HORMONE HERESY- Oestrogen's Deadly Truth 2/2

April 15, 2004

http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/hormone2.html

HORMONE HERESY

- Oestrogen's Deadly Truth -

Part 2

The promotion of synthetic oestrogens and oestrogen-mimicking chemicals is a

major medical mistake and an unforeseen environmental health hazard.

(Go to part 1)

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Extracted from Nexus Magazine, Volume 3, #5 (August-September '96).

PO Box 30, Mapleton Qld 4560 Australia. editor

Telephone: +61 (0)7 5442 9280; Fax: +61 (0)7 5442 9381

From our web page at: www.nexusmagazine.com

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Oestrogen is quite a high-profile hormone these days. For some, it

represents the Golden Fleece that excites so many medical practitioners,

pharmaceutical companies and writers in search of its miraculous properties.

For others, oestrogen is a rather perilous hormone, fraught with many

unknown and unspoken dangers. Most women are lost in the dark and bottomless

abyss, somewhere between truth and fiction. All too often they are

desperately confused about whether to trust their instincts or medical

science. Their physical, emotional and mental health and long-term

well-being hang in the balance.

The oestrogen story is similar to a modern-day thriller. It is a story of

deception, betrayal, hidden agendas, propaganda and misinformation. As a

story it could be quite entertaining, but as a real-life drama its effects

are disastrous to the lives of tens of millions of women around the world.

Hormones are very powerful substances. Begin tampering with Nature's finely

tuned messengers of life's processes and you are asking for trouble. This is

especially true for women. A woman's psyche is intimately connected to her

monthly flow of hormones. Hormones not only direct and determine her

physiological processes, but also influence her emotional and psychological

state. Besides creating myriad health problems, hormonal imbalance can

undermine self-esteem, creativity, mental acuity and a healthy sex-drive.

Perhaps the bigger picture about the oestrogen story is the fact that the

introduction of synthetic hormones, as a legitimate need of women, is

basically experimentation under the guise of standard medical practice. As a

result, medical science has expanded its control of women's lives.

Germaine Greer sums up the medical establishment's intrusion into a woman's

hormonal health quite astutely when she says, " Menopause is a dream

speciality for the mediocre medic. It requires no surgical or diagnostic

skill; it is not itself a life-threatening condition; there is no scope for

malpractice action. Patients must return again and again for a battery of

tests and check-ups. " 1

Quite simply, tampering with a woman's hormones is tampering with her power.

Introducing Oestrogen Dominance

The natural design of the body is to produce the two hormones, progesterone

and oestrogen, in a very sensitive and precise balance so that reproductive

ability is maximised. These two hormones are closely interrelated in many

ways and, although they are generally antagonistic towards each other, each

helps the other by making the cells of a target organ more sensitive.

Oestrogen really isn't a single hormone. To be accurate, it refers to a

class of hormones with oestrus activity (i.e., proliferation of endometrial

cells in preparation for pregnancy). The oestrogens are named oestradiol and

oestrone-both of which are implicated in stimulating abnormal cell growth

when found in higher-than-normal amounts in the body-as well as oestriol,

which is known to be cancer-inhibiting. Each type of oestrogen has a

different function in the body. These oestrogens are produced mainly in the

ovaries, although small quantities are secreted from the adrenal glands, the

placenta during pregnancy, and fat cells.

When puberty arrives, oestrogen encourages in a girl the development of

breasts and the expansion of the uterus. Oestrogen contributes to the

moulding of female body contours and maturation of the skeleton. After that,

it helps regulate the menstrual cycle and plays other necessary roles in

maintaining bone-mass and keeping blood-cholesterol levels in check. When

excessive quantities of oestrogen, regardless of source, are present in a

young woman's body they will contribute to the 'burnout' of her ovaries and

undermine fertility.

In the case of progesterone, however, we are talking about only one specific

hormone. Thus, progesterone is both the name of the class and the single

member of the class. In the ovaries, progesterone is the precursor of

oestrogen. Progesterone is also made in smaller amounts by the adrenal

glands in both sexes and by the testes in males. It is the precursor of

testosterone and of all important adrenal cortical hormones. From

progesterone are derived not only other sex hormones but also

corticosteroids, which are essential for stress response, sugar and

electrolyte balance and blood pressure, not to mention survival.2

While oestrogen is the primary hormone during the first two weeks of a

woman's menstrual cycle, fulfilling its role of preparing the endometrium

for pregnancy, progesterone is the major female reproductive hormone during

the latter two weeks of the menstrual cycle. Progesterone is necessary for

the survival of the fertilised ovum, the resulting embryo and the foetus

throughout gestation when production of the progesterone is taken over by

the placenta.

There is a very delicate balance between the interplay of oestrogen and

progesterone. If that balance is interfered with, devastating effects occur.

Unfortunately, introduced synthetic hormones as well as environmental

pollutants are presently wreaking havoc with our hormones.

" Oestrogen dominance " is a term that was first used by Dr John Lee. A

retired medical practitioner from California, Dr Lee has spent the better

part of the last two decades exploring the basis for the proliferation of

such female problems as PMS, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, fibroids, breast

cancer, infertility, osteoporosis and menopausal problems. From his clinical

experience in the field of female health, as well as from his published

research, Dr Lee believes that many women are suffering from the effects of

too much oestrogen. He finds that stress, nutritional deficiencies,

oestrogenic substances from our environment, and taking synthetic

oestrogens, combined with an ensuing deficiency of progesterone, are the

likely contributing factors to the creation of oestrogen dominance.

The following is a list of symptoms that can be caused or made worse by

oestrogen dominance: acceleration of the ageing process, allergies, breast

tenderness, decreased sex-drive, depression, fatigue, hair thinning,

excessive facial hair, fibrocystic breasts, foggy thinking, headaches,

hypoglycaemia, increased blood-clotting, increased risk of stroke,

infertility, irritability, memory loss, miscarriage, osteoporosis,

pre-menopausal bone-loss, PMS, thyroid dysfunction mimicking hypothyroidism,

uterine cancer, uterine fibroids, water retention, bloating, fat gain

(especially around the abdomen, hips and thighs), gall bladder disease and

auto-immune disorders such as lupus and thyroiditis.3

In addition to the synthetic oestrogens, women are also prescribed synthetic

progestins. They have been added to the oestrogen formula to offset the

hazards of oestrogen drugs. Nancy Beckham in her book, Menopause-A Positive

Approach Using Natural Therapies, was able to identify more than 100 adverse

effects for the most commonly prescribed oestrogen and progestin

medications.

According to Dr Lee, many of these common health problems can be offset by

increasing the level of natural progesterone. The problem is not always that

progesterone levels are actually lower than normal, but they are low in

comparison to elevated oestrogen levels.

Due to increased exposure to these oestrogenic substances in the body, women

become more affected by oestrogens made in the body from their mid-30s

onwards. Around this time, women do not ovulate with every menstrual cycle.

Since progesterone is made from the ripened follicle (corpus luteum), if

there is no ovulation there is no corpus luteum formed and hence no

progesterone made.

