Earth Week - Hormones!

I've been told perhaps my common theme here (politics and religion) could be chasing some of my relatives and friends away. I didn't think so because most of them are quite liberal in their views and, though I'm quite conservative, I thought the definition of liberal was accepting everyone and everything, even if different from their own views. Even so, maybe I should try to vary things a bit more. Of course my thought is "it's my blog and I can rant if I want to," and of course writers tend to write about their passions, but I haven't been intentionally trying to offend anyone. And, I can always move on to some of my other favorite "soap box" items, like health. Here goes...

It is earth week, after all.

This isn't about recycling, though that is important. It is about our health and the legacy we are leaving our grandchildren (besides the massive national debt).

I've been reading a fascinating book (really!) called The Greatest Experiment Every Performed on Women, by Barbara Seaman. I know, fascinating???? People thought I was weird when another book I found amazing was about TB - what could be amazing about that? Well, science itself is pretty fascinating. Then add the policital climate and big money which enters into the testing and results, and you have quite a story of mystery, intrigue, evil intent, villains and heroes.

It really is very interesting to see the way women were used as guinea pigs without informed consent for hormones such as Premarin (name itself describes the source, "PREgnant MARe's uRINe" - no kidding! Drug manufacturers have protected their nest egg for 40 years, sponsoring tainted "studies" and making all kinds of claims about the benefits and need of hormone therapy in everything from birth control pills (which started out at 10 times the necessary strength) to menopausal treatment. They even managed to tell us that menopause itself was a disease that needs treatment for the rest of our lives. Of course in most cases men were the movers and shakers in this, though some women were involved of course. The idea that treatment would be necessary for the last third of a person's life is ridiculous and there are plenty of women whose adverse symptoms were temporary, so need of intervention was also temporary if needed at all. The biggest travesty is the way information was covered up in the name of the almighty dollar! (So what else is new, right?) Anyway, in the midst of the women's movement, when we thought our problems were over, we could stay childless if we chose ("equal" with men) and endlessly young (with the help of hormones and plastic surgeons), we were actually being used and abused, without consent or knowledge of risks.

Finally, the Women's Health Initiative exposed the damage these hormones were actually doing to us, increasing our risk of cancers, heart and other diseases, while not proving their former claims of reduction in heart disease, Alzheimer's and "the moon." This huge, real study was aborted early when it became apparent that more harm than good was coming to those who had the active drug Prempro vs the placebo. The minimal improvement in osteoporosis can actually be accomplished through exercise and nutrition (duh! we've also known this for some time).

Yes, we were misled - by our doctors, by "science" (which is anything but "pure" despite what some politicians would claim) and by the "Mega Pharm" industry who preferred to keep us in the dark because as baby boomers reach menopause, millions of women can continue to pad their coffers with promises of eternal youth, free of discomfort. At least, as long as they are convinced they are ill and need medicine to survive. It is the minority who actually have prolonged and unbearable symptoms in menopause, especially those whose ovaries are still intact. Yes, estrogen production is reduced; but not 100% abruptly eliminated as with surgical menopause and the gradual decrease is often without symptoms requiring treatment to be endured.

It goes beyond that and the hormones that have been shamelessly put in livestock feed to "fatten" them for market and which now has been excreted into our soils, contaminating our water supply and resulting in all kinds of adverse health effects from multiplied rates of infertility to feminization of male animals, including humans. As the author put it, perhaps when we become an all-female society the male proponents of the added hormones will finally have to admit the problem. Even big bucks won't replace their masculinity and they will maybe rethink their priorities. Interesting that "equal" may end up being a literal infertile unisex generation.

This sounds radical - most new ideas that dispute common thinking do sound that way. And, it probably sounds a bit political anyway (if not religious) so no doubt it will be met with skepticism. But, I would suggest you read the book. If we're going to make a difference in our earth and for our children, it's crucial to understand this unpopular concept. And, yes, I'll be looking for meats and poultry that are labeled "free of added hormones" in the future.