What are biologically identical hormones?
Biologically identical hormones are derived from plants, such as the wild yam or soybean plant. The wild yam is rich in precursor molecules that can be converted into estrogens and other hormones whose molecular structure is the same as those produced naturally in the human body. Estrogen is actually not one hormone, but a group of three hormones: estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3) are natural human hormones. A high ratio of estriol to the other estrogens has been associated with a lower risk of breast cancer. Premarin, a drug commonly used in estrogen replacement therapy, is derived from pregnant mare urine. Because horse estrogen is foreign to the human body, people may lack the enzymes and cofactors to metabolize it safely. Progesterone may be needed to balance the effects of estrogen on the uterus as well as the rest of the body and also may help build bone. Natural progesterone might be safer than synthetic progestins (like Provera), which may have a negative effect on
