Sue Visser (Feb 2007)

Disclaimer: This information is not intended for the diagnosis or treatment of disease, especially cancer. It is a compilation of interesting ideas that contribute to helping us understand more about cancer and the action of hormones in their complexity. What is involved in producing cancer and how can we prevent it? Are there effective natural ways to alleviate cancer? We need to continually ask these questions and keep abreast of the times. Over the years I have seen many die of cancer and find it mysterious that medical people have such fixed ideas about such an elusive subject. Surely all that money they spend on research would lead to the basic causal factors? Cigarettes and genes can’t be blamed for everything! I have managed to gather some of the basic concepts as presented by intrepid researchers of natural medicine. As such, a wonderful story has unfolded and I hope it helps to shed some light on the subject. Maybe it will empower you and help you to think for yourself, as I have done.

Estradiol

Estradiol is the real culprit. Specialists talk about unopposed oestrogen as a major factor in breast cancer. The most active hormone from the oestrogen group is estradiol because it exerts the strongest influence on cell division due to its role in reproduction. Estrogen receptor sites are different to other hormonal sites because they are not on the surface. They are situated deep within the cell, alongside strands of DNA that carry our genetic codes.

The estrogen group of hormones switch from the inactive forms: estrone and estriol to the active form: estradiol, constantly on these receptor sites. Genetic activity controls these cyclical conversions, but if faulty, estradiol dominates and causes prolonged cell proliferation. These effects of estradiol are duplicated by environmental estrogens known as Xenestrogens that are man-made. We are exposed to them via the air, foods, plastics, chemicals and cosmetics. Once in the bloodstream, they can latch onto specific estrogen receptors, called alpha-receptors. These sites occur all over the body and respond to the “divide and multiply” stimulus.

Normally, cells that divide too rapidly or out of control are stopped by the enzyme trypsin that comes from the liver, lest they form tumours. A foetus within the womb will only stop growing when it’s own little liver matures and releases trypsin. (Otherwise the baby would get too big!) Trypsin is critical for controlling the rate of cell division. The immune system constantly destroys faulty or damaged genetic material to prevent it from dividing and mutating. A healthy liver and immune system play vital roles in protecting us from cancer on a daily basis.

Cysts or layers of tissue can form around large toxic particles, clumps of cells bound by lectins or parasites as a natural defence mechanism to isolate these larger foreign substances from vulnerable areas. These cysts and growths are considered to be benign or malignant – it depends whether alpha-receptors bind with estradiol in them or not. If they do, cells start to proliferate uncontrollably and we call it cancer. However, when cells are dividing uncontrollably within hidden cysts, tumours and nodes where there is no bloodstream, they are not easily detected.

This hidden acidic environment is rich in undigested or fermented food particles and is starved of oxygen. These conditions favour the growth of cancer cells, especially if there has been damage to genetic material from carcinogens or the UV rays of the sun. In its advanced form, this type of mischief results in the tumour latching onto the bloodstream in order to gain more nutrients and also to sow its mutagenic seeds all over the body. If the liver and immune system are not functioning well, this can lead to the metastasis or a widespread form of cancer with usually fatal results.

In many cases of breast, cervical or uterine cancer, patients have excessive estradiol levels from careless exposure to birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy. In cases whereby the liver is unable to break down or excrete these hormones, there is a higher risk of cancer. Then it is only a matter of time before estradiol unites with an alpha-receptor, producing another statistic in the book of cancer victims.

Ways to block the vulnerable estrogen receptors:

If the oestrogen alpha-receptors are blocked by other hormones that exert a weaker influence or have a different function, they help to prevent cancer. The alpha-estrogen receptors all over the body become vulnerable to inappropriate cell proliferation if steroid hormones like progesterone, dehydroepiandosterone (DHEA) or oestrogen metabolites called estriol or estrone are in short supply. It increases the risk of causing what is known as the “open window” or an unprotected oestrogen alpha-receptor.

Oestrogen tends to dominate the hormonal hierarchy to the extent that excessive amounts can override thyroid function and also lodge onto other cell receptors. Progesterone, if activated or introduced into the system is able to displace wayward oestrogen and allow the body to generate higher levels of Dehyroepiandosterone (DHEA.) This beneficial, yet often ignored hormone is a natural steroid produced mostly in the adrenal glands. In addition to its cancer fighting properties, DHEA also improves the immune system, prevents and treats osteoporosis, improves blood sugar metabolism and is a mood elevator.

