SANTA MONICA, Calif., Oct. 17 /PRNewswire/ — Dr. Prudence Hall, founder of The Hall Center in Santa Monica, CA, has always been a strong advocate for the overall health of her patients. It wasn’t until she became immersed in treating menopausal patients with bioidentical natural hormones that she started investigating her birth control patients more carefully. “I was shocked to find that most of my twenty year old patients on the pill, had hormone levels that were on par with my menopausal patients. Normal estrogen levels for twenty and thirty year olds should be 150-250. Most of the pill users had levels of fifteen, twenty or low thirties. Less than thirty is considered to be in the menopausal range.”
Information emerging about the female brain reveals that estrogen is an essential hormone for healthy brain functioning.
-- It enhances the connections between neurons, resulting in improved memory and prevention of dementia. -- Mood, smell, self-esteem, and even the ability of a woman to choose a healthy partner to father her child depend on estrogen. -- It stimulates the production of serotonin, which is one of the "feel good" hormones in the brain. -- When estrogen is low, serotonin levels become low, resulting in depression, OCD, paranoia and ADD.
Dr. Hall says, “this is why so many women, who have low estrogen due to the birth control pill, end up on antidepressants and other medications. Surprise! These problems happen to the menopausal brain as well, due to loss of estrogen.”
Dr. Hall states, “Menopausal women gain about thirty pounds, loose their lovely skin, develop arthritis, have increased diabetes, increased heart disease, more thyroid problems, more breast cancer and a loss of their sex drive; all due to low estrogen.” She adds, “Data from taking the pill shows similar concerns with increased heart disease, more strokes, increased depression, lower libidos, sugar imbalances and an alarming 10% increase in breast cancer. With fifteen women out of one hundred currently developing breast cancer, we can’t afford this deadly side effect.” Research from MD Anderson Cancer Center reports that 90% of cancer is due to inflammation. Estrogen decreases inflammation, but menopause and the birth control pill, due to their low estrogen states, both increase inflammation, and therefore the risk of many to cancer. “Although, a recent article states that patients using the birth control pill do not gain weight, most pill users feel it does,” Dr. Hall continues, “I agree. By lowering estrogen levels, the birth control pill raises blood sugar as well as cortisol levels, resulting in weight gain; just like in menopause.”
Why do so many women use such a problematic medication when they aren’t even sick?
-- Very effective to prevent pregnancy 98-99% of women will not get pregnant while on the pill. -- Some women do feel well on the pill. -- It can clear up acne in some patients -- Improves PMS in others -- Seems to offer some protection from ovarian cancer
Dr. Hall says, “It is always better to correct problems at their root cause, rather than covering them up. Use of bioidentical hormones, diet, supplements and life style changes produces better results with all these problems, while actually improving a woman’s overall health.
Dr. Prudence Hall also states, “The birth control pill, by putting women into hormonal menopause, is counterproductive to goals of health and beauty. As a woman and gynecologist, I ask the question if we really want to hurt our health voluntarily by using the pill? I don’t think women want premature aging, if avoidable. Save birth control pills for true emergencies and use other options for birth control that are safer. Let’s allow our own natural hormones to protect us from disease and aging for as long as we possibly can.”
Dr. Prudence Hall is the Founder and Medical Director of Functional Medicine & Gynecology at The Hall Center. She received an M.D. degree at the University of Southern California (USC) School of Medicine. She went on to do her residency in Gynecology at USC, and spent years as a busy surgeon and traditional practitioner. She obtained a Master’s Degree in Health Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley. As her practice matured, she began focusing on the causes and treatments of aging illnesses, acquiring a broad base of knowledge in integrated healing and Functional Medicine. Dr. Hall, who has studied with the noted endocrinologist Dr. Diana Schwarzbein, has long been on the frontier of modern advances for menopause and rejuvenation therapies.
Dr. Prudence Hall
CONTACT: Neisha Cohen of Prime Time Media, +1-310-559-0445,[email protected], for Dr. Prudence Hall
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