How are Bioidentical Hormones Produced?

Now, here’s the thing: these plants don’t naturally produce estrogen or progesterone on their own. So, don’t expect to balance your hormones just by eating sweet potatoes or tofu! The real magic happens when scientists extract these plant compounds and transform them in a lab.

The Lab Process: Transforming plant compounds

Once harvested, the yams and soybeans undergo an extraction process to isolate the diosgenin or stigmasterol. These compounds are structurally similar to human hormones but aren’t identical yet. This is where science takes over:

• The first step is to extract diosgenin or stigmasterol from the raw plant materials. This is done by crushing the plants and using solvents to dissolve the sterol compounds. The sterol is then purified through chemical processes.
• Once purified, the next step is to break down its molecular structure so that it can be rebuilt into bioidentical hormones.
• Next, chemists modify the steroidal backbone of diosgenin or stigmasterol to perfectly mimic the structure of human hormones. To do this, they use various chemical reactions such as hydroxylation, oxidation, and isomerization.
• Once the chemical conversion is complete, the bioidentical hormones undergo further purification to remove any residual chemicals or by-products from the reactions.

It’s important to note that this transformation can only happen in a lab. While the plant compounds provide the raw material, it’s the lab work that makes them bioidentical and suitable for hormone replacement therapy in Brooklyn.

Why BHRT? The appeal of natural mimicry

So why go through all the effort? For many, the appeal lies in the idea of “natural mimicry.” Since bioidentical hormones match the structure of hormones naturally found in the body, proponents believe they may be more easily recognized and metabolized by the body. This "natural" alignment is thought to reduce the risk of side effects and make the therapy more effective.