Stress, nutritional deficiencies and chemical pollutants all contribute to

anovulatory cycles. The frequency of these anovulatory cycles increases as

menopause approaches, changing the menstrual pattern to an either heavier or

longer menstrual flow.

While not commonly understood by medical science, the growing incidence of

anovulatory cycles, even in young women, and the ensuing hormone imbalance

are creating huge health problems. Women of all ages are now exposed to a

higher risk of the entire range of oestrogen-dominant conditions.

Oestrogen Dominance in the Environment

Extremely disturbing events are being reported globally about the alarming

changes happening in the environment.

Not long ago in Lake Apopka in Florida, wildlife biologists discovered that

strange biological effects were happening in the alligators living there. In

1980, a toxic spill occurred which dumped huge amounts of a pesticide

similar to DDT into the lake. That event was almost forgotten until five

years later when it was discovered that 90 per cent of the alligators had

disappeared. Most of those that remained were incapable of reproducing or

had no urge to mate. The males were born with penises that were not only 75

per cent shorter than average but were also deformed. Further testing

indicated that their testosterone levels were so low that they hormonally

resembled females. Moreover, the females had abnormal ovaries and follicles,

described as " burned out " .4

Recent reports show that strange fish caught in Port Phillip Bay in

Victoria, Australia, were hermaphrodites. Similarly, a major British study

revealed that male fish downstream from sewage treatment plants changed sex

as a result of oestrogen chemicals which had not been removed from treated

effluent.5

Dr Ana Soto, an endocrinologist at Tufts University in the United States,

had been experimenting with cancer cells taken from the breast and then

cultured. She found they would only grow if they were fed oestrogens. One

day, the test simply stopped working. The cancer cells continued to grow for

four months, even when no oestrogens were fed to them. Dr Soto then realised

that the manufacturer of the flasks she had been using had started to use a

different plastic-one that, when it becomes warm, releases minute quantities

of the oestrogen-like compound, nonylphenol! Her tissues samples were being

contaminated by the xeno-oestrogens from the plastic flasks!6

The widespread use of herbicides, pesticides and plastics have created a

problem that has never before existed on this planet. We are polluting our

environment and ourselves in a sea of oestrogen-like mimics. They are

everywhere: in the air, water, soil, and overabundantly in our bodies.

Called xeno-oestrogens, these are substances which have a powerful

oestrogenic effect on the body, are fat-soluble and non-biodegradable. They

are also dangerously toxic.

We presently live in a world awash with petrochemicals. Petrochemicals are

everywhere. Our machines run on petrochemicals, and millions of products

including plastics, microchips, medicines, clothing, foods, soaps,

pesticides and even perfumes are either made from petrochemicals or contain

them. The popular slogan in the early 1950s, " Better Living Through

Chemistry " , is returning to haunt us.

The legacy of this pollution has resulted in an epidemic of reproductive

abnormalities, including the steadily increasing number of cancers of the

reproductive tract, infertility, low sperm- counts, poor sperm-quality and

the feminisation of males. The potential consequences of this overexposure

are staggering, especially considering that one of the consequences is the

passing on of reproductive abnormalities to offspring.7

Just how serious is this problem? In a May 1993 article in the British

medical journal, The Lancet, researchers in Scotland and Denmark

hypothesised that xeno-oestrogens are responsible for a steadily declining

sperm-count in men. According to Neils Skakkebeak of the University of

Copenhagen, sperm counts have dropped by more than 50 per cent since 1940.

Meanwhile, the rate of testicular and prostate cancer in the United States

and Europe has tripled in the past 50 years. Reproductive abnormalities such

as undescended testicles have become increasingly common.

Xeno-oestrogens are also implicated in impaired brain development in

children.8 They are also directly implicated in the 30 to 80 per cent

increase in breast, ovarian and uterine cancers in women over the past 50

years.9

In some rural communities in Australia, where heavy pesticide use has left

residuals in drinking water, there have been reports of boys with abnormally

small penises, along with reports of the feminisation of males and the

masculinisation of females.

It is time for us to wake up and pay heed to these warnings for the sake of

future generations. You can play your part in protecting your grandchildren

and great-grandchildren in the same ways you can protect yourself: by

refusing to use pesticides, minimising your use of plastics, purchasing

hormone-free meat and organic produce, using 'green' products for detergents

and household cleaners, and, in general, using 'natural' products in favour

of petrochemical products.

The Myth of Oestrogen Deficiency

The trend these days is to push hormone replacement therapy (HRT), featuring

synthetic oestrogens and progestins, onto all menopausal women.

Unfortunately, however, this enthusiasm for drugs is not backed up by the

facts. Oestrogen deficiency is loudly proclaimed by medical practitioners,

pharmaceutical advertising and many lay publications as the primary cause of

all the symptoms attributed to menopause and post-menopause, such as mood

swings, depressions, hot flushes, vaginal dryness, loss of sex-drive and acc

elerating osteoporosis.

But is there really such a thing as oestrogen deficiency? While it is true

that menopause is associated with decreasing oestrogen levels, it is not

known whether these decreased levels of oestrogen do in fact cause all the

symptoms of menopause.

Dr Carolyn DeMarco, author of Take Charge of Your Body and a physician

specialising in women's health issues, says there is no direct proof that

oestrogen-lack causes heart disease or other ailments associated with the

menopause.

Germaine Greer, well-known feminist and author of The Change, writes that

" the proponents of HRT have never proved that there is an oestrogen

deficiency, nor have they explained the mechanism by which the therapy of

choice effected its miracles. They have taken the improper course of

defining a disease from its therapy. "

Dr Jerilyn Prior, researcher and Professor of Endocrinology at the

University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC, Canada, points out that no

study proving the relationship between oestrogen deficiency and menopausal

symptoms and related diseases has yet been done. " Instead, " says Dr Prior,

" a notion has been put forward that since oestrogen levels go down, this is

the most important change and explains all the things that may or may not be

related to menopause. So oestrogen treatment at this stage of our

understanding is premature. This is a kind of backwards science. It leads to

ridiculous ideas-like calling a headache an aspirin-deficiency disease. " 10

Considering that Western women tend to have a 10-to-15-year period prior to

menopause when they are oestrogen-dominant and suffering from

oestrogen-dominance symptoms, why are their doctors prescribing them still

more oestrogen?

Dr Prior has shown that, during menopause, progesterone decreases to 1/120th

of baseline levels, whereas oestrogen decreases to one-half to one-third of

pre-menopausal baseline levels. Would it not be wiser to consider the

progesterone-loss effect when evaluating post-menopausal symptoms and such

related conditions as osteoporosis, heart disease, depression and loss of

sex-drive?

In most menopausal women, oestrogen levels are below those necessary for

pregnancy but sufficient for other normal body functions. The oestrogen

" deficiency " hypothesis as an explanation of most menopausal symptoms or

health problems is thus not supported by the facts of oestrogen blood

levels, by worldwide ecological studies or by endocrinology experts.

