Re: Hormone Replacement Therapy Doubles Breast Cancer Risk

You are quite right - it is safer to support the glands that naturally produce the hormones, and that is what I would try to do if I were a female.  That may not always work and in any event may not always be the path chosen. 

You are also correct in stating that the term bio-identical can be misleading.  However, given the choice I would rather have a naturally derived molecule that is bio-identical than one that is a synthetic patented molecule that is deliberately not bio-identical.  I would rather imagine that the process used in drug company labs to deliberately create non-bioidentical synthetic patentable molecules is a bit more "scientifically" complex than the relatively simple methods commonly used method to convert a compound found in the wild yam to bio-identical progesterone.  Only natural progesterone is so-called "bio-identical" to the human hormone progesterone. All other progestins, known as synthetic progestins, have altered molecules, which makes them patentable.

Patented drug forms of HRT may start off with natural sources, but what they end up with is a product that is distinctly unnatural, unless one would believe that the list of ingredients in Premarin® below, such as polyethelene glycol and dyes are natural(and I grant you that some of the listed compounds may be present in both products) .

If a person was determined to use an HRT product, which do you think would likely be the safest:

Premarin®

Premarin® (conjugated estrogens tablets, USP) for oral administration contains a mixture of conjugated estrogens obtained exclusively from natural sources, occurring as the sodium salts of water-soluble estrogen sulfates blended to represent the average composition of material derived from pregnant mares' urine. It is a mixture of sodium estrone sulfate and sodium equilin sulfate. It contains as concomitant components, as sodium sulfate conjugates, 17α-dihydroequilin, 17α- estradiol, and 17β-dihydroequilin. Tablets for oral administration are available in 0.3 mg, 0.45 mg, 0.625 mg, 0.9 mg, and 1.25 mg strengths of conjugated estrogens.

Premarin 0.3 mg, 0.45 mg, 0.625 mg, 0.9 mg, and 1.25 mg tablets also contain the following inactive ingredients: calcium phosphate tribasic, hydroxypropyl cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, powdered cellulose, hypromellose, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, polyethylene glycol, sucrose, and titanium dioxide.

- 0.3 mg tablets also contain: D&C Yellow No. 10 and FD&C Blue No. 2.
- 0.45 mg tablets also contain: FD&C Blue No. 2.
- 0.625 mg tablets also contain: FD&C Blue No. 2 and FD&C Red No. 40.
- 0.9 mg tablets also contain: D&C Red No. 30 and D&C Red No. 7.
- 1.25 mg tablets also contain: black iron oxide, D&C Yellow No. 10 and FD&C Yellow No. 6.

Ingredients in Progensa 20/Bioidentical  progesterone cream

• 400mg of USP- bioidentical progesterone per ounce and 20 mg per dispensing dose/or 1 pump, this is the accepted standard dose.
• Deionized Water
• Aloe Vera Gel
• Shea Butter
• Sunflower Seed Oil
• Beeswax
• Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis) Oil
• Burdock Root Extract
• Chamomile Extract
• Lavender Extract
• Lecithin
• Vegetable Glycerin
• Grape Seed Extract
• No Parabens