About Hormones (My personal Research)
	By Barbra Lynn
	Updated 12/20/1997
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Before I start the information given below is my personal research on hormone therapy and in no way should be taken as gospel. I would recommend you check into the information given. I also will note that different studies have shown contradictory results in many instances.

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Types Of Estrogen's

There are three main female estrogen's (Estriol, Estradiol, Estrone)

Estriol:

Is the weakest of the group and is very popular in Europe for HRT. The claim is, If given in high enough dose it will produce the same effect as the other two in a genetic female

In a male this is thought not hold true. As It would help generate most secondary female body attributes breast stimulation would be low, As Estriol is a weak cell stimulator. What makes Estriol desirable is the fact that it is not processed by the liver and hence no liver damage but also as a weak cell stimulator it dose not cause cancer cells to replicate. Some recent studies suggest that Estriol counters the negative health risks of the other two estrogen's. This form of estrogen should be considered for use after the three to five year female puberty period to maintain your feminine body, As either straight Estriol or Tri-Est (80% Estriol 10% Estradiol and 10% Estrone). Herbal Estrogen's (Phytoestrogens) are closely related to Estriol.

Estradiol:

Is the middle. It has to be processed by the liver if taken by mouth and can cause liver damage, therefor it is highly recommended to use the injectable form. A certain percentage is transformed into Estrone by the body. Estradiol has been shown to produce the best feminazation effects in men in most studies. The most common form is DelEstrogen or Estradiol Valerate, It comes in 10, 20 or 40 mg a ml potency. Estradiol has quite powerful cell stimulating properties which is great for breast development but can stimulate cancer cells just as well if the level gets to high in the blood. Studies show that the risk climbs rapidly between 5 to 10 years of use. I would recommend switching to Estriol or Tri-Est after 5 years. Female puberty lasts 5 years max. and no further body development would be expected after that point anyway.

Estrone:

Is the most potent estrogen. it possesses the most powerful cell stimulating properties and in high doses present considerable cancer and other health risks It is rarely used by itself and is mostly a component of older estrogenic drugs. Being that the body converts Estradiol to Estrone in the proper amount addition of this hormone is not necessary or at most in very small amounts.

Progesterone:

Is another female hormone it has to be balanced with the estrogen. It was thought for a long time that progesterone given with estrogen's would prevent cancer and other negative health risks involved with HRT. Recent studies are showing this not to be true, This result may be caused by the fact that progesterone produced by the medical industry poorly resembles the human progesterone molecule. Tests with Herbal Progesterone's ( Mexican wild yam ) have not been done. They say it turns into a form of progesterone identical to the human form "Something to consider" Many women have reported satisfactory result with Wild Yam without the side effects of the synthetic prescription forms. NOTE:Remember Wild Yam is a Progesterone not an Estrogen allot of herbal labeling construes this fact.

A Contradiction

NOTE:(Remember these women are given a standard dose not the double and triple dosages used for transsexual men)

Bethesda, Maryland, June 2, 1997—Previous studies, including the Op/Ed piece by Susan Love in The New York Times, reporting a link between postmenopausal estrogen administration and breast cancer have been contradictory because, among other things, they neglected an important causal link: the consumption of alcohol, according to an editorial in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCE&M) by Barnett Zumoff, MD, of the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York.

Zumoff’s conclusions are based on his close review of the findings of the Nurses’ Health Study (1995) and the Iowa Women’s Health Study (1992), both of which found that only women who consumed alcohol manifested an increase of breast cancer with estrogen administration. The Nurses’ Health Study, a 14-year study of 121,700 nurses aged 30 to 55 years, showed an overall increase in breast cancer incidence of 41 percent but also showed that women who did not consume alcohol had no increased risk of developing breast cancer.

The Iowa Women’s Health Study, which studied 41,837 women aged 55 to 69 years, 493 of whom developed breast cancer, reported that only women who consumed an average of five grams of alcohol or more per day (the equivalent of 2/3 ounces of whiskey or 3 ounces of wine) manifested an increased risk of breast cancer with estrogen administration; those who consumed less alcohol or none at all showed no increased risk.

In the editorial, Zumoff emphasizes that no one has published data that disagree with the findings of these two studies. He also suggests that a 1996 study by E.L. Ginsburg may reveal the biological mechanism which accounts for this apparent link. According to that study, when a postmenopausal woman receiving estrogens consumes alcohol,

Her blood level of Estradiol rises acutely, by as much as 300 percent.

Accordingly, Zumoff’s hypothesis is that the combination of alcohol and estrogen therapy may raise Estradiol levels above the threshold necessary to produce breast-cancer-causing effects.

"Dr. Zumoff’s insights have provided the clinical endocrinologist with a major tool: the ability to educate women about the clear benefits of estrogen replacement therapy, while relieving their concerns about breast cancer," said David Orth, MD, president-elect of The Endocrine Society.

Calling for a thorough study of the issue, Zumoff contends, "If we can assure our patients that consuming less than 5 grams of alcohol daily will eliminate any breast-cancer-promoting risk of estrogen administration, we will have made a very important therapeutic advance."

Estrogen Creams ( Fountain of Youth ? )

Dear Dr. Mirkin: I heard you say on your radio show that estrogen cream can prevent wrinkles. How does it work and where can I get it? þ W.E.

DEAR W.E.: A couple of recent reports in the medical journal, Maturitas (October and November 1994), show that a cream containing estrogen may be women's fountain of youth. Lack of estrogen at the time of the menopause often causes a woman's vagina to become dry and thin. Doctors have known for more than 70 years that vaginal creams containing estrogen help prevent this from happening. In two different studies, postmenopausal women applied readily available commercial vaginal estrogen creams to their faces three times a week. After six months, their faces had less wrinkling, fewer dark spots and a more youthful appearance. Estrogen pills do not prevent facial wrinkling or thinning of the skin (Menopause, Fall 1994.)

Estrogen stimulates cells in the uterus to grow, and uncontrolled stimulation can lead to cancer. Progesterone stops the stimulation, so progesterone prevents estrogen from overstimulating uterine cells and causing cancer. Estrogen applied to the skin is absorbed into the bloodstream, so the doctors were concerned that estrogen creams would stimulate the uterus and increase a postmenopausal woman's chances of getting uterine cancer. However, careful gynecologic examination failed to show any precancerous changes in the uterus. The women also had their blood drawn monthly and the doctors demonstrated that the estrogen cream affected neither the blood levels of estrogen nor the hormones produced by the brain to control the ovaries. Further studies will determine the side effects and precautions a woman must follow when she applies estrogen creams to her face. The vaginal creams are commercially available 0.3% Estriol cream and 0.01% Estradiol cream.

With Love
Barbra Lynn