Dr Lee believes that " Menopause per se should be regarded as a normal

adjustment reflecting a benign change in a woman's biological life away from

child-bearing and onward to a period of new personal power and fulfilment.

The Western perception of menopause as a threshold of undesirable symptoms

and regressive illness due to oestrogen deficiency is an error not supported

by fact. More accurately, we should view our menopause problem as an

abnormality brought about by industrialised cultures' deviation from a

healthy lifestyle. "

Synthetic Hormones and the Havoc they Wreak

With hindsight, it will very likely be recorded in history that the

widespread prescribing of synthetic hormones to women was the biggest

medical bungle of the century. Most women taking the contraceptive pill and

HRT have very little idea about the hormones they are putting into their

bodies; nor are they knowledgeable about their side-effects.

Oral contraceptives are made with synthetic oestrogen and synthetic

progestins (known as the combined Pill). In the early 1960s the Pill was

widely marketed as an effective, safe and convenient method of birth

control. However, the initial trials were flawed and inadequate.11

Nonetheless, the Pill was promoted with all the enthusiasm the

pharmaceutical companies could muster.

Dr Ellen Grant, author of The Bitter Pill and Sexual Chemistry, was an early

researcher of synthetic hormones and their effects on health. Back in the

1960s she was shocked when synthetic hormones were not withdrawn from the

market due to their known, serious side-effects.

So, just what are the effects of suppressing natural hormones with synthetic

ones? The Pill literally stops menstruation, and bleeding occurs each month

only because the synthetic hormones are not taken for seven days of the

cycle. The bleeding that occurs would be more accurately termed " withdrawal

bleeding " , not menstruation.

Taking the combined Pill increases the risk of coronary artery disease,

breast cancer and high blood-pressure. The side-effects include nausea,

vomiting, headaches, breast tenderness, weight increases, changes in sex-

drive, depression, blood clots and increased incidence of vaginitis. Also,

women with a history of epilepsy, migraine, asthma or heart disease may find

their symptoms worsen.12 Many of these effects may persist long after women

discontinue taking the Pill.

According to Nancy Beckham in her book, Menopause-A Positive Approach Using

Natural Therapies, " Women on the Pill have a greater tendency to liver

dysfunction and to more allergies. Oestrogen drugs also affect vitamin

concentrations. Vitamin A levels may be raised in the blood; vitamins B12

and C may be lowered. The clinical significance is not yet known. "

The introduction of the mini-Pill and Depo-Provera, both of which are made

from synthetic progestins, is equally disturbing to women's hormonal health,

with all the previously listed side-effects and risks.

Hormone replacement therapy was the next great discovery to arrive,

following on from the Pill. The pharmaceutical companies had found another

lucrative market for their synthetic hormones: the menopausal woman! While

HRT is given at lower doses than the Pill, the side-effects are often more

subtle and are slower to show up. HRT is now available in a variety of

forms: pills, patches and implants. One of the most popular synthetic

oestrogens is Premarin, which is made from the urine of pregnant mares-just

what a woman's body needs!

Hormone Addiction

What is little-known about taking HRT is that it is an addictive drug. A

former president of the London Royal College of Psychiatrists warns that

oestrogen used in HRT to counteract symptoms of menopause could be as

addictive as heroin.13

In the 1970s, testing was conducted on two groups of menopausal women. Half

received oestrogen replacement and the other half sugar pills. All were

monitored for insomnia, nervousness, depression, dizziness, weakness, joint

pain, palpitations, prickling sensations and hot flushes.

Both groups of women experienced dramatic improvement during the first 90

days of the study, except that the sugar-pill group experienced more

discomfort from hot flushes. When the groups were switched, those who had

initially received oestrogen experienced a pronounced return of their

symptoms. It became apparent that, once oestrogen replacement stopped, a

'cold turkey' withdrawal effect was often experienced. This was especially

true with implants, since the blood oestradiol levels may become much higher

than the body would normally produce.14

Nancy Beckham warns that " Women on hormone replacement therapy who have

enhanced well-being when their oestradiol levels are very high, but feel

unwell when their blood levels are normal, may be experiencing reactions

similar to those of people on social drugs.

" It is well-researched knowledge that when you first have these drugs they

give you a lift, which is pleasant. As you get used to the substance you

find you need more to give you the same effect, and ultimately your body

craves a high level even though you may be unwell. When the substance in

your blood drops below a certain level, you can experience withdrawal

symptoms such as flushing, perspiration, sleep disturbance, shaking and

other nervous reactions. "

While it is easy to prescribe HRT for women, there is hardly any medical

data concerning the effects of stopping HRT in women who have received

long-term treatment.15 In one trial lasting three-and-a-half years,

withdrawal lasted for six months.

So, unbeknownst to women, 'menopause's little helper' could in fact be

making oestrogen junkies out of them. It's great news for the pharmaceutical

companies, but a calamity of untold proportion for women. Not only do they

experience a wide range of physical symptoms but they also suffer from

psychiatric disturbances.

Dr Ellen Grant has said that " when higher-than-expected rates of attempted

suicide and violent deaths were recorded among HRT-takers, the excuse was

that more women suffering from depression are put on oestrogens in an

attempt to treat them. " Oestrogens are rarely considered as an implicating

factor in depressive behaviour.

Hormone Balance and Illness: Debunking the Myths

HRT is now almost universally recommended to menopausal women for a wide

variety of reasons. The two most significant reasons women are encouraged to

embark upon the HRT bandwagon are HRT's supposed contribution in preventing

or lessening the effects of osteoporosis and of cardiovascular disease. The

tremendous fear of these two illnesses that is instilled by well-meaning

doctors-who, after all, are the targets of effective pharmaceutical

advertising and education (usually the only source of information they

receive about these products)-often overrides a woman's natural instincts.

It's time to unravel the myths that hide the real story.

OSTEOPOROSIS

Myths of Osteoporosis

Dr John Lee, author of What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause,

writes this about the myths of osteoporosis:

Myth #1: Osteoporosis is a calcium-deficiency disease.

Most women with osteoporosis are getting plenty of calcium in their diet. It

is quite easy to get the minimum daily requirement of calcium in even a

relatively poor diet. The truth is that osteoporosis is a disease of

excessive calcium-loss caused by many factors. In osteoporosis, calcium is

being lost from the bones faster than it is being added, regardless of how

much calcium a woman consumes.

Myth #2: Osteoporosis is an oestrogen-deficiency disease.

Not even basic medical texts agree with this. It is a fabrication of the

pharmaceutical industry with no scientific evidence to support it.

Osteoporosis begins long before oestrogen levels fall, and accelerates for a

few years at menopause. Taking oestrogen can slow bone-loss for those few

years, but its effect wears off within a few years after menopause. Most

importantly, oestrogen cannot rebuild new bone.

Myth #3: Osteoporosis is a disease of menopause.

This is at least a decade short of the truth. Osteoporosis begins anywhere

from five to 20 years prior to menopause, when oestrogen levels are still

high. Osteoporosis accelerates at menopause or when a woman's ovaries are

surgically removed or become non-functional, such as can happen after

hysterectomy. It is staggering to think how many thousands or millions of

women have been doomed to a crippled old age or early death because their

ovaries and/or uterus were unnecessarily removed before menopause and

natural progesterone replacement was ignored.

