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What is Natural Estrogen Cream?
What is natural estrogen cream is the most common question and as the name implies – products which have estrogens from natural or plant-derived sources incorporated into them. Most often than not, these creams are created from natural ingredients such as phytoestrogens which can be used to complement the activities of estrogens in the body. These creams are in most cases incorporated with estriols which are quickly absorbed into the body. Read our article: What is Estriol for more information on the characteristics, side effects and uses of estriol.
Who may benefit from natural estrogen cream?
Natural estrogen creams are often sought out among the following group of individuals.
- Women who have had a full hysterectomy or have undergone surgical or natural menopause and may be opposed to using any form of estrogen replacement but who are having problems with insomnia, vaginal dryness, hot flashes, and hair loss.
- Women who have had only their uterus removed but have also undergone natural menopause and are not interested in taking any form of synthetic estrogen replacement.
- Women who are experiencing peri-menopausal and pre-menopausal symptoms such as vaginal dryness, hair loss, anxiety and hot flashes but are not taking any form of prescription estrogens or birth control pills and wish relief from the effects of menopause.
Cautions
Since estriols have a high rate of absorption into the body, the estrogen natural creams can be applied to all parts of the body but the following precautions should be taken into cognizance.
- Rotate the areas where the creams are applied regularly. This is to avoid saturating the area with the cream and overloading receptors in an area.
- The cream is best absorbed from a region where the skin is relatively thin and well supplied with capillary blood flow. These areas such as the wrists, inner thighs, inner arms, breast and upper chest should be used for the application of the estrogen natural cream. This affects the rate at which the estrogens are absorbed into the body.
- After application, massage the skin until the cream is noticeably absorbed.
- Do not apply estrogen natural creams on top of other body creams or perfumes since this may lead to an improper absorption.
Dosage
While each woman is different, and your doctor will know best, for peri-menopausal, menopausal, and post-menopausal women, the cream should be applied twice a day for a trial period of about 2 weeks. As relief is realized, you can reduce the dosage to once a day but again, this should be the responsibility of your physician to decide.
Consuming plants rich in phytoestrogens can assist you in hastening the result process and may lead to reducing your dosage from twice to once a day. The examples of these diets include; nuts, flax seed, brown or red rice, wheat germ, alfalfa, barley, oats, and soybean.
Side Effects
At the time of writing, there are no side effects associated with natural estrogen creams.
Ingredients
Most of the natural estrogen creams are made from the following ingredients;
- Estrogen Estriol
- Glycerin
- Shea butter
- Sunflower seed oil
- Aloe
- Palmate
- Evening Primrose oil
- Lecithin
- Potassium Sorbate
- Racemonsa Root
- Natural vitamin E
Conclusion
Consult with your physician before you engage in any form of estrogen treatments and it is always recommended to have your hormones saliva tested before beginning any self-diagnostics. Consider ZRT hormone testing.
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What are Phytoestrogens?
The word phytoestrogen is a combination of Phyto (a Greek word meaning plant) and estrogen (a group of primary female hormones known for their sexual regulatory functions in humans). As a way of definition, we can say that phytoestrogens are compounds or chemicals that occur naturally in plants. They are also present to some extent in a wide range of plants consumed as food. These phytochemicals are present in food such as grains, legumes, veggies, and fruits. Plant diets especially those from soy origin are rich in phytoestrogens in healthy amounts. This is why when peri or pre-menopausal symptoms occur, the first defense is a rich, fibrous plant based diet.
Phytoestrogens although from plant origin can also function much like the estrogens found in humans. By consuming food samples rich in phytoestrogens, our bodies give a similar response to the release of estrogens in our body.
Effects of Phytoestrogens On your health:
To some extent, we can boldly say that phytoestrogen can serve as an alternative source of estrogens. They have found use in phytoestrogen supplements and hormone replacement therapy.
Since phytoestrogens have the ability to mimic the natural estrogens found in the body, these phytochemicals or hormones can produce the same results. Some of the other effects of phytoestrogens in the body include the following:
- Relieves symptoms of menopause:
- Hot flashes are the most common symptom of the perimenopausal stage in women. Perimenopause is a reproductive stage in a woman’s life which kicks starts usually in her late 40s and may lead to a stop in the production of sex-related hormones such as estrogen. When perimenopause lasts for at least 12 months, menopause kicks in.
- Not just hot flashes, but perimenopause can also bring about several uncomfortable symptoms such as decreased libido, and mood swings and this may continue until after menopause is complete.
- Data gathered from research shows that phytoestrogens have a healthy effect on not just hot flashes but also the other forms of perimenopausal symptoms.
