Yearly Archives: 2016

Happy December! It’s officially the kick off to the happiest time of year with weekends booked for spreading cheer, holiday shopping, and sharing not so healthy meals with friends and family. While all of the merriment can definitely be exciting, it can also take on a life of its own. From planning the perfect holiday meal, to scratching names off that holiday gift list and navigating family politics, parts of the holiday shuffle can be stressful. This month, let Advanced Hormone Solutions help ease your worries so you can focus on the joy of the season and enter the New Year in peace!

Image Source: blog.otterbox.com

Late nights, indulging on seasonal treats, and staying awake to online shop can disrupt stable hormonal balances in the body. Hormones such as cortisol are released when your diet and sleep are altered, increasing your stress levels and wreaking havoc in your body. If the holiday rush is starting to take a toll on you, we can help.

At Advanced Hormone Solutions, we specialize in Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy. First, we run a blood test to identify areas of hormonal imbalances. Once we have our data in hand, we’ll work with you to stabilize your hormones using bio-identical hormone replacement therapy. This therapy can be as easy as applying creams, injections, gels, pills and SottoPelle® pellets. Pretty soon you’ll feel the stress melt away and be left happily ringing in the New Year!

To schedule your consultation today give us a call at 201-225-2525.

Do you feel like you count down the seconds until bedtime all day long, only to finally lay your head on the pillow and stare at the clock? Are you awakened mid-sleep drenched in cold sweat? Are you tossing and turning from being too hot and then too cold? If you said yes to any of these questions, it might be time to talk about hormones, the hidden culprits behind sleep issues.

image source: www.prevention.com

What causes a hormone imbalance?
When your body is functioning at optimal health, hormones like estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid are all working together. When hormones start veering off the normal course, things like sleep disturbances, mood swings, hot flashes, and weight gain tend to occur. These hormones can easily get out of sync due to many reasons out of your control, including menopause, perimenopause, and hypothyroidism. While these issues might be a fact of life, it doesn’t mean you have to suffer and never have a full night of sleep again.

What can I do to fix the imbalance?
If you feel like you’ve tried everything to no avail it might be time to consider hormone replacement therapy. Similarly to taking a multivitamin when you have a vitamin deficiency, Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy is able to supplement deficient hormone levels and replenish what your body needs in order to restore your natural chemistry. These hormones (Testosterone and Estradiol) can be administered in the form of tiny pellets placed under the upper layer of your skin.

If you’re experiencing trouble sleeping and are ready to make a change, give us a call today to schedule your consultation and start looking forward to bedtime instead of dreading it!

If you are considering Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy, here is Dr. Geno Tutera explaining the unique benefits of the SottoPelle protocol that he founded after many years of research.

The SottoPelle Method is an innovative breakthrough in hormone replacement therapy. By using Bio-Identical hormones your body absorbs and responds better to the therapy allowing you to flourish again! We believe that once you watch this exciting video highlighting the benefits of SottoPelle and its unique delivery methods for both women and men, you will want to know how you can get started.

November 2016

By Lynn Dicurie

Life Extension Magazine

Pomegranates are best known for their ability to improve arterial health.

Accumulating data have demonstrated that pomegranate has cancer protective properties as well.^1-3

Some of the most promising findings on pomegranate extracts show their ability to impede progression of prostate cancer. Additional studies indicate that pomegranate may protect against breast and colon cancer as well.^4,5

Dietary factors are increasingly recognized as playing a role in cancer development. More than 70% of certain malignancies—like colorectal cancer—are related to diet and lifestyle factors.⁶

Studies show that high fruit and vegetable consumption is associated with lower cancer incidence.⁶ That’s especially true when diets include large amounts of polyphenols from specific plant foods.⁷

The challenge is that, while adding polyphenol-rich foods to our diets is beneficial, it doesn’t always provide enough polyphenols to exert a meaningful effect on prevention.⁶ That’s where pomegranate extracts may play a crucial role.

Pomegranate Slows Prostate Cancer Progression

The most promising studies on pomegranate’s anti-cancer actions are on its ability to slow the progression of prostate cancer.

In prostate-cancer patients, serum PSA levels are the most commonly used marker to assess disease status. One standard for evaluating cancer progression is to measure the time it takes for PSA levels to double from a baseline value. The longer it takes for PSA to double, the slower the cancer is progressing.⁸

Studies show that supplementation with pomegranate juice or extracts can significantly increase the time it takes for PSA to double in men with prostate cancer. In one study, men received 8 ounces of pomegranate juice daily following surgery or radiotherapy for prostate cancer. Prior to treatment, the subjects’ PSA doubled in an average of 15 months, indicating quite rapid disease progression. But after treatment with pomegranate juice, PSA took an average of 54 months to double its value, which is a clinically and statistically significant difference.⁹

Another study evaluated men with recurrent prostate cancer (which is cancer that comes back after treatment such as surgery). In this study, taking pomegranate extract daily for up to 18 months increased the time it took for PSA to double from 11.9 months at baseline to 18.5 months.¹⁰

These studies offer evidence of pomegranate’s ability to slow down the progression of prostate cancer.

