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              HORMONES

Hormones are tiny chemical messengers that regulate our body's functioning. There is overwhelming documentation with regard to the signs and symptoms of aging and how hormone balancing can slow these down. One of the major causes of aging is that hormones do not remain at their best levels. Biologically speaking, we seem to be programmed to age. Menopause and andropause are the two signals of aging. Females and males alike experience the physiological effects of aging, even before the onset of “middle age”, we begin to experience both internal and external changes. On the inside the biochemical alterations have a more profound effect on our long term health. Slower metabolism, decreased strength and lean body mass, weight gain, decreased sex drive and mood, increased diabetes, heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s are all signs of aging we like to avoid. Maintaining a good quality of life is the major goal of many of our patients, with good health being the primary tenet. Replenishing hormones to their more youthful, optimal levels is a good way to restore the vitality we once knew. TOP

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               ESTROGEN

Estrogen is the female sex hormone. Before menopause, the ovaries produce estrogen. Low levels of estrogen have been linked to osteoporosis, arteriosclerosis, declining cognitive function and increased risk for Alzheimer's disease. Estrogen replacement therapy has been shown to decrease incidences of osteoporosis and arteriosclerosis, improve cognitive function and increase life span. Estrogen's age management benefits may include a decrease in osteoporosis, decrease in heart attacks and strokes, improved memory and cognitive function, reduced risk and slowing of Alzheimer's reversal of thinning of skin and drying of mucous membranes and increased life span. A study reported in 1997 in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that post-menopausal women using estrogen experience as much as a 50 percent reduction in osteoporosis, heart attack, stroke, reversal of thinning of the skin and mucous membrane, significant reduction and possibly reversals in Alzheimer's disease and extended life span. TOP

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               TESTOSTERONE

Although the decline in testosterone production as men age (sometimes referred to as "andropause") is not as dramatic as the drop in women's estrogen production with the onset of menopause, testosterone decline is a serious issue for many older men. Among other problems, declining testosterone production is strongly associated with impotency and libido problems. Age management benefits that have been associated with testosterone replacement therapy may include increased libido and sexual potency; improved erectile function; improved mood and increased feelings of well-being; decreased fatigue; increased red blood cell count; reduction of LDL cholesterol and overall cholesterol levels and strengthening of the bones.

Although it’s normal for testosterone levels to drop as men age, low testosterone can affect a man’s health. In many ways, testosterone is the stuff that makes men men. The rush of new testosterone in puberty builds muscle and bone, deepens the voice, and revs up the sex drive. Throughout a man’s life, testosterone maintains his male characteristics.

Testosterone levels decline steadily after age 40. The decline is relatively small, at an average rate of about 1% to 2% percent per year. By middle age and older, virtually all men experience some decline in testosterone -- but only a small percentage of aging men have levels far below those considered normal for their age.

Symptoms of low testosterone can affect any man regardless of age, physical condition or health and can include low sex drive, erectile dysfunction, mood problems, fatigue, and sleep disturbances. Of all men with below-normal testosterone levels, about one-half to two-thirds report symptoms.

Unlike a woman’s menopause, when estrogen levels plummet over months to very low levels, men’s “andropause” is a gradual decline of testosterone levels over years. The effects of low testosterone can be insidious, even go unnoticed. Men with symptoms of low testosterone can have significant impairment in quality of life.

All men should be concerned with low testosterone symptoms and you should be aware of how to prevent them and what you can do if you already have low testosterone or low testosterone symptoms.

Almost one hundred percent of men who suffer from the symptoms of low testosterone fail to take proper preventative measures or reverse their symptoms of low testosterone. This is because of the fact that most men accept their low testosterone symptoms as just a natural part of getting older.

The fact is that it isn't a natural or normal part of getting older. You need to normalize your testosterone levels in order to lead a normal, healthy, productive and long life.

Testosterone replacement needs to be managed by a physician to ensure that a patient receives only enough of the hormone to replenish lost levels. Many forms of administering testosterone have been developed, including intramuscular injections, suppositories, a transdermal patch attached to the scrotum, oral micronized capsules, sublingual lozenges, and our New Testosterone Pellet Delivery System. Oral administrations seem to be the least effective method. TOP

     

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               PROGESTERONE

Progesterone is a vital hormone in the female body. It is produced mainly by the ovaries and by the adrenal glands. Progesterone serves as a precursor not only to DHEA, testosterone and estrogen, but also to cortisol, the stress hormone. This makes it instrumental in many core biologic functions. Unlike non-bioidentical hormones, bioidentical progesterone has the same structure as progesterone your own body would produce. Therefore, it is able to fit on all of the progesterone receptors and create the other hormones along the hormone pathway.

