Natural Woman Institute

!!!! Two recent reviews of "A Woman's Guide to Natural Hormones" that appeared on Amazon.

Great Book!, October 6, 2011
By Maria E. Diaz Villegas "Maria Elena" (Coral Gables, Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: A Woman's Guide to Natural Hormones (Paperback)
I bought this book to share with my doctor who is very conventional. I read it and passed it on to her. Excellent source of information about natural hormones.

5.0 out of 5 stars Knowledge is Power, September 8, 2011
By Donna M. Roberts "mom101" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Woman's Guide to Natural Hormones, A (Revised) (Paperback)
This was an excellent quick read book. I felt empowered and have changed my diet and followed much of the knowledge in the book and it has made a big difference in my life. I have recommended this book to a couple of my girlfriends and they felt the same. Wonderful good information to know.


****I AM PREPARING A POST FOR 'UPDATES' ON THE RECENT FDA RULING ABOUT THE OSTEOPOROSIS DRUGS, FOSAMAX, BONIVA, AND ACTONEL. FINALLY, THE FDA IS ISSUING A WARNING ABOUT THESE DRUGS, AS REPORTED IN THE NEW YORK ON SEPTEMBER 9TH. MY FIRST BOOK, NATURAL WOMAN, NATURAL MENOPAUSE, WARNED AGAINST THE USE OF S0-CALLED BISPHOSPHONATES -- THAT WAS FIFTEEN YEARS AGO! WILL BE UP SOON.


****GO TO "UPDATES" TO READ THE RESPONSE BY CHRISTINE CONRAD TO RECENT ATTACKS BY DR. PATRICIA ALLEN ON BIOIDENTICAL HORMONES****



Dedicated to supporting safe and effective hormone therapies for women of all ages.

Provides the following free services on this website:

Doctor Referrals - Our database contains over 2,000 doctors and medical practitioners in the US and Canada who can prescribe natural/​bio-identical hormones.

Compounding Pharmacies - A comprehensive list of over 400 pharmacies in the US and Canada that specialize in natural/​bio-identical hormone prescriptions.








The nonprofit Natural Woman Institute (NWI) was founded in l997 with the mandate of inspiring and supporting the safest and most effective hormone therapies for women.

The isolation of human hormones in the 1920's was done by investigators driven by pure science. Drug companies saw big profit in selling hormone products based on these discoveries.

Very early on, Premarin (and later Prempro),a synthetic estrogenic product derived from horse urine, and not completely compatible with the human body, became the dominant drug in the marketplace, while safer and better alternatives were either surpressed or ignored. The driving principle behind "hormone replacement therapy" became control of the marketplace. Women were treated as consumers as opposed to individuals deserving the best treatment available from their doctors. For over forty years, hormone therapy has been monopolized and controlled by drug companies, principally Wyeth, and real science has taken a back seat to profits.

The damage was twofold: women were harmed and medical training and research were corrupted. For control of the marketplace meant control of what doctors prescribed, control of research, control of what was discussed at medical conferences, and control of a media dependent on drug advertising dollars -- but worst of all, it meant ignoring the significant side effects to women caused by the Premarin/​Prempro regimen.

Twenty years ago, pioneering doctors and health professionals, having listened to escalating complaints from women about side effects, began working to provide an alternative to Premarin/​Provera. Bio-identical hormones had been in use in Europe for fifty years, and in the US to a limited extent, but so-called Big Pharma had little interest in them, mostly because they couldn't control patents. Because the bio-identicals matched human hormones exactly, they consistently had good clinical results. You would think this fact alone, and the common sense factor that bio-identicals matched human hormones, would encourage doctors in their direction, but Wyeth was generating billions of dollars a year world-wide from its Premarin product line and completely controlling the dialogue.

Then, in July 2002, shock waves ripped through the medical world. An important National Institutes of Health (NIH) study revealed that contrary to the claims made over twenty years by the manufacturer, taking Premarin/​Provera for a woman's lifetime did not help prevent disease. In fact, taking the drugs placed women at greater risk for heart disease, breast cancer, blood clots, and stroke. Over the years there had been other studies damning of Premarin products, but this study under government auspices proved a tipping point.

Recent articles in the Wall Street Journal and USA Today confirmed that women are increasingly turning to bio-identicals -- as many as two million may be using them now. But the battle to make sure women have access to the best and safest hormonal therapy is far from over.

Don't expect a drug company to abandon its cash cow, even if it's a repudiated drug. Wyeth recently filed suit to put compounding pharmacies effectively out of business. This is a ruthless business move, but not surprising considering that the company experienced a 40% drop in profits for its Premarin product line in the last year.

And Wyeth still has its faithful legions to do battle for them. Now leading the charge against bio-identicals are the very same organizations that supported the disastrous "Premarin for life" regime, The North American Menopause Association (NAMS), and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Having once totally ignored the bio-identicals or dismissed them as useless, NAMS is now claiming that bio-identicals have the same risk and benefit factors of Premarin/​Provera. This ignores a fact that is crucial to women: Bio-identicals work better, without the debilitating side effects.




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Click on "Updates" above for an important post relating to continuing attempts by the North American Menopause Society(NAMS)and its director, Dr. Wulf Utian, to attack their credibility.

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The Importance of BHRT National Congressional Call-In Day

Why is BHRT National Congressional Call-In Day on Sept. 10, 2008, so important?

The answer is simple—we must unite together to call members of Congress and urge them to protect access for women’s health. Though our objective and target are simple, this issue has been brewing for years between FDA, big Pharma and compounding pharmacists. As you know, the stakes in this battle are high—your healthcare options will be limited if FDA and pharmaceutical manufacturers have their way.

What’s happening? In 2005, Wyeth, the maker of Premarin and Prempro, called on FDA to shut down compounding pharmacies that prepare bioidentical hormone replacement therapies (BHRT). If Wyeth had its way, women being prescribed compounded hormone medicines to treat symptoms of menopause would be forced to discontinue their treatments. 
In early 2008, FDA finally answered Wyeth’s concerns about compounded hormone medicines with a set of new policies. Most critically, FDA announced that it will “halt” compounding of hormone treatments that contain estriol.



What is estriol? Estriol is a common component of many compounded hormone treatments prescribed by doctors. Estriol is one of three estrogen hormones produced by a woman’s body. Women should talk to their doctor or pharmacist to find out if their hormone therapy contains estriol.

Why is FDA trying to take away women’s BHRT? Make no mistake—this fight is about Wyeth’s wealth, not women’s health. FDA’s recent action is not based on scientific data or any medical justification. This is simply bad policy influenced by a big drug company.

What are the Congressional resolutions calling on FDA to reverse its policy on estriol? The U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate each have resolutions—H. Con. Res. 342 and S. Con Res. 88, respectively—calling for FDA to reverse its policy on estriol. The resolutions also call on the need for FDA to “respect the physician-patient relationship” and recognize that doctors, not FDA, are in the best position to “determine which medications are appropriate for their patients.” They also point out that “FDA has acknowledged that it is unaware of any adverse events” associated with the use of estriol over the past three decades.

These Congressional resolutions are a key tactic to send FDA a message that its estriol policy is not in the best interest of women’s health. However, not all Senators and Representatives are aware of FDA’s new policy and the effect it will have on women’s health. On Wednesday, Sept. 10, the BHRT National Congressional Call-In Day will flood Capitol Hill with phone calls from concerned constituents who will urge their elected members of Congress to sign on to their respective Congressional resolution.

Support women’s health—mark your calendar to participate on Sept. 10.

Calling is the key to protect BHRT!
Learn more at www.iacprx.org/​CallCongress