Pomegranate’s Targeted Effect

While most of the clinical studies on pomegranate’s anticancer benefits have been conducted in men with prostate cancer, the encouraging results can be expected to translate to other malignancies as well. In fact, numerous animal and basic lab studies have now added to our understanding of pomegranate’s promise in cancer prevention.

One of the first questions about any natural compound (or drug, for that matter) is how well it is absorbed after oral intake. It is also important to determine how much of the compound ultimately reaches its target tissues (glands, organs, etc.).

Studies show that the pomegranate components ellagitannins (which are the most abundant polyphenol found in pomegranate juice) are not only extremely well-absorbed, but also get delivered to many of the tissues where human cancers arise—especially prostate, colon, and intestinal tissues.¹¹ This important finding was confirmed in a human study of colorectal cancer patients. When the patients supplemented with 900 mg of pomegranate extracts for 15 days prior to surgery, it resulted in significant accumulation of the extracts and their active breakdown products in colon tissue, indicating a targeted effect.²

Once they get to their target tissues, pomegranate compounds exert numerous effects that can help prevent tumors from developing and spreading. This has been demonstrated in animal studies of xenografts, which are implants of human cancer cells that are surgically engrafted into host animals. Xenograft studies now demonstrate that not only can pomegranate extracts delay the development of a tumor after it has been implanted, but they can also decrease the size and blood supply of those tumors that do develop.^12-14

Supplementation with three specific compounds found in pomegranate—luteolin, ellagic acid, and punicic acid—has also been shown to inhibit the progression and spread of prostate cancer in animals injected with human tumor cells.¹⁴ In this study, pomegranate supplementation inhibited the growth of the primary tumor, and also shut down biochemical signaling pathways required for metastasis. As a result, none of the implanted tumors metastasized. This is a tremendously important finding, especially considering the terrible prognosis in humans when metastasis occurs.

Actions Against Colon and Breast Cancer

Many fast-growing tumors can be induced in small animal models by treating them with known cancer-causing chemicals. This is a technique that is commonly used in studying cancers of the colon and digestive tract.

Such cancer-inducing treatment leads to the development of early precancerous lesions known as aberrant crypt foci in colon tissue, which represent areas of abnormal cell replication and growth in the folds of tissue that line the intestine.¹⁵ If left untreated, aberrant crypt foci have a high likelihood of progressing to intestinal polyps, and then to fully-developed cancers.

But that story changes when animals are given pomegranate extracts prior to exposure to the toxic cancer-causing compound. In these scenarios, aberrant crypt foci occurred significantly less frequently in the animals supplemented with pomegranate extracts, compared to the unsupplemented animals.^15-17

These studies show pomegranate’s ability to help prevent the precancerous changes that can lead to the development of tumors. Other studies go a step further, and demonstrate pomegranate’s ability to improve survival rates in animals with colon cancer.¹⁸

A study published earlier this year showed that pomegranate extracts have protective effects in chemically-induced breast cancer. When pomegranate extracts were given to rats before and after they were exposed to a chemical that caused breast cancer, the extract was found to reduce the incidence, number, and size of breast tumors. This led the researchers to conclude that pomegranate’s compounds “could be developed as a chemopreventive drug to reduce the risk of breast cancer.”¹⁹

Studies have also indicated pomegranate’s protective effect against cancer in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases. Chronic intestinal inflammation is a known precursor of intestinal malignancies, which is why inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease substantially increase the risk of such cancers.

The good news is that in studies of animals with experimentally-induced colitis, the pomegranate constituent ellagic acid has been found to inhibit the progression of colitis, and to downregulate many of the molecular signaling pathways that get switched on and promote cancer in colitis patients.²⁰

Seven Ways Pomegranate Attacks Cancer

One reason why pomegranate extracts have demonstrated potent effects against a variety of different types of malignancies is because they mount a multitargeted attack against cancer cells. Cancer is a complicated, multifactorial disease, with no single cause and no likely single cure. Because of that, cancer prevention strategies are most effective when they simultaneously address the many underlying causes of cancer in a multitargeted fashion.

This is what makes natural compounds such as pomegranate so appealing for cancer prevention. Unlike synthetic molecules, natural compounds—especially polyphenols—are capable of a multitargeted effect because they operate within the same complicated set of rules and events that cancer itself plays by.