Progesterone plays an important role in using fat for energy, facilitating thyroid hormone action, and helping to restore one’s sex drive. It is also a natural antidepressant, aids in normalizing blood clotting, helps to initiate sleep and is a natural diuretic along with many other vital functions.

In menopause, several hormones are thrown off balance. Often in perimenopause, there is too little progesterone in a woman’s body; it can result in symptoms such as anxiety, breast tenderness, headaches, sleeplessness, weight gain (caused by improper levels of progesterone which prevent your thyroid from functioning properly) and more.

Chronic stress is also a big contributor to progesterone levels. When your body is stressed, it works to produce higher levels of the hormone cortisol which manages stress in your body. Because progesterone is the precursor to cortisol, when cortisol levels increase, progesterone levels decrease. TOP

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               DHEA

DHEA is a critical hormone that influences and is a building block to several other important hormones, including serotonin, testosterone, progesterone and estrogen. It has the ability to be transformed into almost any other hormone as the body needs it. By age 40, DHEA has declined markedly. DHEA enhances the immune system and the thymus gland, therefore reducing the rate of infection, and helps Epstein Barr virus, lupus, herpes and cancer. It balances the stress hormone cortisol and helps offset caffeine and the catabolic effects of exercise. DHEA helps the breakdown of fats and cholesterol, while reducing the formation of atheroscierotic plaques. Heavy alcohol consumption, birth control pills, stress, hypothyroidism, lack of exercise and obesity will reduce DHEA levels. TOP

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               THYROID

This metabolic hormone decreases steadily with age.

The thyroid gland location is positioned in the front of the neck below the larynx or voice box. The gland produces thyroid hormones which are a major factor in metabolism for women. These thyroid hormones include thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3).

Most physicians test only the TSH as a measure of thyroid function. There are many things that can level this test, so it is not a good indicator all by itself. The Ageless Forever thyroid test panel consists of TSH and free T4 and freeT3, which is a much better indicator of the actually amount of active thyroid hormones your body has.

More importantly, of the hormones secreted by the thyroid gland, T4 is the most produced and has very low activity. Once the T4 is released, it is converted to the active thyroid hormone, T3, in your body. Many things affect your ability to make this conversion. Stress and high cortisol will reduce this conversion. If you are nutritionally depleted in iodine, selenium and vitamin A, you will also have reduced activity of your thyroid hormones.

Thyroid symptoms in women, come from having the far more common underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) than to have an overactive thyroid. In fact, some estimate that as many as 1 in 7 adults suffer from hypothyroidism. Many women have the symptoms of low thyroid hormones but are told that their lab tests are “normal” and that there is not a problem. These symptoms include:

   • Fatigue
   • Weight Gain
   • Constipation
   • Dry Skin
   • Hair Loss
   • Cold Intolerance

In hyperthyroidism, the hormones secreted by the thyroid gland are being produced too much. These high levels of thyroid hormones result in an increased metabolism which causes the weight loss. The symptoms may be hard to notice at first, but become gradually more severe over time. These symptoms include:
• Heart Palpitations
• Weight Loss
• Anxiety
• Heat Intolerance
• Insomnia
• Fatique
• Trembling Hands
• Muscle Weakness
• Increased Bowel Movements
• Breathlessness

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               PREGNENOLONE

Pregnenolone helps keep our brains functioning at peak capacity, reduces arthritis, and is a potient memory enhancer that improves concentration and fights mental fatigue and depression. It can be converted into over 150 other important natural hormones, which is why it is often known as the “grandmother” hormone. It concentrates in the brain and central neural tissues over 70 times more than in the blood. This high concentration is another reason why we believe that Pregnenolone has very important functions to enhance brain and nerve function. With optimal dosages, you may expect enhanced mood, euphoria, alertness and energy. TOP

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               Human Growth Hormone (hGH)?

