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Estrogens, Calcium & Heart Disease
By admin | May 14, 2010
Recent research shows estrogen is heart protective by reducing calcium in your arteries. Why this is significant is because about 5 years ago the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) published information that implicated hormone replacement as correlated to increases in heart attack, stroke, cancer and dementia. The study demonstrated no benefit, only negative consequences from “hormone replacement therapy”.
Here is the problem. Hormone replacement studies were done with a drug similar to the hormone progesterone. It was Provera. This is a close replica of the estrogens and it docked at estrogen receptor sites. The problem was it did not behave exactly as the real estrogen.
Estrogen is really generic for three different hormones, estradiol, estriol and estrone. All three of these hormones are produced from the androgens (male) hormones. Actually both estrogens and testosterone come via of DHEA (dihydroepiandrostrone), which comes from the adrenal glands.
Premarin, another hormone mimic of estrogen, is commonly prescribed for post menopausal women. It is really a non-human “female” hormone consisting of steroidal estrogens equilin and equilenin plus estrone. Its composition come from equine, or horse urine of mares. It does reduce calcium deposits in the arteries. A recent study was followed by the New England Journal of Medicine and it profiled Premarin and its effect on calcium.
The study was on 1,069 women age 50 to 59. Half were taking Premarin and half were taking a placebo. Frank Shallenberger, M.D., reports this in his May 2010 newsletter “Real Cures”. Clearly those with the highest levels of calcium (because of Premarin) had one half the heart disease of those with the lowest. (Those on a placebo)
The estrogens are important because they, along with progesterone, produce female development (uterus, breasts, menstruation and physique). They, in their bio-identical form, are shown to actually help control female cancer and maintain female health. They are also associated with decreased fat accumulation. Have you noticed post-menopausal women battle fat accumulation?
Estradiol is the most “female” acting of the estrogens. But men also have it in small quantities. The latest research shows that men with aggressive prostate cancer have more of these estradiol receptors. Their cancer flourishes with an abundance of estradiol. A substitute, a phytoestrogen (from flax, soy, garlic & olive oil, & plant sources), docks at the receptor site and excludes the detrimental estradiol from the receptor.
The estrogens tend to accelerate metabolism and burn fat…pre-menopausal. They regulate menstruation. They affect bone metabolism, osteoporosis and affect blood vessel calcium and skin health. Of course they are quite important to successful conception and pregnancy.
Mental health for women is affected by levels of estrogen. Sudden estrogen withdrawal, low estrogen levels and fluctuating estrogen correlate to depression and PMS (pre menstrual syndrome…accompanied by erratically emotional behavior). The equilibrium and balance of female hormones is important to mood and emotional stability. It is important to brain health.
Of the three true estrogens, estradiol is the strongest and most dominant …pre-menstruation. After menopause estrone is more abundant but is of less dominate influence on the body. Denis Van Loan D.D.S.
Topics: Alternative, Health, Heart Disease, alternative health, cardiovascular disease, hypertension | No Comments »