Research indicates estrogen is a key factor in 60-65% of breast cancer cases.

What a betrayal! It seems that our “special” hormone . . . the one associated with womanhood . . . responsible for steering us through so many of life’s cycles and stages – has turned against us.

But it gets worse . . . If estrogen plays a role in breast cancer, is it safe to consume foods like pomegranate that have plant estrogens or phytoestrogens?

Do these plant forms of estrogen increase our risk for breast cancer?

Well, in the case of the pomegranate –  the answer is clear. No they don’t.

In fact it’s the opposite. Pomegranate can actually help fight off cancer. Over a dozen compounds in pomegranate have been associated with warding off cancer.

But even more intriguingly, these special plant estrogens found in pomegranate may help specifically in fighting estrogen positive cancer.

The Journal of Natural Biochemistry published initial but tantalizing research conducted by a team from The Integrated Cancer Research Program at the Rajiv Gandhi Center for Biotechnology in India.

In this study, the researchers administered pomegranate peel extract to several different breast cancer cell lines in petri dishes. For comparison’s sake they also treated the same cell lines with 17β- estradiol, the form of estrogen produced by your body that’s associated with breast cancer. And they treated the same cell lines with ICI, an anti-estrogen compound often used to treat estrogen positive breast cancer in conventional medicine.

The results were telling:

When the cells were hit with 320 μg/ml of pomegranate peel extract, only about 30% of the cancer cells survived. This is in contrast to the cells treated with the more standard anti-estrogen drug, ICI. One hundred μg/ml of ICI still allowed close to 60% (two times the number!) of breast cancer cells to survive.

But here’s where pomegranate really stands out when it comes to contending with estrogen positive breast cancer. . .

They also applied the pomegranate peel extract to cell lines that had been given a dose of the 17β- estradiol. (Remember? The estrogen in your body associated with promoting breast cancer?)

Pomegranate peel extract cut the number of cancerous cells down by half – even when they were souped up on this powerful form of estrogen, estradiol.

It’s important to note that while research using other pomegranate extracts have shown positive effects in slowing a wide variety of cancers, in this study, the same dramatic results were not observed with cancer cell lines that were not associated with estrogen positive breast cancer.

As the researchers point out, many plant forms of estrogens act as what’s called a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM).

Essentially, this means that they fit into the estrogen receptor spot on cells. But unlike strong estrogens like 17β-estradiol, they don’t spark any response from the cell.

And because they occupy this receptor spot, the more powerful estradiol can’t slip in and trigger the receptor.

• You can learn more about how weaker, plant-based estrogens can help counter the negative effects of stronger estrogens in this article on hormonal balance.

Now of course, this research is preliminary. It hasn’t even made it to the animal testing level yet, let alone a clinical trial.

It’s a big step to move from test tube to human body.

Nonetheless, the results are promising . . . And so comforting as well.

There are plenty of things to fear when it comes to your risk for breast cancer.

Now you know the pomegranate (and its forms of natural estrogen) isn’t one of them.

Source:

Sreeja et al. Pomegranate extract demonstrate a selective estrogen receptor modulator profile in human tumor cell lines and in vivo models of estrogen deprivation. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry.  August 10, 2011.

One of my best friends (let’s call her Sophia because she’d kill me if I used her real name) really suffers with menopause but she’s too embarrassed to let even her doctor know.

She wakes up at night and can’t get back to sleep but it’s not the night sweats that bother her.

Bike riding and even just walking can be torture.

Intimacy is dicey but it’s not because of mood swings.

Sophia, like many midlife women, has a bad case of vaginal dryness. It’s the very common result of the changes we go through in menopause but no one really talks about it. Unlike hot flashes and roller coaster mood swings, it’s hard to laugh this symptom off.

Many of us keep silent because it’s all caught up in “sexual problems” that many women can’t bring themselves to discuss even with their gynecologists. It’s true that vaginal dryness can interfere with intimacy and disrupt relationships, but it’s worse than that.

