The ABCs of Hormones is a welcome addition to the Keats's family of Good Health Guides. Author Jack Challem, who has written extensively in the health field, says that "hormones are unquestionably among medicine's most powerful, more remarkable drugs."

The body produces at least 200 different hormones. Challem chose the ten most common to describe in detail: melatonin, DHEA, pregnenolone, estrogen, testosterone, insulin, thyroid, adrenocortical, and human growth hormones. Challem gives a brief explanation of how each hormone works, and the symptoms of hormonal imbalance. He then discusses natural alternatives for each.

So think there are scant good scientific studies on DHEA? Think this has not be "well studied?" This is the scholarly and exhaustive answer to those uninformed assertions. But, at this price, only recommended for only most devoted and probably limited audience

Fountain of youth or just another hopeful fad preying on aging baby boomers? You decide. Dr. Sahelian has collected testimonials from doctors, researchers and patients. He's interviewed researchers on both sides of the fence. He's combed the medical literature for studies and has interpreted them into plain English. His bias is in favor of DHEA but he cautions us to look carefully at the studies and not get caught up in the hype

DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is an adrenal hormone naturally produced in large quantities during our youth. Current research has found that its production begins to decline around the age of 25 and could possibly be the link between youth and aging. Using DHEA, doctors are treading conditions such as cancer, menopause, Alzheimer's, AIDS, diabetes, Heart Disease, Chronic Fatigue, Osteoporosis, obesity, stress, lupus, and aging. DHEA: The Fountain of Youth Discovered provides all the information and important precautions needed to make an informed decision about prescribing or taking DHEA. Alana Pascal has thoroughly researched her subject and presents her findings in clear, concise language the is immediately accessible by the non-specialist general reader.

[Dr. Ash is a careful and meticulous practitioner in New York with a large and successful alternative medicine practice.]

[The first and must read for anyone contemplating any form of growth hormone replacement or augmentation.]

Introduces a medically proven program designed to stimulate the body's human growth hormone to help readers reverse the aging process, reduce fat, strengthen the immune system, enhance sex life, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and improve memory and thinking ability.

[Probably more misunderstood than any other hormone -- testosterone. No it doesn't turn meek men into raging linebackers. And it doesn't turn poor hitters into home run kings. The research on testosterone actually spans over 60 years. Here is a new an innovative discussion.]

Since the early 1970s, when studies of testosterone first gained wide public attention, this principal male sex hormone has taken the rap for a range of characteristics or behaviors, including low intelligence, rape, and road rage. The truth is both remarkably more complex and more interesting scientifically. From prehistory to the present, testosterone has played a significant role in the development of human society as well as in romantic, marital, and parental relationships. It affects women as well as men in such areas as language ability, cognition, and spatial orientation.

Interweaving intimate case histories with first hand scientific research, Heroes, Rogues and Lovers engagingly explains the animal within us all, revealing testosterone's function in human evolution and its role in surprising links between animal and human behaviors.

Univ. of Pisa, Italy. Presents the proceedings from the workshop held in Pisa, Italy, HRT in Climacteric and Aging Brain, on March 15-18, 2003. Analyzes the changes occurring through the climacteric transition and aging, estrogens, and the effects on brain cells.

Book Description In recent years there has been increased interest in the possibility that hormone replacement therapy may have a significant impact on neurological function in the aging female. It has been hypothesized that estrogens may even have a protective role in the onset of Alzheimer's or other dementias. This volume draws together leading experts to review the existing scientific data and present a consensus view that will be a practical aid to clinicians. The book offers a state-of-the-art summary of current knowledge that gives readers a better understanding of the potential benefits of hormone therapy when treating Alzheimer's and other dementias.

Hypothyroidism -- low thyroid function -- is one of the gland disturbances that many people suffer from without even realizing it. It can be the cause of low energy or constant fatigue that is one of the most common complaints brought to doctors. It may be responsible for chronic headaches, repeated infections, unyielding skin problems, or circulatory difficulties. Even more frightening, it can be a major factor in heart disease, lung cancer, and emphysema. And it is responsible for many emotional and mental disturbances. Hypothyroidism: The Unsuspected Illness explains low thyroid function in easy, understandable language. It tells how it may be affecting your health and your life.

