If you have read my last blog, “Congress of Freedom,” the statement from the Endocrine society advising doctors not to prescribe compounded hormones may be seen in its true light: a selling out to pharmaceutical companies that make synthetic hormones. Despite the fact that 41% of women ask their doctors to prescribe them compounded Bioidentical Hormones the Endocrine Society still dismisses the safer and more natural hormones derived from wild yams. Many women clearly expressed their preference in a survey conducted by the North American Menopause Society.[1] If 41% of them prefer bioidentical hormones, do you think these hormones may be effective and well tolerated? To be fair, the Endocrine Society carefully avoided saying they don’t work.
There are many disreputable practitioners who prescribe bioidentical hormones while submitting patients to unnecessary and frequent testing for blood levels of these hormones. They do so to generate more dose adjustments and thus more visits. This is not in keeping with good science since levels of female hormones are quite unreliable; they vary from hour to hour and day to day.
If a significant number of women prefer bioidentical hormones because they feel better on them, these hormones should be made available to patients so that they do not end up being financially abused by rogue practitioners. All too often, these practitioners make bioidentical hormones sound like the fountain of youth, with no consequences if taken past age 60. This is also not warranted, and as dangerous as the synthetic replacement hormones the Endocrine Society prefers. Perhaps the Endocrine Society had these practitioners in mind. Let us hope so. But, let us not throw the baby out with the bath water.
Hugo Rodier, MD
Putting Humpty Dumpty back together again
From time to time we report on articles that hint to a more cellular approach to health and disease. This explains why seemingly disparate diseases seem to be linked together, which may be puzzling to doctor and patients who have been trained to “Hack at the leaves of the problem.” This is accomplished by clustering signs and symptoms into a diagnosis, which works well when it does what it’s intended to do: prescribe drug(s) as “suggested” by a canned protocol focused on treating only the symptoms of the “disease” diagnosed. It also works well in acute or emergent cases. People do feel better with this approach, but only for a while. They are also comforted by monitoring laboratory numbers that reflect “improvement” of the signs and symptoms, BUT, nothing is done at the cellular level where ALL diseases start. This is particularly true in chronic cases.
Here are three articles that address diseases as mixtures of genetics, environmental, and lifestyle impacting ALL cells:
“Restless legs syndrome associated with major diseases. A systematic review and new concept.”[2]
“Multiple sclerosis A lifestyle disease?”[3]
“Pre-eclampsia is linked to small increase in risk of cardiomyopathy in longer term.”[4]
These articles are particularly helpful when we consider that patients are seldom told these diseases are associated with neuro-endocrine toxins in the environment like pesticides. (See below) Equally neglected are the often-associated gut problems. When the Microbiome (gut bacteria) is compromised by poor diets, antibiotics, acid blocking drugs and other chemicals, detoxification and absorption of nutrients needed for healing at the cellular level is impaired. This also negatively affects the Brain-Gut connection.
More article on the Microbiome (Sorry; they keep coming out!)
“Altered intestinal microbiota as a major driving force in alcoholic steatohepatitis.”
J. Gut 2016;65:728
“Intestinal microbiota contributes to individual susceptibility to alcoholic liver disease.”
J. Gut 2016;65:830
Fatty Liver, a pre-diabetic condition that causes Gall Bladder (see below,) cholesterol, metabolic, and detoxification problems is driven by an imbalance of the Microbiome.
“Mechanisms Linking the Gut Microbiome and Glucose Metabolism.” JCEM 2016;101: 1445
Obesity, Pre Diabetes, Diabetes starts in the gut given bad diets full of processed sugars.
“Proton pump inhibitors affect the gut microbiome.” J. Gut 2016;65:74
Not surprisingly, acid-blocking drugs like Prilosec affect the microbiome adversely MORE than antibiotics do.
“Presence of house dust mite allergen in human gastrointestinal tract: a potential contributor to intestinal barrier dysfunction.” J. Gut 2016;65:757
Environmental chemicals affect Microbiome which leads to Leaky Gut.
“Flavanol-Enriched Cocoa Powder Alters the Intestinal Microbiota, Tissue and Fluid Metabolite Profiles, and Intestinal Gene Expression in Pigs.”
J. Nutr. 2016 146: 673
Do not dismiss this study because it was done in pigs. Cocoa has already been shown to be helpful in humans. This article shows that its salutary effect is through the Microbiome.
Your Gall Bladder: an endangered organ
Many people lose their Gall Bladder without being told their diets are making them pre-diabetics. Even fewer are told that a pre-diabetic liver makes thicker bile, which explains the formation of pesky Gall Bladder stones. Do you really believe that ripping out the Gall Bladder cures this problem? While some patients need surgery urgently, most patients may avoid the loss of this organ by changing their diets.
How many patients are told to replace the loss of bile salts after surgery? Without a Gall Bladder, bile drips constantly into the intestines without getting stored for the next meal. This does not seem to worry our friendly neighborhood surgeons. Now that we know the Gall Bladder is indispensable for the Microbiome to properly metabolize calories[5] and in view of the current Obesity epidemic, the practice of removing the Gall Bladder so quickly needs to be revisited
Having lost the Gall Bladder may explain why some people find it hard to lose weight. (See below.) But, that is the least of your problems: poor digestion and absorption of micronutrients may eventually lead to ALL diseases. If you are unable to avoid Gall Bladder surgery take digestive enzymes with Bile Salts with every meal for the rest of your life.
Endocrine Disruptors and Neuro-Endocrine problems
Toxins in the environment affect every human cell in any possible way. They seem to first affect our Neurologic and Hormonal systems. The latter is especially true in women: “Female Reproductive Disorders, Diseases, and Costs of Exposure to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in the European Union.”[6] This explains problems like early maturing of little girls, menses problems, dropping sperm counts and even breast, and prostate cancer.
Neurologic problems include headaches, Parkinson’s, MS (as noted above) and even Attention Deficit Disorder: “Phthalate DEHP in hospital tubing linked to attention deficit disorder in pediatric ICU patients.”[7]
So, try to avoid eating or drinking out of plastics; canned foods and dental sealants have Bisphenol A. Pesticides, heavy metals, fluorinated compounds are also Endocrine Disruptors. As noted previously, maintain healthy bowel movements (improve Microbiome,) eat a lot of cruciferous veggies; they have the micronutrients Indo-3-Carbinol and Sulpharanes which improve liver detoxification of these chemicals. Not surprisingly, Vitamin D also helps as does Curcumin and soy beans.[8]
- “Use of compounded hormone therapy in the United States: report of The North American Menopause Society Survey,” J. Menopause Epub September 25, 2015↑
- J. Neurology April 5, 2016 vol. 86 no. 14 1336-1343↑
- J. Neurology April 5, 2016 vol. 86 no. 14 1275-1276 ↑
- BMJ 2016; 352 :i1396 ↑
- “The role of bile acids in metabolic regulation,” J Endocrinology 228 (3) R85↑
- JCEM 2016;101:1562 ↑
- 2016 Endocrine Society’s annual meeting. ↑
- “Vitamin D3 Inhibits Wnt/β-Catenin and mTOR Signaling Pathways in Human Uterine Fibroid Cells,” JCEM 2016;101(4), pp. 1542
“Coumestrol suppresses proliferation of ES2 human epithelial ovarian cancer cells,”
J. Curcumin increases Glutathione levels, J. Drug Metabolism 1994;22:566 ↑
