Hormone Education

• Hormones are the body’s chemical messengers that transport information from the brain to the glands, from the glands to the cells and from the cells to the brain.
• Hormones rejuvenate, regenerate and restore our bodies.
• As doctors, we were taught that as we age, our hormones decline. It is now clear that as our hormones decline, we age!
• Hormones are considered at their peak from age 25-30 years, the same period when the body is at its strongest and healthiest.
• Diet and exercise will not be as effective if your hormones are not balanced correctly.

Why Hormones Decline

Hormones decline as we age every year after the age of 30. The human race has never lived as long as we are living today - just 100 years ago it was not uncommon for us to pass away in our 50's and 60's! Advances in healthcare, sanitation and food availability have dramatically increased life span! Yet at the same time pollution with harmful chemicals, food preservatives and processing have changed our foods nutritional value and we often have difficulty digesting our food properly as digestive enzymes decrease in quantity and efficacy. This sets the stage for poor absorption of vital vitamins, amino acids and other nutrients, and more disturbingly undigested food literally rotting in our intestines releasing toxic by-products into our body that set up an inflammatory cascade. This leads to all sorts of maladies that are "new" like chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, and a dramatic increase in others like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis that can literally be disabling - all because our gut is not functioning properly!

I now have patients in there 90's who travel, play golf, and enjoy sex, not necessarily in that order - as 50 is now just "middle age". At the same time I have middle age adults that are literally "train wrecks" and are riddled with lifestyle diseases in their fifties as they have not cared for their health! Menopause has always occurred around age 50, and the glands that produce our hormones do not regenerate and continue to decline, producing fewer hormones with each passing year.

As we age, it becomes increasingly important for both men and women to keep their body's biochemistry, including their hormones, balanced to protect against illness, fatigue, mood swings, obesity and to enjoy an overall healthier sense of well being.

"Natural" Hormones vs. "Synthetic" Hormones

Synthetic hormones, like Provera or Premarin, are derived from plant progesterone and animal estrogens, but are chemically modified to be "unique" so they can be patented by a company and sold for billions of dollars because they are "unique". Unfortunately, making them unique in their chemical structure makes them foreign chemicals that can literally act as toxins in the body. Because they are not natural to the human body, we can not metabolize them properly.

Dr. Rohde only uses natural bioidentical hormones. Unlike synthetic hormones, "bioidentical", "human identical", or "natural" hormones are replicas of the body’s own natural hormones. They are also made from soy, yams and other plant extracts and are also changed in a lab, BUT to be biologically identical to the same hormones your body makes. Because these are cheap and easy to make they are not patentable, and therefore cannot make billions of dollars for a company. We often enlist the help of a compounding pharmacy to help make personalized prescriptions for each individual's needs.

For optimal safety and results, Dr. Rohde only supplements hormones that are necessary after proper laboratory testing and uses the lowest possible doses to achieve hormone balance. He evaluates client’s symptoms and retests hormone levels regularly, this was NEVER done with synthetic female hormone management, and often is not done while using bioidentical hormones, potentially placing women at risk of adverse outcomes as well!

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HORMONES AND FUNCTION

HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE – the growth hormone

• Decreases body fat
• Increases muscle mass
• Improves tissue healing and protein synthesis
• Increases bone density
• Quicker illness recovery
• Increases capacity to exercise
• Increases skin hydration and elasticity
• Improves sense of well being
• Decreases incidence of illness

TESTOSTERONE – the male hormone

• Improves brain function
• Increases energy
• Increases strength
• Increases bone density
• Increases libido
• Improves sexual sensitivity
• Improves sexual function
• Improves HDL and LDL levels
• Improves cardiovascular health

DHEA – the mother of hormones

• Naturally decreases with aging - NOT good!
• Improves neurological function
• Increases sense of well being
• Improves immune function
• Improves stress tolerance
• Increases metabolism

ESTROGENS – the female growth hormones: E1-Estrone, E2-Estradiol, E3-Estriol

• Growth hormone - grows and prepares uterine lining for implantation - "GO" hormone
• Protect against heart disease, stroke
• Decrease cholesterol
• Lower incidence of Alzheimer’s
• Improves memory
• Alleviate symptoms of menopause: headaches, mood swings, bloating, hot flashes, fatigue, waning libido

PROGESTERONE – the maturational hormone of pregnancy

• Balances or "brakes" estrogen - "STOP" hormone
• Protects against breast and uterine cancer
• Protects against fibrocystic disease
• Helps fat metabolism
• Helps normalize blood sugar
• Helps reverse osteoporosis
• Helps thyroid hormone function
• Acts as a natural antidepressant
• Protects against nervousness, anxiety, PMS, and irritability

PREGNENELONE – the gateway hormone

• Promotes formation of other hormones
• Repairs brain and nerve tissue
• Enhances many brain functions
• Reduces aging skin
• Improves sense of well being
• Increases energy and mobility
• Improves sleep quality
• Reduces harmful stress effects
• Reduces aging brain deficiencies

THYROID – the master hormone of metabolism

• Increases energy
• Increases fat burning, and controls weight
• Increases your heart rate
• Increases your appetite

INSULIN – the hormone of storage

• Responsible for getting blood sugar into all cells
• Increases fat storage
• Increases risk of diabetes, hypertension and stroke when elevated

CORTISOL – the hormone of stress

• Responsible for responding to stress
• Helps protect you against your environment (allergens)
• Mobilizes energy, improves fatigue
• Increases your appetite for sugar
• Decreases bone mass, muscle mass, and slows down your metabolism

LH/FSH/PROLACTIN - Regulators of the Menstrual Cycle and Male Testosterone and Sperm Production

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