Progesterone is the precursor hormone for DHEA, oestrogen and testosterone; so it is important to maintain a constant supply of progesterone in the bloodstream. However, the invasive introduction of progesterone supplements is not always the ideal way to increase progesterone levels. We have to understand that this hormone is released naturally by the pituitary gland. Inappropriate supplementation of steroid hormones like testosterone, DHEA and progesterone may increase the risk of them converting into estradiol because they are not functioning within their natural cycles from active to inactive forms. Introducing steroid hormones impairs the natural secretion process controlled by the pituitary gland. Your own endogenous process shuts down and becomes dependent on external supplies. This makes one totally dependent on taking hormones that you yourself should be making and controlling.

The red sweet potato comes to the rescue. Using natural substances that help to increase the body’s own progesterone activity by stimulating the pituitary gland are safer than taking a progesterone supplement because the correct amount can be released as required. For example the red sweet potato we eat can be taken raw or in tincture form sublingually to activate the pituitary stimulus.

Wild yam creams that are absorbed transdermally (via the skin) will also help to raise progesterone levels and thus assist the formation of DHEA. They may take a few months to be effective, as opposed to slowly chewing a 50g piece of the common red sweet potato every day. Once the juice is absorbed under the tongue and taken up by the bloodstream, progesterone is released within the hour due to the stimulus received by the pituitary gland. Further assistance from the plant kingdom is given by the many phyto-estrogens we can eat every day that also block the oestrogen alpha-receptors. We can make selective hormone receptor modulators (SERMS) available to these cells with herbs like red clover, stinging nettle and black cohosh that offer a weaker link to the receptors. People on vegetarian diets who eat a lot of herbs, salads, juices and fresh fruit have lower blood levels of estradiol. They also excrete it in greater amounts, due to having lower fat levels in their bodies.

Blood type errors and cancer

People who do not eat according to their blood type food recommendations are more vulnerable to many kinds of cancer. Lectins in foods are substances that inactivate and bind up cells, should you be ingesting foods for which you do not have the appropriate antigens.

Antigens are what identify foods as being either beneficial or harmful to your blood type or to you as an individual. Lectins damage the liver and immune system and clumps of inactivated cells bind to toxic particles and parasites inside the body and get bigger and bigger, the more the offending foods are tipped into the body. Tumours can then form inside or around them, should estradiol be stimulating nearby alpha receptors. These sites form the perfect environment for cancer cells to proliferate as oxygen levels are low and undigested nutrients are plentiful.

Hormonal disruption caused by disagreeable foods can go as far as deactivating the thyroid gland, jamming up the liver and pancreas or slowing down the detoxification processes within the body by as much as 75%. Although soya beans can be used as a source of phyto-estrogens, the plot backfires when other indigestible compounds like trypsin inhibitors, also present in soya beans can promote the growth of tumours. This is especially true for blood type O and B non-secretors who are not able to digest soya products. For them, it floods the body with oestrogen in all its forms and it favours sites to multiply in breast tissue. When the liver malfunctions, the door to cancer is wide open. It is never too late for us to wake up and clean up.

Prostate cancer

The harmful form of testosterone known as dihydro-testosterone (DHT) can disrupt hormonal health in both males and females. In men, the prostate gland is a prime target. When the 5-alphareductase enzyme is overactive, it facilitates an excessive amount of DHT production and the epithelial cells that line the vessels in the prostate gland are then stimulated to divide and multiply. This causes an enlargement of the prostate (BPH), usually still benign at this stage.

When mutagenic material is involved, or estradiol has latched onto an alpha-receptor; biopsies show signs of cancer. As in breast or uterine tissue, estrogen receptors in prostate glands have nearby genetic strands where estradiol can stimulate cell proliferation if it does not cycle back to more inactive forms. Extracts from the stinging nettle have been successfully used to block these receptors. Saw Palmetto berries are good for blocking the action of DHT but no reliable reports of cancer cures have been noted. Red clover can be used to block these receptors as well and has shown significant improvement with BPH.

