Imbalances Are Linked to Numerous Conditions

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Hormones play a vital role in coordinating different functions within your body. They act as chemical messengers, transmitting messages through your bloodstream to organs, skin, muscles, and other tissues.

These powerful messengers guide your body, indicating what needs to be done and when. Hormones facilitate two types of communication in your body. The first type involves interactions between two endocrine glands. The second type of communication occurs between an endocrine gland and a target organ.

Endocrine glands, including the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, adrenal glands, gonads, thyroid gland, parathyroid glands, and pancreas all produce hormones. By releasing hormones into the bloodstream, endocrine glands enable them to reach cells all over the body. The pituitary gland, positioned near the hypothalamus, works closely with it through a blood system.

Hormones Can Have Widespread Effects

Some hormones have widespread effects, influencing cells throughout your body, while others only affect specific cells in certain organs, including:

Estrogen: Estrogen hormone regulates menstruation, menopause, reproduction, and sex drive. It's the key player in bone formation, blood clotting, and maintaining healthy skin and nails. A decrease in estrogen can lead to issues for women like weakened bones and weight gain.

Progesterone: Progesterone is a steroid hormone that the female body secretes through a temporary gland called the corpus luteum. This gland forms after ovulation in the second half of the menstrual cycle. Balanced levels make it easier to maintain a healthy weight.

Testosterone: Imbalances in testosterone can have noticeable effects on both men and women. In women, high levels of testosterone hormone can result in hair thinning, irregular periods, low libido, and smaller breasts.

Insulin: Uncontrolled glucose levels in the blood can be damaging to cells. Insulin released by the pancreas helps decrease blood sugar levels. Diabetes is a metabolic disorder caused by either insufficient insulin production or cell resistance.

Cortisol: Cortisol is essential for your body's natural alert system. Although it can be helpful in times of immediate danger, high levels of cortisol over the long-term can lead to anxiety, weight gain, migraines, irritability, brain fog, and sleep disturbances.

Thyroid Hormone: When your thyroid isn't functioning properly, your metabolism slows down, making it harder to burn calories and leading to weight gain. This is especially true in cases of hypothyroidism, where the thyroid produces too few hormones.

Excess estrogen can throw other hormones off balance, worsening symptoms. Not surprisingly, the results of a recent study estimated women with PMS eat 275% more refined sugar than those without PMS. So, it’s important to limit processed foods, added sugars, and unhealthy fats to maintain hormone health.

If your body is producing too much or too little of certain hormones, you may experience vague symptoms that are hard to pinpoint. You might just feel "off" without being able to articulate exactly what is wrong. The time it takes to balance hormones can vary, but research shows that by taking a holistic approach, it is possible to achieve your goals.