Bioidentical Human Hormones: Do All Women Need Them?

Some women benefit from bioidentical hormones, which are seen by some women as a more natural supplement for hormonal deficits that often occur naturally with aging. Bioidentical hormones are also taken by women who fear traditional hormones themselves that are linked with certain diseases.

The Mayo Clinic, however, warns the safety concern is misguided, citing information from the Food and Drug Administration.

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"The hormones marketed as 'bioidentical' and 'natural' aren't safer than hormones used in traditional hormone therapy, and there's no evidence they're any more effective," said the Mayo Clinic's Dr. Shannon K. Laughlin-Tommaso.

The definition of bioidentical simply means that such hormones are chemically the same as those your body produces naturally. The FDA advises that "several hormone therapy products approved by the FDA and prescribed by health care providers contain bioidentical hormones."

Bioidentical hormones are not right for all women. They are prescribed to women who have hormonal imbalances, which are determined through lab tests, according to BodyLogicMD, an affiliated network of doctors that specialize in bioidentical hormone therapy.

According to BodyLogicMD, such imbalances create certain symptoms in patients, such as:

• fatigue
• depression
• hair loss
• weight gain
• muscle atrophy
• low energy levels
• insomnia
• mood swings
• hot flashes
• night sweats
• anxiety

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