To understand osteoporosis it is important to know a bit about bones.

Bone-forming cells are of two different kinds. One type are called

osteoclasts, and their job is to travel through the bone in search of old

bone that is in need of renewal. Osteoclasts dissolve bone and leave behind

tiny unfilled spaces. Osteoblasts move into these spaces in order to build

new bone. A lack of oestrogens, as experienced at menopause, indirectly

stimulates the growth of osteoclasts, thus increasing the risk for

developing osteoporosis. HRT containing oestrogen should therefore help

prevent osteoporosis. From this point of view it does.

However, osteoclast cells have been shown to have no oestrogen receptors in

themselves, so cannot directly build new bone. On the other hand, osteoblast

cells, which are responsible for making new bone, have been shown to have

not oestrogen but progesterone receptors. What this means is that it is

progesterone (the natural form, not the synthetic progestins), not

oestrogen, which is responsible for building bone tissue.

This view is upheld in the Scientific American Updated Medicine Text 1991,

which states, " Oestrogens decrease bone resorption, but associated with the

decrease in bone resorption is a decrease in bone formation. Therefore,

oestrogen should not be expected to increase bone mass. " The authors also

discuss oestrogen side-effects, including the risk of endometrial cancer

which " is increased sixfold in women who receive oestrogen therapy for up to

five years; the risk is increased to fifteenfold in long-term users. "

Dr Kitty Little from Oxford found masses of tiny clots in the bones of

rabbits treated with hormones. She is convinced that HRT in the form of

oestrogen and progestins will increase the risk of osteoporosis. Blood clots

originate from sticky clumps of platelet cells in the blood. She believes

that blood clots in the bones can cause bone to break down, leading to

osteoporosis.16

More and more research findings are emerging that challenge the

oestrogen-deficiency/osteoporosis relationship and reinforce the

progesterone-deficiency link. The results of a three-year study of 63

post-menopausal women with osteoporosis verify this. Women using transdermal

progesterone cream experienced an average 7 to 8 per cent bone-mass density

increase in the first year, 4 to 5 per cent in the second year, and 3 to 4

per cent in the third year! Untreated women in this age category typically

lose 1.5 per cent bone-mass density per year! These results have not been

found with any other form of hormone replacement therapy or dietary

supplementation!17

Bone loss is the result of many other factors besides progesterone

deficiency. Excess protein in the form of meat and dairy products (contrary

to the dairy industry's advertising) contributes to bone loss. An acidic

condition is created in the blood which then pulls out calcium from the

bones to neutralise it. Another major factor is lack of exercise. Bone

growth is dependent on weight- bearing exercise. In addition, sugar,

diuretics, antibiotics, fluoride, cigarettes, alcohol abuse and cortisone

are all deleterious to bones.

To sum it up, post-menopausal osteoporosis is a disease of excess bone-loss

caused by a progesterone deficiency and, secondarily, by a poor diet and

lack of exercise. Progesterone restores bone mass. Natural progesterone

hormone is an essential factor in the prevention and proper treatment of

osteoporosis at any age.18

Cardiovascular Disease

Oestrogen is being touted by mainstream medicine as a great preventer of

cardiovascular disease in women and therefore a major reason to have women

on HRT.

According to Dr Lee, the one notable study which formed the entire basis of

the positive oestrogen-cardiovascular link-the 1991 New England Journal of

Medicine report known as the Nurses' Questionnaire Study, conducted with a

large sampling of nurses-was radically flawed and the statistics

manipulated.19 Although there is ample evidence from numerous other studies

showing that, indeed, the opposite is true-that oestrogen is a significant

factor in creating heart disease-these findings have been virtually ignored

in the frenzy for profits. He goes on to say that the pharmaceutical

advertisements also neglected to mention the fact that stroke death

incidence from that study was 50 per cent higher among the oestrogen users.

Nancy Beckham's research into the oestrogen-cardiovascular link reveals the

following:20

High doses of oestrogens are likely to be thrombogenic (blood-clotting)

during use, and it is possible that even moderate doses may increase the

risk of clotting among women who smoke or who already have clogged arteries.

Reports are now starting to come in, indicating that high-dose oestrogens,

particularly as experienced with oestradiol implants, cause

hypercoagulability, which means that the blood has a tendency to clot,

thereby increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.

A British medical report also states that the cardiovascular effects of

synthetic progestins used with oestrogen in the much larger number of women

who have not undergone hysterectomy are unknown.

Some researchers do not consider that heart disease is linked to the

cessation of the body's oestrogen production. (Actually, it is inaccurate to

use the word " cessation " , since oestrogen production is only reduced in

menopause.)

Natural progesterone also seems to play a significant role in protecting

women from cardiovascular disease. We know now that anovulatory cycles and

lowered progesterone levels occur prior to menopause, and progesterone

levels after menopause are close to zero. Oestrogen, on the other hand,

falls only 40 to 60 per cent with menopause. A woman's passage through

menopause results in a greater loss of progesterone than of oestrogen.

Perhaps the increase in heart risk after menopause is due more to

progesterone deficiency than to oestrogen deficiency. Dr Lee has noted in

his clinical experience that lipid profiles improve when progesterone is

supplemented.21

What is known about progesterone is that it increases the burning of fats

for energy and, in addition, has an anti-inflammatory effect. Both of these

actions could be protective against coronary heart disease. Progesterone

protects the integrity and function of cell membranes, whereas oestrogen

allows the influx of sodium and water while allowing the loss of potassium

and magnesium. Progesterone, a natural diuretic, promotes better sleep

patterns and helps one deal with stress. When the known actions of

progesterone are reviewed, it is clear that many of its actions are also

beneficial to the heart.

When it comes to increased risk of coronary heart disease, dietary factors

are extremely important. Heart disease risk is increased by the following:

overeating in general; animal fat, sugar and refined carbohydrates;

overprocessed foods; excess salt or sodium; trans-fatty acids; lack of

fibre; magnesium and/or potassium deficiency; and lack of antioxidant-rich

food or supplements such as vitamins C, E, and A, beta-carotene and

selenium. Stress is also a risk factor for heart deaths.

Cancer

The evidence connecting female cancers of the breast, uterus and ovaries

with high oestrogen levels is growing. Oestrogen's job in the uterus is to

cause proliferation of the cells. Under the influence of oestrogen, uterine

cells multiply faster, and then progesterone should normally come on the

scene with ovulation and stop the cells from multiplying. Progesterone

causes the cells to mature and enter the secretory phase that causes the

maturing of the uterine lining, which is now ready to receive a possible

fertilised egg. Oestrogen is the hormone that stimulates cell proliferation,

and progesterone is the hormone that stops growth and stimulates ripening.

Oestrogen dominance also stimulates breast tissue. Premenstrual women who

suffer from oestrogen dominance often suffer from breast-swelling and

tenderness. Progesterone, as a hormone of maturation, brings the cells back

into balance and thus can eliminate breast tenderness.