For my friend Sophia, even when she’s not in a romantic relationship, vaginal dryness is a real, every day, constant itching, burning and even pinching that wakes her up out of a sound sleep at night.

Why do we get vaginal dryness?

Vaginal dryness can often be attributed to fluctuating hormone levels associated with peri-menopause and menopause. Prior to menopause, estrogen stimulates moisture and keeps the vaginal lining thick. But when estrogen drops, the vaginal walls can thin and dry out.

This condition can be exacerbated by:

• adrenal fatigue;
• too much caffeine, alcohol and sugar;
• use of steroids or cortisone;
• some prescription medications for cancer, ulcers and high blood pressure; and
• antihistamines and antidepressants.

Is lubricating jelly the answer?

Some women, coping on their own, try lubricating jellies to relieve their symptoms. It’s true that lubricating jellies relieve vaginal dryness for a short time but they do not thicken the vaginal tissues and prevent them from cracking. And sometimes such lubrication can block pores or cause allergies.

How is vaginal dryness treated?

Whatever the cause, a doctor will usually treat vaginal dryness with topical estrogens applied to the vagina. Estrogen applied to the delicate vaginal tissue, however, quickly makes its way into the blood stream. For many women concerned with breast and ovarian cancer, this option is worrisome.

Is there a natural treatment for vaginal dryness?

The good news for my friend Sophia is that there are effective and natural solutions for her painful itching and burning. In a clinical study conducted at the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine, Dr. Earl Surwit found that applying an extract of pomegranate to vaginal tissue successfully restored lubrication.

The natural pomegranate extract was as effective as estrogen cream with the additional benefit of not raising estrogen levels. This remarkable pomegranate extract is the main ingredient in MoisturePom Vaginal Ointment. You can learn more about this product at www.MoisturePom.com.

Almost half of menopausal women will experience vaginal dryness at some point. Why suffer in silence when something as simple as pomegranate can return your vagina to its natural juicy state?

Author Bio:

Margie King is a holistic health coach and graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition®. A Wharton M.B.A. and practicing corporate attorney for 20 years, Margie left the world of business to pursue her passion for all things nutritious. She now works with midlife women and busy professionals to improve their health, energy and happiness through individual and group coaching, as well as webinars, workshops and cooking classes. To contact Margie, visit www.NourishingMenopause.com.

Modern women at midlife have many options when it comes to dealing with those nasty menopausal symptoms like mood swings, depression, bone loss, and fluctuating estrogen levels. But their most surprising source of natural relief may come from an ancient food: the juicy pomegranate.

Pomegranates have been cultivated for over 4,000 years. Our word pomegranate dates back to around 750 B.C. and comes from the Latin “Punicum malum” meaning “Phoenician apple.” Today the fruit is often called a “Chinese apple.”

Despite its frequent comparison to an apple, the pomegranate bears a striking resemblance to the female ovary. It is not too surprising, then, that it served as a symbol of fertility for the Zoroastrians and other ancient cultures.

Fruits in general are defined as “the developed ovary of a seed plant” but in the case of the pomegranate fruit, the physical resemblance to a human female ovary is striking. Looking at a cross section of each reveals how similar are the containers for the pomegranate’s seeds and the ovary’s eggs.

But the pomegranate’s resemblance to the female ovary goes beyond its physical similarities. The fruit also provides the very same estrogens as the female ovary – estradiol, estrone and estriol.

What does this mean for a menopausal woman? It may very well mean relief from depressive moods and a lower risk of osteoporosis, breast cancer and heart disease.

Bone Loss Reversed

In a 2004 study in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, rats who had their ovaries removed suffered accelerated bone loss, a typical symptom of menopause. When they were fed an extract of pomegranate juice and seeds for just 2 weeks, however, their bone mineral loss reverted to normal rates.

Mood Improvement

The same Japanese researchers in the 2004 study also found that the rats given pomegranate extract measured lower levels of depression indicators. Based on their results the authors found it conceivable that pomegranate would be clinically effective for women exhibiting a depressive state.