Many antimutagenic herbs are being researched and have potent effects. Keep an eye on herbs like Cat’s Claw and Artemisia as they are delivering very promising results. Although not as dangerous, another conversion site for DHT is on the scalp within the hair follicles; causing hair to drop out and produce the male baldness pattern in males and females. Ladies with a DHT problem also develop benign cysts on their ovaries. This condition is known as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and also involves hirsutism (unwanted hair on face or chest), insulin resistance and moodiness. Herbs like Chasteberry and the juice of fresh pumpkin seeds help to block testosterone receptors and prevent the conversion of testosterone into DHT. However, the real trouble is still with estradiol (or Xenestrogens), even in men and a healthy liver and immune system are vital defences against cancer. We also need to avoid exposure to Xenestrogens wherever we can.

All this talk about receptors: what is a hormone receptor?

A hormone receptor is a chain of proteins or amino acids, rather like a string of beads. Each one represents a code, similar to a sequence of lotto numbers. These receptor strands usually reside on cell membranes, waiting for hormones to latch onto them so they can carry out the process brought to them by the coded string of instructions. A complete match up of every code on the hormone to the receptor proteins will instigate a particular process. For example: releasing substances into the blood stream to handle stress, making more nutrients available, speeding up metabolism, etc.

The reason oestrogen is so different is because the receptor lies deep within the cell, alongside the strands of DNA. When it comes to cancer and the “divide and multiply” message, this is a dangerous place to receive the wrong instructions. A complete alignment of hormonal codes with the receptor will stimulate cell proliferation, even if the hormone latched itself onto to the receptor for the wrong reason. Xenestrogens carry a code very similar to estradiol and this is why they also stimulate cell proliferation on the alpha-estrogen receptor. The Beta-estrogen receptor is not at risk in this respect.

Now we can focus on the most dangerous site: the alpha-estrogen receptor in terms of hormonally related cancer and find a way to deceive it. This is where hormones containing information with only a few matching codes are used. Phyto-estrogens that abound in nature are our greatest allies, especially compounds known as the selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMS). Extracts from plants like red clover and black cohosh have been proven to occupy the vulnerable estrogen receptor, latching onto only a small percentage of the docking sites and thus blocking off the “divide and multiply” stimulus. Now the wayward estradiol and Xenestrogens have to stay in the bloodstream where they will be broken down by the liver or flushed away in the urine.

Compounds in plants like stinging nettle and saw palmetto take a more aggressive route to the alpha-estrogen receptor and knock off the offending hormone, shooting it back into the bloodstream. The liver plays an important role in monitoring oestrogen levels. When too much of a hormone is detected in the bloodstream, production is shut down for a while. Women who squeal for oestrogen supplementation in this situation because they experience hot flushes or headaches should rather attend to the health of their liver. After that, a little know-how will soon help them to release whatever hormones they need on demand.

Once the correct supplementation is in place and the pituitary gland is back in control there should be no need for hormonal supplementation or replacement of any kind. We were never designed to be short of hormones. It is better to attend to the cause of hormonal disarray and imbalances than to pump them into the body. The most recent statistics are proving that the past few decades of hormone replacement therapy have actually done more harm than good. Animals don’t need HRT, so why do we?

The bad and ugly side of hormone replacement/supplementation in men and women.

Once a hormone is supplied from the outside instead of being produced from the inside, the body quits producing it. This makes one dependent on taking it as a supplement for as long as you live. At what cost? You may be happy about milking your medical aid, but taking a hormone “replacement” instead of making it yourself can land you in serious trouble. Firstly, you do not know at what rate you will require oestrogen, how much you need or in what form. Secondly, how will you react to such an excess of oestrogen and in particular estradiol?

Statistics show that tipping too much oestrogen into the body makes the blood clot, leading to heart problems and strokes. Even uglier is the way oestrogen lurks around the fatty tissue and helps to pump triglycerides or very low density lipids (VLDL) into fat cells, making you bulge in all the wrong places. I have seen women on HRT suddenly become morbidly obese. I then asked myself why we try to put back hormones that the body is trying to get rid of at the time of menopause?