There is certainly an alarmingly high incidence of breast and uterine cancer

amongst Western women. There is evidence that breast cancer occurs most

often at the stage of life when oestrogen is dominant for the full month and

progesterone is not coming in at the halfway point of ovulation. Dr Graham

Colditz, of Harvard University, maintains that unopposed oestrogen is

responsible for 30 to 35 per cent of breast cancers.22 Some experts would

put that percentage even higher.

Johns Hopkins Private Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic accumulated 40 years

of research which was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology in

1981.23 What they discovered was that, when the low-progesterone group was

compared to the normal-progesterone group, the occurrence of breast cancer

was 5.4 times greater in the women in the low-progesterone group. That is,

the incidence of breast cancer in the low-progesterone group was over 80 per

cent greater than in the normal-progesterone group.

When the study looked at the low-progesterone group for all types of cancer,

they found that women in this group experienced a tenfold increase for all

malignant cancers, compared to the normal-progesterone group. This would

suggest that having a normal level of progesterone protected women from

nine-tenths of all cancers that might otherwise have occurred.24

It is interesting to note that the study disappeared into oblivion when

there was no money available to pursue the obvious implications of a

progesterone-deficiency role in cancer.

In a 1995 study published in the Journal of Fertility and Sterility,

researchers did a double-blind randomised study examining the use of topical

progesterone cream and/or topical oestrogen in regard to breast cell growth.

The results showed that women using progesterone had dramatically reduced

cell-multiplication rates compared to the women using either the placebo or

oestrogen. The women using only oestrogen had significantly higher cell

multiplication rates than any of the other groups. The women using a

combination of progesterone and oestrogen were closer to the placebo

group.25

This exciting study provides some of the first direct evidence that

oestradiol significantly increases breast cell growth, and that progesterone

impressively decreases cell proliferation rates even when oestrogen is also

supplemented.

At this point, it's important to explore the implications of the

experimental drug Tamoxifen which is being prescribed to women with breast

cancer. Since it is proposed to have anti-oestrogenic effects, it is used as

a breast cancer treatment since it blocks the uptake of oestradiol and

oestrone (the cell-proliferating oestrogens), thereby protecting the breast

tissue from the cancer-promoting oestrogens present in the body. A growing

number of doctors insist that the same results can be achieved by giving

natural progesterone.

Uterine cancer is one of the possible side-effects of Tamoxifen. One study

showed that 27 per cent of women taking Tamoxifen showed hyperplastic

(unfavourable new growth) changes in their wombs within 15 months.26

Tamoxifen is carcinogenic and can cause an early menopause, osteoporosis,

endometrial cancer, liver cancer and clotting disease. Taking 20 milligrams

of Tamoxifen per day can increase the risk for developing endometrial cancer

by up to five times. Clotting disorders are seven times more frequent. One

study showed just a meagre 0.7 per cent benefit for women taking Tamoxifen

preventively to reduce the risk of developing further tumours in the

breast.27

It is also interesting to note that menstruating women who have breast

surgery carried out during the second half of their menstrual cycle-the

luteal phase, when progesterone is high in order to balance

oestrogens-survive far longer than do women whose surgery is done early on

in their cycle during the oestrogen-dominant follicular phase.28

The only known cause of endometrial cancer is unopposed oestrogen. Here

again, the culprits are oestradiol and oestrone. Oestrogen supplements given

to post-menopausal women for five years increase the risk of endometrial

cancer sixfold, and longer-term use increases it fifteenfold. In

pre-menopausal women, endometrial cancer is extremely rare, except during

the five to 10 years before menopause when oestrogen dominance is common.29

Synthetic hormones are also linked to cervical cancer. The cells of the

cervix are extremely hormone-sensitive. Levels of synthetic progestins, low

enough not to alter the cells of the lining of the womb, have been shown to

change the cells that line the cervix. Progestins dry up cervical

secretions, and this may be part of the reason why cancer of the cervix

develops quickly in the presence of cervical infections.30

It was predicted in the 1960s that the Pill would increase the chances of a

woman developing a melanoma, the most lethal of all skin cancers. Hormones

control the pigmentation of our skin, and melanoma cancer cells have

oestrogen receptors which can make the growth of cancer more likely. Women

taking HRT are at greater risk of developing melanomas than the average

woman.31

Dr Lee strongly believes that because of its many benefits, its great

safety, and particularly its ability to oppose the carcinogenic effects of

oestrogens, natural progesterone deserves far more attention and application

than it is generally given in the prevention and care of women's health

problems today.

The long road we have been travelling over the past 35 years, that has

encouraged and promoted the wide range of synthetic hormone products, is

taking us to a deadly dead-end. The scare-tactic techniques and intimidation

employed by doctors and pharmaceutical companies alike to use such products,

often overriding a woman's better judgement, have pushed millions of women

into using drugs that are unproven and unsafe. It is no surprise, therefore,

that Dr Lee has issued an ominous warning when he says, " We will soon regard

making oestrogen the key ingredient in hormone replacement therapy as a

major medical mistake. " 32

Women must be able to make educated, informed choices about their bodies and

their health treatment preferences. It's impossible to make important health

decisions if fundamental facts are missing or misconstrued. It is also

evident that the health care providers, whom we have come to rely upon,

either have not received adequate, unbiased education themselves or have

become imprisoned by their own arrogant and narrow-minded points of view.

It is really up to every woman to read, question, trust her natural

instincts and learn about her own body. It is also essential that a woman

honour her own cyclic nature and intuitive wisdom. It is a woman's right to

choose with dignity the best approach to her own health care.

----------

----

Endnotes

1. Greer, Germaine, The Change, Hamish Hamilton, London, 1991.

2. Lee, John R., M.D., What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause,

Warner Books, New York, 1996, pp. 67-68.

3. Op. cit., pp. 42-43.

4. Kenton, Leslie, Passage to Power, Random House, London, 1995, p. 34.

5. Archer, John, The Water You Drink: How Safe Is It?, Pure Water Press,

Australia, 1996, p. 34.

6. Kenton, Leslie, op. cit., p. 32.

7. Lee, John, op. cit., p. 50.

8. Op. cit., p. 56.

9. Wheel of Hormones, TV production with Lars Mortensen, TV2 Denmark, 1995.

10. Lee, John, op. cit., p. 44.

11. Archer, John, Bad Medicine, Simon and Schuster, Australia, 1995, p. 210.

12. Neil, Kate, Balancing Hormones Naturally, ION Press, London, 1994, p.

28.

13. Beckham, Nancy, Menopause-A Positive Approach Using Natural Therapies,

Penguin Books, Australia, 1995, pp. 36-37.

14. Ibid., p. 36.

15. British Medical Bulletin (1992) 48:458-68.

16. Neil, Kate, op. cit., p. 46.

17. Lee, J. R., " Osteoporosis Reversal: The Role of Progesterone " , Intern.

Clin. Nutr. Rev. (1990) 10:384-391.

18. Lee, John R., M.D., What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause,

p. 183.

