Hormones that are derived from natural plant material, such as the soybean or the wild yam, commonly called bio-identical hormones, include estriol (E3), estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), progesterone, testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and pregnenolone. 

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Synthetic, artificial, and/or animal-derived hormones, which are most commonly used in commercially available HRT options, include hormones such as conjugated equine estrogens (CEE), medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), and other synthetic progestins.

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For many of us who do not have a background in biology, it is difficult to grasp this business of hormones and how they function. The key is to understand that hormones are messengers to the cells in the body and as such act as regulators for many bodily functions. Even though both natural and synthetic hormones are synthesized in a lab to reach their final form to make medications, the ones derived from natural plant material, or “bio-identical”, happen to be chemically and structurally identical to those produced in the human body. The synthetic ones are different in shape, potency and metabolism, which can do harm to the human body, and/or act differently in the body and produce different effects.