Studies show that pomegranate extracts and polyphenols exert seven different mechanisms of action on developing cancer cells. Let’s take a look at pomegranate’s wide ranging effects:

• DNA damage is considered the initiating phase for cancer development. Mutations in DNA genes can arise from exposure to radiation (including ultraviolet light), to toxins, and even to byproducts of normal metabolism, such as oxidative stress. Laboratory studies demonstrate that pomegranate extracts, including punicalagin and ellagic acid, can prevent DNA damage from many different sources.^21-23
• Out-of-control proliferation of cells is the hallmark of cancer. Such proliferation occurs as a result of changes in specific genes that normally maintain regulation over the cell proliferation. When DNA regulatory genes are suppressed, endless cellular replication contributes to more rapid cancer progression. Pomegranate extracts are capable of interfering with abnormal cell-proliferation cycles, thereby impeding aberrant replication.^24-27
• Low-grade inflammation is a well-known promoter of cancer cell growth and survival.²⁸ Pomegranate extracts and polyphenols shut down certain inflammatory signals (such as NFkappaB) and suppress the production of other pro-inflammatory molecules.^12,20,29-31
• Loss of apoptosis is another change that occurs as cells undergo malignant transformation. Normally dividing cells receive many signals to stop replicating, and in many cases, to take themselves out of the picture so that normal tissue can form. The problem is that malignant cells suppress genes that trigger apoptosis. Pomegranate extracts can restore apoptosis to cancer cells, helping to halt continued expansion and if caught early enough may prevent a tumor from forming.^{7,19,24,25,32,33}
• Forming new blood vessels (angiogenesis) is a necessity for burgeoning tumor cells, as they need to nourish themselves during their rapid growth spurt. Pomegranate constituents have shown the ability to inhibit angiogenesis in laboratory and animal studies.^13,34
• Invasion of local tissue and spread to distant tissue (called metastasis) heralds the advance of cancer to a much higher grade and raises the risk of death. In order to invade tissues, cancer cells produce “protein-melting” enzymes that allow them to squeeze into tiny spaces between healthy cells, while metastasis requires a host of molecular signals that allow bits of tumor to set up shop in new environments in the body. Pomegranate extracts combat both of these actions by suppressing the production of such tissue-destroying enzymes and signaling molecules, thereby helping prevent cancer cells from spreading.^14,27,35
• Growth stimulation by sex hormones is a feature of some of the most common human cancers, including those of the breast and prostate, which have cell-surface receptors for those hormones. Pomegranate extracts slow the growth of many hormone-dependent cancers.^36-39

Summary

Pomegranates contain a host of protective molecules that benefit not only the plant, but those who consume it. While these constituents are best-known for reducing the risk of heart disease, they are now also being explored for their ability to help prevent cancer.

Because cancer is a multifactorial disease, any compound aimed at preventing it should have multitargeted effects. This is a virtue of the active constituents of pomegranate fruit, skin, and even leaves. Lab studies show that pomegranate extracts exert at least seven distinct beneficial effects that confer protection to cells against malignant changes, while making those that do mutate less likely to progress.

Animal studies help corroborate that pomegranate supplementation can reduce the incidence of cancers, slow their growth, and reduce the size and number of cancers that develop. Human studies indicate that pomegranate extracts are capable of slowing the progression of prostate cancer. Additional research findings indicate pomegranate’s potential benefits in breast and colon cancer as well.

Pomegranate’s multitargeted properties make it an ideal chemoprevention supplement, one that is widely available and potent in its effects. Given its cardioprotective effects, pomegranate extracts offer a well-rounded approach to protecting against some of today’s deadliest diseases.

References

1. Gonzalez-Sarrias A, Gimenez-Bastida JA, Garcia-Conesa MT, et al. Occurrence of urolithins, gut microbiota ellagic acid metabolites and proliferation markers expression response in the human prostate gland upon consumption of walnuts and pomegranate juice. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2010;54(3):311-22.
2. Nunez-Sanchez MA, Garcia-Villalba R, Monedero-Saiz T, et al. Targeted metabolic profiling of pomegranate polyphenols and urolithins in plasma, urine and colon tissues from colorectal cancer patients. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2014;58(6):1199-211.
3. Nunez-Sanchez MA, Karmokar A, Gonzalez-Sarrias A, et al. In vivo relevant mixed urolithins and ellagic acid inhibit phenotypic and molecular colon cancer stem cell features: A new potentiality for ellagitannin metabolites against cancer. Food Chem Toxicol. 2016;92:8-16.
4. Syed DN, Chamcheu J-C, Adhami VM, et al. Pomegranate Extracts and Cancer Prevention: Molecular and Cellular Activities. Anticancer agents med chem. 2013;13(8):1149-61.
5. Adhami VM, Khan N, Mukhtar H. Cancer Chemoprevention by Pomegranate: Laboratory and Clinical Evidence. Nutrition and cancer. 2009;61(6):811-5.