19. Op. cit., p. 18.

20. Beckham, Nancy, ibid., pp. 42-43.

21. Lee, John, op. cit., p. 197.

22. Op. cit., p. 207.

23. Ibid.

24. Op. cit., p. 208.

25. Chuang, King-Jen, M.D., T. Y. Tigris, Lee, M.D., Gustavo Linares-Cruz,

M.D., Sabine Fournier, Ph.D., Bruno de Lignières, M.D., " Influences of

percutaneous administration of estradiol and progesterone of human breast

epithelial cell cycle in vivo " , Journal of Fertility and Sterility 63:4

785-791, April 1995.

26. Beckham, Nancy, op. cit., p. 48.

27. Neil, Kate, op. cit., p. 40.

28. Kenton, Leslie, op. cit., p. 94.

29. Lee, John, op. cit., p. 220.

30. Neil, Kate, op. cit., p. 41.

31. Ibid.

32. The Sunday Telegraph, London, 12 May 1996.

About the Author:

Sherrill Sellman presently lives in Melbourne where she conducts a private

psychotherapy practice, in addition to giving lectures, researching and

writing about topics of interest and concern to her relating to women's

health empowerment. She is a contributing writer to holistic publications in

Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States.

For further information about natural progesterone, please send a

self-addressed envelope to: Light Unlimited, Locked Bag 8000 - MDC, Kew,

Victoria 3101, Australia; phone +61 (0)3 9810 9591; fax +61 (0)3 9855 9991;

e-mail: golight.

NEXUS ARTICLES, BOOKS, SUBS, ADS & VIDEOS

April 18, 2004

Oestrogen is not bad for women if it is in the proper dosage. All the hype

about progesterone is designed to harm women's health. Talk about the

ultimate Health Conspiracy!! During menopause, estrogen levels drop. We

retain progesterone. All women are not the same, and so blood hormone tests

are a necessity. I will not go into my case history in depth, but estrogen

replacement therapy was a God send for me. I regained a positive outlook on

life, the ability to think clearly, my vision returned to normal, I lost

weight and now have curves again -- the list goes on and on and on. I

cannot let this message go by without telling women to study all they can

about estrogen/progesterone. You will find much more positive information

about progesterone than estrogen on the net, but that does not make it 100%

accurate.

Signs and Symptoms of Low Estrogen/too much progesterone:

Mood swings: Fluctuating hormone levels can have women crying at the drop of

a hat for no apparent reason. Many women feel as if they are on an emotional

roller coaster. Relaxation therapy, stress reduction measures, exercise and

natural hormone replacement therapy often buffer the effects of this and

other menopause symptoms.

Irritability: Irritability can go hand-in-hand with mood swings.

Anxiety: The female sex hormones affect certain chemicals in the brain that

affect mood. Women's mood can be affected when these hormones are out of

kilter, causing a variety of emotional upheavals like mood swings,

irritability, depression and anxiety.

Vaginal dryness: The vaginal lining becomes thinner and less flexible during

menopause, which can cause vaginal dryness and the following symptom,

painful intercourse.

Incontinence: The organs surrounding the vagina can also thin and shrink.

The thinning of the bladder and urethra can cause incontinence.

Urinary Tract Changes: Also related to the thinning of the vagina and

surrounding organs. The pH balance in women becomes more alkaline, promoting

an environment more conducive to bacterial growth. Women might also

experience the urge to urinate more frequently.

Water retention/bloating

Sore, Tender Breasts

Memory Lapses: Estrogen plays an important role in memory and the

functioning of nerve cells in the brain. With decreased levels of estrogen,

women can experience memory difficulties. Difficulty Concentrating, " Foggy "

Thinking: Also related to memory issues.

Osteoporosis

Tooth Loss

Increased Gum Disease: Lower estrogen levels can cause changes in the mouth

and gums and bleeding of the gums.

Tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ears

Thinning Hair, Increased Facial Hair: This symptom, like brittle fingernails

and dry skin, is related to falling hormone levels.

Dry Skin, Age Spots

Heart/Cardiovascular Disease: As the production of estrogen decreases, the

risk of heart attack, strokes and cardiovascular disease increases. It is

extremely important for menopausal women to maintain normal cholesterol

levels and exercise regularly to keep the heart healthy and fit.

Other Common Symptoms:

Heart palpitations.

Headaches/ migraines.

Muscle tension.

Aching joints/muscles.

Weight gain/increased appetite.

Dizziness, light-headedness.

Gastrointestinal changes (indigestion, gas, nausea).

Tingling feeling in hands and feet.

Blurry vision

I have more articles I can send the list about this topic, for I have done a

great deal of reseach. My conclusions are also based on experience -- what

helped me to feel happy and healthy again.

Peace

HORMONE HERESY

- Oestrogen's Deadly Truth -

Part 2

The promotion of synthetic oestrogens and oestrogen-mimicking chemicals is a

major medical mistake and an unforeseen environmental health hazard.

(Go to part 1)

NEXUS ARTICLES, BOOKS, SUBS, ADS & VIDEOS

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»

§ - PULSE ON WORLD HEALTH CONSPIRACIES! §

Subscribe:......... -

To :.... -

Any information here in is for educational purpose only, it may be news

related, purely speculation or someone's opinion. Always consult with a

qualified health practitioner before deciding on any course of treatment,

especially for serious or life-threatening illnesses.

**COPYRIGHT NOTICE**

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107,

any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without

profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving

the included information for non-profit research and educational purposes

only. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml

April 18, 2004

Actually, you've got this backwards. It is progesterone that has completely

stopped production by menopause. We continue to produce estrogen in our fat

cells throughout our life. The mood swings, etc. are actually due to too

MUCH estrogen cycling through our body without enough progesterone to make

use of it. Go to http://www.hormoneprofile.com or read any book by Dr.

John Lee. Traditional medical world says you don't have enough estrogen.

Reality is most women have plenty estrogen, just no ability to utilize it

due to insufficient progesterone, and free cycling estrogen wrecks havock

with our bodies and emotions. Joy

-

" SiouxB " <SiouxB

Sunday, April 18, 2004 5:51 AM

Re: HORMONE HERESY- Oestrogen's Deadly Truth

2/2

> Oestrogen is not bad for women if it is in the proper dosage. All the

hype

> about progesterone is designed to harm women's health. Talk about the

> ultimate Health Conspiracy!! During menopause, estrogen levels drop. We

> retain progesterone. All women are not the same, and so blood hormone

tests

> are a necessity. I will not go into my case history in depth, but

estrogen

> replacement therapy was a God send for me. I regained a positive outlook

on

> life, the ability to think clearly, my vision returned to normal, I lost

> weight and now have curves again -- the list goes on and on and on. I

> cannot let this message go by without telling women to study all they can

> about estrogen/progesterone. You will find much more positive information

> about progesterone than estrogen on the net, but that does not make it

100%

> accurate.