Dr. Broda Barnes and Lawrence Galton tell what the thyroid gland is, how it works, the problems its dysfunction can induce. They detail case histories of patients, often thought hopeless, whose problems were discovered to be related to hypothyroidism and were cured by Dr. Barnes's simple effective techniques. And they discuss whether you too may be hypothyroid, affected by a condition even a physician may not recognize.

We have not personally reviewed this book. There are very good resources now available. The most important point is to find a physician who will not "go by the book" and one that sees the balance between old fashioned clinical acumen and good laboratory confirmation. Does he or she listen? Are thye using state-of-the-art testing or the standard out of date testing?

This is the most comprehensive, well researched, and best written book on this subject. The author is not a doctor but is so thoroughly informed on this subject through her own exhaustive research as well as through her collaboration and consultaton with recognized experts in many health disciplines including the medical field. She is someone who has suffered with hypothyroidism and has made it her mission to help others.

I am an RN and I have read many other books on this subject and she is more thorough and professional in her approach than I've seen in most other books on the topic.

[Coming to grips with a rather silly notion: is there a Male menopause, the author has developed an approach that legitimizes the phenomenon. While we do not agree with his philosophy that is passive and accepting, it is, nevertheless, a valid contribution to the literature. There is no doubt that the phenomenon exists. It has a later onset than women, typically occurring at age 54-56. But is is not menopause. It is Andropause. And it is real. We call it the dwindles. Most commonly presenting as depression and loss of motivation and spirit."]

After years of jokes about the male "midlife crisis," male menopause is today recognized as a true event, occurring in millions of men between the ages of forty and fifty-five. In this groundbreaking and much-lauded book, author Jed Diamond shows that male menopause involves dramatic chemical and physiological changes that affect everything from a mans view on life to his ability to attain and maintain an erection.

From two of the world's leading medical researchers comes a book that tells readers about a way to slow the hands of time and enjoy a longer, healthier, more vigorous life--starting today. The authors explain how the hormone melatonin, produced in the pineal gland--the body's timekeeper--works, how to make use of it, and what kinds of results to expect

Most comprehensive and definitive popular book on Melatonin. Well written and revealing. Includes chapters on anti-aging, cancer, immune modulation, jet lag,sleep, sex, fertility, mental health, free-radical scavenging, and heart disease.

Intrigue at the "Palace": back-stabbing, deceit, shunning, love affairs. This is not the plot to I, Claudius but the account Pert gives of her time working at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a.k.a. the Palace. Yet her time at NIH is not the central point here. Nor are the molecules of the title, although they do get due coverage.

Pert offers mainly an account of her journey from a conventional scientist to one who also embraces complementary and alternative medicine. The journey is long and not without price. She was passed over for the Lasker and Nobel prizes for her work on opiate receptors while colleagues were recognized; she believes that her development of a potential AIDS drug was thwarted owing to scientific dirty pool as well as her being a woman in a man's world. Along the way, she took control of her career, her life, and her personal mission. This is an eye-opening book for anyone who thinks that people with medical degrees act more civil or are more altruistic than the rest of us, though Pert also shows that some do rise above the fray. Recommended for academic and special libraries.?Lee Arnold, Historical Soc. Of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

From an online reviewer:

As a personal trainer and a lifetime drug-free bodybuilder, I am constantly searching for new material to help me better understand the underlying principles of optimum health and optimum physique development. Rob Faigin's Natural Hormonal Enhancement stands out as an honest attempt at getting to the essential information-- in fact, there isn't a page of filler in the entire book.

Faigin lays out the results of thousands of scientific studies published in recent medical journals, and the information is so clearly laid out that it will leave you wanting to read more. I could summarize the book, but a fantastic summary (as well as the table of contents). The only books that I've discovered up until this point that I whole-heartedly recommend are this one, Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill by Dr. Udo Erasmus, and Dr. Michael Colgan's Sports Nutrition Guide. Enjoy the read, and let me know what you think!