6. Nunez-Sanchez MA, Gonzalez-Sarrias A, Romo-Vaquero M, et al. Dietary phenolics against colorectal cancer–From promising preclinical results to poor translation into clinical trials: Pitfalls and future needs. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2015;59(7):1274-91.
7. Turrini E, Ferruzzi L, Fimognari C. Potential Effects of Pomegranate Polyphenols in Cancer Prevention and Therapy. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2015;2015:938475.
8. Available at: http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/diagnosis-staging/diagnosis/tumor-markers-fact-sheet. Accessed August 12, 2016.
9. Pantuck AJ, Leppert JT, Zomorodian N, et al. Phase II study of pomegranate juice for men with rising prostate-specific antigen following surgery or radiation for prostate cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2006;12(13):4018-26.
10. Paller CJ, Ye X, Wozniak PJ, et al. A randomized phase II study of pomegranate extract for men with rising PSA following initial therapy for localized prostate cancer. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis. 2013;16(1):50-5.
11. Seeram NP, Aronson WJ, Zhang Y, et al. Pomegranate ellagitannin-derived metabolites inhibit prostate cancer growth and localize to the mouse prostate gland. J Agric Food Chem. 2007;55(19):7732-7.
12. Rettig MB, Heber D, An J, et al. Pomegranate extract inhibits androgen-independent prostate cancer growth through a nuclear factor-kappaB-dependent mechanism. Mol Cancer Ther. 2008;7(9):2662-71.
13. Sartippour MR, Seeram NP, Rao JY, et al. Ellagitannin-rich pomegranate extract inhibits angiogenesis in prostate cancer in vitro and in vivo. Int J Oncol. 2008;32(2):475-80.
14. Wang L, Li W, Lin M, et al. Luteolin, ellagic acid and punicic acid are natural products that inhibit prostate cancer metastasis. Carcinogenesis. 2014;35(10):2321-30.
15. Waly MI, Al-Rawahi AS, Al Riyami M, et al. Amelioration of azoxymethane induced-carcinogenesis by reducing oxidative stress in rat colon by natural extracts. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2014;14:60.
16. Banerjee N, Kim H, Talcott S, et al. Pomegranate polyphenolics suppressed azoxymethane-induced colorectal aberrant crypt foci and inflammation: possible role of miR-126/VCAM-1 and miR-126/PI3K/AKT/mTOR. Carcinogenesis. 2013;34(12):2814-22.
17. Waly MI, Ali A, Guizani N, et al. Pomegranate (Punica granatum) peel extract efficacy as a dietary antioxidant against azoxymethane-induced colon cancer in rat. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev.2012;13(8):4051-5.
18. Bishayee A, Mandal A, Bhattacharyya P, et al. Pomegranate exerts chemoprevention of experimentally induced mammary tumorigenesis by suppression of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis. Nutr Cancer. 2016;68(1):120-30.
19. Marin M, Maria Giner R, Rios JL, et al. Intestinal anti-inflammatory activity of ellagic acid in the acute and chronic dextrane sulfate sodium models of mice colitis. J Ethnopharmacol.2013;150(3):925-34.
20. Dassprakash MV, Arun R, Abraham SK, et al. In vitro and in vivo evaluation of antioxidant and antigenotoxic potential of Punica granatum leaf extract. Pharm Biol. 2012;50(12):1523-30.
21. Forouzanfar F, Afkhami Goli A, Asadpour E, et al. Protective Effect of Punica granatum L. against Serum/Glucose Deprivation-Induced PC12 Cells Injury. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med.2013;2013:716730.