Heart Health

The rate of death from coronary heart disease in women after menopause is 2 to 3 times that of women the same age before menopause. Here again, pomegranates provide proven healing benefits:

• Lowers Cholesterol – A 2000 study found that pomegranate juice is rich in antioxidants which prevent LDL (bad) cholesterol from oxidizing and leading to atherosclerosis.
• Lower blood pressure – A small 2004 clinical study by Israeli researchers concluded that drinking one glass a day of pomegranate juice may lower blood pressure, reduced cholesterol oxidation, and reversed the plaque buildup in their carotid arteries by up to 29%.
• Blood clotting – One study in the Journal of Medicinal Foods showed that pomegranate juice slows down platelet aggregation and thins blood, preventing clotting.
• Improves coronary heart disease – Several different studies have found that cardiovascular health is improved with the use of pomegranate juice since it reduces plaque, increases nitric oxide, and may prevent plaque from building in the arteries in some patients.
• Increases oxygen flow – A 2007 study showed that drinking eight ounces of pomegranate juice daily for three months increased oxygen flow to the heart muscle in coronary patients.

Breast Cancer

Lab studies have shown pomegranate anthocyanidins (sugarless plant pigments), flavonoids, and oils exert anticancer effects against breast tumors.

Although some women worry that foods with estrogenic properties may increase the risk of breast cancer, that isn’t the case. In fact, pomegranate is a natural adaptogen, increasing levels of estrogen when the body is low but blocking stronger estrogens when levels are too high. This innate intelligence to adapt its function to the body’s needs is an incredible benefit that natural foods have over pharmaceuticals.

In fact, pomegranate extract was compared to the drugs Tamoxifen and Estradiol in a 2011 study in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. The researchers suggested that the pomegranate extract may potentially prevent estrogen dependent breast cancers.

How do pomegranates work their magic?

An 8 ounce glass of pomegranate juice contains about 40% of the RDA of vitamin C, and also is rich in vitamins A and E and folic acid.

The pomegranate fruit contains antioxidants called phytochemicals, which protect plants from harmful elements in the environment. These same phytochemicals, when ingested, protect the cells in our body. The juice has been found to contain higher levels of antioxidants than most other fruit juices, including cranberry or blueberry, and more even than red wine or green tea.

Drink the juice or eat the seeds (yes, they are edible) to reap the benefits of this menopause miracle.

Source: GreenMedInfo, “Amazing Fact: Pomegranate Can Serve as a Backup Ovary”

Author Bio:

Margie King is a holistic health coach and graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition®. A Wharton M.B.A. and practicing corporate attorney for 20 years, Margie left the world of business to pursue her passion for all things nutritious. She now works with midlife women and busy professionals to improve their health, energy and happiness through individual and group coaching, as well as webinars, workshops and cooking classes. To contact Margie, visit www.NourishingMenopause.com.

Over the course of the last few decades, estrogen has gone through the same kind of reputation slingshot as . . .well . . .Toyota.

First, estrogen was adored by all. Both health experts and women hailed estrogen-replacement therapy as the fountain of youth. A solution that would restore sanity, comfort and beauty to women entering menopause.

But when several studies came out showing that supplemental estrogen increased women’s risk of endometrial cancer by as much as 800%, along with increasing other health risks, estrogen lost its glamorous appeal . . .

Estrogen has now become the villain. As the latest term for estrogen-related problems, “estrogen dominance” implies, estrogen dominates your body with a vengeance, cracking the whip to get breast cancer cells to proliferate and igniting hot flashes to make you lose your cool.

But like most stereotypes, estrogen is both and neither of these. Because estrogen is not just one estrogen. It is many different compounds.

And the more you understand about the range of estrogenic compounds and how they behave in your body, the more you can gain control over your health and put estrogen in its – I mean, their – rightful place.

The True Identity of Villainous Estrogen Revealed . . .

