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POWER'S IN THE BLOOD! October 17th, 2004
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These days it is difficult to pick up a magazine or watch TV without encountering a discussion about women's health. The most penetrating question asked is, "Is hormone replacement therapy (HRT) safe?" Once women pass puberty, there are three main stages in reproductive hormone levels (primarily estrogen and progesterone): 1.high hormone levels; 2. fluctuation and slow decline; 3. the cessation of the reproductive hormones. These changing levels have the potential to greatly affect women's health as a whole and to many women these changing levels cause a great deal of discomfort. The "medical model" treats this discomfort as disease and prescribes synthetic hormones to treat most, if not all, of women's reproductive health symptoms. This is continuing despite recent research that has proven HRT's put women at risk for many disorders including autoimmune diseases, heart disease and cancer. A woman's health is profoundly affected by her body's ability to maintain hormonal balance. If her hormonal balance is disrupted, numerous health problems follow, such as: anxiety, depression, fatigue, hair loss, headaches, irritability, insomnia, memory loss, mood swings, water retention, weight gain, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroiditis, premenstrual syndrome, breast and uterine cancer.

There are several ways imbalances can occur. One way is through exposure to xenoestrogens (chemicals that are used in pesticides, plastics, and fuels) and another is HRT prescriptions. The problem with synthetic hormones is they cause the body to make mistakes. These mistakes occur when the cell's receptors, which act like an on and off switch for particular actions, fail to function properly. If the cell's switch is "on" the cell's receptors can take the estrogen and break it down (metabolize) and it is excreted out of the body. If the cell's switch is "off" then the body is subjected to free radical damage and is at risk for the above disorders.

Women are exposed to excessive estrogens through animal products in which the animal was given routine hormones; through prescription medication; through obesity (hormones can accumulate in women's body fat). In most cases, women have the hormones that they need- the problem occurs in the metabolizing of estrogen and keeping the hormones balanced.

The answer is found in supplementation: First, including enzymes in the diet. By ingesting Total Enzymes on a regular basis, the body will routinely metabolize the estrogen that it takes in. Secondly, any free radical damage may be overcome by OPC 150s and third, the Total Health Formula will go a long way in keeping the body's hormones in balance.
 

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