What has long been called chemistry or animal magnetism is really the work of pheromones, powerful chemical messengers that are manufactured naturally in the body. William Regelson explains the central role that pheromones play in sexual identity and preferences. Along with their persuasive powers in courtship, pheromones affect the bonding process between mother and child.

Another short, readable monograph discussing the various merits and benefits of this powerful hormone that is a precursor to Progesterone. It has been used as an anti-arthritic, anti-depressant and mood elevator.

The Primer’s primary purpose is to utilize the clinical experience of a medical oncologist who has specialized in prostate cancer to address the issues and realities encountered by men and women touched by prostate cancer. Many of the suggestions for topics in the Primer came from men who have experienced prostate cancer and from their partners. Written by Dr. Stephen B. Strum, a board certified medical oncologist specializing in prostate cancer and co-founder of the Prostate Cancer Research Institute, and Donna Pogliano, partner of a warrior in the battle against prostate cancer and award-winning prostate cancer activist, this book is a comprehensive guide on the basics of prostate cancer, diagnosis and testing procedures, and the numerous treatment options.

My message is simple: If you have been diagnosed with problems with the prostate, including cancer, you don't have to let the doctors give you radiation or surgically remove your prostate. There is an alternative, one that will not only eliminate your disease but also increase your general level of health. What you'll find in my book is the plan I created to heal myself naturally from prostate cancer, and attain the outstanding levels of health and vitality I enjoy today.

As a prostate cancer patient I became very frustrated with the lack of and conflicting answers provided by the medical establishment. Urologists say that surgical removal is the only cure, yet their own studies show a 75% relapse rate in 10 years and the side effects rate of 50% or more for incontinence and impotence was not acceptable to me. Radiation didn't feel much better and the recurrence was said to be higher.

Men are being given such poor options within the context of conventional medical treatment that I felt I had to write this book to give men, who are open to receiving them, other, more natural, possibilities to consider for treatment and prevention.

Still one of the original classics on hypo-thyroidism, low thyroid. A series of newer texts have now superceded it but this still is a good read and one that belongs on your bookshelf.

Another in a series from Drs. Ron Klatz and Robert Goldman, the President and Chairman of the A4M, The American Academy on Anti-Aging Medicine. A good quick read, but not the "last word" or the most authoratative text. Worthy of your attention.

GREAT BOOK! The Cortisol Connection can do a great deal to help you understand WHY cortisol-control is good for your long-term health, but also HOW to approach cortisol-control using diet and lifestyle.

It makes a complicated topic easy to understand. As a nutritionist, I know that people who suffer from chronic stress often are also suffering from lifestyle related diseases (obseity, diabetes, hypertension, depession, and osteoporosis) which now may be linked to the detrimental effects of unhealthy cortisol levels.

The Cortisol Connection gives details on diets, exercise and supplements that have been shown to control cortisol levels and promote optimal health (Dr. Talbott's SENSE program). If you have stress, you need this book!

Fox, a respected authority on prostate health, offers a proven program for treating not only prostate cancer but the more common benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH).

Beginning with a thorough examination of prostate gland physiology, Fox goes on to examine symptoms of prostate problems, how ailments are diagnosed and the benefits and drawbacks of various drugs, surgeries and alternative treatments used to tackle such problems.

Fox then details his "Healthy Prostate Program," a therapy that stresses diet and exercise over surgery and drug treatments for controlling most prostate problems. Features a self-assessment quiz that shows readers how changing their lifestyle can lead to a healthier prostate.

Discussing the problem of declining sexual desire among menopausal women, this study proposes the use of testosterone to help restore a woman's energy, libido, and sense of well-being.

While we do not agree with her ultimate recommendation of the use of methyl-testosterone, the basic principles of testosterone replacement in women remains sound and compelling. We do agree with the other three forms of more natural testosterone the author suggests.

Those who are in search of the fountain of youth will find a wealth of detail here concerning the importance of hormone replacement therapy. According to Hertoghe, a physician based in Brussels who is a member of the International Advisory Board of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, "with natural hormones in amounts as close as possible to what your younger body made for itself, you can re-create the same state of health and well-being you once enjoyed."

A patient should work in concert with a physician, who will first administer a battery of blood and urine tests to determine hormone levels.