See, yes indeed estrogen spurs cancer growth. In fact 60-65% of breast cancer is estrogen positive breast cancer, meaning estrogen stimulates the cancerous growth. This is even more predominant in older women with breast cancer.

And – yes, guilty as charged – estrogen is the pyromaniac making your temperature go bonkers at a moment’s notice during menopause.

Yes, it’s estrogen . . . but let’s be specific. The 17 beta-estradiol form is the strongest estrogen produced by the human body. And this form of estrogen seems to be associated with breast cancer and cell proliferation.

Estrone is another potent form of estrogen, but not nearly as strong as 17 beta-estradiol. The estrone form seems to be responsible for your menopausal conflagrations, as well as being associated with breast cancer growth.

The potency of these estrogens as well as the specifics of how they interact with your cells’ chemistry has everything to do with how they affect your body.

Let me explain . . .

Some Estrogens Stimulate And Others Inhibit

Hormones like estrogen take basically two steps before they affect your body.

They’re like an ignition key. First they have to fit into the lock – or hormone receptor – on a cell. And then they have to actually turn the ignition to get things running.

The 17 beta-estradiol form does all of this. It fits into the estrogen receptors on cells and then turns on the ignition to start certain activities like starting DNA transcription to get cells to reproduce and grow.

But there are other estrogens. And unlike the estrogens that turn certain cell functions on, some forms don’t have the wherewithal to turn the ignition.

But before you think that these other estrogens or estrogen-like compounds are duds – understand this: They serve a very specific purpose. When they sit in the ignition, they occupy the receptor, which in turn means the more powerful estrogen – like 17 beta-estradiol – can’t get in there to insert itself in the lock and turn the ignition on. They can’t signal your breast cells to start multiplying.

Instead, the more potent estrogens – without a keyhole to fit in – float around in the blood, powerless.

Better yet, as your body notes the high levels of these estrogens in the bloodstream, it gets the message that there is too much. So your body starts to lower production of these powerful estrogens.

Weaker Estrogens Help Protect Against Cancer

One of these “weaker” estrogens is the hormone estriol. The placenta makes estriol during pregnancy. This form of estrogen is significantly weaker than 17 beta-estradiol.

And interestingly enough, not only does this hormone “lock out” 17 beta-estradiol, but has been shown to correlate with the remission of breast cancer. In fact in one study conducted by researcher H.M. Lemon, women who had high levels of this estrogen were less likely to get breast cancer.

And in another study, when post-menopausal women with spreading breast cancer were given this form of estrogen, 37% of them experienced a remission or complete stop of the tumor’s growth.

The lesson here? All estrogens aren’t bad. In fact even 17 beta-estradiol is made for a reason – it helps your breasts grow during adolescence, for one. But your body has an elaborate system of checks and balances to keep these in potent ones reined in.

However, with stress, environmental pollutants, illness and even other medications, our bodies’ ability to keep this delicate dance of estrogens up can easily be compromised.

And for this nature has another answer – plants.

Pomegranate’s Phytoestrogens: Helpful Not Hazardous

Plants like soy, red clover, black cohosh and (yes, our favorite) pomegranate contain their own estrogens called phyoestrogens (“phyto” means plant) or compounds with estrogenic effects.

In fact pomegranate contains a wider variety of phytoestrogens than any other plant. And one of the phytoestrogens found in pomegranate is another very weak estrogen – 17 alpha-estradiol. This form of estrogen is actually a mirror image of 17 beta-estradiol. But while 17 beta-estradiol is the most potent of estrogens, 17 apha-estradiol is the mildest.

In vitro (laboratory petri dish) studies as well as studies on mice have shown that, indeed, this and other estrogens from pomegranate occupy the ignition switch so stronger estrogens can’t take affect.

And there are other pomegranate compounds that are not estrogens, yet they also compete with estrogens for those ignition spots. Researchers noted that the conjugated fatty acids found in pomegranate, such as punicic acid, shut out other estrogens from binding with receptor sites in a manner similar to the cancer drug tamoxifen. And alpha-eleostearic acid, newly identified in pomegranate, seemed especially potent in inhibiting estrogen-sensitive breast cancer cells.

