Can Hormone Replacment Therapy Be the Key to Permanent Weight Loss?

There are many promises that link hormone replacement therapy (HRT), including bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), with weight loss and other benefits. The claims usually sound too good to be true, and that might be the case.

Companies promote products that offer "a natural, safer alternative to dangerous prescription drugs" or therapies that "can slim you down by reducing hormonal imbalances."

Hormone replacement therapy was a standard treatment for women to reduce menopause symptoms until a 2002 study warned about possible side effects, decreasing its use. However, more research has shown the positive effects and standard hormone replacement therapy has begun to make a comeback.

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Bioidenticals, supplements that are natural and chemically identical to hormones found in the body, have also become a growing industry. According to NowLoss.com, along with weight loss, bioidenticals hormone replacement therapy often has claims that it can be a preventive therapy for heart disease, osteoporosis and diabetes. Promoted benefits also include improved mood and a better sex life.

The FDA does not recognize the term bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. It is a marketing term. BHRT treatments use "natural" substances identical to the body's actual hormones, but they are not FDA regulated, and consistency and quality vary significantly.

The FDA has challenged the BHRT market for possible misleading information in its claims, which include weight loss. There have been no long-term studies on the effects of BHRT on either men or women in its use as a safe alternative to standard HRT, as an anti-aging tool, as a preventive treatment for a variety of diseases, or as an effective treatment for weight loss, according to Harvard Health Publications.

Marketers claim BHRT is safer than the synthetic hormones in standard hormone therapy because it represents identical hormones found in the body. However, there have been no credible studies to bear this out. The FDA does not regulate BHRT products and can't require warnings on labels. Prescriptions for BHRT are often determined by saliva tests, which often make it difficult to determine the correct dosage. Hormone levels vary widely, according to Harvard Health Publications.

HRT has proven benefits and risks. It improves symptoms of menopause and appears to have a positive impact on bone density, mood improvement and several markers of heart disease, reports The Huffington Post. There are companies that tout HRT for weight loss, but many of them also market BHRT.

This article is for information only and is not intended as medical advice. Talk with your doctor about your specific health and medical needs.

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