Ageless: The Naked Truth About Bioidentical Hormones (Paperback)

by Suzanne Somers (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
What if you could really feel better as you get older, or age without illness? What could be better than having your doctor tell you that you have the bones of a twenty-year-old, or the heart of a thirty-year-old? Follow the advice in Ageless, and you’ll discover your own internal fountain of youth! In this #1 New York Times bestseller, Suzanne Somers reveals the secrets to a younger, healthier, and sexier you.

Jam-packed with updated information on bioidentical hormone replacement and antiaging, Ageless will change your life forever. Suzanne talks about:

• Antiaging medicine and how it can help work against the environmental assault that is making us sick

• Menopause, which can become an enjoyable passage once the body is in perfect hormonal sync with bioidentical hormone replacement therapy

• Why so many hysterectomies are unnecessary, how birth control pills may have contributed to the rise of them, and how to restore your body to perfect hormonal balance after having one

• The importance of sleep and the healing work that nature does during this time

About the Author
Suzanne Somers is the author of sixteen books, including the New York Times bestsellers Keeping Secrets, five Somersize titles, and The Sexy Years. The former star of the hit television programs Three’s Company and Step by Step, Suzanne is one of the most trusted and respected brand names in the world, representing cosmetics and skin care products, apparel, jewelry, a computerized facial fitness system, fitness products, and an extensive food line. Suzanne received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from National University and is a highly sought-after commencement speaker. For more information, go to her website SuzanneSomers.com.


From the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (December 31, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307237257
• ISBN-13: 978-0307237255
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (105 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,498 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #4 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Women's Health > Menopause
  #32 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Personal Health > Healthy Living
  #43 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Aging

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

274 of 292 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The voice and the truth..., October 15, 2006

By	Charles Runels, MD "research physician & fath... - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Ageless: The Naked Truth About Bioidentical Hormones (Hardcover)

Here's the TRUTH...

The most profound truth that seems to be still ignored by many practicing internists, gynecologists, and endocrinologists (and the most important part of this book) is stated on page 90 of this book:

"When a woman has a complete hysterectomy, so many doctors make the mistake of prescribing only estrogen. This is a recipe for disaster."

Exactly how and which hormones should be prescribed is still a matter of research but (as a physician practicing many of the techniques described in this book) I've seen so many women go from suffering with fatigue, lack of sex drive, difficulty thinking, depression, anxiety, and weight gain...to "waking up" and feeling energetic, sexual, losing weight, and throwing away their antidepressants...that it is maddening to me that so many gynecologists continue to ignore their own research.

EXAMPLE: Years ago, in OB/GYN (like the New England Journal for gynecologists) the gynecologists published in their own magazine a study showing that women who were started on testosterone immediately BEFORE the hysterectomy (so it would be on board to help with recovery from the operation) recovered from surgery faster, had less pain, and a faster recovery emotionally and sexually than did women who were not on testosterone.

With proper hormone replacement (including testosterone), very good research in OB/GYN shows that women who have hysterectomy for the right reasons will have better sexual relations after the surgery than they had before the surgery.

If I sound like I'm ranting, it's because I am. I see so many women go from feeling miserable to feeling wonderful after the principles described in this book are applied that I find it tragic that too many women get slapped with a pap smear and a prescription for Premarin on the way out the door after their 10 minute visit with the gynecologist (where most of the discussion took place with her talking to her physician looking up from between her legs (spread by the table's stirrups).

One WARNING about the book...
Ms Somers says, "I'm sorry, but the lack of knowledge and insensitivity of doctors who think byat by removing organs unnecessarily, they are protectin women from cancer is truly disturbing! I will not even venture to think that somewhere in this scenario is a financial gain."

Actually, she did venture to think it because she said it. And the truth is that THERE IS FINANCIAL GAIN. But, if doing hysterectomy does prevent cancer, then you want doctors to have financial gain. I want Ms Someers to have financial gain for helping women with this wonderful book that wakes women to the truth about hormones, and also want doctors to have financial gain when they save lives.

Until you take care of a woman in her 30's wasting away in the hospital with ovarian cancer while her children cry at the bedside, it may be difficult to develop a hatred of this sneaky killer disease. Ovarian cancer is notorious for not being found until it's far to late to treat effectively because it has spread to the brain and other parts of the body.

If a woman is near menopause and truly needs a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus), then I agree she should probably have an oophorectomy (remove her ovearies) and lose for an entire lifetiem the risk of this horrible cancer rather than keep ovaries that will fail in a few years anyway. The mistake is not in the oophorectomy...the mistake is in improper hormone replacement after the hysterectomy.

So, though I don't find every word of the book to be the best advice, I do recommend that every man and women over the age of 30 read this book carefully and use it as a guide for further discussion with their doctor.

There's a list of physicians in the back of the book. I personally know some of these doctors...as with any other profession, there is a range of quality...

On one extreme, some physicians practice medicine using many of the principles discovered by "anti-aging" research in combination with good sound internal medicine. On the other extreme, there are not-so-qualified physicians who burned out in another specialty who then use the new fad "anti-aging" medicine to be able to drum up business and charge high prices for services that are less than ideal. A good way to grade the physician you use is to ask about ligitimate research that has been conducted and how long he/she has been doing this type of endocrinology/internal medicine.