- Prevents Osteoporosis in women
- Phytoestrogens have been linked to the prevention of bone loss in aging women. One of the functions of natural estrogens is to maintain a normal bone density in the body. The drop in the estrogen level caused by age can make them vulnerable to osteoporosis.
- Using phytoestrogens can go a long way in complementing the actions of the natural estrogens present in the body.
- Menstrual relief
- Most women use phytoestrogens in the form of herbal remedies to relieve complications associated with their menstrual cycle. During the menstrual cycle, there is a great possibility of a reduction in the total amount of estrogen present thus, causing the uncomfortable symptoms.
- Using phytoestrogens in the form of pills can adequately relieve these symptoms.
- Acne treatment
- There is a possibility of treating acne with phytoestrogens. This is because of estrogen counters androgens (male hormones) which can contribute to acne in women.
Risk factors associated with Phytoestrogens
- The risk factors associated with the use of phytoestrogens include the following;
- Brings about changes in the hormonal cycle
- Increased risk of uterine fibroids, nonviral toxic hepatitis, endometrial cancer, endometriosis and breast cancer.
- Difficulties with lactation.
We suggest you avoid taking phytoestrogen supplements in high doses and over a long period of time to be on the safer side.
Food samples containing Phytoestrogens include:
- tea
- soy (tofu, tempeh, miso, soymilk)
- red clover
- oranges
- licorice root
- legumes (beans, peas, peanuts)
- evening primrose
- dong quai
- coffee
- chaste tree berry
- carrots
- broccoli
- black cohosh
- angelica
Conclusion
Although phytoestrogens may have some benefits to your health, we suggest you take them with caution most especially with long-term and high doses. Kindly read our article on ‘estrogens’ for more information about estrogens their functions and uses.
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What is Estriol?
Since Estriol is the active ingredient in our Natural Estrogen Cream people often ask us “What is Estriol and what does it do?”. Estriol, aka E3, is one of the three major endogenous estrogens occurring naturally in the female human body. The other two hormones belonging to the group are estradiol (E1) and estrone (E2). Of these 3 estrogens, estriol is a steroid which functions as a minor female hormone, usually secreted during pregnancy. The level of the hormone in non-pregnant women is almost undetectable.
At first, estriol was regarded with little or no significance due to its relatively low activity compared with the other members of the estrogen family. This relative inactivity led several people to reach a conclusion that estriols are too weak to matter in the human body. While estriol may be synthesized in little quantities or may be too weak to matter, ongoing research suggested that it can safely perform the same function as the other members of the estrogen family thus reducing symptoms associated with perimenopause and menopause.
Estriol is mainly synthesized in high quantities by the placenta. It is one of the less produced estrogens in the body and it circulates in similar ways as the other members of the estrogens due to a relatively high rate of metabolism and excretion.
Functions of Estriol
All members of the estrogen group function to bring about secondary sexual changes in the female body such as the enlargement of the breast and hips, but doesn’t stop there. The other functions common with Estriol are:
- Reduction in the prevalence of perimenopausal and menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and loss of bone density.
- Prevents post-menopausal urinary tract infections.
- Protects the bones against the occurrence of osteoporosis.
While a lot of people are of the view that estriol is the weakest of all estrogens, it will interest you to know that Estriol’s strength is found in its weakness. Tests carried out on these hormones reveal that using estrogens to control perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms are linked with some complications and side effects such as breast cancer; BUT it’s actually the weak activity of estriol makes it one of the best treatments for the perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms because it doesn’t lead to the complications that have been associated with estradiol and estrone.
This weak activity allows it to bind to estrogen receptors on the breast cells but with a weaker activity. The presence of estriol blocks the activity of estradiol from binding to the cells and this subjects them to a higher estrogenic activity which protects against breast cancer.
Therefore, Estriol may be the best option for women who have a high sensitivity or reactivity to the stronger estrogens for the treatment of hormonal imbalance due to aging.
Side effects of Estriol
Contrary to what is obtainable from the other members of the estrogen group, the use of estriol in the treatment of perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms has little or no side effects since it has a weak activity and binds to a different estrogen receptor which limits the activity of the other members of the estrogen group.
Conclusion
While research has shown that the use of estriol is safer for women who cannot tolerate higher levels of estrogen, we suggest you consult with your physician before engaging in any form of HR.
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What is natural hormone replacement therapy?
Hormones are needed in certain quantities in the body and a deviation from this quantity can lead to complications. During stages such as pre-menopause, peri-menopause and menopause, the total amount of estrogen in circulation decreases, leading to complications such as:
- vaginal dryness
- hair loss
- Osteoporosis
- hot flashes
There are several factors that can lead to a decrease in the total amount of estrogen in circulation. Such factors range from age, changes in the system of the body and the onset of menopause. The lack of estrogen present in the body during peri-menopause, menopause and post-menopause, demanded a solution, but to what cost?
