From PMS to Menopause:
Female Hormones in Context
by Raymond Peat, Ph. D.
http://www.efn.org/~raypeat/sub.html
Book report
Of all the books that I have reviewed on my website, this one, in my opinion, is by far the most important for good health. The information it contains is so essential and so deeply hidden by the medical powers-that-be that you may very well never find another publication that will lay out these facts with such emphasis, clarity, and clear evidence. Don't just buy yourself a copy of this book, get several; for your mother and mother-in-law, for your daughters, and even beloved friends. Order it directly from Dr. Peat, at the website above.
I can't say enough good about this little self-published book. If you ever wanted to know what hormones are responsible for which reactions, problems, and conditions, this is the book to read. Dr. Peat puts it all together here. I have read it three times, and every time I find more information for notation and marking.
First, Dr. Peat carefully lays out the DANGERS of unopposed ESTROGEN. Here's his list of problems and diseases known to be caused by too much estrogen in the bloodstream:
Breast cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, fibroid tumors, pituitary tumors, lung cancer, liver cancer, bowel cancer, kidney cancer, malignant melanoma, meningioma and other brain cancers, cancers of other organs, osteoarthritis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, allergies, porphyria, optic neuritis, epilepsy, depression, suicide, accidents, anxiety, agoraphobia, amnesia, nerve cell damage, low blood pressure, fainting, shock, migraine, varicose veins, irregular heartbeat, blood vessel spasms, intestinal spasms, inflammatory bowel disease, gallstones, gallbladder spasms, blood sugar disturbances, hypothyroidism, blood clots, strokes, heart attacks, miscarriage, birth defects, endometriosis, excess hair (facial) and loss of hair (head) skin discoloration, thinning of the skin, water retention, and obesity.
Estrogen is not the benign, essential-but-depleted hormone the slick ads and doctors' lectures would have you think it is.
It is an insidious chemical that can be generously produced by many glands in the body, including body fat, so a shortage is almost impossible. The problem is never a shortage of estrogen, but too much, accompanied by a shortfall of progesterone and thyroid, hormones which must be present to balance the effects of estrogen. At menopause, women do not need a supplement of estrogen, and any doctor who prescribes it without blood tests to determine its levels (along with those of thyroid and progesterone) should have his hands smacked.
The money made from the prescribing of tons of Premarin and other estrogen-based supplements and preparations makes it a shoo-in for continued prescriptions, regardless of the known dangers and side effects. The pharmaceutical companies that manufacture estrogen replacements are not going to kill their cash cow simply because their most popular pill is a menace to womankind.
And, supplements aren't even the main source. Did you know that most refined foods contain soy? Or that soybean foods and preparations are rich sources of "weak" estrogens. Phytoestrogens, far from being the benign prescription-free estrogen replacement panacea they are touted as being, are at least as dangerous as the concentrated forms found in prescription supplements, especially when taken with a diet that is heavily dependent on soy foods.
As an experienced VICTIM of estrogen overdosage for over 15 years, I know what Dr. Peat is saying here. I look back now and cannot believe that every person who had any say about my health (except me) worried about my estrogen levels, and not ONE mentioned thyroid or progesterone. From birth control pills (Enovid) to Premarin, then a diet heavily loaded with soybean foods, estrogen was the least of my needs. Breast cancer, arthritis, allergies, depression, anxiety, agoraphobia, amnesia, high (and low) blood pressure, fainting, migraine, irregular heartbeat, intestinal spasms, inflammatory bowel disease, blood sugar disturbances, hypothyroidism, miscarriage, excess facial hair and loss of head hair, thinning skin, edema, and obesity are the symptoms of excessive estrogen I experienced through the years. And one after the other, my doctors persisted in keeping the prescription for Premarin filled and treated one subsequent symptom at a time, as if each one was a disease in its own right instead of a symptom of a much deeper problem.
I won't go into further details here regarding estrogen replacement, since the book is a positive one focused mostly on the beneficial effects of replacing and supplementing the hormones that are essential in keeping estrogen in check--progesterone and thyroid. But you really need to read this material for yourselves. This book is absolutely essential for the library of any woman who really cares about her health.
I can't emphasize strongly enough how important this material is. If you have to, sell your dog, but you really, really need this book.
Throughout the book, Dr. Peat uses a question-and-answer format to emphasize what he has taught in the rest of the chapters. The book is COPIOUSLY referenced, so professionals should have no problem finding the sources of Dr. Peat's findings.
Enjoy.
And, throw out that Premarin.
Background on Dr. Raymond Peat, Ph. D.
Concerning my background, I have a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Oregon, with specialization in physiology. The schools I have taught at include: the University of Oregon, Urbana College, Montana State University, National College of Naturopathic Medicine, Universidad Veracruzana, the Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Mexico, and Blake College. I also conduct private nutritional counseling.
I started my work with progesterone and related hormones in 1968. In papers in Physiological Chemistry and Physics (1971 and 1972) and in my dissertation (University of Oregon, 1972), I outlined my ideas regarding progesterone, and the hormones closely related to it, as protectors of the body's structure and energy against the harmful effects of estrogen, radiation, stress, and lack of oxygen.
The key idea was that energy and structure are interdependent, at every level.
Since then, I have been working on both practical and theoretical aspects of this view. I think only a new perspective on the nature of living matter will make it possible to properly take advantage of the multitude of practical and therapeutic effects of the various life-supporting substances--pregnenolone, progesterone, thyroid hormone, and coconut oil in particular.