Hormone production naturally declines as people age.
And as hormone levels diminish, physiology shifts in undesirable ways that result in the unpleasant symptoms commonly associated with aging.
These undesired physiologic changes are considered inevitable by most people…including most mainstream healthcare providers.
But these changes are not inevitable. Thanks to bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (otherwise known as BHRT), they can be managed.
It is important, however, that BHRT be done properly. Your BHRT provider should have the expertise needed to customize treatment to your unique physiological needs.
That’s where Renew Youth and our more than 25 years of experience comes in.
If you’re looking for some reasons to give BHRT a try, please keep reading.
#1: BHRT Restores Hormones to Optimal Levels
Hormones make everything in your body function properly. To say that your health and well-being depend upon having balanced hormones would be an understatement.
However, as people age, hormone production declines.
Women produce less estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone as they go through perimenopause and menopause. Men produce less testosterone as they go through andropause. And as testosterone declines, the small amount of estrogen men need for good health can also become imbalanced.
Women and men will both experience declining levels of other important hormones as they age like thyroid, DHEA, pregnenolone, and growth hormone.
These imbalances can lead to symptoms that include weight gain, fatigue, low sex drive, mood swings, loss of muscle mass, hot flashes, and brain fog. We’ll say more about these symptoms below.
The good news is that properly prescribed BHRT can restore hormones to healthy levels, thereby alleviating and/or preventing these symptoms of aging.
#2. BHRT Alleviates Hot Flashes
Hot flashes and night sweats (with the latter simply being hot flashes that happen at night) have historically been associated with women and menopause. But men can have them, too. In both cases, hormones are to blame.
Women frequently struggle with night sweats during perimenopause when progesterone levels are falling. But those night sweats will typically graduate into round-the-clock hot flashes as women enter menopause, when estrogen levels also decline. For some women, hot flashes are a temporary affliction, affecting them for only a few months or years. For others, they can continue indefinitely, well past the onset of menopause. While a minority of women won’t have hot flashes at all, most will experience them to some degree. In some instances, they are fairly minor and tolerable; but for other women hot flashes will be frequent and severe to the point of impacting quality of life.
Hot flashes are also common among men as testosterone levels decline. Many men will describe running hot primarily at night when they’re trying to sleep, but some men will find that their body temperature is dysregulated throughout the day.
The bottom line is that hot flashes can look different depending upon who is experiencing them. But regardless of how hot flashes are presenting, hormone therapy can be a game-changer. Once hormones are balanced, hot flashes should be eliminated.
Keep in mind that taking a one-size-fits-all approach does not work when it comes to BHRT. For effective symptom relief, dosing must be individualized for each person’s unique needs by a provider with expertise in hormone therapy.
#3. BHRT Supports Healthy Muscle Mass
In the absence of properly administered hormone therapy, men and women will both lose muscle mass as they age. Meanwhile, being able to build and maintain lean muscle mass is an important marker for good health.
The culprit when it comes to muscle loss as people age is typically a decline in testosterone. Men need ample amounts of testosterone for healthy muscle growth. Women, on the other hand, need a much smaller amount relative to men; but those smaller amounts of testosterone are equally important when it comes to women being able to maintain muscle mass.
Testosterone replacement can go a long way toward helping both men and women stay strong as they age.
#4. BHRT Preserves Mental Acuity
Hormone decline can cause brain fog, memory loss, reduced focus, and difficulty with concentration.
This is because balanced hormones are necessary for healthy cognition. Estrogen, in particular, functions like a neurotransmitter, making it crucial for brain health.
And keeping hormones at healthy levels goes beyond alleviating the symptoms described above. Research indicates that people who keep their hormones optimized are at a lower risk for developing dementia.
In other words, balanced hormone levels are important for preventing cognitive decline.
#5. BHRT Prevents Osteoporosis
Estrogen and testosterone deficiencies put both women and men at a higher risk for reduced bone density as they age.
The result can be osteoporosis, and the increased risk for bone fractures that comes with it.
BHRT restores estrogen and testosterone to optimal levels, thereby preventing osteoporosis. And if bone loss has already occurred, hormone therapy can reverse that trend by improving bone density.
#6. BHRT Boosts Libido and Improves Sexual Function
Apart from being enjoyable, many studies have shown that people who have sex regularly are healthier as they age.
But sex drive and sexual function can both be impaired by imbalanced hormones.
For women, insufficient testosterone can cause low libido. And vaginal dryness, which occurs when estrogen is low, can result in sex being painful.
For men, sex drive and/or erectile function can be compromised by low testosterone, as well as estrogen that’s too high or too low.
BHRT can help to address these issues by keeping hormone levels optimized.
#7. BHRT Supports Cardiovascular Health
It’s no coincidence that cardiovascular health tends to decline as hormone levels diminish. This is because hormones play an important role in helping to regulate blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and overall cardiovascular function.
Estrogen, in particular, has been shown by research to be crucial for a healthy cardiovascular system.
We all know that diet and exercise are important when it comes to lowering risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease. But keeping your hormones balanced is important, too.
#8. BHRT Reduces Fatigue
Fatigue is a common complaint as people age. And hormone decline is often to blame.
People who restore their hormones to healthy levels report improved stamina, better exercise performance, an increase in energy levels throughout the day, and more vitality overall.
#9. BHRT Stabilizes Mood
Hormone imbalances can have a significant impact on mood and emotional well-being.
When hormone levels are suboptimal, symptoms like mood swings, anxiety, depression, and irritability are common for both women and men.
Some people will report having these symptoms for the first time during perimenopause, menopause, and andropause. People who have struggled with these issues earlier in life will often report that they get worse with age-related hormone decline.
BHRT can help to stabilize mood by restoring hormones to optimal levels.
#10. BHRT Helps with Weight Management
Hormone imbalances can make it difficult to maintain a healthy weight. A person can be doing everything correctly with regard to diet and exercise; but if hormones are out of balance, losing weight can feel like pushing a heavy rock up a steep hill.
For women, metabolism is often affected by deficiencies in estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. For men, the primary culprits are low testosterone and elevated estrogen.
Women and men can both be affected by low thyroid, low DHEA, low growth hormone, and insulin resistance.
BHRT can optimize hormones, making a healthy weight easier to maintain.
Why Customized BHRT Works
BHRT is not a one-size-fits-all solution—or at least it shouldn’t be. When the same treatment is given to everyone, symptoms are unlikely to be relieved. In fact, a one-size-fits-all approach has the potential for making a person feel worse. On the other hand, when BHRT is done properly, it will be tailored to each person’s individual needs.
Lab testing and a thorough evaluation of symptoms provides our team with the roadmap needed to create a treatment plan that will be unique to you. This level of customization takes time and expertise; but it can mean the difference between hormone therapy that is safe and effective versus hormone therapy that can aggravate symptoms or compromise your health. At Renew Youth, we take individualizing treatment very seriously.
The “bioidentical” aspect of BHRT is also critically important. Bioidentical hormones are molecularly the same as the hormones your body produces naturally.
This means bioidentical hormones, when dosed correctly, work in your body just as your naturally produced hormones do. Harmony and balance are thus restored. The same cannot be said of synthetic hormones. Synthetic hormones are not molecularly the same as what your body would produce naturally, which means negative consequences for how they work in the human body. As a result, synthetic hormones are associated with adverse outcomes and side effects. At Renew Youth, we use bioidentical hormones only.
Believe it or not, the 10 reasons listed above only scratch the surface when it comes to the benefits of BHRT.
Are you wondering if BHRT is right for you? Renew Youth is here to help. To schedule your free consultation, call us at 800-859-7511 or use our contact form.