Enterprisers found huge profitability in addressing these needs but not without a high cost in the health of women. Natural hormone replacement therapy was created to fill this need in a manner that was / is acceptable to those who were not willing to harm themselves further during these vulnerable years.
Natural Hormone replacement therapy, as the name implies, involves the use of food and or herbal supplements containing phytoestrogens. Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy’s sole purpose is assisting individuals suffering from menopause to maintain a fairly constant level of the hormone through the use of supplements rich in phytoestrogens.
Phytoestrogens replace or complement the level of the hormones present in the human body. The use of these supplements assists the body to fight against symptoms of menopause while doubling to assist the body against other forms of medical conditions arising due to depleted levels of these hormones.
Although Natural hormone replacement therapy is still fairly new, there is a growing body of research offering encouragement for women battling menopause and looking for non-pharmaceutical ways to cut down on hot flashes, mood swings and other symptoms associated with menopause.
There is a growing movement of research for sources of Natural Estrogen (mostly estriol) used in Natural Hormone replacement therapy. The most cited natural remedy is soy which contains a high amount of phytoestrogens. Soy unfortunately is an allergen for many people so scientists have turned their efforts to converting wild yam to estriol, as it has been used for decades for the making of natural progesterone. Other commonly used sources are flaxseed and red clover.
The effectiveness of the system
Scientists are of the view that phytoestrogens have a lower activity than in comparison with the natural or pharmaceutical estrogens. This reduced activity is responsible for how the estrogens enter the cells through a different receptor. This alternative pathway leads the scientists into believing that alternative therapies such has phytoestrogens and estriol – the weaker estrogen – may not cause breast cancer as observed in the other hormones. This is empowering to the health conscious woman.
Caution
Inasmuch as NHRT, natural hormone replacement therapy, may alleviate symptoms associated with menopausal stages, it is always wise to be careful about the dosage of any new supplement added to your regimen. Our bodies differ so consider consulting your physician before you kick-start the natural hormone replacement therapy. Adequate care should always be taken not to overtax the body by taking a high dose. More is not better. Find the safe amount for you.
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What is estrogen?
Estrogen is a group of sex hormones (special chemicals which instructs the target tissues on what to do) that are secreted with the sole aim of promoting development and maintenance of the female characteristics in the human body. The related hormones present in the estrogen group include; Estrone (E1), Estradiol (E2) and Estriol (E3) which play related functions in the body.
These hormones are known to play an essential role in the growth and development of the secondary female sexual characteristics such as the growth of pubic hair, hair in the armpit and the enlargement of the breast, and hips in the female body.
Apart from the visible functions of estrogen which are evident in the female secondary sexual characteristics, they tend to play a major function during the menstrual cycle and female reproduction where they produce an environment that is suitable for fertilization, implantation, and nutrition of an early embryo. The release of this hormone is controlled by the brain and an imbalance occurring in these hormones can trigger some health problems which may cause unwanted changes such as hot flashes and menopause in women.
Functions of Estrogen
As earlier stated, estrogen is essential in the reproductive function and cycle of a woman. The other functions are:
- Manifestation in the female secondary characteristics such as enlarged breasts and hips.
- Produces the vivid differences in the anatomy of the female body from the male.
- It is responsible for the growth of thick muscular wall in the fallopian tubes and for the contraction which transports the egg and sperm cells.
- It stimulates the growth of the vagina and increases the vaginal acidity which fights off bacterial infection.
- It influences the hair to be become fine and less pronounced thus making them more permanent.
- It causes a decrease in the voice box which makes the vocal cords shorter resulting in the females having a higher-pitched voice than their male counterparts.
- It improves the quality and thickness of the skin as well as collagen which prevents aging.
- It helps to preserve bone strength.
- It regulates the cholesterol production in the liver which helps the liver able to protect the heart and arteries.
Uses
Estrogen at all levels can be used for a range of medical purpose which includes;
- Birth control: the incorporation of estrogen in birth control pills are the most commonly used method of birth control. Estrogen is added to a combination of oral birth control pills and taken alongside progestin; a hormone.
- Hormone replacement therapy (HRT): this utilizes estrogen from plant origin known as phytoestrogens as a replacement therapy to augment the levels of estrogen in the body. This therapy is useful during perimenopausal and menopause stages in women. Read our article on Phytoestrogens for more information on how this can be carried out.
- Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) for women at menopause. This assist woman whose uterus has been removed after attaining menopause to reduce the risks of having uterine cancer.
Conclusion
Maintaining a balanced level of estrogen is vital for proper reproductive health in females. Make sure you consult with your medical doctor before you engage in any form of estrogen therapy since the side effects can be deleterious.
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