Bioavailable Hormones: Saliva Hormone Testing

When considering the use of bioidentical, or natural hormones, the first step is usually to test the levels of hormones in your body. Hormone testing, which recently has become mainly done through saliva testing, is done to determine whether or not your hormone levels have dropped due to aging, or menopause. These hormones that they test and are able to give you these answers are called bioavailable hormones, or sometimes referred to as free hormones. These hormones are hormones that are the unbound, biologically-active portion of hormones in the bloodstream. Bioavailable hormones work with your body on a cellular level.

Hormones are able control their own levels through a process called binding, which will leave them inactive. When hormones are released into your bloodstream, 90-99% of them will bind to protein, and these are considered bound hormones. These hormones then provide your body with a type of reservoir of circulating hormones, even though they are inactive, or they cannot bind with receptors to create a response. They are already performing their necessary duties. The hormones that do not bind with proteins (the 1-5%), are left as "free hormones", and are then free to bind with your body's receptors and immediately begin working with your body. Bioavailable, or free hormones are the only hormones that can still bind to proteins and fulfill necessary duties.

Since the hormones are able to monitor their individual levels on their own, it helps to control the levels of bioavailable hormones that are available to your receptors. Other glands in your body will readily release other hormones in order to keep the hormonal balance in your blood stable. When the hormones in your bloodstream bind to proteins, it's because this is your bodies natural way to prevent over-stimulation of the receptors.

It used to be that in order to test hormone levels, it was through bioiavailable hormones in the bloodstream. Testing this way was not very accurate and the costs for the testing wasn't feasible to all patients. Saliva testing has now been labeled a much more accurate way of measuring levels of bioavailable hormones. The timing of the testing can be closely monitored in order to take a sample at an optimal time. Saliva also gives a better reading of hormones that have been absorbed into the tissue. Saliva hormone testing is vastly used today in clinics treating patients with bioidentical hormones. Saliva test kits are even available for home use where you send in the sample for your results.

Testing bioavailable hormones is necessary in finding the best combination of hormones for you, and saliva testing has greatly advanced this practice.

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