Anna -
Hi. I just thought I'd respond with this long pasted article on an herb that has helped many women friends I know with balancing female hormones. It's considered a food, and a root that is used for many different health issues and for it's tonic benefits. You can find a lot of info on the web about Maca root.
Love,
jnanda
--- In epilepsy@yahoogroup
>
> I had to have a hyster. about 4 years back so I guess since hormone
> can't be off now could it i still have hot flashes and such so maybe
> i don't take replacement to much talk about long term effect thanks
> marie
> On Apr 27, 2009, at 9:49 AM, Danielle Rocheford wrote:
>
>
Peruvian Maca by Elora Gabriel http://www.regenera
We know that our bodies need hormones. These crucial substances affect every cell of the body in profoundly important ways. As we get older, levels of all hormones fall-oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone. DHEA. pregnenolone, thyroid, human growth hormone, etc. In a kind of vicious circle, the lack of hormones causes much of what we know as aging. So, what do we do? We supplement with the most natural forms of hormones that we can find. This works, but it can be a complex balancing act to take everything we need and in the correct amounts.
The reason that we have to use all of these products is that our glands have ceased to produce the necessary amounts of hormones. Hormones, of course, are produced by the endocrine glands, with the master or controller glands of the body being the pituitary and hypothalamus. What if there was a way to re-stimulate the entire endocrine system, starting with the master glands, so that we could produce our own hormones, from within? I am amazed and thrilled to discover that there IS a way to accomplish this seemingly impossible goal. By taking a herb called Maca, most of us can release our dependence upon taking hormones. In this way. Our health regime is simplified, and our glands become rejuvenated and healthier.
In an ideal world, our bodies would continue producing moderate amounts of hormones well into old age. In the real world, most of us need some additional help to get our glands working again.
Maca is a turnip-like root, which grows at a high elevation in the Andes mountains. Prized by the Incas and later by the Spaniards, Maca is now emerging from obscurity and near-extinction to take its place among the most valuable herbs known to mankind. It contains large amounts of calcium and potassium, as well us iron. Silica and many trace minerals. For this reason it is used in Peru and elsewhere to treat and to prevent osteoporosis.
Most striking, however, is the fact that the Maca root contains natural substances that stimulate the pituitary and hypothalamus. These master glands of the body in turn trigger the ovaries, adrenals, testes, thyroid, and pancreas to return to healthy functioning, thus producing normal amounts of hormones. This has been repeatedly demonstrated, at least with oestrogen and progesterone, through the use of saliva hormone assays. A number of people taking thyroid medication have also found that they can cut down or stop taking thyroid hormone. Maca is also described as having "powerful energizing and fertility effects." It should help couples who are trying to conceive a child, as it affects fertility in both sexes.
Maca is used and endorsed by prominent doctors such as Gabriel Cousens and Burton Goldberg. It is being prescribed by a number of doctors to treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, adrenal exhaustion, and to restore energy and vigour to the elderly. Maca is sometimes described as an aphrodisiac for both men and women. Undoubtedly because of its effect on testosterone levels. Several prominent medical doctors, in fact have publicly stated that it greatly improved their sexual functioning. Also, the LA Dodgers use Maca to increase their endurance and muscle mass.
Dosage varies depending on your age and condition. For example, a peri-menopausal woman would usually only need 1/4 tsp. of Maca powder, or 2 capsules per day. A menopausal woman having hot flushes would start with 1 teaspoonful of the powder twice daily, and reduce her dosage as symptoms disappeared, until she was taking a maintenance dose, which would probably be around 1/2 tsp. daily. Men could take 1/2 to 1 tsp. daily.
In most cases, Maca works extremely well. Nurse practitioner Stephanie Smith says that 95% of the women in her practice have been successful with this product under her guidance, of course. Viana Muller, president of New World Botanicals and an anthropologist who has studied the use of Maca extensively, says that she would put the figure at "at least 90%, probably more".
Stephanie has used Maca in her practice for several years. Here are some highlights of the information I've gathered. I've put them into a question and answer format.
Q. Please explain in more detail how Maca works.
A. The active ingredients in Maca are not phytoestrogens, nor are they hormone-like substances such as are found in wild yam. Instead, they are naturally occurring alkaloids. Here is a good quote from Dr. Gloria Chacon. a biologist from Peru. She states that the alkaloids in Maca act "on the hypothalamus-
Q. How can 1 know whether I'll be able to successfully replace hormones with Maca?
A. You'll probably just have to try it. As noted above, it does work very well for most women. It's going to be somewhat more difficult if you have had a complete hysterectomy; if you have been on hormone replacement therapy for many years; or if you are extremely thin. Maca still works for the majority of women in these situations, but you may need to use more, and have some patience during the transition. Some women need to make dietary changes as well, i.e. cutting out white flour and sugar.
Q. If I've had a complete hysterectomy, I no longer have ovaries. How can Maca help me?
A. In this case, hormones will be produced by the adrenals. Hugo Malaspina, MD, a respected doctor from Lima describes the case of a patient who had had her ovaries removed. The woman was taking HRT but still did not feel well. When examined, she had a very low oestrogen level despite the hormone replacement therapy. Two months after she began taking Maca, the patient was re-tested and showed adequate oestrogen levels. "Maca enabled the adrenals to make sufficient hormones to avoid symptoms," commented Dr. Malaspina.
Q. If I have been using oestrogen and progesterone-
A. Yes. In some cases the transition only requires 7 to 10 days; in others, it could take a couple of months.
Q. How about other hormones, like pregnenolone and DHEA?
A. I haven't been able to find much information in the way of testing which would confirm increases in these hormones. Dr. Muller believes that Maca does raise levels of these hormones, however, and states that in her experience, people found that they no longer needed to use pregnenolone or DHEA, if they were taking Maca regularly.
Q. Does Maca really help men to return to a robust state of sexual functioning?
A. It certainly sounds like it. We know that libido and sexual performance in both men and women is connected directly to testosterone levels, and Maca apparently raises levels of all sex hormones. Gary F. Gordon. MD. Founder and president of the International College of Advanced Longevity and Medicine, says, 'we all hear rumours about various products like Maca. But using this Peruvian root myself, 1 personally experienced a significant improvement in erectile tissue response." Dr. Gordon goes on to say. "[Maca] acts on men to restore them to a healthy functional status in which they experience a more active libido. Lots of men and women who previously believed their sexual problems were psychological are now clearly going to look for something physiological to improve quality of life in the area of sexuality." Dr. Burton Goldberg, president of Future Medicine Publishing, states, "I'm a 72 year old man and this Maca has taken 25 years off my aging sex life." Maca is also effective for increasing libido in women.
Q. I'm concerned about osteoporosis, if l take Maca, should I stop using progesterone creams?
A. Viana Muller has told me that she is in the process of obtaining and collating saliva hormone assays by different doctors who have tested clients using Maca. This will give us more data as to whether Maca consistently raises progesterone levels to the degree necessary to protect bone health. Until we have this information, if you already have osteoporosis, it would be a good idea to do one of two things;
If you start using Maca and stop your progesterone, then you should get saliva hormone assays periodically until you're satisfied that your levels are stable with the dosage you are using.
If you've already suffered substantial bone loss, it may be a good idea to continue using a small amount of a natural progesterone cream
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