But pomegranate goes even further in keeping your estrogen activity in check.

Other recent research indicates that pomegranate extracts not only block estrogen activity, but block the enzyme that makes estrogen from its precursor androgen. This makes pomegranate a potential aromatase inhibitor (AI), the name of a class of drugs used for the treatment of estrogen-positive breast cancer. And unlike AI drugs, pomegranate has none of the side effects like joint pain, heart problems or bone fractures.

Certainly, the research on breast cancer and pomegranate is still in its early stages. Most of the studies demonstrating pomegranate’s ability to not only block breast cancer development but also kill cancer cells are done in laboratories or on animals. To date, there are no clinical trials.

But the promise is hopeful. As Dr. Sherrill Sellman notes in her book  Hormone Heresy: What Women MUST Know About Their Hormones,

“The ability of the many components found in the pomegranate fruit to help safely modulate and regulate hormones is certainly good news for women of all ages. These weaker and safer forms of estrogens. . . will not contribute to estrogen dominance.”

Women have turned to this fruit for generations to keep them in good health. And with no documented side effects. Quite the opposite, the evidence gives us plenty of indication that we can only benefit from getting more of this most medicinal fruit and its complex array of phytoestrogens and estrogen-like molecules.

We’d like to hear from you! What’s your take on this discussion on estrogens and phytoestrogens – Join the conversation . . .

 

Sources:

Berger GS et al. Exogenous estrogens and endometrial carcinoma: review and comments for the clinician. J Reprod Med. 1977 Apr; 18(4): 177-80

Estrogen Receptor Status May Determine Chemotherapy Use. http://news.med.cornell.edu/nyp_health/nyp_health_2006/estrogen-receptor-status-.shtml

Tran, HNA et al. Pomegranate (Punica granatum) seed linolenic acid isomers: Concentration-dependent modulation of estrogen receptor activity. Endocrine Research, 2010. 35(1): 1-16.

Sellman, Sherrill. Hormone Heresy: What Women MUST Know About Their Hormones. Bridger House Publishers, Hayden, ID, 2009.

Watson et al. Nongenomic actions of estradiol compared with estrone and estriol in pituitary tumor cell signaling and proliferation. FASEB Journal, September 2008, 22.

Let me tell you a story . . .

In fact it’s a story told by Kate, retold by Dr. Sherrill Sellman in her book Hormone Heresy and finally retold again here.

As our body goes through changes with our changing hormones, we often seek help to correct the imbalance. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is conventional medicine’s prescription of choice. But unlike what the glossy brochures say, it’s more likely to wreak havoc than bring balance.

In fact, the very people we depend on to guide us to good options – our doctors – have been failing women over and over again. Kate’s story tells this dramatically . . .

It was a terrifying time in her life . . .

After just a few months on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), Kate struggled against a mixture of anxiety attacks, mood swings and aggressiveness that made her feel close to insane. “I was spiraling down a black hole that swallowed me by degrees every day. And what I feared most was the loss of my loved ones as my growing madness was mirrored in their eyes.”

It all started when at age 38, Kate acted on changes she had noticed over the past two years that hinted she may be hitting early menopause, symptoms such as infrequent periods and hot flashes. Kate consulted with a doctor at a local menopause clinic. And following the doctor’s advice, she decided to boost her estrogen levels with Premarin.

When Premarin failed to raise her blood estrogen to the level that satisfied her doctor, she tried a patch and then eventually had surgery for an estrogen implant.

Kate explains that her fears about being at a greater risk for heart disease and osteoporosis as she hit menopause spurred her onward in using these treatments. “Without question, pharmaceutical-driven propaganda had successfully convinced me that menopause was indeed a disease and that I could not survive my life cycles without medical intervention.”

However, instead of the youthful vibrancy promised with HRT, Kate found misery. Not only did she feel like she was losing her mind, but her doctors were constantly checking her for signs of breast, uterine and cervical cancer. And she was hospitalized to investigate excessive vaginal bleeding.

