Why is estrogen important for women?

Lets talk about the benefits of estrogen.  It has literally hundreds of roles in a woman's body!

Estrogen helps to protect your heart.  When you are premenopausal, your risk of a heart attack is significantly less than a man’s risk.  But after menopause, when estrogen levels drop, the risks become equal.   

It also helps to keep your tissues hydrated.  Without estrogen you can become dry:  dry eyes, dry mouth, dry skin, dry hair, dry vagina……

Bone health also depends on hormones, and estrogen in particular helps to prevent bone loss.  While this may not be something you are particularly worried about right now, it should be!  If you have a broken hip because of osteoporosis, there is a good chance that you will end up in assisted living. Preventing bone loss now is very important for your future mobility and independence.  

Something you may be very concerned about right now is how old you look!  Estrogen affects skin health - it helps to provide hydration and blood flow to keep that youthful glow to your skin,  and it maintains collagen to provide elasticity, which helps to minimize fine lines and wrinkles.  You may notice your skin aging rapidly as you go through the menopause.  One research study found that women with higher estrogen levels looked on average 8 years YOUNGER than women with low estrogen levels! 

Arguably the most important role of estrogen is on brain health.  Estrogen is energizing to the brain, so if estrogen levels are low you may feel more tired.  It is also important for quality of sleep, and obviously you have to be able to sleep to have good energy!

Estrogen is a natural anti-depressant in women.  It is needed to activate serotonin receptors in your brain, and serotonin is the natural brain chemical responsible for peace and joy, so obviously you want that!  If your estrogen levels are low, you may feel more flat, anxious or unmotivated.   You may be prescribed an anti-depressant medication to try to boost serotonin levels (like Prozac, Celexa, or Zoloft for example), but if you can normalize your estrogen levels,  your mood may improve without the need for medication.

There is a very important relationship between estrogen and memory.   If your estrogen level drops you may find yourself forgetting names, why you walked into the room or where you left the car keys.  It can be alarming and you may even worry that you are experiencing the early stages of Alzheimers!  Fortunately in many cases your memory can improve significantly with restoration of normal estrogen levels.  

Did you know that the average woman gains 20 pounds as she goes through menopause?  Estrogen deficiency can cause you to pack on the pounds, even if you haven't changed your diet or exercise. Of course, if you are tired, unmotivated and not sleeping well you may be finding it more difficulty to maintain healthy lifestyle habits!

As you can see, estrogen is very important for how you feel, how you look and how you will age. 

If you are interested in learning more about estrogen and whether estrogen replacement may be a good idea for you, click here.  If you are interested in scheduling an appointment to talk with us about your personal situation, please call 704-752-9346.  

Why not ensure 100% absorption of your vitamins and minerals?

Did you know that for many people, over 50% of the vitamins and minerals taken by mouth are poorly absorbed?  This can be due to digestive problems like gut inflammation from food sensitivities, dysbiosis (imbalances in digestive microflora), or yeast overgrowth (candida).  Stress and aging can also influence nutrient absorption - most people over the age of 40 are not  optimally digesting and absorbing nutrients.  Even in young, healthy people, the gut is only able to absorb a limited amount of certain nutrients.

In a nutritional IV, vitamins, minerals and amino acids are infused directly into the bloodstream.  We are able to deliver much higher doses of the nutrients since we bypass the limitations of the digestive system, and this allows much better correction of intracellular nutrient deficiencies.  

A good example of this is Vitamin C.  The antiviral effects of Vitamin C are seen when blood levels are approximately 10-15mg/dL.  Oral intake of Vit C typically raises blood levels only up to 1.2-4mg/dL,  so trying to overcome a cold with oral Vit C is unlikely to be very effective. We can deliver a higher dose with IV therapy,  and are able to raise levels up to 50-90mg/dL.

Besides boosting immune system function, another benefit of improved intracellular nutrition is increased energy production.  Mitochondria are the energy producing batteries in each cell. The influx of vitamins and minerals in a nutritional IV fuel the mitochondria and help to “kick start” the energy production in the cells.  This is especially valuable in treating patients with fatigue.

Already fairly healthy?  IV Therapy is great for boosting health and preventing illness.  

Planning an elective surgery?  Nutritional IVs before and after surgery can help to promote a reduced risk of complications from surgery and anesthesia, and promote faster recovery time with less swelling and bruising.  

Having your silver fillings removed?  Nutritional IVs can be very important to help reduce the effects of mercury exposure.  

High stress circumstances coming up, like a wedding, running a marathon, travel, final exams, or a sports competition?  Nutritional IVs can help keep you feeling on top of your game and reduce the risk of a weakened immune system due to stress.

Feel like you are coming down with a cold or flu?  A nutritional IV can resolve symptoms quickly.  This works best if the IV is administered within 24 hours of the start of symptoms.

For patients with medical problems exacerbated by intracellular nutritional deficiencies, IV Therapy can be an important tool in helping to restore wellness.  Conditions that may be helped with nutritional IVs include:

hormone imbalance

poor detoxification

poor memory and concentration

chronic stress

candida 

weakened immune system

fibromyalgia

chronic fatigue syndrome

muscle twitches and spasms

hypertension

athletic performance recovery and endurance

diabetes

migraines

depression

anxiety

arthritis

asthma

allergies

sinusitis

eczema and other skin conditions

chronic pain

cardiovascular disease

poor circulation

post-gastric bypass

Epstein Barr

heavy metal toxicity

influenza

Crohn's disease/ulcerative colitis

cancer

and even the common cold!

What is a Myers’ Cocktail?

During the 1960s, Dr. John Myers’, an internist from Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, proposed that a mixture of key nutritional supplements might be given in a single intravenous 

infusion– literally flooding the body with nutrients– to help improve cell performance. Each of the vitamins and minerals Dr. Myers’ selected had actually been available in intravenous form for years, but no one had ever considered combining them into an intravenous “cocktail.”

The basic Myers’ formula consists of a mixture of Vit C, B Vitamins, magnesium, and calcium.   All of these nutrients have known benefits and low potential for serious side effects. 

What is IV Glutathione?  

Glutathione is the most important anti-oxidant in the body.  It is produced in the body, especially the liver and is very important for detoxification of carcinogens, toxins, drugs, alcohol, and heavy metals like lead and mercury.  It activates the immune system and plays an important role in DNA synthesis and repair.  It activates nitric oxide to dilate arteries.  When given intravenously it helps with liver and brain function, and can be helpful for fatigue, brain fog, memory, parkinson’s and other neurologic conditions. 

Interested in learning more about how nutritional IVs can help you?  Give us a call!  704-752-9346  Or email us at questions@signaturewellness.org.