>

> Signs and Symptoms of Low Estrogen/too much progesterone:

>

> Mood swings: Fluctuating hormone levels can have women crying at the drop

of

> a hat for no apparent reason. Many women feel as if they are on an

emotional

> roller coaster. Relaxation therapy, stress reduction measures, exercise

and

> natural hormone replacement therapy often buffer the effects of this and

> other menopause symptoms.

>

> Irritability: Irritability can go hand-in-hand with mood swings.

>

> Anxiety: The female sex hormones affect certain chemicals in the brain

that

> affect mood. Women's mood can be affected when these hormones are out of

> kilter, causing a variety of emotional upheavals like mood swings,

> irritability, depression and anxiety.

>

> Vaginal dryness: The vaginal lining becomes thinner and less flexible

during

> menopause, which can cause vaginal dryness and the following symptom,

> painful intercourse.

>

> Incontinence: The organs surrounding the vagina can also thin and shrink.

> The thinning of the bladder and urethra can cause incontinence.

>

> Urinary Tract Changes: Also related to the thinning of the vagina and

> surrounding organs. The pH balance in women becomes more alkaline,

promoting

> an environment more conducive to bacterial growth. Women might also

> experience the urge to urinate more frequently.

>

> Water retention/bloating

>

> Sore, Tender Breasts

>

> Memory Lapses: Estrogen plays an important role in memory and the

> functioning of nerve cells in the brain. With decreased levels of

estrogen,

> women can experience memory difficulties. Difficulty Concentrating,

" Foggy "

> Thinking: Also related to memory issues.

>

> Osteoporosis

>

> Tooth Loss

>

> Increased Gum Disease: Lower estrogen levels can cause changes in the

mouth

> and gums and bleeding of the gums.

> Tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ears

>

> Thinning Hair, Increased Facial Hair: This symptom, like brittle

fingernails

> and dry skin, is related to falling hormone levels.

>

> Dry Skin, Age Spots

>

> Heart/Cardiovascular Disease: As the production of estrogen decreases, the

> risk of heart attack, strokes and cardiovascular disease increases. It is

> extremely important for menopausal women to maintain normal cholesterol

> levels and exercise regularly to keep the heart healthy and fit.

>

> Other Common Symptoms:

>

> Heart palpitations.

>

> Headaches/ migraines.

>

> Muscle tension.

>

> Aching joints/muscles.

>

> Weight gain/increased appetite.

>

> Dizziness, light-headedness.

>

> Gastrointestinal changes (indigestion, gas, nausea).

>

> Tingling feeling in hands and feet.

>

> Blurry vision

>

> I have more articles I can send the list about this topic, for I have done

a

> great deal of reseach. My conclusions are also based on experience --

what

> helped me to feel happy and healthy again.

>

> Peace

>

> HORMONE HERESY

> - Oestrogen's Deadly Truth -

> Part 2

> The promotion of synthetic oestrogens and oestrogen-mimicking chemicals is

a

> major medical mistake and an unforeseen environmental health hazard.

> (Go to part 1)

>

> NEXUS ARTICLES, BOOKS, SUBS, ADS & VIDEOS

>

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> »

>

> § - PULSE ON WORLD HEALTH CONSPIRACIES! §

>

> Subscribe:......... -

> To :.... -

>

> Any information here in is for educational purpose only, it may be news

> related, purely speculation or someone's opinion. Always consult with a

> qualified health practitioner before deciding on any course of treatment,

> especially for serious or life-threatening illnesses.

> **COPYRIGHT NOTICE**

> In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107,

> any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without

> profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in

receiving

> the included information for non-profit research and educational purposes

> only. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml

>

April 18, 2004

Yes, we are given lots of backwards information.

HRT should include natural estrogen -- NOT congugated estrogen AND progesterone (as the traditional medical world would have us believe)

Again, blood tests are crucial. In my case, my estrogen levels had dropped, but I still had progesterone. This is true for many women.

Actually, you've got this backwards. It is progesterone that has completelystopped production by menopause. We continue to produce estrogen in our fatcells throughout our life. The mood swings, etc. are actually due to tooMUCH estrogen cycling through our body without enough progesterone to makeuse of it. Go to http://www.hormoneprofile.com or read any book by Dr.John Lee. Traditional medical world says you don't have enough estrogen.Reality is most women have plenty estrogen, just no ability to utilize itdue to insufficient progesterone, and free cycling estrogen wrecks havockwith our bodies and emotions. Joy- "SiouxB" <SiouxBSunday, April 18, 2004 5:51 AMRe: HORMONE HERESY- Oestrogen's Deadly Truth2/2> Oestrogen is not bad for women if it is in the proper dosage. All thehype> about progesterone is designed to harm women's health. Talk about the> ultimate Health Conspiracy!! During menopause, estrogen levels drop. We> retain progesterone. All women are not the same, and so blood hormonetests> are a necessity. I will not go into my case history in depth, butestrogen> replacement therapy was a God send for me. I regained a positive outlookon> life, the ability to think clearly, my vision returned to normal, I lost> weight and now have curves again -- the list goes on and on and on. I> cannot let this message go by without telling women to study all they can> about estrogen/progesterone. You will find much more positive information> about progesterone than estrogen on the net, but that does not make it100%> accurate.>> Signs and Symptoms of Low Estrogen/too much progesterone:>> Mood swings: Fluctuating hormone levels can have women crying at the dropof> a hat for no apparent reason. Many women feel as if they are on anemotional> roller coaster. Relaxation therapy, stress reduction measures, exerciseand> natural hormone replacement therapy often buffer the effects of this and> other menopause symptoms.>> Irritability: Irritability can go hand-in-hand with mood swings.>> Anxiety: The female sex hormones affect certain chemicals in the brainthat> affect mood. Women's mood can be affected when these hormones are out of> kilter, causing a variety of emotional upheavals like mood swings,> irritability, depression and anxiety.>> Vaginal dryness: The vaginal lining becomes thinner and less flexibleduring> menopause, which can cause vaginal dryness and the following symptom,> painful intercourse.>> Incontinence: The organs surrounding the vagina can also thin and shrink.> The thinning of the bladder and urethra can cause incontinence.>> Urinary Tract Changes: Also related to the thinning of the vagina and> surrounding organs. The pH balance in women becomes more alkaline,promoting> an environment more conducive to bacterial growth. Women might also> experience the urge to urinate more frequently.>> Water retention/bloating>> Sore, Tender Breasts>> Memory Lapses: Estrogen plays an important role in memory and the> functioning of nerve cells in the brain. With decreased levels ofestrogen,> women can experience memory difficulties. Difficulty Concentrating,"Foggy"> Thinking: Also related to memory issues.>> Osteoporosis>> Tooth Loss>> Increased Gum Disease: Lower estrogen levels can cause changes in themouth> and gums and bleeding of the gums.> Tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ears>> Thinning Hair, Increased Facial Hair: This symptom, like brittlefingernails> and dry skin, is related to falling hormone levels.>> Dry Skin, Age Spots>> Heart/Cardiovascular Disease: As the production of estrogen decreases, the> risk of heart attack, strokes and cardiovascular disease increases. It is> extremely important for menopausal women to maintain normal cholesterol> levels and exercise regularly to keep the heart healthy and fit.>> Other Common Symptoms:>> Heart palpitations.>> Headaches/ migraines.>> Muscle tension.>> Aching joints/muscles.>> Weight gain/increased appetite.>> Dizziness, light-headedness.>> Gastrointestinal changes (indigestion, gas, nausea).>> Tingling feeling in hands and feet.>> Blurry vision>> I have more articles I can send the list about this topic, for I have donea> great deal of reseach. My conclusions are also based on experience -- what> helped me to feel happy and healthy again.>> Peace>>>> HORMONE HERESY> - Oestrogen's Deadly Truth -> Part 2> The promotion of synthetic oestrogens and oestrogen-mimicking chemicals isa> major medical mistake and an unforeseen environmental health hazard.> (Go to part 1)>> NEXUS ARTICLES, BOOKS, SUBS, ADS & VIDEOS>>>>>>«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤> »>> § - PULSE ON WORLD HEALTH CONSPIRACIES! §> > Subscribe:......... - > To :.... - >> Any information here in is for educational purpose only, it may be news> related, purely speculation or someone's opinion. Always consult with a> qualified health practitioner before deciding on any course of treatment,> especially for serious or life-threatening illnesses.> **COPYRIGHT NOTICE**> In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107,> any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without> profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest inreceiving> the included information for non-profit research and educational purposes> only. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml>>>>>>

