Bio-Identical Hormones

As we age, many things about our bodies change. One of the things that changes, is our hormones. Hormones help to determine how tall you grow and how you handle stress and, of course, they also regulate the functioning of your sex organs.

The normal aging process causes hormone production to decline in everyone, resulting in imbalances that have both physical and psychological effects.

The main hormones that regulate a man's body are:

• Testosterone

• DHEA

• Pregnenolone

• Progesterone

• Estrogen

Testosterone

Testosterone is a hormone that stimulates development of male secondary sexual characteristics, produced mainly in the testes, but also in the ovaries and adrenal cortex. Testosterone deficiency is increasingly being recognized as a cause of erectile dysfunction. Low testosterone levels can lead to a low libido (sex drive), poor response to sexual stimulation and a reduced vascular response to vasodilatation.

Andropause is often called the "male menopause." As men age, their bodies produce less and less testosterone. This lack of testosterone can lead to a number of symptons that many men just accept as the ''normal aging process.'' A lot of men do not realize that these symptoms can be reduced or eliminated through testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).

Numerous changes are associated with an age-related decline in testosterone. Men can go through these changes quickly, with a sudden change, or more typically, slowly over a period of time, with a gradual hormone decline. Men can start this decline as early as their 30's, when the body's production of testosterone starts to drop by 1-2% each year.

Post-menopause is te period of life after menopause. This phase is generally believed to begin after 12 full months have passed since the last menstrual period.

Benefits of testosterone:

• Increased libido and improved sexual function

• Increased bone density

• Improved mood or mood swings

• Possible decrease in BMI (body mass index)

• Increased muscle mass

• Improved glycemic control, insulin resistence, and cholesteol levels for type 2 diabetes.

• Improved quality of life (i.e. memory, cognition)

DHEA

Dehydroepiandrosterone is primarily an adrenal hormone and serves as a precursor to both androgens and estrogens. DHEA is a steroid hormone made by the adrenal glands that acts in the body much like testosterone and is converted into testosterone and estrogen. As with most hormones, the blood levels of DHEA decline with age.

Metabolized from DHEA-S and back to DHEA. It is a precursor to 50% of testosterone in men and 75%-100% of engogenous estrogen in women. Support may enhance progesterone production from adrenal gland. DHEA is the highest production of any steriod other than cholesterol. Levels of DHEA decline by 10% per decade after the age of 20.

Benefits of DHEA:

• Improved sex drive

• Increased energy

• Improved immune function

• Improved sleep

• Better memory

• Increased happiness

• Reduced cardiovascular disease

• Weight loss (through reduced insulin resistance)

Pregnenlone

Pregnenlone is an endogenous steroid and metabolic intermediate in the biosynthesis of most of the steroid hormones, including the progestogens. It is a precursor hormone synthesized from cholesterol, principally in the adrenal glands, but also in the liver, skin, brain, testicles, and ovaries.
As with other hormones, levels decline with age. However, stress of the adrenal glands can lower the pregnenlone levels even more in the body. Maintaining strong adrenal function is important for optimizing your cortisol level, controlling blood sugar, insulin levels, and overall physical fitness. Pregnenlone is considered to be one of the most important hormones because it has a balancing effect on the levels of the other hormones; if it is low, the other hormones are low, on the other hand, if the levels are high, the other hormones are high.
Benefits of Pregnenlone:

• Increased energy

• Enhanced memory

• Decreased stress levels

• Improved immunity

• Improved skin quality due to psoriasis, scleroderma, etc.

• Decreased arthritis

• Improved mood

• Improved heart function

• Improved prostate function

Progesterone

Progesterone is not normally excreted in human urine. It is derived to a major degree from pregnenolone, which also is not excreted in urine in appreciable amounts unless orally supplemented. In men, P production takes place in the adrenal glands.
Progesterone helps to counteract the effects of estrogen in the male body. The male body relies on progesterone to preserve their masculinity. Progesterone is a precursor to testosterone. As men age and testosterone levels begin to decline, estrogen rises. As estrogen rises, progesterone levels drop steeply.
Low levels of progesterone in men lead to low libido (sex drive), fatigue, depression, and erectile dysfunction. Also, men with low levels of progesterone have a higher risk of developing prostatism (enlarged prostate gland) and prostate cancer.
Benefits of progesterone:

• Promotes bone building and protects against osteoporosis.

• Protects against endometrial cancer.

• Precursor of other sex hormones.

• Natural diuretic (production of urine to cleanse body of waste)

• Increased energy

• Decreased depression

• Increased libido

Estrogen

Estrone (E1)-Estrone (E1) and its conjugate Estrone Sulfate (E1S) represents perhaps the most significant estrogen, certainly from a quantitative point of view. It is less estrogenic than estradiol.
Estradiol (E2)- Estradiol is the major biologically active estrogen. It canintercnvert to E1, the major function of which is to act as the estrogen reservoir.
Estriol (E3)-Estriol is the meabolic end product of estrogen metabolism. It is considerably less estrogenic than either E1 or E2 and as a result has been considered by some to be the ''safe'' estrogen.
Growth Hormones
Compounds used in the treatment of Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency. These compounds have shown positive results amongst patients of respected age management practitioners. Below are quality Peptide Combinations we offer.
• SERMORELIN ACETATE Sermorelin Acetate is a synthetic version of Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone (GHRH), a naturally occurring substance that stimulates the release of Growth Hormone (GH). Sermorelin binds to the GHRH Receptor and mimics native Growth Hormone Releasing Factor in its ability to stimulate GH secretion.
• SERMORELIN GHRP-2 - Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide 2 (GHRP—2) is a synthetic agonist of Ghrelin, a peptide produced by the gut, which binds to the Growth Hormone Secretagogue Receptor in the pituitary gland.
• SERMORELIN GHRP-2 - Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide 2 (GHRP—2) is a synthetic agonist of Ghrelin, a peptide produced by the gut, which binds to the Growth Hormone Secretagogue Receptor in the pituitary gland.