A more erudite and academic treatment of Melatonin research and theory. Has one very interesting theory regarding the critical regulation of the conversion of serotonin (the anti-depressant brain transmitter) to melatonin. It is turned on at night (via pineal control) and turned off during the daytime.

From a reader: Jesse Stoff describes a broad approach to the treatment of prostate cancer. In fact, it is the most comprehensive prescription for an alternative treatment of prostate cancer that I have ever encountered. The main ingredient emphasized is PC SPES but that is not viewed so much as a 'silver bullet' as it is a necessary part of a multi-faceted attack on the disease.

Stoff writes from the perspective of one who personally treats prostate cancer patients in his medical practice.

Now, the best-selling authors of this phenomenal bestseller (seven printings; nearly 200,000 copies in print) reveal to the public for the first time how this revolution in medical sciences has identified an entire class of "superhormones" that can reverse aging and significantly extend life expectancy.

Dr. Regelson is an unabashed and leading spokesman for the Anti-Aging movement in this country. He has been known to say, "that while those younger bureaucrats can patiently discuss the virtues and liabilities of these various approaches, time has a much more immediate sense of urgency for me." He is 75 years old.

Younger men take their good health and virility for granted. As time goes on, though, we don't always feel as strong, as sharp, as confident as we used to. Our sexual prowess — even our interest in sex — declines. It doesn't have to be that way.

As we age, our body's production of testosterone declines. Now there are safe and effective ways to boost our natural supplies. The positive impact is exciting — and almost immediate! Discover how you can: Boost your energy, enthusiasm, and self-confidence

• Raise your libido
• Improve your sex life
• Strengthen your muscles and build body mass
• Lower your risk of heart disease, bone deterioration, and other health problems
• Increase memory and mental acuity
• Enhance your sense of well-being
• And much more!

Just as women have a menopause, so men experience a "male menopause", often called andropause, which can occur in over a period of 15 to 20 years, and which can take an equally devastating toll on strength, energy, and zest for life. In this book, Dr. Shippan uses case histories to show how adjusting levels of testosterone can have a positive effect on this time in a man's life .

Our highest recommendation on the subject of thyroid function and dysfunction. This book well presented and full of valueable and novel hypotheses. Especially the connection between thyroid and cognitive function and mood.

One in ten Americans suffers from thyroid dysfunction, yet most don't realize the mental and emotional components of this condition. "This is the first book to explain the hidden suffering that many patients have difficulty expressing and the first book to provide new ways of helping address and heal this suffering," promises author Ridha Arem, M.D., associate professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and chief of endocrinology and metabolism at Ben Taub General Hospital, both in Houston, Texas.

This book explains the link between stress and thyroid imbalance; how thyroid imbalance affects your emotions, sex life, and relationships; and how to cope with the effects of this imbalance.

Much still remains to be discovered, causes and effects need to be untangled, and the results of thyroid imbalances need to be identified and taken into account when determining treatment

As a professor of biology and neuroscience at Stanford and a recipient of a MacArthur Foundation "genius grant," Robert Sapolsky carries impressive credentials. Best of all, he's a gifted writer who possesses a delightfully devilish sense of humor. In these essays, which range widely but mostly focus on the relationships between biology and human behavior, hard and intricate science is handled with a deft touch that makes it accessible to the general reader. In one memorable piece, Sapolsky compares the fascination with tabloid TV to behavior he's observed among wild African baboons. "Rubber necks," notes the professor, "seem to be a common feature of the primate order." In the title essay of The Trouble with Testosterone, Sapolsky ruminates on the links, real or perceived, between that hormone and aggression

Menopause doesn't have to be a dreaded curse of aging during which we can look forward only to hot flashes and whacked-out hormonal mood swings. According to Christiane Northrup, M.D. (Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom), menopause often marks the beginning of a woman's most sexually passionate, creatively inspired, and professionally productive phase of life.

