04/01/2021
From Suzy Cohn- Explanation of hormone imbalance
Hormones are important chemical messengers that are secreted by your body, and they impact how you look, feel and cope. We all know our hormones have to stay in a certain balance with one another, and that the levels decline with age or chronic stress. 😞
One myth is that hormones only become imbalanced at 45 or 50 years old, about the time that menopause or andropause starts. But this isn’t so. 🚫
For example, household chemicals 🧪, skin care items, plastic containers, processed food and all sorts of medications all disturb the balance. One very common cause for hormone imbalance is getting a hysterectomy prior to menopause. Even bad relationships and being sedentary lead to imbalances. What I’m worried about is that you’ll just be handed pills 💊, instead of finding out the underlying hormone imbalance, and correcting that. To do that, you have to know your true hormone values: It's 100% based on the hormone test you take.
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So I wonder if you’ve thought about any of this? Maybe you're older and take HRT or Testosterone injections?
But what about if things become imbalanced earlier on, say in your late 20’s or 30’s? What if fertility is affected? Are you prone to miscarriages? These questions are important.
A hysterectomy at age 27 will cause instant menopause and all the symptoms that go with it! A young man with "male pattern baldness" may be unknowingly creating hormone imbalances by using body-building protein shakes, shots and creams.
A young man with low libido or arousal problems may be causing his situation by taking certain dietary supplements.
Hormone shifts can cause major illness, that if unrecognized, will cause you to become heavily medicated within a few years… a drug for attention span, one for depression, another for insomnia... hair loss... incontinence, one for heartburn and so forth!
Would you even recognize the problem? That’s what I’m worried about. Today marks the first day 📅 of a series of emails that I'll send to you to see if your hormones are causing any problems.
There are dozens of examples, but today I’ll share 3 examples of what I’m talking about. In each case, I’ll give you one way that hormones can cause this.
1. Estrogen Dominance
Estrogen imbalances impact both men and women. In men, elevated estrogen is partially responsible for prostate enlargement (BPH) and loss of muscle mass and strength. In women, it leads to heavy menstrual flow (if still cycling), painful cramps, tearfulness, breast tenderness and weight gain. Measuring estrogen via blood tests will not detect the breakdown by-products of estrogen, termed "metabolites." It's simply not possible.
There are 3 main metabolites of estrogen that form during Phase 1 metabolism of estrogen. Only a special urine test will uncover your levels. (I’ll tell you about this tomorrow). Having uncomfortable symptoms isn’t definitive enough, you should want to see the proof and look at your urine metabolites to see if you’re producing excess amounts of "4-OH Estrone."
2. Cysts and Cancer.
Some people have a higher risk of cancer due to their testosterone (which could read normal if you look at a blood test) breaking down the 5-alpha pathway, which leads to elevated DHT. In a woman, high DHT causes hair loss on the head, excess hair elsewhere, amenorrhea, cystic acne, menstrual problems and more. Elevated DHT is associated with PCOS or Polycystic O***y Syndrome.
What about a man? In a man, excessive DHT can cause slow wound healing, prostate enlargement, problems urinating and prostate cancer. It is most commonly associated with male pattern hair loss. This is all because of a breakdown pathway that testosterone goes down called 5-alpha. But did you know that testosterone could alternatively go down the 5-beta pathway, which is WAY better for both men and women! Blood tests don't reveal this.
So the question is, do you know which way YOU are breaking it down?
Most people do not, and if your physician hasn’t fully and completely evaluated these biomarkers (through your urine), then you’re apt to chase your tail and continue to suffer. In summary, there are two pathways that break down testosterone: 5 alpha and 5 beta and a urine test identifies which pathway you break down your hormones.
3. Face down fatigue.
Are you tired? Everyone knows you can measure saliva now to see a cortisol pattern over 24 hours. That type of testing isn’t new, but what is NEW is the ability to measure urinary metabolites such as Cortisol and cortisone, one is active and one is inactive. You see, those two compounds interconvert. Do you know if you have more cortisol, or cortisone (which is inactive)? Maybe you *make* enough cortisol, but you convert it to inactive cortisone? Hmmm, now you will be tired, and fatigued all day, and the assumption that doctors make is that you’re not making enough cortisol so you’ll be put on stimulants, steroids and possibly antidepressants.
Do you know if you have the morning spike, or if you’re flat-lined? Do you know if you have enough circulating DHEA? All of these things matter and if you’re deficient, you could have profound fatigue and rely on sweets, sugary treats, caffeine and soda, just for the lift!
Hormones such as estrogen (there are actually 3 types of estrogen), testosterone, cortisol, progesterone and DHEA are extremely important. Some of these can be measured just fine in your blood stream with a normal blood test, however the downside is you do not see what is happening downstream, like how they are breaking down in your body.
It's different for all of us because we're unique. If you can’t see how those hormones are breaking down, then you can’t fix yourself… at least not without a ton of trial and error! It’s just easier to help yourself quickly if you can SEE with your own eyes what your hormones are doing and how they're breaking down.
Only specialized urine tests reveal that.
Finally, ignoring your hormone metabolites (and relying only on blood tests) creates for you a much higher risk for major illness of all sorts. I'm referring to skin rashes, thyroid problems, reproductive problems, chronic fatigue, insomnia, hair loss, gastrointestinal problems, blood sugar abnormalities, osteoporosis, anxiety, even a higher risk for stroke and heart attack!
I know that’s shocking because pharma would have you believe these problems are due to some drug deficiency! Name any drug! Yeah, I confess, I’m being a little sarcastic.
Hormone shifts can ‘age’ you earlier. The good news is that there are ways to balance your hormones. You just have to know their levels, and the levels of their metabolites. This is where I’m going to have a heart-to-heart conversation with you. You’ll be given the information you need to make a 100% totally informed decision about your life, and the way you want to treat yourself. You can do this special urine test at home, and it's easy!
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