by Ginger Marin
Hormones are the body’s messengers which transport important information back and forth from the brain to the various glands and cells. They serve to rejuvenate, regenerate and restore our bodies, but, they are often overlooked when it comes to the proper functioning of the body.
Here’s a quick look at the function of the primary hormones in the human body. As you peruse the list, you’ll see that many are engaged in proper functioning of the brain. The health of the brain cannot be separated from health of the body; both interact, and to ignore one is to limit the success of the other. People looking for real health and, especially anti-aging protocols, must look to their hormones and work toward a proper balancing act. That can be accomplished with hormone testing under the guidance of a endocrinologist or anti-aging physician.
CORTISOL – stress hormone
Responsible for responding to stress
Helps protect you against your environment (allergens)
Mobilizes energy, improves fatigue
Increases your appetite for sugar
Decreases bone mass, muscle mass, and slows down your metabolism
DHEA – the mother hormone
Improves neurological function
Increases sense of well being
Improves immune function
Improves stress tolerance
Increases metabolism
ESTROGENS – primary female hormone
Protects against heart disease, stroke
Decreases cholesterol
Lowers incidence of Alzheimer’s
Improves memory
Alleviates symptoms of menopause: headaches, mood swings, bloating, hot flashes, fatigue, waning or lost libido
HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE – the growth hormone
Decreases body fat
Increases muscle mass
Improves tissue healing and protein synthesis
Increases bone density
Quicker illness recovery
Increases capacity to exercise
Increases skin hydration and elasticity
Improves sense of well being
Decreases incidence of illness
INSULIN – storage hormone
Responsible for getting blood sugar into all cells
Increases fat storage
Increases risk of diabetes, hypertension and stroke
MELATONIN – sleep hormone
Responsible for maintaining sleep
Helps alleviate “jet-lag”
Improves mood
Improves the immune system (by decreasing cortisol)
PREGNENELONE – gateway hormone
Promotes formation of other hormones
Repairs brain and nerve tissue
Enhances many brain functions
Reduces aging skin
Improves sense of well being
Increases energy and mobility
Improves sleep quality
Reduces harmful stress effects
Reduces aging brain deficiencies
PROGESTERONE – primary female hormone/pregnancy hormone
Protects against breast and uterine cancer
Protects against fibrocystic disease
Helps fat metabolism
Helps normalize blood sugar
Helps reverse osteoporosis
Helps thyroid hormone function
Acts as a natural antidepressant
Protects against nervousness
Protects against anxiety and irritability
TESTOSTERONE – primary male hormone
Improves brain function
Increases energy
Increases strength
Increases bone density
Increases libido
Improves sexual sensitivity
Improves sexual function
Improves HDL and LDL levels
Improves cardiovascular health
THYROID – metabolism hormone
Increases energy
Increases fat burning, and controls weight
Increases your heart rate
Increases your appetite
Aids cognition
Protects against depression and dementia
Menopause & Andropause: Decline in Female and Male Hormones
Menopause has usually been associated with the onset of hot flashes, sweating, mood swings, depression, metabolic problems, and the risk for Alzheimer’s Disease, heart attacks and bone fractures. Additionally this hormone deficiency can result in a change in the psyche with mental fatigue, lack of focus, decreased attention span, increased irritability, decreased ability to recall both recent and long term memory and the ability to learn new information.
These symptoms have been primarily associated with the progressive decrease in the body’s production of Estrogens and Progesterone. What we now know is that the female body also needs those hormones that have traditionally been associated with the male; testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, DHEA and others for many of the same reasons that males do.
In Anti-Aging Medicine, testosterone deficiency is known as Andropause, the male counterpart to Menopause in females. Just as effected women are with the decline of estrogen and progesterone, males experience a similar more surreptitious process that leads to a decline in male characteristics. In addition to the common physical symptoms related to low testosterone such as decreased sex drive and erectile dysfunction (ED), men also may have symptoms similar to those seen during menopause in women: hot flashes, increased irritability, inability to concentrate, depression.