22. Zahin M, Ahmad I, Gupta RC, et al. Punicalagin and ellagic acid demonstrate antimutagenic activity and inhibition of benzo[a]pyrene induced DNA adducts. Biomed Res Int. 2014;2014:467465.
23. Albrecht M, Jiang W, Kumi-Diaka J, et al. Pomegranate extracts potently suppress proliferation, xenograft growth, and invasion of human prostate cancer cells. J Med Food. 2004;7(3):274-83.
24. Asmaa MJ, Ali AJ, Farid JM, et al. Growth inhibitory effects of crude pomegranate peel extract on chronic myeloid leukemia, K562 cells. Int J Appl Basic Med Res. 2015;5(2):100-5.
25. Lee ST, Lu MH, Chien LH, et al. Suppression of urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma cell by the ethanol extract of pomegranate fruit through cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2013;13:364.
26. Li Y, Yang F, Zheng W, et al. Punica granatum (pomegranate) leaves extract induces apoptosis through mitochondrial intrinsic pathway and inhibits migration and invasion in non-small cell lung cancer in vitro. Biomed Pharmacother. 2016;80:227-35.
27. Grivennikov SI, Greten FR, Karin M. Immunity, Inflammation, and Cancer. Cell. 2010;140(6):883-99.
28. Costantini S, Rusolo F, De Vito V, et al. Potential anti-inflammatory effects of the hydrophilic fraction of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) seed oil on breast cancer cell lines. Molecules. 2014;19(6):8644-60.
29. Kim H, Banerjee N, Ivanov I, et al. Comparison of anti-inflammatory mechanisms of mango (Mangifera Indica L.) and pomegranate (Punica Granatum L.) in a preclinical model of colitis. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2016.
30. Neyrinck AM, Van Hee VF, Bindels LB, et al. Polyphenol-rich extract of pomegranate peel alleviates tissue inflammation and hypercholesterolaemia in high-fat diet-induced obese mice: potential implication of the gut microbiota. Br J Nutr. 2013;109(5):802-9.
31. Kiraz Y, Neergheen-Bhujun VS, Rummun N, et al. Apoptotic effects of non-edible parts of Punica granatum on human multiple myeloma cells. Tumour Biol. 2016;37(2):1803-15.
32. Naiki-Ito A, Chewonarin T, Tang M, et al. Ellagic acid, a component of pomegranate fruit juice, suppresses androgen-dependent prostate carcinogenesis via induction of apoptosis. Prostate. 2015;75(2):151-60.
33. Dana N, Javanmard SH, Rafiee L. Role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha and gamma in antiangiogenic effect of pomegranate peel extract. Iran J Basic Med Sci. 2016;19(1):106-10.
34. Wang Y, Zhang S, Iqbal S, et al. Pomegranate extract inhibits the bone metastatic growth of human prostate cancer cells and enhances the in vivo efficacy of docetaxel chemotherapy. Prostate. 2013.
35. Kapoor R, Ronnenberg A, Puleo E, et al. Effects of Pomegranate Juice on Hormonal Biomarkers of Breast Cancer Risk. Nutr Cancer. 2015;67(7):1113-9.
36. Mandal A, Bishayee A. Mechanism of Breast Cancer Preventive Action of Pomegranate: Disruption of Estrogen Receptor and Wnt/beta-Catenin Signaling Pathways. Molecules. 2015;20(12):22315-28.
37. Ming DS, Pham S, Deb S, et al. Pomegranate extracts impact the androgen biosynthesis pathways in prostate cancer models in vitro and in vivo. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2014;143:19-28.
38. Vini R, Juberiya AM, Sreeja S. Evidence of pomegranate methanolic extract in antagonizing the endogenous SERM, 27-hydroxycholesterol. IUBMB Life. 2016;68(2):116-21.

Scientists have determined that fighting the biological process of aging at the cellular level will pay off big, with revolutionary new treatments.

In 400 BC, Hippocrates made an observation he thought was a secret to longevity. Obesity appeared to lead to an early death, so he thought restraint was the key to living longer. It would be over 2000 years before science would confirm his suspicions. In the 20th century, scientists made the link between calorie restriction and longer life. Yet, for most people, the thought of growing old conjures up images of debilitating disease and undue suffering in the final years. Today however, scientists are taking a new approach to the problem. They have determined that targeting the biological process of aging at the cellular level will pay off big with revolutionary new treatments.

Understanding the Biology of Aging to Fight Disease
More scientists like Dr. Lindsay Wu, organiser of the recent inaugural Australian Biology of Ageing Conference, are studying the biology of aging as a possible way to fight age-related diseases. There are similar cellular aging processes in diseases like Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. If they are successful in treating the process of aging at the cellular level, this research field could have a huge impact on the future treatment of diseases.

Steady progress on several fronts gives researchers optimism. Scientists at UNSW’s Laboratory for Ageing Research and at Harvard Medical School have isolated a compound in red wine that prolongs life in test animals. In New York, a drug trial tested on humans is for the first time targeting aging instead of a disease. Recently, scientists were able to target and kill aging cells in lab mice with remarkable results – the mice extended their lives over 30%.

The compound resveratrol, found in red wine was discovered by researcher David Sinclair in 2003. Sinclair’s research demonstrated that doses of resveratrol made SIRT1 molecules more active in small organisms, and extended their lifespan. His work went on to be published in the journal Science and is opening the way to future anti-aging drugs. Resveratrol is already commercially available as a supplement. Though not proven in humans yet, because of our long life spans, researcher David Sinclair swears it works and regularly uses the supplement.

