Contrary to popular myth, a great deal of research evidence supports the use of bioidentical hormone replacement. Much comes from overseas. Primary sources include important medical journals in England and Australia. Research literature from the Netherlands, Germany, France and Japan likewise provide positive support for BHRT.
Studies in the U.S. are also plentiful, but somewhat limited in scope. This is due to outcomes based on short term research that lacks comparative data. The funding it takes to perform large scale; double-blind studies remains prohibitive. Larger studies consistently focus on pharmaceutical synthetics. Big drug manufacturers tend to provide the majority of support for these.
Even so, scientific data showing the safety and effectiveness of bioidentical hormone replacement appeared in conventional U.S. medical literature as early as 1976. BHRT appears to carry a reduced rather than an increased risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease. Available research clearly supports the claim that bioidenticals offer distinct advantages over synthetics.