Tri-est
Tri-est is a combination of the three estrogens: estriol, estradiol, and estrone. It is most commonly found in a ratio of 80:10:10, which means:
- Estriol 80%
- Estradiol 10%
- Estrone 10%
This combination is very popular and contains all of the three major circulating estrogens. The loss of natural estrogen activity in a woman’s body can lead to bone loss, heart disease, hot flashes and a variety of other health problems and uncomfortable symptoms.
Estriol
Estriol (E3) - has nearly all the benefits of estradiol and estrone, but is much safer and has much fewer side effects. The point is that estriol’s purpose is obviously to protect our genetic machinery, not damage it. Unlike estrone and estradiol, which rise and fall significantly during the menstrual cycle, estriol levels stay fairly steady throughout. Estriol is a much less lipotropic or fat-loving molecule than estrone or estradiol. This means that when it’s given in the cream form, it’s absorbed through the skin more slowly than other hormones, and it also means that it behaves differently in the blood. During pregnancy estriol is derived almost entirely from the androgens, completely circumventing production from estrone, and it’s produced at levels ten times higher than the other estrogens and does not cause trouble. Estriol prevents Vaginal Atrophy and Urinary Tract Infections in post-menopausal women; it also helps to lower the vaginal pH, a marked rise in healthy lactobacilli bacterial flora, and a decrease in the unhealthy E. coli bacteria that are commonly associated with Urinary Tract Infections. 0.5 mg estriol treatment twice weekly effectively eliminates problems of vaginal dryness and Atrophy. Estriol helps to protect your bones, 2 mg per day of oral estriol increased bone mass about 1 to 5 % over a one-year period.
Estriol protects the skin from aging, in fact, applied as a skin cream directly to the face, it can remarkably reverse wrinkling and other problems of skin aging associated with the onset of menopause.
Estradiol (E2) – is the principal estrogen found in a woman’s body during the reproductive years, it is produced by the ovaries. Estradiol is very effective for the symptomatic relief of hot flashes, genitourinary symptoms, psychological well being. In women, estradiol is responsible for the growth of the breast and reproductive epithelia. Most estradiol is carried in the blood wrapped in the protein called sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG).
Estrone (E1) – is the estrogen most commonly found in increased amounts on post-menopausal women. The body derives it from the hormones that are stored in body fat. After menopause, estrone is the most active circulating estrogen. It is the most cancer-causing of all the estrogens.
Dehydroepiandrosterone
DHEA – abbreviation for Dehydroepiandrosterone it’s a hormone manufactured by the adrenal glands, the organ that also makes adrenaline and cortisol. Circulating blood levels of DHEA, and its close sulfate relative DHEAS, decrease progressively and significantly with the passage of time. At age fifty the adrenals produce half the DHEA they turn out in the mid-twenties. We generally lose about 2% a year after twenty-five. DHEAS is the most abundant hormone in the blood. It is simply a DHEA molecule that becomes attached to a sulfate (combination of sulfur and oxygen) molecule when it is metabolized in the liver. DHEA is one of a number of anti-aging hormones that drops slowly after we pass our mid-twenties. It is a hormone that is involved on the ground floor of countless biochemical reactions in the body. The more stress you have, the more your body consumes DHEA and the less it makes, therefore women can tolerate more DHEA than normal when they are under chronic stress. DHEA also contributes to improving energy and stamina and it acts as an antidepressant and mood elevator. The DHEA hormone is known to decrease insulin resistance which means it improves the utilization of blood sugar for energy and helps prevent diabetes. A higher level of the hormone corresponds to a better mental function. Studies show that DHEA can improve the moisture level, lubrication, thickness, and pigmentation of the skin.
Progesterone
Progesterone – also called the Guardian Angel of Breast Cancer. Whether you want to reduce your risk of Breast Cancer or prevent a recurrence, balancing your hormones with natural progesterone could be your single biggest ally. Natural progesterone is so safe, it won’t hurt you to use a little more than your optimal dose. On the other hand, as with most substances, too much progesterone can cause problems such as Lethargy or sleepiness, Edema (water retention), Candida (yeast), Bloating, Lower Libido, Mild Depression and Exacerbated symptoms of estrogen deficiency. But keep in mind, not all women suffer from these side effects when they use excessive doses of progesterone. Progesterone deficiency reduces the sensitivity of estrogen receptors. Many peri-menopausal women with symptoms of estrogen deficiency (such as hot flashes) find relief by adding progesterone cream in physiologic doses, which are doses that match what the body of a healthy, pre-menopausal women would be making. Most women only need 15 to 20 mg of progesterone daily – about what the body would make if it were making its own progesterone. Post-menopausal women can use progesterone cream for 24 to 26 days of the calendar month.
Testosterone
Testosterone – is not just “a male thing”. Females produce far less testosterone than males, but that little bit goes a long way. Testosterone in women contributes to Stamina, healthy and stronger muscles, lean body mass and less body fat, stronger bones, a feeling of security, positivity, and stability. It increases Libido, orgasmic power and enhanced emotional aspect of sexuality, higher nitric oxide (helps to keep blood vessels dilated), improves balance and hand-to-eye coordination. Like so many of the other hormones, the testosterone level peaks around the age of twenty-five and then slowly decline. The level of testosterone is subject to typical fluctuations in the body. It is higher during the day and around the time of ovulation. Therefore if a woman is not ovulating at all or infrequently, very little testosterone is produced. After menopause, the adrenal glands (which are already stressed), are responsible for the little amount of testosterone produced by the body.