Killing Aged Senescent Cells & Fixing Damaged DNA
Researchers are looking at ways to target age-damaged cells, called senescent cells. Normally, our immune system would destroy these cells, but as we grow older it slowly loses this function. As a result, our bodies accumulate senescent cells which also go on to damage adjacent healthy cells. This leads to a cascade of aging in our bodies resulting in chronic inflammation, a key signature of age-related diseases.

In a recently published report in the journal Nature, Doctor Darren Baker and his team at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine has a new strategy for dealing with aging cells. They are already developing compounds that can seek out and kill senescent cells in humans. He stressed the goal is to improve our health as we grow older, as well as extending our life spans.

A promising area of research is focused on fixing and maintaining our DNA. The goal here is to keep ourselves in a more youthful state by slowing down aging. Researchers have found a molecule called SIRT1, which has a significant role of keeping our DNA structure in a normal state. But as we grow older, this structure becomes loose and can alter the genetic code, which in turn can cause many diseases. The scientists are working on theories on how to energize this SIRT1 molecule to help keep our DNA tightly wound.

Healthy Eating & Exercise – the Key to Longevity
Calorie restriction and regular exercise both have proven to stimulate the sirtuins (SIRT1 to 4) and are responsible for the association of longevity in humans. Scientists have evidence that calorie restrictive diets are associated with longer lifespans. A low protein / high carb diet has been linked to living longer and healthier. This is the traditional diet of people on the Island of Okinawa Japan, known for the high percentage of centenarians.

Researchers are confident average lifespans between 100 to 150 years are achievable. However, Baker is more realistic, saying that everyone can take steps right now to live healthy and long lives. It’s all about the levels of damaged senescent cells in the body. There are fewer of these aged cells in people who exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet. These are easy to achieve lifestyle changes. If you look after yourself, you may live long enough to take advantage of future anti-aging treatments.

SOURCE: WorldHealth.net

Needless to say, the profit motive is alive and well in the pharmaceutical business. Marketing, however, seems to be pushing aside science and common sense when it comes to hormone replacement therapy. Granted, the industry has gifted us with an array of HRT products to choose from, but research has long shown how flawed and risky these drugs can be.¹ The synthetic hormone formulas sold by pharmaceutical companies do not match human hormones. They were created this way intentionally for the purposes of patentability and profit. The health risks, though, are very real and well documented.² That’s why the FDA requires label warnings for these mass-produced synthetic hormone products.

The Basics of Human Physiology Versus Non-Identical Hormones
The human body remains a vast micro-universe that scientists are still discovering. The extreme complexity of its internal processes and interactions is generated by literally trillions of cells at work together. These tiny power houses systematically collaborate throughout the body in order to maintain a harmonious, balanced environment. In this way, cells receive what they need to survive and the body can work as it is intended.

These precisely coordinated cellular efforts are disrupted when the production of key hormones, such as testosterone and estradiol, is disturbed as it is in perimenopause, menopause and andropause. It takes only a very small fluctuation in hormone levels to upset internal harmony and create a cascade of negative effects. That’s when the symptoms of a body out of sync appear. Hot flashes, migraines, mood swings, depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, loss of libido, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, lack of motivation, and difficulty concentrating are just some of the signs that hormones are out of balance.

From a physiologic perspective, it’s unsound science to use synthetic hormones to address a body out of balance. These non-identical hormone drugs are not a perfect fit for hormone receptor cells and do not support hormonal balance. They may tackle a symptom or two, but at what cost? The risk of serious side effects and health consequences? This is far too great a chance to take.

What about methods that use bioidentical hormones? Are they a healthier choice?  What if only a single hormone is supplemented? Is this a beneficial form of HRT?

Beneficial Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy
Bioidentical hormones that are properly administered are the healthiest choice for HRT. They are a perfect match for human hormones; they can work with the body on a cellular level and positively interact with other human hormones. Studies have shown that bioidenticals perform the same tasks as human hormones and support a harmonious internal environment.³

The key to beneficial bioidentical HRT lies within the science of human physiology. The body needs a method that 1) delivers biologically identical hormones the same way the body does—directly into the blood stream around the clock, and 2) delivers physiologic levels of key hormones in proper ratios to one another. Too much or too little of any hormone will interfere with normal functioning. For instance, too much estrogen in women can cause bloating, breast tenderness, hair loss, sleep problems, and dangerous health issues. Too little testosterone in a man can produce an imbalance between the vital testosterone/estradiol ratio, which increases the risk of prostate cancer,⁴ can cause sexual dysfunction and enlarged breasts.