Human growth hormone (hGH) is a 191-amino acid, single-chain polypeptide hormone released from the anterior pituitary gland under the control of the hypothalamus. In children, GH has growth-promoting effects on the body. It stimulates the secretion of somatomedins from the liver, which are a family of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) hormones. These, along with GH and thyroid hormone, stimulate linear skeletal growth in children. In adults, GH stimulates protein synthesis in muscle and the release of fatty acids from adipose tissue (anabolic effects). It inhibits uptake of glucose by muscle tissue while stimulating uptake of amino acids. The amino acids are used in the synthesis of proteins, and the muscle shifts to using fatty acids as a source of energy. GH secretion occurs in a pulsatile (short, concentrated secretion) at night during deep sleep. Thus, people suffering from sleep apnea, insomnia, or other sleep disorders may have lower than optimal levels of hGH.

Declines in hGH secretion are seen in people with histories of traumatic brain injury (any head injury that caused a loss of consciousness), sleep problems, chronic illness, and the aging process. Repetitive head trauma, as seen in contact sports, has been shown to cause dysfunction of an area of the brain called the Hypothalamus. This area of the brain controls the regulation of many hormones, including hGH. Two popular theories for decline of hGH over time exist. One explanation is that as the pituitary ages it looses its ability to secrete hGH. The other theory is that stress, illness and aging cause an increase in the release of somatastatin. Somatastatin is a hormone released in the brain to inhibit or stop the release of hGH.

Reported effects on GH deficient patients include decreased body fat, increased muscle mass, increased bone density, increased energy levels, improved skin tone and texture, increased sexual function, improved sleep, improved heart and lung function, and improved immune system function. At this time hGH is still considered a very complex hormone and many of its functions are still unknown. hGH has been used for remission of multiple sclerosis, to reverse the effects of aging in older adults, to enhance weight loss in obesity, as well as fibromyalgia, heart failure, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, burns and bodybuilding or athletic enhancement.

Side effects, such as joint swelling, joint pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, an increased risk of diabetes, and decreased thyroid functions have been reported. These are usually related to supraphysiolgic doses (higher than optimal levels). Long-term use of these high doses can also lead to acromegaly (thickening the bones of the jaw, fingers and toes), or gigantism. These are very serious conditions that, fortunately, are all but eliminated with proper physician supervision.

Frequently patients are concerned with the risk of cancer and the use of hGH. Our bodies produce millions of new cells each and every day. With these vast numbers of production there is bound to be some abnormal cell production. Our immune system is responsible for finding and destroying these abnormal cells. As stated earlier, the immune system is enhanced by hGH, and therefore performs its function better thus, reducing the likelihood that these abnormal cells will go on to produce a cancer. The data from cancer survivors have consistently shown no increased risk of recurrence of the primary tumor in survivors of all tumor types who are treated with hGH. Overall, the clinical data is reassuring, but continued surveillance is mandatory.

There are now more ways to improve natural hGH levels in the body besides direct administration of the hormone. Doctors have prescribed growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) to stimulate the pituitary release of hGH. Traditionally this had been used to test for growth hormone deficiency, but now it is used therapeutically as well.

There is also research regarding finding ways to increase the bodies own natural production of hGH through the use of secretagogues. They work one of two ways, by directly stimulating of the pituitary gland to secrete more hGH, and/or by inhibition of somatastatin. Unfortunately there are a lot of products without research that are of no value. However, after recent review and evaluation, I believe that there is a relatively new product that has demonstrated clinically effective positive impact on the bodies ability to increase its own natural hGH production. This product is believed to work by binding with those specific receptors that cause the desired secretion of the releasing factors that are ultimately responsible for hGH production. It is a sublingual product with a patented receptor cell targeting liposomal delivery, designed to stimulate the Pituitary. It is made of naturally occurring secretagogues. It comes in a spray that is directed under the tongue twice a day with the cost being about one eighth of injectable hGH.

It is extremely important for anyone wishing to explore the possibility of hGH use to seek medical advise from a physician. Laboratory tests, history and physical examination all play a critical role in the determination of human growth hormone deficiency. When optimal levels of hormones exist, and one blindly ventures into the use of hGH, the risks for negative side effects increases. Some of these side effects are irreversible and very dangerous. TOP

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