One day she mixed up her HRT drugs and took even more estrogen than initially prescribed. “What followed,” says Kate, “made a miscarriage look rather tame.” She began to seriously consider getting a hysterectomy.

Promising To Correct Imbalance, Hormone Replacement Therapy Brings Misery Instead

Kate is like thousands of women who have gone for a simple doctor’s appointment to find out about their options as their hormones start to change. Instead of getting advice that supports good health, based on a real understanding of hormones, she was given a recommendation taken straight out of a pharmaceutical company brochure.

Advice that made her life a living hell and could have even killed her.

Despite the convincing evidence about the dangers of HRT and other synthetic hormones, like the pill, women are still being advised to use them by their doctors.

While some doctors have taken a stand against these dangerous drugs, too many still accept the information put out by the drug manufacturers and pass it on to their patients.

It’s up to us women to get the information that can make all the difference in our lives.

“The much publicized HRT debate is not about what the doctors or pharmaceutical companies claim will or should work in my body,” emphasizes Kate. “It’s about making an informed choice and having access to ALL the facts and remedies, both orthodox and complementary.”

Information is key to good health!

Thank you all who joined our teleseminar last week!

We received many great questions, but did not have time to answer them all during the teleseminar. As promised, we are posting these questions right here:

Do you have a Chinese herb company that you would recommend for repairing kidney yen deficiency? (Sue, Texas)

You will need to consult with me to get the special formula. It is not available as a retail product. See my website below.

Do you recommend taking a supplement for adrenal exhaustion? (Cindi – Tallahassee)

Absolutely! I like Gaia Herbs Adrenal Support, Enzymatic Therapies Stress End or Dr. Wilson’s Dynamite Adrenals.

Will pomegranate help MEN who have adrenal exhaustion? (Sue, Texas)

Pomegranate does not support adrenals…men need adrenal support as well.

Do you feel soy is too strong an estrogen to take? (Debbie – Orlando)

I only recommend eating fermented soy product, i.e. miso, tempeh…not tofu. As for supplements, I prefer the Pomegranate Health products.

If my progesterone level is low, how can I increase it without the use of bioidential hormones? I’m taking bioidentical hormones now that include progesterone and a little estrogen. (Cindi – Tallahassee)

Yes…try using Maca and BalancePom. Always address the adrenals. I prefer to use homeopathic hormones which I use with my patients. Be sure to read my book Hormone Heresy. Remember, estrogen is usually what women need but you cannot stop it cold turkey.

What do you recommend for vaginal dryness? (Tempest – Herlong)

MoisturePom from www.pomhealth.com.  And then address kidney yin deficiency long term. You will need to get the Chinese herbal tincture from me directly. It is not available as a retail product.

I am a holistic health counselor and help women to enjoy their bodies by eating whole, fresh foods. I have lost weight, practice yoga, eliminated gluten and dairy and other food sensitivities, been on a candida diet…still have IBS and migraines. Any thoughts?  (Sheryl  – Fall River)

Start by using the probiotic Theralac – one a day for a month and then 2 a week as a maintenance program.

Dr. Sellman, Can you give us the name of the Endocrinologist in Vancouver? (Carol – San Francisco)

Jerilynn Prior

I have been using bio-identical HRT for about 13 years and just this year I have started to see my skin look as though I am 70/80 years of age. 🙁  Is this a symptom of estrogen? Is there any way to help restore my skin health elasticity? I am 58 years old.  (Carol – Palm Coast, Florida)

Yes…but to really help you, it is best to arrange a consultation to address the underlying health issues. Skin is an inside process primarily. Having said that, I do recommend a very special skin rejuvenation program. Contact me at my website below for details. Also use AgelessPom from www.pomhealth.com.

Is hCG ( human chorionic gonadotropin) effective for weight loss using a vegetarian diet? (Helen – Seattle)

Yes.