Why Replacing Just a Single Hormone Is a Bad Idea
Hormones collaborate and work together. Given the way the body works when it’s functioning normally, it makes absolutely no sense to treat hormone deficiency with just a single hormone. This will never achieve the hormonal balance needed to support good health and well-being. Physicians who do that do not understand the importance of hormonal balance. In fact, simply replacing a woman’s estradiol could cause estrogen dominance, which can produce the moderate to severe symptoms listed above. Too much estrogen has also been associated with autoimmune disorders, breast and uterine cancers, increased blood clotting and is linked to hastening the aging process. For men, it is vital to create a balance between testosterone and estradiol levels in order to achieve a physiologic hormone replacement outcome. Giving a man testosterone alone can allow estrogen levels to get out of control. Common symptoms of high estrogen include impotence, fatigue, bloating, depression and brain fog.

SOURCE: SottoPelle

¹Greendale G, Reboussin B, Hogan P. Symptom relief and side effects of postmenopausal hormones: results from the Postmenopausal Estrogen/Progestin Interventions Trial. Obstet Gynecol 1998;92:982-88.
² Writing Group for the Women’s Health Initiative Investigators. Risk and benefits of estrogen plus progestin in healthy postmenopausal women. Principal results from the Women’s Health Initiative randomized controlled trial. JAMA 2002;288:321-33.
³ Moskowitz D. A comprehensive review of the safety and efficacy of bioidentical hormones for the management of menopause and related health risks. Altern Med Rev. 2006 Sep;11(3):208-23. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17217322/
⁴ Nelles JL, Wen-Yang Hu, Prins GS, Estrogen action and prostate cancer. Expert Rev Endocrinol Metab. 2011 May; 6(3): 437–451.

Hormone loss due to aging is an unfortunate reality everyone must face at some point. For most men and women, hormone production begins to slow in their 40s and continues to diminish until menopause or andropause. That’s when blood levels of estradiol (in women) and testosterone (in both sexes) drop dramatically. The physical, emotional and mental consequences that accompany this hormone deficiency can be devastating and life altering.

One of the most frequent complaints heard by doctors is the loss of sex drive. Other related symptoms often coincide. These can include erectile dysfunction, difficulty getting aroused, decreased pleasure, problems achieving orgasm, pain during sex and others. Sadly, many marriages and relationships suffer in the absence of sexual intimacy.

Symptom Relief Isn’t Enough
Although there’s a big market for erectile dysfunction pills, testosterone gels, vaginal creams and other products, these remedies are not meant to restore your body to balance. They primarily offer relief from a few symptoms. These medications may help you regain the ability to achieve intimacy, but most of the treatments are limited, imperfect and not sustainable for the long run. Some even cause dangerous side-effects.

Restoring Hormonal Balance Is the Key to Revitalizing Your Sexy Side
Every hormone has important tasks to perform. For most of your life, your hormones have operated synergistically as a team to provide you with health and well-being. When one or more are missing, your body’s systems, organs, glands and cells are thrown off kilter. That’s why your sex life has disappeared, you can’t sleep or think clearly and you’ve gained weight and lost motivation.

The good news is you don’t have to live like this. Rather than putting a band aid on it, properly administered bioidentical hormone pellet therapy can help you restore hormonal balance and feel alive again. This method has been around and researched for more than 75 years. Pellet implants have proven to be the most effective and safest method of hormone replacement available when properly administered. It is the only hormone replacement method that works with the body around the clock, for months at a time, to help achieve the hormonal balance that relieves symptoms and restores well-being.

According to thousands of men and women who are already using this treatment, it has helped them regain their lives, recapture sexual intimacy and even save their marriages and relationships. That’s a strong testament as to why hormonal balance (and not just symptom relief) should be the priority for every hormone replacement therapy.

Don’t suffer a minute longer. Call us to schedule a consultation.  We’d be happy to help you regain what you thought was lost forever—not just your love life, but your well-being and joy of living.

If you’re contemplating hormone replacement therapy, did you know that there’s a big difference in the safety and effectiveness of different methods? Here are 3 things you need to know about hormone replacement before you select a path.

1. Bioidentical hormones are the healthier choice as evidenced by both physiological data and clinical outcomes.^1,2  Bioidenticals, when properly administered, have been associated with a reduced risk for cancer and other serious diseases. Because they have the same molecular structure as those made in the body, they are employed in the same way and easily metabolized and excreted from the body. On the other hand, research has shown that FDA-approved synthetic and animal derived hormone replacement drugs actually increase your risk for cardiovascular disease, cancer, stroke, blood clots and other serious conditions.^3,4

2. The delivery method determines the effectiveness of HRT. Patches, pills, gels, cream, sublingual tablets, injections and suppositories all have significant drawbacks.
• Most of these methods create ups and downs in hormone levels that can cause a recurrence of symptoms.
• They do nothing to support around-the-clock hormonal balance.
• There are no bioidentical injections.
• Estrogen or testosterone in pill form must first pass through the gastrointestinal system and liver, metabolizing these hormones into risky byproducts.
• Patches, gels, and creams are messy and inaccurate when it comes to dosing.