While this may sound like wishful thinking, Northrup backs up her good news with solid medical expertise. As an obstetrician and gynecologist, Northrup has specialized in using a mind-body approach to women's health for decades, which means she doesn't just write about hormones, but also examines how a woman's lifestyle, emotions, and beliefs are affected by menopause. With the right diet, attitude, and perhaps some supplements along the way, women can actually look forward to a resurgence of energy and a revolutionary opportunity for personal growth--one that rivals the hormonally driven period of adolescence in its scope and urgency, she claims. And yes, at just under 500 pages, The Wisdom of Menopause does explain how to have a positive and healthy menopause in concise detail. Northrup has indeed "written the book" on menopause.

Depressed, overworked, or just feelin' old are common enough complaints. But when disparate symptoms such as joint pain, weight gain, and foggy-headedness join the ranks, it's time to think thyroid.

As the "throttle" for the body's energy hormones, the thyroid affects every organ and cell; when it's in trouble, any variety of ailments--physical and mental--can occur. Trouble is, physicians are more likely to treat each symptom independently, with pill upon pill, rather than search for a root cause.

Bolstered by 25 years of treating patients with low thyroid condition, husband-and-wife team Richard L. Shames, M.D., and Karilee H. Shames, R.N., Ph.D., ably explain the physical and emotional profiles of those diagnosed with the disease, why the proverbial deck is stacked against them, and how each patient can forge an effective path of treatment.

At last a straight forward and well researched alternate veiw about breast cancer, its causes and its treatment.

Dr. Lee and all have gone to great lengths to present meaningful and in depth perspectives on the issues that most matter in trying to understand how we can respond to breast cancer. They don't shy away from the difficult questions of how money and politics have shaped what we have been led to believe about how our own bodies function and the impact of various hormones on us.

All we have to do is look in the news these days to see the mis-information that we have been fed elsewhere on HRT, cancer and such. Nor do they back away from distortions that have been feed to us about supposed sucesses on the war on cancer.

Finally we have in one place a book that can point us in the direction of real hope and possible long term solutions, both individually and collectively.

I have been working with women and men with breast cancer for many years. At last I have a source of information that I can point people to that we can trust. Read this book. Then re-read it. It is a goldmine and a must if you or anyone you know has breast cancer or even concerns about it.

While we do not fully agree with all that Dr. Lee has said, he remains a pioneer and a valuable contributor to the notion that progesterone is so important to balancing excess estrogen. He, more than anyone, advanced the notion that progesterone is more than simply a hormone that causes monthly cycling. Men, also have progesterone levels for similar hormonal balance.

Hormones are not gender specific. It is the balance, and levels that vary from male to female.

This book offers the exciting facts about natural progesterone-and how it can deliver what HRT and estrogen only promise. Premenopausal symptoms, endometriosis, weight gain, low sex drive, fibrocystic breasts, heart disease, and osteoporosis-most women will experience these or other hormone-related problems.

While we do not fully agree with all that Dr. Lee has said, he remains a pioneer and a valuable contributor to the notion that progesterone is so important to balancing excess estrogen. He, more than anyone, has advanced the notion that progesterone is more than simply a hormone that causes monthly cycling. Men, also have progesterone levels for the same hormonal balance.

Hormones are not gender specific. It is the balance, and levels that vary from male to female.

Even if you're a decade or more away from menopause, your hormones may already be out of balance, usually caused by an excess of estrogen and a deficiency of progesterone, say the authors of What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Premenopause.

John Lee, M.D., is a well-known advocate of the benefits of natural progesterone and the author of What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause. Jesse Hanley, M.D., adds sensitivity to the emotional and spiritual aspects of premenopause.

The authors recommend natural progesterone cream to balance your hormones, eliminate premenopausal symptoms, and make you feel better. They also discuss the dangers of xenohormones--substances not found in nature that have hormonal effects--frequently found in pesticides, solvents, plastics, and hormone-treated

The Premier source for a comprehesive and exhaustive presentation of Endocrinology. For the serious student, clinician or academician.

This textbook of endocrinology places emphasis on developments in the pathogenesis of endocrine tumours and the discussion of the interdigitation of the endocrine system, the immune system and nervous systems. Topics covered include: measurement of hormones, pathogenesis of endocrine tumours; autoimmunity and the endocrine system; endocrine hypertension; disorders of lipid metabolism; disorders of mineral metabolism; normal and aberrant growth; and humoural manifestations of cancer.