Hormone health is a major pillar of functional medicine. Without healthy hormones, your overall health will be compromised. Let’s take a look at hormones that should be monitored and how each contributes to overall well-being.

The thyroid runs our overall “motor” and autoimmune hypothyroidism (Hashimoto’s) is the most common of all autoimmune diseases. I have had that since the age of 57. Thyroid replacement to healthy blood levels is the treatment of choice. Recently, red light and near-infrared light therapy have been shown to help reverse this problem. I will share more on this in my next article.

Cortisol is produced by the adrenal glands and increases with stress. Managing stress is the key to healthy cortisol levels. Mental health therapists and/or integrative health practitioners can help by advising on stress-reduction practices and appropriate supplementation.

More commonly referenced are the sex hormones: estrogen for women and testosterone for men.

I recommend all women read Estrogen Matters: Why Taking Hormones in Menopause Can Improve and Lengthen Women’s Lives – Without Raising the Risk of Breast Cancer by breast cancer oncologist Avrum Bluming, MD, and psychologist Carol Tavris, PhD. Originally published in 2018 and updated in 2024, this book addresses the important benefits of estrogen in aging women and new information for breast cancer survivors. Keep in mind, however, that the type of breast cancer may determine whether taking estrogen hormone after treatment is the best option for you. While the book presents an innovative change in thinking, hormone replacement therapy for estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer is not generally recommended, so explore your options with your doctors.

A similar book for men is Testosterone for Life: Recharge Your Vitality, Sex Drive, Muscle Mass and Overall Health by Harvard urologist Abraham Morgentaler, MD (2008). Dr. Morgentaler believes that all men should have normal levels of testosterone for their age, even if they have had prostate cancer. Testosterone levels drop with age, from 650-800 in our 30s to 300-400 in our 70s and 80s. Below 300 is regarded as hypogonadism. About 25% of senior men fall into those low levels and should be offered replacement to normal levels for their age, not treated to higher (age 30) levels, as often happens with some hormone replacement therapies. Morgentaler has performed and cites research to support this claim.

I know these two controversial books will generate a lot of questions and you should discuss them with your integrative health practitioner and or medical team. You are in charge of your overall health and have the power to make these decisions.

There are a lot of nuances around maintaining hormone health. For example, excess body fat will cause your sex hormones to be off balance, and rebalancing them starts with reducing excess fat, especially in the trunk. I strongly encourage this before you start taking hormones, especially testosterone in men.

If all your hormones are in balance, you should be well on your way to healthy longevity.

Dr. Scherger is the founder of Restore Health Disease Reversal in Indian Wells, a clinic dedicated to weight loss and reversing chronic medical conditions. To schedule a consultation, call (760) 898.9663 or visit www.restorehealth.me.