Only the pellet implant method has been shown to provide hormones in a way the body can recognize and work with. The bioavailability of natural hormone, around-the-clock, when it’s needed, make pellets the most effective and safest method available. Compared to other methods, studies show that bioidentical pellets are superior for relieving symptoms, supporting bone mass and sleep patterns, and improving sex drive, libido, response and performance.⁵ Because pellets can last several months at a time, they are also the most convenient delivery method for bioidentical hormones.

3. Not all pellet therapies are alike. Many men and women begin their hormone replacement quest with their primary care physicians, urologists or gynecologists. Most physicians, however, do not have the expert training or knowledge needed to accurately administer pellet implant therapy. For that, you need a specialist who understands the procedure and can properly diagnose, prescribe and administer the precise amount of low dose hormone needed to achieve hormonal balance.

When all is said and done, reestablishing hormonal balance should be the focus of your hormone replacement. With the pellet implant method, key hormones can be restored to beneficial levels in proper ratio to one another. This return to internal balance is needed to support health and well-being as you age.

Experience the renewed sense of well-being that thousands of others before you have. You won’t believe the difference.

¹Holtorf K. The bioidentical hormone debate: are bioidentical hormones (estradiol, estriol, and progesterone) safer or more efficacious than commonly used synthetic versions in hormone replacement therapy? Postgrad Med. 2009 Jan;121(1):73-85. doi: 10.3810/pgm.2009.01.1949. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19179815
² Schwartz E, Holtorf K. Hormones in wellness and disease prevention: common practices, current state of the evidence, and questions for the future. Prim Care Clin Office Pract 2008; 35 (4): 669–705. http://www.holtorfmed.com/pdf/04-Hormones-in-Wellness.pdf
³ Writing Group for the Women’s Health Initiative Investigators: Risks and benefits of estrogen plus progestin in healthy menopausal women. Principle results from the Women’s Health Initiative randomized controlled trial. JAMA 2002; 288:321-333
⁴ http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/whi/whi_faq.htm
⁵ Schwartz E, Holtorf K. Hormones in wellness and disease prevention: common practices, current state of the evidence, and questions for the future. Prim Care Clin Office Pract 2008; 35 (4): 669–705. http://www.holtorfmed.com/pdf/04-Hormones-in-Wellness.pdf

Recent studies show that women are experiencing menopause at earlier ages than expected. By the mid-40s, most women are depleted of normal levels of estrogen and have lost nearly all their progesterone and more than half of their testosterone. The average woman can expect her periods to stop when she is just 46.

Here is an interesting article recently published by the NY Times that all women  should read.  It supports our belief that restoring a women’s hormone levels to those of earlier years are associated with optimum brain function, emotional and physical well-being, cardiovascular and bone health, breast and prostate health, cell growth regulation, beneficial blood sugar levels, better sexual function and satisfaction, and more.

Properly restoring testosterone and estrogen (specifically estradiol) to the levels of younger years replenishes your body and gives it what it needs. Hundreds of body functions depend on the presence of these key hormones in order to work properly. This is true whether you’re male or female, 19 or 91. Your need for hormonal balance never goes away.

By NICHOLAS BAKALARSEPT. 15, 2016

Menopause before the age of 45 is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease and death, a review of studies has found.

The average age at onset of menopause is 51, but some women start much earlier. Premature menopause is defined as onset before age 40, while early-onset menopause occurs before the age of 45.

Researchers in the Netherlands pooled data from 32 studies of premature menopause and early-onset menopause that included more than 310,000 women.

Compared with women who reached menopause after 45, those who reached menopause earlier had a 50 percent increased risk of coronary heart disease and a 23 percent increased risk of stroke. They had no increased risk of stroke mortality, but did have a 19 percent increased risk for death from cardiovascular disease and a 12 percent increased risk for overall mortality.

The study, online in JAMA Cardiology, also found that compared with women who were younger than 50 at menopause, those who experienced menopause at 50 to 54 had a 13 percent lower risk of fatal cardiovascular disease, but no difference in risk of stroke.

The reason early menopause is associated with more health risks is not clear, but earlier loss of ovarian function may cause hormonal changes that lead to inflammation and vascular damage.

“Women who reach menopause early should be screened for medical conditions such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diabetes,” said the lead author, Dr. Taulant Muka, a physician and postdoctoral researcher at Erasmus University. “Treating these disorders early reduces the risk.”