Holistic Review G: glandular and hormonal support for natural health. Last revised May 1, 2008. (Minor changes Thursday, July 31, 2008.)

    1. We believe that "direct" hormone support is risky, 

usually not needed, and if needed should include clinical testing. This includes DHEA, HGH, testosterone, pregnenolone and soy phyto-estrogens. Also if used, doses might need to be much less than usual, if adding our "indirect" support protocol below.

    2. We prefer the "indirect" anti-aging and hormonal support of 7-Keto plus safe natural supplements.

7-Keto may be called "safer DHEA". Often called "the mother of all hormones", DHEA is a large molecule from which any hormone is easily made. However the testosterone and estradial functions have side effects. This was removed to create 7-Keto, which is so gentle that some people take 100 to 200 mg. daily for weight loss. However we believe moderate doses are usually best. Such as 25 mg. daily for people over age 50, or every other day for people age 30 to 50. Some testosterone and estrogen support is needed to slow down aging. However we believe that 7-Keto may still supply this by reducing the general work load on the glands.

In addition, for men, tribulus was used by the original Greek Olympiads, and has been confirmed by modern research to support the circulation of testosterone. Women similarly might safely support healthy estrogen functions with natural progesterone cream.

HGH (human growth hormone) is another supplement often equated with the fountain of youth. However this is a direct hormone which history indicates it is usually best to avoid. 7-Keto may indirectly support HGH. In addition, IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1) safely provides a primary active component of HGH. A sublingual spray of IGF-1 twice weekly may be enough.

    3. We oppose broadly recommending drugs such as Viagra(R), 

as well as so-called natural alternatives to Viagra(R). Some of the most reputable "natural health gurus" and natural supplement manufacturers would seem to disagree. However there also are others who agree with us. If your goal is to be healthy, we simply believe your money is best spent on supplements designed primarily for long-term health. For men, the first priority should be prostate support, starting with a bit of attention even at age 21, such as choosing a multivitamin with saw palmetto.

For women, learning to maintain bone density and avoid breast cancer also should start at age 21 or earlier. (Discussed further in chapters M and Z.)

    Caution: if you have cancer or are pregnant or lactating, ask your doctor before using any glandular or hormone related product. 

Usually they should be discontinued. Exception: thymus support usually is harmless, and may be helpful for cancers that do not direcly involve the thymus. Also note that if you have a glandular problem, such as thyroid imbalance, natural glandular supports may often help but may sometimes make things worse. Even if your doctor is not "holistic", nonetheless he must know what you are taking so as to monitor for adverse interactions.

Product guide g1: the most basic natural glandular and hormone health supplements.

    *   25 mg. 7-Keto by Life Extension.

7-Keto is a patented ingredient, so the same high quality can be found under several brand names for about the same price. We suggest the Life Extension brand because they seem to use a smaller size capsule than others. This allows you to take 7-Keto right along with your multivitamin, without adding an extra swallow.

    *   For women over 40: Progestacare by Life-Flo at 1/2 dose or less.

As a cure for the symptoms of menopause and aging, conventional medicine first attempted to give only estrogen. Then after discovering that this promoted cancer, the trend was to disregard hormone replacement until problems became severe, and then to use estrogen combined with synthetic progesterone. According to the ground-breaking work of Dr. John R. Lee, the potential benefits of estrogen replacement often can be achieved risk-free by taking only natural progesterone. The only way to absorb this properly is with a skin cream. Progestacare by Life-Flo includes a pump dispenser, so you always know the precise dose. However there is some theoretical downside to the long-term use of natural progesterone, especially if too much is used. We suggest using only 1/2 or less of the label dosage of Progestacare, in conjunction with 7-Keto. (Women over 40 should also include hormone testing in their annual check-up, and of course tell their doctor if using progesterone.)

    *   For men over 40: Prostacare (Prostane) by Himalayan Herbal.

Men need testosterone to maintain muscle strength and bone density. "Direct" testosterone support has side effects, especially promoting prostate enlargement. Prostacare is a traditional Vietnamese herbal formula. Several clinical studies indicate this to be highly successful in reducing prostate enlargement. We do not suggest that Prostacare should replace saw palmetto and other more widely-tested prostate supplements. Instead we suggest Prostacare as a safe support for the benefits of testosterone without the side effects. Prostacare contains tribulus and lettuce seed, which are well known to enhance testosterone activity. (Discontinue Prostacare if your annual check-up shows an elevated PSA. Your doctor then may advise you to prefer other natural prostate supports, such as saw palmetto, which focus more on reducing dihydro-testosterone and do not promote testosterone activity.)

    *   Saw palmetto or black cohosh.

Saw palmetto and black cohosh help to neutralize the free radical dihydro-testosterone. This action for men prevents baldness and prostate enlargement, and for women prevents facial hair and hormonal imbalance. Ideally, men and women should take a variety of related men's and women's supplements, many of which will contain some saw palmetto or black cohosh, the earlier the better. Our favorite multivitamin for both men and women is the Adam formula featured in chapter A. This contains all basic vitamins, plus a full range of advanced antioxidants, and also some saw palmetto.

    *   Immoplex Organic Multiglandular capsules by Nutricology. 

The first choice of wild lions is to eat the glands, not the muscles. Glands are more certain to supply those materials to maintain the glands. Glandular extracts are a byproduct of the food industry, which otherwise might be largely wasted. It is of course vital to choose the highest quality sources. Nutricology and Enzymatic Therapy are probably the two most reputable makers of nonprescription glandular extracts of the USA. Immoplex is a basic "all-purpose" glandular containing adrenal, pancreas, thymus and spleen. Each pill is just as mild as a bite of liver.

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