Tuned in late to the teleseminar but what I heard was extremely informative (I’m from the NY area and will be looking into Dr. Sellman’s visit on May 8). You might have addressed this in the earlier part, but as a 56 year old in the throws of menopause, my only major complaint is that I would be so happy if I could get a good nights sleep! I’ve done maca, ashwaghandi (sp), rodiola, you name it. And if you can help with thinning hair, I would love it, but the sleeplessness is of most concern. Thank you so much. (Teri)

Sleep issues are related to a various things…low levels of melatonin, exhausted adrenal glands, stress, blood sugar imbalances, parasites etc etc. Sleep in total darkness with a sleep mask, take all electrical devices away from your head at night, and use adrenal support.

Please listen to my recent teleseminar, read Hormone Heresy and subscribe to my website – the link is at the bottom of this post. There are many insights there to understand the root cause issues.

I need to say that unfortunately for me this description of misery; “anxiety attacks, mood swings and aggressiveness that made her feel close to insane…I was spiraling down a black hole that swallowed me by degrees every day.”  was how going through menopause naturally was. I tried a short course of the so called Bio-identical hormones, and they only made the nightmare worse! I have been suffering from menopausal symptoms for almost 14 years, and am now postmenopausal, but have yet to find anything that makes me feel a whole lot better. I took Pomegranate Health BalancePom for two months, but I am still flashing regularly and have bouts of anxiety, apathy and feelings of aversion and aggression toward my loved ones. I am too frightened to try HRT again, but I am wondering why the (BalancePom) is not really working for me. I also have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and I’m thinking that perhaps it’s not just my reproductive hormones that are causing my distress. If anyone has any suggestions or advice, I would so appreciate it. (Darlene)

Your health issues seem to be more chronic than one supplement can resolve. My website and book will be truly enlightening to you since it explains exactly the cause of your health issues. It has many free articles and special reports that will help you understand what is going on with you.

What is the cost of the saliva testing? (Andrea – NYC)

The Adrenal Stress panel provides a reliable stress marker, revealing adrenal imbalances. Changes in circulating levels of cortisol and DHEA indicate shifts in adrenal function that can affect an individual’s energy, disease resistance, and emotional state. The adrenal hormones, cortisol and DHEA-SO4, are directly involved in the body’s growth, immune response, and cardiovascular function. Cardiovascular disease, chronic fatigue, depression, and osteoporosis are some of the conditions that result from adrenal hormone imbalance. They affect carbohydrate, protein and lipid metabolism, act as anti-inflammatory agents, modulate thyroid function, and help in stress related conditions. This innovative saliva test employs cutting edge twenty-first century technology with the ancient wisdom of Chinese Medicine.

The following 11 saliva tests are performed in this Comprehensive 24 hour Circadian Endocrine Profile: 5 Cortisol Tests, DHEA, Progesterone, Estradiol, Testosterone, Food Intolerance Tests, and Gliaden (Gluten Intolerance). The cost is $199.

I will need to arrange to get the test sent to you. The results are sent to me and we will follow up with a one hour consultation to design a protocol. My one hour consultation is $145. Please contact me at the website below.

And post your additional questions and comments right here.  I’ll be sure to answer them on the blog!

Peace be with you,

Dr. Sherrill Sellman
www.whatwomenmustknow.com

We’re all used to the idea that a drug may have some side effects. And sometimes we’re willing to trade off some risks for the potential results.

But when a drug’s “side effects” actually causes the exact harm that the drug is supposed to protect against – we need to take this issue seriously.

Just last week (October 13), 2 years after research indicated that this was a concern, the FDA finally required the makers of osteoporosis drugs Boniva, Actonel and Fosamax to place a warning that these drugs have been linked to an increase risk for hip fractures among the listed side effects.

Granted, the numbers are not overwhelming – but they are significant. Women taking these drugs have experienced femur bone fractures just below the hip joint in disproportionate numbers. . . from just walking around!

The fact of the matter is . . . this is just a smidgen of the larger misperceptions surrounding bone health and aging. We’re warned to take our calcium, get on these drugs . . . or face the consequences in the form of osteoporosis.

