What are bio-identical hormones?
Bioidentical hormones are derived from plant sources and are modified to exactly replicate those hormones made naturally in your body. Estrogens that are derived from plant source are called phyto-estrogens. Estradiol is a phytoestrogen derived from soy and Progesterone is a phytoestrogen derived from yams. Pharmaceutical synthetic hormones differ from bioidentical hormones in that they are similar but not identical to those made by the human body. For example, Premarin (made from pregnant mare urine) is bioidentical for horses but not humans. That is why it may work for some women but not all. It’s this slight difference in the chemical structure that is responsible for some of the side effects.
