The Good News About Estrogen: The Truth Behind a Powerhouse Hormone

Reiss (The Natural Superwoman, coauthor), a gynecologist and founder of the Beverly Hills Anti-Aging Center, proselytizes for a particular form of hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, that uses “bioidentical” estrogen, in this uneven women’s health guide. Looking at HRT’s merits as a menopause treatment, Reiss describes how bioidentical estrogen is produced via a process that makes “specific molecules in plants, such as organic yams and soy... identical in structure” to human hormones. Reiss finds the resultant hormones superior to synthetic alternatives in treating symptoms like mental fogginess, low energy and sex drive, hot flashes, and weight gain. Reiss’s approach encourages self-assessment and involves supplements, a fusion of the Mediterranean and keto diets, organic hygiene products, and an exercise program balanced between strength and cardio. Though he goes into a fair amount of detail on hormone function, his evidence for bioidentical estrogen’s superiority is too weak to convince readers to go through the hassles involved, such as finding a cooperative pharmacy, or overcoming the skepticism of doctors or insurance companies. Nevertheless, readers concerned about menopause may find Reiss’s enthusiastic treatise helpful in making lifestyle changes, or in beginning discussions of HRT with their doctors. Agent: Peter McGuigan, Foundry Literary + Media. (Mar.)