LOOK AND FEEL YOUNGER — THE MODERN DAY FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

By Jonathan Bain

Even before Ponce de Leon went searching for a magical elixir to restore youth to all that consumed it, people have been searching for a way to feel and look younger. Through the years many things have been labeled as quick fixes to obtain the fountain of youth again with most failing. One of the ideologies that is shifting today is the switch towards a more preventative-based medicine instead of a treatmentbased medicine approach. For example, a patient has compelling factors that put them at high risk for diabetes so the provider initiates a prevention strategy to help avoid or put off getting the actual condition, compared to a patient getting yearly checkups showing elevated glucose markers which result in the diagnosis of diabetes with medication used as the treatment.

The preventative medicine approach, also known as functional medicine, lends to ideas of a better understanding of what your body is doing, how it changes, and then how these changes affect you down the road. Through this, many things have been discovered regarding aging and why some people seem to age faster than others. One of the biggest reasons for weight gain, mood swings, tiredness, sexual dysfunction or disinterest, wrinkles, or decreased bone density as we age is related to our body’s decreased natural production of hormones. While many hormones are involved, the main ones affecting these common aging symptoms are estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA in both men and women.

Once the connection was made to these specific hormones and the symptoms of aging, some ability to replace them was needed. In the beginning, many synthetic hormones were used as well as natural sources. The most common natural source was derived from the urine of pregnant horses. As one would expect, most people did not tolerate these natural sources or synthetic hormones very well. Even though they did help many men and women feel better, over time more cases of blood clots, thickening of the blood, and even cancer began to emerge.

It was around this time that a search for a better source of hormones led to something that was identical to what our body was naturally producing. This is where the term biologically identical or bioidentical was developed. Most commonly, sources for these bioidentical hormones are plant-based and more specifically yams. There is an old adage that as you aged if you began to have the common signs of menopause, hot flashes or night sweats, then you were told you needed more yams in your diet. It was not specifically known at that time, but yams are a fantastic natural source of hormones. More specifically, hormones that look identical to what your body is already naturally producing.

Medical literature now, regarding bio-identical hormones, demonstrates there is no harm in replacing our natural hormones to their optimal levels. Replacing these hormones our bodies naturally produce is always beneficial. Everyone should seize the opportunity to live a healthy and productive life. Bio-identical hormones now have been linked to better sleep, improves energy and metabolism, decreases osteoporosis, slows progression towards heart failure, improves the emotional state, improves brain fog, strengthens hair, nails, and skin, eliminates erectile dysfunction, and the list goes on.

Even with this large amount of data it can still be difficult to find providers who are willing to start patients on these therapies and then even harder to find the medications themselves. That said, there are many providers who specialize in natural hormone therapy. The internet is a great resource as well as looking for medical practices that are more functional in how they approach their treatments with each patient. Also asking your friends can be a great resource. You might be surprised how many are already taking these therapies and just have not shared it.

As far as getting the hormones themselves, most people will go through a compounding pharmacy. Compound pharmacies have expertise in putting medications together from scratch. At Rx Compound Centre in Columbia, everything made is 100% custommade for each patient based on their specific needs. This level of expertise is especially important with hormone therapy as it is not a one pill fits all.

Both men and women have specific needs with each person requiring adjustments to be made based on where they are and what they want to get out of their treatment. Rx Compound Centre has been working with natural hormones from the very beginning with one of the founding national experts on bio-identical hormone therapy. They have even worked to develop patented and proprietary treatments that aren’t made anywhere else in the world.

If the fountain of youth is something that intrigues you this new year, don’t be afraid to have a conversation with your provider. A custom program that is natural and tailored to your exact needs can offer you a healthy aging process. Rx Compound Centre is also available to assist you to get started on your healthy aging journey with ingredients your body has understood since its very conception hormones.

For more information on specific hormones that you might need or how to better talk with your provider, please feel free to call Rx Compound Centre at (931) 388-3999. Follow them on social media at @rxcompound or visit rxcompoundcentre.com for additional information. Nationwide shipping is also available.

JONATHAN BAIN, PharmD, BCCCP, BCPS, is the owner of Rx Compound Centre in Columbia, Tennessee. With more than 100 years of combined experience, RX Compound Centre is a full-service compounding pharmacy using the highest quality and state-of-the-art technology to formulate customized medications for the entire family including your fur babies. Quality-driven service with affordable access to medications is their promise.