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Posted on Jan 07, 2004, 9 a.m.
By Bill Freeman
There are several ways salivary hormone tests can help you to take responsibility for, and optimize your health. The first way is to help identify possible causes of health problems. Depending on the specific hormones involved, certain symptoms or groups of symptoms are usually present when hormonal imbalance exists.
There are several ways salivary hormone tests can help you to take responsibility for, and optimize your health.
The first way is to help identify possible causes of health problems. Depending on the specific hormones involved, certain symptoms or groups of symptoms are usually present when hormonal imbalance exists. For example, contrary to popular belief, depression is not caused by a prescription drug deficiency, but it can be caused by an imbalance between estrogens and progesterone, low androgens like DHEA and testosterone, or high cortisol. Genetics, dietary factors or other environmental factors may cause this imbalance, in turn.
Accordingly, depression might also be reversed by supplementation with the appropriate hormone(s) and attention to other factors; hormone testing can be used to guide this therapy. If hormone balance is restored but symptoms persist, then one has to look elsewhere for the cause.
Hormone testing can be used to guide supplementation, to determine if an oral hormone supplement such as DHEA is being absorbed, and if the dosage is appropriate. Bioavailability of oral hormonal supplements can vary widely. The saliva test can also help you evaluate if estrogens are well balanced with progesterone following progesterone cream supplementation. Too much estrogen, relative to progesterone, leads to excessive tissue proliferation, whereas too much progesterone in the absence of adequate estrogen can exacerbate estrogen deficiency problems.
Saliva hormone testing can also be vital for rational disease prevention and anti-aging programs. Testosterone, for example, is an important hormone in both sexes, for the maintenance of cardiovascular and bone health. Identification of a low testosterone level and correction with diet, exercise, and/or hormone supplementation could help prevent the development of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.
Anti-aging medicine is still in it's infancy, but hormone supplementation is an important aspect of anti-aging; restoration and maintenance of hormone parameters at youthful levels is one strategy that may extend your healthspan (span of healthy, productive years). Hormone testing is crucial for this approach as it is imperative not to exceed levels that might lead to adverse side effects.
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