Truth in Hormone Research

Truth in Hormone Research

From Alternatives Newsletter Spring 2009

With all the controversy about hormone replacement therapy, what should women believe?  "A lot of women are scared of hormones; they don't know what to think," said Dr. Patricia Ryan, founder of Alternatives: A Center for Conscious Health.  "With all of the studies about the subject, it's no wonder the topic is so confusing for so many," she said.

"The problem is, studies that link hormone usage to increased cancer risk are often addressing synthetic hormones," Dr. Ryan said.   "And women should, in fact, stay away from those synthetic hormones.  Bioidentical hormones, on the other hand, replicate the progesterone and estradiol that the body produces.  That's why, if you see a study that says hormones cause cancer, you need to look for the names of the hormones that have been researched.  Unless they are estradiol and progesterone, they are in fact synthetic hormones that most likely could increase the risk of cancer."

According to Dr. Ryan, plant-based bioidentical hormones are the exact molecular composition of those estradiol and progesterone hormones that the body produces.  "A picture, in fact, is worth a thousand words," Dr. Ryan noted.  "If you compare the molecular structure of a synthetic hormone with one produced by the body or replicated by bioidentical hormones, you will see a vast difference.  Not all hormones are alike."


Molecular structure of a "Bio-identical Estrogen" (above) compared to a "Synthetic Estrogen" (below)

Note the differences in the Progesterone molecules...

Molecular structure of a "Bio-identical Progesterone" (above) compared to a "Synthetic Progesterone" (below)

Hormone deficiency in post-menopausal women can lead to serious problems, both physically and emotionally, Dr. Ryan said.  "Some women might develop osteoporosis or see their cholesterol skyrocket.  Others might become so mean that their husbands want to divorce them, or they can't sleep or keep their jobs because they can't remember.  Still others gain weight they can't seem to lose.  When hormones are depleted, insulin levels go up.  That can lead to an increased risk of hypertension, heart disease, cancer and diabetes.  What are your choices as you age?  You can wait until your body falls apart or you can be proactive," Dr. Ryan said.

In administering bioidentical hormones, Dr. Ryan uses biomimetic estradiol and progesterone in a topical cream preparation -- dosed to mimic the natural hormones produced by your body when you were 25 years old.

For more information about bioidentical hormones, contact the Alternatives clinic at 827-9450, also visit The Wiley Protocol for BHRT website

Alternatives Proven Method of Hormone Replacement Offers Protection from Osteoporosis

Declining and imbalanced hormone levels have been wreaking havoc on the human body for decades.  Hot flashes, sleepless nights, loss of libido and osteoporosis become the fate of many women who are approaching menopause and beyond.  In fact, one in three women over 50 will experience osteoporotic fractures, as will 1 in 5 men, according to the International Osteoporosis Foundation http://www.iofbonehealth.org/facts-and-statistics.html.


But conventional medical methods of strengthening bones and replacing hormones often reap negative results, according to Dr. Patricia Ryan, founder of Alternatives: A Center for Conscious Health.  For the past 17 years, Dr. Ryan has been researching and administering Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT).  She practices what she believes is the best and safest hormone replacement therapy on the market today:  the Wiley Protocol® http://www.thewileyprotocol.com/.


The Wiley Protocol is a patent pending hormone replacement therapy delivery system that consists of biomimetic estradiol and progesterone in a topical cream preparation, dosed to mimic the natural hormones produced by a young woman’s body.

The creams and their amounts are designed to vary throughout the 28-day cycle because a woman’s youthful hormone levels naturally fluctuate.  The Wiley Protocol targets age 20 as a baseline because heart disease and stroke, Type II diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease are not usual concerns for a healthy young individual.  

More and more local doctors are just beginning to use this proven method of hormone replacement therapy, and yet, Dr. Ryan has a 17-year track record in the study and practice of bioidentical hormones after years working in traditional medicine, making her one of this region’s leading authorities. “Dosing the hormones correctly is a very intricate science,” Dr. Ryan noted.


“It’s not the same dose every day, which is how many other programs administer hormones.  The body produces hormones in a definite pattern.  When you use same dose every day, even though the levels look fine, a woman may be having hot flashes and night sweats.  Without the proper training and experience, a doctor won’t know how to trouble-shoot a situation like that,” she said.


“I’m following 70 years’ data of normal estrogen and progesterone in women.  I also know to look for the signs of liver problems, which must be figured into the equation.  If your hormone levels are fluctuating a lot, for instance, it means the liver is not adequately clearing out chemicals and needs more support.  It’s not a perfect science, but one that requires a trained medical professional and support staff, like our team at Alternatives, to monitor.”  

Not only do the plant-based hormonal systems like the Wiley Protocol promote a safer and healthier aging process, they also provide protection for bones, Dr. Ryan said.  “For the past seven years many doctors have been prescribing bisphosphonates, such as Fosamax, and consumer lawsuits are now starting to surface from those who have taken these medications for years,” Dr. Ryan noted.   
“The problem is that these bisphosphonates are not natural substances.  Seven years into these drugs we’re seeing strange fractures in bones.  That’s because the drugs do not naturally put down bone.  The only things that do build bone are your own hormones.  You can’t just bombard the body with calcium, you have to have hormones, or you risk calcium deposits everywhere.  If you want calcium to go where it needs to do its job, you must re-establish a normal hormonal pattern so the body will begin building bone correctly again.”


Other experts agree as well.  Dr. Susan Ott of the University of Washington, Seattle, says: “Many people believe that these drugs (bisphosphonates) are bone builders, but the evidence shows they are actually bone hardeners.” 1

1. Ott S. New treatment for brittle bones. Ann Intern Med. 2004; 141:406-407.