What are Bio-Identical Hormones? | San Francisco Womens Journal

Bio-Identical Hormones: Ask the Menopause Maven

By Dr. Sandi Altman

Dr. Sandra Altman OB-GYN

Dear Dr. Sandi,

I keep hearing about bio-identical hormones, but I am really confused. Can you tell me what they are, where they come from and how they work?

F. P.

Dear FP:

Bio-identical hormones refer to estradiol, the estrogen made by our ovaries when we are younger, and progesterone, which is made by our ovaries after we ovulate. The only natural source for these hormones are the ovaries of young women, and for obvious reasons they won’t part with them!

Estradiol is made from the soybean. Two molecules, genistein and dadzien, are extracted from the soybean and then manipulated until the resulting molecule is identical to the naturally occurring estradiol. In reality it’s “synthesized” but it matches what we “naturally” make and what we have receptors for.

Bio-identical estradiol is commercially available at traditional pharmacies. It is available as patches, pills, creams, gels and vaginal rings. There’s nothing magic about having it made by a compounding pharmacy since they, like the pharmaceutical companies, get their raw ingredient estradiol from the same 3 or 4 suppliers.

Progesterone is created from the Mexican yam root or Chinese cactus. It’s commercially available as Prometrium. It’s important to know that Prometrium contains peanut oil and must be taken at bedtime because it will make you sleepy.

I hope that clarifies things for you!

Dr. Sandi

Dr. Altman is a Board Certified Ob-GYN and has been in private practice since 1983. She is aka The Menopause Maven and has been in high demand as a speaker and teacher on menopausal and hormonal topics since 1992. To learn more, please visit her website.