Moods, Emotions, and Aging: Hormones and the Mind-Body Connection

by Phyllis J. Bronson, Rebecca Bronson (With)

Overview

Despite the backlash against hormone replacement therapy, the depletion of natural hormones in the female body continues to be a problem for women at middle age and beyond. Remedying the problem has proved difficult for women and doctors who are unaware of, or reluctant to prescribe, bioidential hormones—those that match identically the hormones made naturally in the human body. Moods, Emotions, and Aging: Hormones and the Mind Body Connection explains the vital link for women between hormones, mood, and wellness. It outlines the dramatic hormonal shifts that women undergo in the years before menopause, and presents an approach to combining bioidentical hormone therapy with nutrients to achieve mood balance during midlife and beyond. Phyllis Bronson explains the differences between synthetic and bioidentical hormones, and offers vignettes of women who have used bioidentical hormones to help them deal with the changes that accompany natural hormone loss.

This is a groundbreaking book for general readers written by a scientist who is able to take the mystery and the hype out of the hormone controversy. It is intended to empower women, along with their doctors, to make better and more informed choices about their health and well-being as they approach a time in their lives when things can seem like they are spinning out of control. The link between hormones, mood, emotions, and overall wellbeing is a powerful one, and when women are aware of it, they can take steps to bring themselves into better balance physically and emotionally. Here, Bronson shows them how.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442221024
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	07/05/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	156
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Phyllis J. Bronson, PhD, is a research scientist, biochemist, and clinician who has studied the biological impact of molecules on mood and emotion. Dr. Bronson has taught neuroscience and conducted hormonal research at the University of Denver, and has been a faculty member of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine and the International Society for Orthomolecular Medicine. She was a consultant at the Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris, and was on a task force studying women's mood issues in the military. Dr. Bronson lectures frequently throughout the country and her work has appeared in leading professional journals. She is now President of Biochemical Consulting Company and The Biochemical Research Foundation.

Table of Contents

Preface and Introduction
1: In Defense of Estrogen
2: The Truth about Progesterone
3: Mood Chemistry
4: The Connection between Body Type and Hormones
5: Weaving the Web. How hormones are central to the female psyche
6: Sexuality
7: Relationships
8: Diseases of Aging/Adventures in Aging
Appendix: How to Use Bioidentical Hormones

Editorial Reviews

Geared for women over 50 years old, Moods, Emotions and Aging is a culmination of this “out-of-the-box” scientist’s discoveries about how to control moods through and after menopause.... Bronson’s scientific theories are based on her intimate knowledge of how women work. This book is not about finding “the fountain of youth” or anti-aging, she said, but rather it is about aging gracefully and without fear. Her techniques to achieve this goal are “a rational, soulful approach to how to work with the science” of biology.

Vail Daily

Dr. Phyllis Bronson is a voice to listen to in the area of mood and hormones. A researcher, clinician and speaker on the subject for many years, she has distilled her world of experience into this well-written user-friendly book that will educate and inspire you. It's a must-read for any woman— and the man who cares about her.

Hyla Cass

Dr. Bronson’s book will equip anyone facing the challenges of hormone deficiencies. Because she works with and writes about real people with serious mood and hormone imbalances, her readers may see themselves in the patient stories she tells and be inspired to take action to resolve their own health issues.... Another valuable facet of Dr. Bronson’s book is the discussions of how emotional issues can both provoke and be a result of hormone disarray. With the myriad of tools provided in this book, people who may have “lost” themselves emotionally may be able to find a pathway back.

Women's International Pharmacy

The research which Phyllis and I pursued here, resulting in a significant finding, involved the spectroscopic study of natural progesterone and the synthetic version developed by pharmaceutical companies. The structural differences between the natural and synthetic progesterone have significant implications for women’s health. The work which Phyllis has done generally in the chemical and physiological effects of bioidentical hormones has received wide attention through her numerous lectures and publications.

Dwight Smith

Not only does Dr. Bronson discuss diagnosis of hormonal disorders and the proper use of bioidentical hormones to treat them, she also adds in a missing dimension, the use of nutritional supplements to benefit brain chemistry.... The book should be required reading for any physician or health care professional thinking of starting a bioidentical hormone practice.

Jeffrey Dach

Moods, Emotions, and Aging is a treasure trove of crucial information that will help women understand and choose the right hormone therapies for optimal health.

Christian Northrup M.D.

Dr. Bronson cleverly integrates evolving biochemical research with clinical practice, illuminating the path to optimal hormonal balance, for women of all ages.

Chris Martinez

Real Women with real problems are getting real results and life changes with real hormones. Dr. Bronson is the “real” deal as she shares her guidance and experience with her readers. Her message emphasizes that the solution is not a magic elixir used by everyone but is an individualized approach developed by understanding and using the science of biochemistry.

Carol Petersen

For many years, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was standard practice for women with pre-menopausal symptoms. But HRT fell out of favor after studies showed that women on these drugs were developing decreased vascular function and slight increases in the incidence of breast cancer, stroke and dementia.

According to “Moods, Emotions and Aging,” by Phyllis J. Bronson, a Colorado-based researcher who advises women with hormone-based mood disorders, this “set off a wave of misinformation.” Doctors began advising patients to stop HRT, and as a result, Bronson writes, “many women started feeling lousy without their hormones.”

Bronson attributes HRT’s side effects to the fact that commonly prescribed hormones are synthetic. She argues that women would respond better to bioidentical hormones, which are chemically identical to the hormones women make in their bodies. Such hormones, Bronson says, can improve a woman’s mood and sense of self without the negative consequences of synthetic versions.

Bronson builds her case using her own story and those of the women she advises who have had success with bioidentical hormone therapy. She breaks down what happens to various hormones as women age, and how they can affect sexuality, emotional well-being and overall health, particularly age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

The Instrumentalist

For many years, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was standard practice for women with pre-menopausal symptoms. But HRT fell out of favor after studies showed that women on these drugs were developing decreased vascular function and slight increases in the incidence of breast cancer, stroke and dementia.

According to “Moods, Emotions and Aging,” by Phyllis J. Bronson, a Colorado-based researcher who advises women with hormone-based mood disorders, this “set off a wave of misinformation.” Doctors began advising patients to stop HRT, and as a result, Bronson writes, “many women started feeling lousy without their hormones.”

Bronson attributes HRT’s side effects to the fact that commonly prescribed hormones are synthetic. She argues that women would respond better to bioidentical hormones, which are chemically identical to the hormones women make in their bodies. Such hormones, Bronson says, can improve a woman’s mood and sense of self without the negative consequences of synthetic versions.

Bronson builds her case using her own story and those of the women she advises who have had success with bioidentical hormone therapy. She breaks down what happens to various hormones as women age, and how they can affect sexuality, emotional well-being and overall health, particularly age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Washington Post Book World

Moods, Emotions, and Aging is a treasure trove of crucial information that will help women understand and choose the right hormone therapies for optimal health.

Christiane Northrup

Real Women with real problems are getting real results and life changes with real hormones. Dr. Bronson is the “real” deal as she shares her guidance and experience with her readers. Her message emphasizes that the solution is not a magic elixir used by everyone but is an individualized approach developed by understanding and using the science of biochemistry.

Carol Peterson