As for the VOICE: Ms Somers has written several books now about hormone replacement. I've recommended to my patients that they read "The Sexy Years" as a way to understand menopause and how proper and improper hormone replacement might change the body. This book was needed because it goes more directly to some of the medical options available and how they might be combined to live the most healthy energectic life possible. Ms. Somers has the gift of being able to grab more attention to the truth than could any physician and I'm grateful that she's using her position and her labors in writing for the noble work of saving lives rather than in the many other ways a movie star might squander time and money. Thank you, Ms Somers; I'm not a big on paying attention to movie stars turned expert (I haven't had a TV in my house since I left home for college), but you have become a great voice for good medicine and I have come to admire you greatly.

For more help, see the references to reasearch and to other books displayed on my website.

Peace & Health,

[...]

56 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ageless is informative and easy to read, but repetitive. , February 2, 2007

By	Alegra Bartzat "renegade dame" (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Ageless: The Naked Truth About Bioidentical Hormones (Hardcover)

In Ageless, Somers details everything there is to know about bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT). This differs from conventional hormone replacement therapy (HRT) because conventional hormone replacement therapy uses synthetic drugs that are slightly biologically different than the naturally occurring hormones in the human body. She uses personal accounts, informative prose, and interviews with doctors to get this information across. The variety of approaches helps explain things in various ways to more fully understand the concepts, and also add variety to the read.

This book is aimed at the demographic of middle-aged people, especially women, who are eligible for hormone replacement therapy. The book is essential for those who are considering hormone replacement therapy. Somers sings the praises of BHRT over and over again in this book.

The book is a useful tool, even for those who are not into middle age and considering hormone replacement therapy. Somers outlines and explains the function of every major hormone in the body and most of the minors as well, including adrenaline, insulin, human growth hormone, cortisol, melatonin, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, and thyroid.

There are two main points being made in this book. First, Somers wants everyone to understand the importance of hormones in health. This is a complex part of human life, and she does a good job of outlining the functions of hormones to her readers. She uses the metaphor of an "orchestra" of hormones to explain how interwoven our hormones are, and how if one is out of tune, the whole orchestra will sound off. However, beyond this metaphor she does little explaining of how the orchestra actually interacts, and instead deals with each hormone individually. This is a fine approach as an introduction to endocrinology.

The second point is that Somers really wants everyone to know what a difference BHRT has made in her life. This book is almost a memoir of her personal health journey. This part of the book becomes repetitive, because she constantly praises how her life went from stressful to calm, unhappy to joyous, chaos to perfection, all because of BHRT.

Somers explains the difference between synthetic hormones and bio-identical hormones, and what affect the difference makes on your body. She clearly speaks out against the health hazards of taking synthetic hormones, whether for menopause or birth control. She describes many approaches to nutritional and herbal supplementation and makes recommendations for supplements to optimize health, though this is a minor part of the book. She explains many of the details of bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, such as the difference between a static does and rhythmic cycling, and why one might choose one or the other,

She frankly discusses the signs, symptoms and options of natural aging. Her choice is to take bio-identical hormones, and she clearly thinks this is the best option for a great life. This could be construed to be a dogmatic viewpoint, except that she uses very personal anecdotes to define why she has chosen this route. This differs from the clinical approach she uses to write about the options. There are two very different tones happening in this book at the same time. She is both informing readers about hormones and health, and telling her personal story of choosing BHRT and how this has improved her life. I applaud the clear distinction between these two approaches, because it allows readers to make the choice for themselves, even while she sings the praises of BRHT.

The book contains a useful and thorough glossary that defines the medical terms used throughout the book. The glossary explains hormones like cortisol (the primary stress hormone), diseases such as acromegaly (a disorder caused by chronic overproduction of growth hormone), anatomical terms like mucosa (mucous membranes of the body), and even just words that one might not be familiar with including quartile (a fourth of a whole). The glossary is heavy on hormones (for example prolactin), environmental toxins that affect hormone function (ever heard of phthalates?), and elements that affect hormones (both those used medicinally and those found as toxins in our environments, such as selenium and fluoride, respectively).

The book ends with a list of resources and then a bibliography. The resources give readers many options on where to find a doctor that specializes in bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, also known as anti-aging doctors. The list is given by state, although only 15 states are listed, plus a few in Canada. Websites, pharmacies, and hormone testing agencies are also listed, as well as natural beauty products.

Perhaps even more useful is the bibliography. This cites all the sources used to write this book, and offers the reader further reading suggestions. The books cover hormones, of course, and this is good because even though Somers discuss hormones through Ageless, the readers still leaves with a superficial understanding of the hormonal orchestra that Somers so often references. Further reading will help interested readers understand hormonal processes more thoroughly. Also to be found are books on natural pest control, clean water, sex and libido, menopause, diet, sleep, and general health practices.

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Go against the big pharmacopias and start to listen to others, October 27, 2006

By	S. G. Weeks "alpina3" (California, Ca USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Ageless: The Naked Truth About Bioidentical Hormones (Hardcover)

The mere fact that large drug companies are fighting the FDA on bio identicals is a real good indication that there is something to this material.
Big drug companies are loosing money with the traditional hormones such as premarin which is made from horse urine. And hormones derived from plants which are more identical to our hormones are starting to take the lead and money from them.
I have been reading about bio identicals for some time now, and the drug companies are running scared. When in fact they should stop with the fighting and maybe join with the others and start to research the compounds and manufacturing their own bio identicals.
Suzanne is a true pioneer and knows with the aging baby boomers, we have to look at the aging process differently and shouldnt settle for becoming little old ladies or little old men, like its normal.
We still dont know why things grow old and we know quality of life doesnt improve with age, so finding out how to feel good when we age should be paramount in research. Rather than us just "wearing out our bodies" or "out living our bodies" we should be focusing on retention of feeling good mentally and physically. We dont have to age gracefully, somethings really are worth the fight and Suzanne has struck that nerve.