Aging Gracefully

Dear Reader, Anti-aging hypes and scams are reaching fever pitch as baby boomers head for their golden years; after all, it’s a multi-billion dollar business! The promise is that we can stop or reverse the aging process and regain our youthful looks and vigor—if we just empty our wallets for the latest greatest hormone, vitamin, […]

Yaz Side Effects

Yaz Side Effects

Yaz® and Yasmin® are birth control pills (oral contraceptives) made of ethinyl estradiol (an estrogen) and the progestin drospirenone. Yaz, which contains a lower dose of estrogen than Yasmin, is the best-selling oral contraceptive in the US. But since the FDA approved Yasmin in 2001, and Yaz in 2006, it has become clear that drospirenone […]

Anxiety

Anxiety

10 Ways to Increase Anxiety Levels                      (in case you didn't know) Have high estrogen and low progesterone levels Have high testosterone levels Take too much thyroid medication Take allergy medicines containing pseudophedrine-like drugs Drink too much coffee, guarana or other stimulants Take anti-anxiety, antidepressant or sleep drugs (seriously, it’s right there in the prescribing info) […]

Birth Control Pill Safety

Birth Control Pill Safety

Some oral contraceptives increase the risk of blood clots more than others. All estrogen-containing birth control pills increase the risk of blood clots for all women, but some types of contraception increase the risk more than others because of the progestin they contain. The medical name for a blood clot in a vein is venous […]

Indoor Air Pollution Disrupts Hormones

Indoor Air Pollution Disrupts Hormones

We're inhaling gender-bending chemicals in our homes. Chemicals that mimic the female hormone estrogen and block male hormones were found indoors in high concentrations in two communities in northern California, one urban and one rural, according to a study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology. Researchers from the Silent Spring Institute teamed up […]

Progesterone Cream or Pill – What's Best?

Progesterone Cream or Pill – What's Best?

Progesterone cream works best for most hormone balancing, but the progesterone pill can be more effective for treating insomnia and catamenial epilepsy. The hormone progesterone can be delivered to the body via a pill, cream, troche (dissolved in the mouth) injection or vaginally. There are advantages and disadvantages to each delivery system, depending on why […]

Are Protein Shakes Healthy?

Are Protein Shakes Healthy?

Hopkins Health Watch Q&A Q: I have friends who have a protein powder shake for breakfast and they say it’s healthier than a “real breakfast,” an easy way to take vitamins, low-calorie, and that I should try it. The protein comes from soy and I know you and Dr. Lee wrote about “The Dark Side […]

Do Detox Supplements Work?

Do Detox Supplements Work?

A Hopkins Health Watch Q&A Q: I plan on over-indulging during the holidays (!) and am thinking about doing a detox program afterwards. In your last newsletter you wrote a very helpful article about protein powders. What about detox supplements? Do they work and are they worth the money? A: Detox products undoubtedly do work […]

Does Estrogen Reduce Breast Cancer Risk?

Does Estrogen Reduce Breast Cancer Risk?

A Hopkins Health Watch Q&A Q: It’s been all over the news that estrogen reduces the risk of breast cancer. This seems to contradict the info in What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Breast Cancer. Please explain. A: The only good thing I have to say about the so-called news that estrogen reduces […]