A “bioidentical” hormone indicates that the chemical (molecular) structure of the hormone being compounded into a medication is identical to that of the hormone that exists in the human body. For a replacement hormone to fully replicate the function of hormones that were naturally produced and present in the human body, the chemical structure must be an exact match of the original. Bioidentical hormones can follow normal metabolic pathways to generate the same physiologic responses in the human body as endogenous hormones. By choosing a bioidentical hormone, one is essentially making the wise decision to replace that which the body would naturally provide on its own. Human insulin injections for the treatment of diabetes are one well-known example of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. Synthetic hormones currently used to treat signs and symptoms of menopause only mimic some of the hormonal functions and contain side chains that could cause undesirable side effects. A manufacturer adds a side chain to a natural product to make that product patentable. Scientific studies and clinical trials are less numerous on bioidentical hormones because they occur naturally in the body and therefore cannot be patented.