What are hormones?

ANIMALS ARE THE MORE COMPLEX THAN PLANTS. THEY HAVE MANY SPECIALISED ORGANS THAT PERFORM SPECIALISED FUNCTIONS FOR THEIR CONTROL AND COORDINATION. THIS COORDINATION IN ANIMALS OCCURS DUE TO THE NERVOUS COORDINATION (SYSTEM) AND THE CHEMICAL COORDINATION (ENDOCRINE SYSTEM ). BOTH THESE SYSTEMS ACT IN A COORDINATED MANNER IN ANIMALS TO REGULATE THE VARIOUS BODY ACTIVITIES. LET'S LEARN MORE About THE HORMONES IN ANIMALS.

ENDOCRINE SYSTEM 

THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM COMPRISES OF DIFFERENT ENDOCRINE GLANDS AND HORMONES. THESE ENDOCRINE GLANDS IN ANIMALS HELP IN THE CHEMICAL COORDINATION THEY SECRET CHEMICALS CALLED HORMONES. THEY ARE SPECIAL MESSENGERS THAT CONTROL MANY BODY FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING HUNGER BODY TEMPERATURE, MOOD, GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, METABOLISM, REPRODUCTIVE PROCESSES, etc. THE ENDOCRINE GLANDS ARE DUCTLESS GLANDS. 

WHAT ARE HORMONES? 

HORMONES ARE SECRETED BY THE ENDOCRINE GLANDS DIRECTLY INTO THE BLOODSTREAM. THROUGH THE BLOOD, THOSE HORMONES IN ANIMALS REACH THEIR TARGET ORGANS TO STIMULATE OR INHIBIT THE SPECIFIC PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESSES. THE SITE OF THE PRODUCTION OF THE HORMONES IS DIFFERENT, AND THE SITE OF ACTION IS DIFFERENT. EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE DIFFERENT HORMONES IN THE BLOODSTREAM, EACH WILL ACT ONLY ON THE SPECIFIC TARGET ORGAN. AROUND 20 MAJOR HORMONES IN ANIMALS ARE RELEASED BY THE ENDOCRINE GLANDS INTO THE BLOOD, PLAYING A MAJOR ROLE IN MANY OF THE PHYSIOLOGICAL PROCESSES HAPPENING IN THE BODY. 

DID YOU KNOW THAT THE HORMONE LEVELS IN THE BODY CAN BE INFLUENCED BY SEVERAL FACTORS? STRESS INFECTION MINERALS IN THE BLOOD etc.  INFLUENCE THE HORMONE LEVEL IN ANIMALS.

 DIFFERENT TYPES OF ENDOCRINE GLANDS 
  HYPOTHALAMUS 
  PITUITARY GLAND
  THYROID GLAND
  PARATHYROID GLAND 
   PINEAL GLAND 
   ADRENAL GLAND
   PANCREAS
   TESTES
   OVARIES

HYPOTHALAMUS

THIS GLAND FORMS AN IMPORTANT  LINK BETWEEN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AND THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM VIA THE PITUITARY GLAND. 
 SOME OF THE IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS ARE:
 HELPS IN MAINTAINING THE BODY TEMPERATURE, CONTROLS SLEEP, HUNGER, THIRST, EMOTIONS, AND MOODS.
 IT ALSO CONTROLS THE RELEASE OF 8 MAJOR HORMONES BY THE PITUITARY GLANDS.
 CONTROLS THE SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR AND REPRODUCTION. 
 IT CONTROLS THE CIRCADIAN RHYTHM OF THE BODY.

PITUITARY GLAND

THE PITUITARY GLAND IS VERY SMALL IN SIZE.

Did you know that your body houses 50 different types of hormones? Hormones are chemical messengers that use your bloodstream to travel throughout your body to your tissues and organs. They control several functions, including metabolism, reproduction, growth, mood, and sexual health.

If your body produces too little or too much of a hormone, it can make you very ill and set you up for several serious health problems. At The Well for Health in Davidson, North Carolina, our dedicated team of holistically-minded practitioners works with you to identify and resolve hormone problems. Let’s take a closer look at five important hormones and how they help you function well.

Insulin

The fat-storage hormone insulin is released by your pancreas and regulates many of your metabolic processes. This hormone makes it possible for your organs, liver, and fat to absorb glucose. If your body doesn’t generate enough insulin or isn’t using it well, blood sugar accumulates and can set you up for diabetes.

Melatonin

The pineal gland in your brain produces melatonin, which is instrumental in your sleep/wake cycles and your internal body clock. As the light of day becomes the dark of night, your brain amps up your melatonin levels to prepare you for sleep. Interruptions to natural darkness impair melatonin levels and sleep quality. For instance, late-night exposure to the blue light of screens can interrupt natural sleep patterns.

Estrogen

Also known as the female sex hormone, estrogen is released by a woman’s ovaries. It’s a crucial element of developing breasts, pubic hair, and the widening of hips. In addition to regulating a female’s periods, estrogen is also involved in bone formation, blood clotting, and the health of your skin and nails. If you are depleted in estrogen, you may have low moods or depression. When estrogen levels fluctuate, as they do during menopause, you may experience hot flashes, low libido, and weight gain. 

Testosterone

Testosterone is a sex hormone that’s manufactured in male testicles and female ovaries. It’s most often associated with sex drive but is also closely associated with muscle and bone mass and the distribution of fat cells. Low levels of testosterone cause erectile dysfunction, low sex drive, decreased semen production, loss of muscle, and low bone density.

Cortisol

Cortisol is the stress hormone. It’s a natural alert system to let you know when you’re under duress. While it’s helpful when you need to be aware of imminent danger, consistently high cortisol levels can lead to anxiety, weight gain, migraines, heart problems, irritability, brain fog, and sleep disturbances.

At The Well for Health, we know that balanced hormones are essential for your overall health and wellness. We work closely with you to test your blood levels to discover your deficiencies so we can customize a plan that may include bioidentical hormone therapy, lifestyle changes, optimization of your adrenal and thyroid function, and hormone replacement therapy. 

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