April 18, 2004

Not for many women... Again, check http://www.hormoneprofile.com . Most of us start dropping off progesterone levels in early twenties and have stopped production entirely by mid 40's. Most of us have lowered levels of estrogen, but still a great sufficiency from that which our fat cells produce. A few women do need both natural estrogen and progesterone, but this is a very limited number of women. Again, see hormoneprofile.com. And yes, testing is important. The levels traditional doctors say we need of estrogen for most of us actually cause problems, starting in twenties as our progesterone levels drop - also for preteens whose estrogen production starts prior to progesterone production. Too much estrogen without enough progesterone to balance it is a huge problem - one many many women experience without having a clue that that is their problem.

Joy

-

SiouxB

Sunday, April 18, 2004 12:50 PM

Re: HORMONE HERESY- Oestrogen's Deadly Truth 2/2

Yes, we are given lots of backwards information.

HRT should include natural estrogen -- NOT congugated estrogen AND progesterone (as the traditional medical world would have us believe)

Again, blood tests are crucial. In my case, my estrogen levels had dropped, but I still had progesterone. This is true for many women.

Actually, you've got this backwards. It is progesterone that has completelystopped production by menopause. We continue to produce estrogen in our fatcells throughout our life. The mood swings, etc. are actually due to tooMUCH estrogen cycling through our body without enough progesterone to makeuse of it. Go to http://www.hormoneprofile.com or read any book by Dr.John Lee. Traditional medical world says you don't have enough estrogen.Reality is most women have plenty estrogen, just no ability to utilize itdue to insufficient progesterone, and free cycling estrogen wrecks havockwith our bodies and emotions. Joy- "SiouxB" <SiouxBSunday, April 18, 2004 5:51 AMRe: HORMONE HERESY- Oestrogen's Deadly Truth2/2> Oestrogen is not bad for women if it is in the proper dosage. All thehype> about progesterone is designed to harm women's health. Talk about the> ultimate Health Conspiracy!! During menopause, estrogen levels drop. We> retain progesterone. All women are not the same, and so blood hormonetests> are a necessity. I will not go into my case history in depth, butestrogen> replacement therapy was a God send for me. I regained a positive outlookon> life, the ability to think clearly, my vision returned to normal, I lost> weight and now have curves again -- the list goes on and on and on. I> cannot let this message go by without telling women to study all they can> about estrogen/progesterone. You will find much more positive information> about progesterone than estrogen on the net, but that does not make it100%> accurate.>> Signs and Symptoms of Low Estrogen/too much progesterone:>> Mood swings: Fluctuating hormone levels can have women crying at the dropof> a hat for no apparent reason. Many women feel as if they are on anemotional> roller coaster. Relaxation therapy, stress reduction measures, exerciseand> natural hormone replacement therapy often buffer the effects of this and> other menopause symptoms.>> Irritability: Irritability can go hand-in-hand with mood swings.>> Anxiety: The female sex hormones affect certain chemicals in the brainthat> affect mood. Women's mood can be affected when these hormones are out of> kilter, causing a variety of emotional upheavals like mood swings,> irritability, depression and anxiety.>> Vaginal dryness: The vaginal lining becomes thinner and less flexibleduring> menopause, which can cause vaginal dryness and the following symptom,> painful intercourse.>> Incontinence: The organs surrounding the vagina can also thin and shrink.> The thinning of the bladder and urethra can cause incontinence.>> Urinary Tract Changes: Also related to the thinning of the vagina and> surrounding organs. The pH balance in women becomes more alkaline,promoting> an environment more conducive to bacterial growth. Women might also> experience the urge to urinate more frequently.>> Water retention/bloating>> Sore, Tender Breasts>> Memory Lapses: Estrogen plays an important role in memory and the> functioning of nerve cells in the brain. With decreased levels ofestrogen,> women can experience memory difficulties. Difficulty Concentrating,"Foggy"> Thinking: Also related to memory issues.>> Osteoporosis>> Tooth Loss>> Increased Gum Disease: Lower estrogen levels can cause changes in themouth> and gums and bleeding of the gums.> Tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ears>> Thinning Hair, Increased Facial Hair: This symptom, like brittlefingernails> and dry skin, is related to falling hormone levels.>> Dry Skin, Age Spots>> Heart/Cardiovascular Disease: As the production of estrogen decreases, the> risk of heart attack, strokes and cardiovascular disease increases. It is> extremely important for menopausal women to maintain normal cholesterol> levels and exercise regularly to keep the heart healthy and fit.>> Other Common Symptoms:>> Heart palpitations.>> Headaches/ migraines.>> Muscle tension.>> Aching joints/muscles.>> Weight gain/increased appetite.>> Dizziness, light-headedness.>> Gastrointestinal changes (indigestion, gas, nausea).>> Tingling feeling in hands and feet.>> Blurry vision>> I have more articles I can send the list about this topic, for I have donea> great deal of reseach. My conclusions are also based on experience -- what> helped me to feel happy and healthy again.>> Peace>>>> HORMONE HERESY> - Oestrogen's Deadly Truth -> Part 2> The promotion of synthetic oestrogens and oestrogen-mimicking chemicals isa> major medical mistake and an unforeseen environmental health hazard.> (Go to part 1)>> NEXUS ARTICLES, BOOKS, SUBS, ADS & VIDEOS>>>>>>«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤> »>> § - PULSE ON WORLD HEALTH CONSPIRACIES! §> > Subscribe:......... - > To :.... - >> Any information here in is for educational purpose only, it may be news> related, purely speculation or someone's opinion. Always consult with a> qualified health practitioner before deciding on any course of treatment,> especially for serious or life-threatening illnesses.> **COPYRIGHT NOTICE**> In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. 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