Natural hormone replacement therapy (NHRT) refers to the use of non-synthetic, bio-identical hormones, which are derived from plants, in order to treat hormone imbalances as well as deficiencies. The first oral contraceptive pill was basically derived from Dioscorea species, wild yam; and later soy was used as the precursor for using oral contraceptive hormones.
The use of natural hormone replacement therapy has increased today as women are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the conventional hormone replacement therapy (HRT). This is because of the ineffectiveness, side effects, as well as the growing concerns about risks, which include especially breast and uterine cancer risk.
The main benefits of natural hormone replacement therapy are that it often alleviates symptoms of hormone imbalances as well as deficiencies which can occur at any stage of life after puberty. Particularly, natural hormone replacement therapy is used in order to support hormone balance in the body during as well as after menopause, as this is the time when estrogens, progesterone as well as testosterone decline.
In fact, natural hormone replacement therapy is also used in men in order to treat andropause. This generally affects middle-aged men as the testosterone levels fall. Menopausal as well as andropausal symptoms tend to subside within months to years without any treatment. These symptoms often improve after one to three months of using natural hormone replacement therapy.
Low levels of estrogen, progesterone, as well as testosterone are associated with chronic diseases of aging. These include heart disease, bone loss as well as osteoporosis and cancer. The other diseases include digestive problems, high cholesterol levels as well as Alzheimer’s disease.
Studies have claimed that natural hormone replacement therapy may even slow the aging process as well as help to prevent fibroblastic or lumpy breasts, heart disease as well as osteoporosis and cancer. In men, the benefits of natural hormone replacement therapy include increased muscle mass as well as lower body fat.