An Introduction to Natural Hormones with Dr. Uzzi Reiss

An Introduction to Natural Hormones

By Dr. Uzzi Reiss
Oprah.com | January 12, 2009

During more than 20 years as a gynecologist, I have treated thousands of women, from down-and-out individuals at free clinics in the Bronx to the most wealthy and famous at my Beverly Hills practice. Rich or poor, they usually have one thing in common: a great desire to stay youthful and healthy.

In past times, most women gave birth to many children, labored for decades to raise them and lives much shorter lives. For them, the idea of rejuvenation was irrelevant.

For the modern woman, life is a whole new game.

From an evolutionary perspective, the female was designed for multiple cycles of pregnancy and breastfeeding. This was nature’s way of preserving the species. Up until the time of modern hygiene and medicine, most offspring never reached reproductive age. They fell victim to infectious diseases, lack of sanitation and an ever-perilous environment.

The modern woman has broken from the historic pattern of multiple pregnancies. She often delays the onset of reproduction. She has fewer children or doesn’t become pregnant at all. She takes birth control pills. She is exposed to an unprecedented array of environmental chemicals, processed food and career opportunities.

The new reality has brought overdue choices and liberation, but with a price: hormonal chaos, increased risk of disease and so-called female problems and accelerated aging. This is meant not as a criticism but as an observation based on treating more than 10,000 women.

Patients come to me not only for relief of their gynecological problems, but also increasingly to solve their hormonal chaos, restore balance and achieve the highest possible level of health. They want to infuse zest and youthfulness into the aging process.

Shortly after starting my medical practice, I learned about natural hormones—first progesterone, then estrogen and then others. I found them to be an exciting, safe and effective way to help patients accomplish their health goals and also reduce the need for medical drugs and surgery.

The positive experiences of thousands of patients over the years have clearly demonstrated the effectiveness and safety of natural hormones. Some patients tell me that they never knew they had a hormonal deficiency, yet they never really felt entirely well until they started this program. Natural hormones can resolve many symptoms.

Excerpted with permission from Natural Hormone Balance for Women: Look Younger, Feel Stronger and Life Life with Exuberance by Dr. Uzzi Reiss with Martin Zucker.

Printed from Oprah.com on Thursday, May 23, 2013