But really for most women this is not necessarily the case. For over 2 decades, I’ve studied bone health across cultures and made some very interesting discoveries. Discoveries that contradict much of what we’re told to do to build and keep healthy bones.

Did you know . . .

• Osteoporosis is not the result of aging.
• Osteoporosis is not a disorder of the elderly.
• Women are not more physiologically predisposed to osteoporosis.
• Osteoporosis is not caused by low estrogen or low calcium intake.
• Osteoporosis is not common around the world.
• Osteoporosis is not caused by faulty bone metabolism.
• Osteoporotic fractures do not occur because of low bone density.
• It is always possible to rebuild bone.
• Osteoporosis is not an isolated condition.

Get the facts about osteoporosis.

Bone loss is not a “mistake” made by your body. It is, in fact, the long-term end result of a protective mechanism developed to maintain balance in the short term. Bones only become fragile if they haven’t been given the nutrients and support they need.

If you eat an imbalanced diet and live an imbalanced lifestyle, you’ll get imbalance in your body, and osteoporosis will develop as your body looks to your bones to supply the minerals and other nutrients it needs to sustain life.

And the opposite is true as well: the more balanced your diet and lifestyle, the more balanced your body will be, resulting in a decreased need to sacrifice bone for the maintenance of critical chemical homeostasis.

Please leave your comments and questions below. Your input is what helps me create the resources we need to develop stronger bones through the right information.

About Dr. Susan E. Brown, Ph.D.

Susan E. Brown, PhD, is a medical anthropologist, a New York State Certified Nutritionist, and the author of Better Bones, Better Body — the first comprehensive look at natural bone health. To find more information about her alternative approach to fighting osteoporosis, go to her website: www.Betterbones.com.

Dr. Brown is one of 7 natural health experts who are participating in a special FREE hormone health teleseminar series produced by Pomegranate Health and WomanWise International.

Hormones often confound us. They seem confusing . . . mysterious . . . even malevolent at times.

These powerful chemicals ride our bloodstream. They rule many of our cells’ activities. And imbalanced hormones certainly make us feel out of whack.

Unfortunately there’s plenty of misinformation about these chemicals. At times these myths have had tragic consequences like the wave of endometrial cancer that followed estrogen replacement therapy.

As women who are taking control of our health, we need information that helps us make good decisions. And Dr. Sellman’s excellent new edition of her passionate, insightful and well-researched book, Hormone Heresy: What Women MUST Know About Their Hormones provides this.

As Dr. Sellman explains, menopause doesn’t have to hit us like a Mack truck. And there are gentler and healthier ways to manage this transition that beat treatments like Hormone Replacement Therapy by a million miles.

In fact as a Pomegranate Health customer, you have a lot more insight into satisfying approaches to menopause than most women facing this challenge. And because you’ve chosen a way to work with your body’s natural transition . . . you’re actually a hormone heretic like Dr. Sellman!

So we’d like to ask you to help us spread the word about menopause management alternatives and Pomegranate Health.

And in exchange, we’d love to give you a free copy of Dr. Sellman’s new book.

Here’s how you can help (You’ve got at least five different ways to do this):

1. Make a YouTube video;
2. Write on your Facebook page;
3. Create a post for your blog;
4. Tweet 7 times;
5. Start a discussion thread on your favorite women’s health forum.

All we ask is that you do the following:

I. Make the topic: The Hormonal Imbalance of Menopause: How (I’m Mastering/I Mastered) It Successfully

II. Include a reference to Pomegranate Health and a link to our home page (www.pomegranatehealth.com).

III. When you’ve done this – send us the links to where we can find your menopause-maven heresy-spreading activities – and then we’ll send you a copy of Dr. Sellman’s book ($19.95 value) in our appreciation for your efforts.

Let’s get the word out!

Just so you know, we’re only giving out 10 copies of her book with this event. So let us know asap once you’ve helped us spread the word.