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SPECIA
Other tests unregulated. 5
London-based naturopath Robert Jacobs Concernsabout Beyond the debate over whether short-
agrees that balancing hormones without progesteronecream term effects of hormone creams are too
addressing underlying lifestyle imbalances great or too small is the growing concern
is fruitless. He recommends the Array 3 While some argue that progesterone about how they accumulate.
and 4 tests from Cyrex Labs to indicate creams are too weak to be effective, others Dr Mercola explains that his initial
immunological reactions to food ingredients. contend that they harbor serious long-term interest in the creams began in the early
These can manifest as subtle allergies or risks. But there’s one thing all the critics 1990s, when millions of women began
autoimmune conditions that may mimic or agree on: the dearth of medical evidence to using them due to their popularization in
worsen “hormonal” symptoms, says Jacobs. support menopausal women using them. Dr Lee’s book, What Your Doctor May Not
Another issue is genetic differences in how Bioidentical progesterone cream was
we process hormones. “If you are going to use first developed by Dr John Lee, a general Tell You About Menopause.
But he became “gradually disenchanted
any hormones, you want to make sure the body practitioner, in the 1970s, and marketed with them after I noticed that they typically
is able to handle those hormones properly.” to menopausal women based mainly on worked wonderfully initially but then
He uses the complete hormone and genetics anecdotal claims of “improved wellbeing”
profile tests from Genova Diagnostics to reveal and recording of improved bone density invariably stopped working. This is now
known as ‘dermal fatigue.’”
“where the weak spots are and how the body among his patients. Any hormone applied to your skin
is converting it.” Women with a variation in There was no scientific evidence will be absorbed by the fat tissue and
will be absorbed by t
s,
b
rt
u
thi
their cytochrome p450 pathway, for example, whatsoever to support thi b tt accumulate there. “When one
e
will have compromised liver function when it because they contained only “natural” initially use
es the cream, there
comes to processing hormones. progesterone, the creams never needed aren’t any p
problems as the fat
“The first step is to unblock each of the FDA approval. 1
tores are very low.
st
s
pathways,” says Jacobs. For these women, A number of studies have failed to But t as time goes on,
it’s important that they take something—he find any beneficial effect of the cream accumulates
uses chlorophyllin—to help their liver with progesterone creams and contr
ributes to disruptions
hormones, be they bioidentical, which he compared to placebo in your ad
drenal hormones
doesn’t prescribe, or phytoestrogens from on menopause such as D HEA, cortisol and
plants like red clover, which he does. symptoms, including testostero
testosterone.
h
Sometimes, the process of finding what hot flashes, muscle aches, ❝ Itmaytakeas “I found that many of the
works is trial and error. “At the end of the anxiety and decreased bone long as two years women who were on the cream
day,” says Northrup, “women should heed metabolism. 2 for built-up excess have terribly elevated levels of
their intuitions. You have to go with quality of Researchers have also hormones to wash this hormone,” Mercola said.
life—how do you feel? And if you feel great, warned that saliva tests, out of the body “Progesterone is normally a
make sure you re-evaluate yourself at least sometimes used by ❞ cyclical hormone, and the body
once a year.” practitioners to convince really needs to see a change
But before embarking on any “trials” of patients the creams are working, mask the
bioidentical hormones—even over-the- low levels of progesterone that reach the in the concentration to affect a proper
physiological response.” If it is constantly
counter topicals—it’s important to remember blood. 3 leaking from tissue, this can’t occur.
the risks involved and make sure you’re And studies suggesting that these Once the negative effects begin, Mercola
working with an experienced practitioner. creams actually do affect symptoms leave adds, it may take as long as two years for
The long and short of it is, a woman’s even more cause for concern. Researchers
response to hormones is highly individual from St. Luke’s Hospital in Pennsylvania built-up excess progesterone (or other
hormones) to wash out of the body.
and likely to change over time, and they found 20 mg of progesterone applied daily It all boils down to Dr Grant’s decades-
aren’t “natural” or as harmless as maintained. to the skin had no effect on bone density long assertion that no hormone is a safe
Furthermore, there are no long-term studies but did reduce “vasomotor symptoms” like one unless the body produces it itself. As
of their effects, they are unregulated, and there hot flashes and night sweats. 4 she wrote, “It is the same old hormone
are safer herbal alternatives. Proceed with If this is really the case, as Dr Ellen Grant story—each disciple believes in special
extreme caution. writes, it serves as “alarming evidence” magic formulae for treating a physiological
Reporting by Celeste McGovern, Emilie Croisier that over-the-counter creams may suppress
andLynneMcTaggart the immune system as strongly as steroids, condition and chooses to disregard the
which of course require careful medical evidence of much greater harms from
REFERENCES using exogenous hormones.”
monitoring due to their long-term dangers.
1 Lancet, 2019; pii: S0140-6736(19)31709-X
2 JAMA, 2002; 288: 321–33 A 2005 study reported that an over-
3 Breast Cancer Res Treat, 2008; 107: 103–11 the-counter cream (Pro-Gest), applied
4 Dangerous Properties of Industrial and Consumer Chemicals, CRC REFERENCES
Press, 1994, pp. 581 at a dose of 40 mg twice daily had 1 Med J Aust, 2005; 182: 237–9
5 Percutaneous Absorption of Steroids, Academic Press, 1980, pp. the equivalent effect of 200-mg oral 2 Menopause, 2003; 10: 13–8
262 3 Maturitas, 2002; 41: 1–6
6 Climacteric, 2017; 20: 205–11 progesterone capsules, suggesting again 4 ObstetGynecol, 1999;94: 225–8
7 Eur Heart J, 2008; 29: 2660–8 that the cream was far too powerful to be 5 J Clin Pharmacol, 2005;45:614–9
8 Berek& Novak’s Gynecology, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2019,
pp.544
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