Wednesday, September 29, 1999
Woman advocates use of natural hormones
BY SUE MacDONALD
The Cincinnati Enquirer
As more and more women search for natural alternatives to synthetic hormones, doctors continue to ask, “Where's the science? Where's the proof?”
Leilani Tejeda of the Natural Hormone Research Institute wants to provide that proof, but in the meantime, she'll continue to promote the use of natural progesterone to women who think only of estrogen when someone mentions “hormones.”
Many women are finding that synthetic estrogen isn't tolerable because of side effects, while natural progesterone — derived from plants like soybeans and Mexican wild yam — can alleviate premenstrual symptoms, headaches, weight gain, uterine fibroids, fibrocystic breasts, infertility problems, hot flashes and fatigue, says Ms. Tejeda of Dallas.
Unfortunately, says Ms. Tejeda, many doctors continue to prescribe synthetic estrogen — some brands derived from horse urine — to women without considering the possibility that they may have plenty of estrogen but not enough progesterone, which balances out hormonal fluctuations.
“Almost all the doctors will do a blood test, and they'll also tell women only that their estrogen is high or low, but they don't say much at all about her progesterone level,” says Ms. Tejeda, a former hospital administrator who formed the research institute with a pharmacologist. The institute recommends saliva testing, not blood tests, as the best way to assess a woman's hormone levels before prescribing treatment.
Several decades of natural progesterone use and a growing number of studies are showing that progesterone can help relieve premenstrual problems and menopausal problems. A recent Mayo Clinic study showed that natural progesterone was better tolerated by women than synthetic progesterone, and Dr. John Lee's book What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Premenopause (Warner; $14.99) lays out the natural progesterone approach he has been using successfully for more than 20 years.
Increasingly, researchers are finding that hormones produced from natural sources, including plants and soybeans, are as effective as some synthetic drugs and have fewer side effects for problems like hot flashes and menstrual problems.
Many times, too little progesterone is the cause of the symptoms, not a lack of estrogen, Ms. Tejeda says. But if doctors prescribe only estrogen, women often experience side effects that include headaches, more breast tenderness, fatigue and the like. Estrogen also carries an increased risk of uterine cancer and breast cancer.
“There's still not enough research out there on natural hormones,” she says. “We want to do clinical trials and studies with natural hormones, and by natural we mean bio-identical, using the same structures that your body produces,” she says.
Mr. Tejeda is among a group of women's health advocates who worry that women are exposed to too much estrogen or estrogen-stimulating products, including growth hormones injected into beef- and milk-producing cattle, lawn chemicals, hard plastics and some plastic food wraps.
Progesterone products, many of them creams that are rubbed into the skin throughout the month, include Pro-Gest and Serenity. Another, called AloeGoest, is sponsoring Ms. Tejeda's visit. Many can be found at health-food stores.
“In some ways, women are becoming more educated about natural hormones,” she says. “In other ways, they're more confused, because there's so much controversy and they don't know who to believe. A lot of women want to believe their doctors, but if they're not feeling good, they start to think, "Well, maybe I need to look into alternatives.' ”
IF YOU GO
• Who: Leilani Tejeda, director of the Natural Hormone Institute.
• What: Women's Wellness Seminar, “Women Don't Have to Be Hostage to Their Hormones Anymore!” sponsored by Judi A. Winnall and Pamela Hall of Eventus International, Maineville.
• When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
• Where: Sharonville Convention Center, 11355 Sharon Road, Sharonville.
• Information: (513) 899-3115 or e-mail lifeforce-enhanced@juno.com
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