An even greater mystery to me is why we try to fool the body into thinking it is pregnant and possibly lactating as a means of a contraceptive? More and more hormones are being pumped in from the outside. Other people become flooded with cortisone and once this happens their entire autocrine system shuts down. This means that eicosanoids, the hormones that link to all the cells in the human body are deactivated. These hormones make up the autocrine system and they control inflammation, vasodilatation, platelet aggregation, cell proliferation and immune function.

What a joke! For as long as you take cortisone, especially when you flood yourself with it, you are compromising all your other vital functions. Is it really the best thing to take for asthma? Even more gross and macabre are people who recommend it for skin problems, arthritis and even irritable bowel syndrome. They say cortisone clears up the problem, for as long as they take it. What then? When they stop, the ailment returns, showing that is has not been resolved, it is merely suppressed by the cortisone. The repercussions of shutting down the autocrine system are not something you will read on the package insert. Instead, more drugs will be needed for inflammation, blood clotting, weight gain, and immune boosting. Go cortisone! Rather help the body to make it as and when it is required. A deficiency of the simple vitamin known as calcium d-pantothenate (vitamin B5) causes suppressed cortisone.

“ Even a young teenager I treated, who was only on anabolic steroids for 3 or 4 months, had massive drops in testosterone once he ceased taking them. And it wasn’t due to testicular atrophy: It was a change that occurred in the “control panel”, the pituitary, because he took them. Now, 3 years later, he’s on hormone replacement.” (Boosting Testosterone – Interview with Dr. Shippen By Mike Falcon & Dr. Shippen)

Steroid misuse

The silliest form of hormonal gate crashing has to be steroids. This very expensive process of pumping in anabolic steroids has left disaster in its wake. Apart from the puffed up freaks with ballooning muscles and the cheating that goes on in terms of athletic performance, people really think them to be a health benefit. Really? Little do they know that as with all the hormones you supply form the outside, you eventually get the same response: your body stops making them and you have to rely on taking them.

They are not cheap, they are not even legal and now, in order to have any gonadotropic activity, you have to use steroids or turn into a eunuch! Yes, the squeaky voice, the budding breasts and the flab that gathers around the waist are symptoms of steroid withdrawal. It’s going be costly to keep the hair on your chest, eh? Something like a few grand a shot. Then we get the macho’s that inject themselves full of testosterone. Grrrrrrrr! Once again, you will have to keep on doing that, and do you know how much you need and how sure are you that you are not going to flood yourself with the dangerous form, the DHT? How safe is your prostate, let alone your testicles? (Just a hair’s width away from cancer for most of the men today.)

Another problem with testosterone is that it is a precursor to the hormone: oestrogen. That’s right, the one the ladies battle with. In the absence of zinc, testosterone can rearrange itself into oestrogen via a process known as aromatisation. This really brings out the girlie effect, and it is hoped that all that extra weight lands on the shoulders instead of the breasts. Once again, men are vulnerable to the estradiol side of the oestrogen they make out of the testosterone. So please, take your zinc every day. If you want to bulk up, rather help the body to make its own steroid hormones to improve your athletic performance it will be much cheaper and far safer. More information at: www.naturefresh.co.za

References:

1) The Testosterone Dilemma by Dr. Shippen. Interview at: http://www.maxmuscle.com/index.cfm/fa/homewww

2 ) Sue Visser’s full reference pages with quotations and other related articles on MEGAMAX, hormones, the menopause, progesterone, etc at www.naturefresh.co.za

3) Clinical Gynecologic Endocrinology and Infertility by L. Speroff, R. Glass & N Kase. Publisher: Williams & Wilkins.

4 ) Complete Book of Men’s Health by Dr S Brewer. Publisher: Thorsons

5) Balancing hormones naturally by K. Neil & P. Holford. Publisher: Piatkus.

6) Passage to Power by L. Kenton. Publisher: Vermilion.

7) Live Right for your Type by Dr P D’Adamo. Publisher: Penguin Books.

8) The Anti-Ageing Zone by B Sears. Publisher: Harper & Collins.

9) They cure for all diseases by h. REgher Clark. Publisher: Promotion Publishing.

10) A special thanks to: GOOGLE search facilities of which there were too numerous to mention.

11) Townsend Letter April 2007 ; War on Cancer by R W Moss PhD