.png)
Hormones are wild and wonderful things! They are produced by glands in the endocrine system and sent into the bloodstream to signal specific functions to varies tissues around the body. These control many different functions such as sleep, hunger, metabolism, the reproductive system, sexual development & growth.
For women especially, our hormones are important for menstrual cycle regulation, fertility-related issues, and transitions into peri-menopause, menopause and post-menopause.
It wasn’t until I started researching the different hormones and essential parts of the endocrine system that I realised just how powerful and complex of a network they are! They literally control EVERYTHING we do and feel, so if something is a little off-balance, it’s likely you’ll feel it – but maybe not quite understand why?
Before we get to know our hormones, firstly, let's take a look into our main hormones-producing glands:
HYPOTHALAMUS: this is a small little complex structure of the brain that basically controls everything to do with homeostasis – which means making sure the body is kept in a constant, stable position. It regulates body temperature, hunger and thirst, mood, sleep and sex drive. It also signals to the pituitary gland to stop or start the release of hormones throughout the body, making it the link between the endocrine system and the nervous system.
⠀⠀
PITUITARY: Attached to the hypothalamus, the pituitary secretes a number of hormones that control growth, metabolism, sexual maturation, reproduction and other vital physical functions all through the activity of the other endocrine glands such as adrenal glands, thyroid gland, ovaries etc. It is essentially the body’s ‘master control gland’. This means that when this little gland stops working properly, it can affect the body in different ways depending on which hormone is affected. When it comes to menstruation, the hypothalamus triggers the pituitary gland to make hormones that trigger the ovaries to make oestrogen and progesterone. Essentially, if your hypothalamus perceives you are under stress (e.g. over exercising, under eating, dealing with environmental stressors) the last things it's going to do is tell the pituitary to release those sex hormones which ultimately cuts of menstruation and therefore equals NO PERIOD. I like to think of it as pass-the-parcel, and the system cannot work properly unless all parts are functioning.
PINEAL: The pineal gland is found right in the centre of the brain, where the two halves of the brain join (aka your third eye). This gland is best known for the secretion of the hormone, melatonin, responsible for the body’s circadian timing system, helping us establish daily rhythms and sleep patterns.
GUT: You may not think it, but our gut is actually part of our endocrine system, and there is an undeniable connection between gut health and the brain (a.k.a the gut-brain axis). This relationship allows the brain to manage the digestive function, regulate the guy’s immune system and control our physiological and mental well-being – hence why we feel actual butterflies in our tummies when we are nervous!
ADRENALS: The adrenal glands are two glands that chill on top of the kidneys that produce androgens & cortisol. Consisting of two distinct parts - the adrenal cortex and the adrenal medulla – which are responsible for producing different hormones that help regulate your metabolism, sex drive immune system, blood pressure and response to stress. If these aren't functioning properly, your body will soon tell you!
THYROID: This gland secretes hormones that govern many of the functions in your body, such as the way the body uses energy, consumes oxygen and produces heat. Thyroid disorders typically occur when this gland releases too many or too few hormones. An overactive or underactive thyroid can lead to a wide range of health problems.
OVARIES: his gland produces eggs and sex hormones—including estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone—which are vital to reproductive organ development, breast development, bone health, pregnancy, and fertility.
Is it just me that thought only males had testosterone?
As you can see, there is an abundance of different hormones being secreted around the body at just one time. In simple terms, hormones are ‘messengers’ that move around the body conveying instructions to the cells they engage with, affecting bodily activity.
Although I'd love to dive deep into all hormones, I fear I'd bore you somewhere around hormone #13 of 50 so For purpose of this post, I'm just going to focus primarily on sex hormones and their role in keeping our bodies in balance!
YOUR SEX HORMONES IN MORE DETAIL:
Sex hormones, as the name implies, control sexual maturity and reproduction.
Starting in the Hypothalamus, a hormone called Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) is produced, which starts a hormone cascade in the body by signalling to the pituitary gland to release Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH).
FSH – stimulates the growth of ovarian follicles to produce mater eggs ready for ovulation
LH – signals the release of a mature egg from the ovaries during ovulation.
LH binds to its target cells in the ovaries and transfers cholesterol inside the cells. Cholesterol then helps to synthesise estrogen and progesterone, which are produced in the ovaries.
Estrogen is essentially your “growing” hormone as it prepares the uterus for pregnancy and matures the egg before ovulation.
Progesterone, your “relaxing” hormone is key to balance the effects of estrogen by controlling the build-up of the uterine lining and maintain a pregnancy. A balance of all of these hormones is required for menstruation.
http://www.healthychoiceobgyn.com/blog/how-chronic-stress-leads-to-hormone-imbalance.html
It is essential for our bodies to have cholesterol in order for the production of sex hormones. Not only does it help with hormone production but it builds cell membranes so they don’t fall apart, insulates nerves and helps with the absorption of certain nutrients.
Have I lost you yet? I hope not! There's just one more very important hormone to learn about below...
Cortisol.
Being the link between the endocrine system and the nervous system, the hypothalamus is sensitive to cortisol (our stress hormone). High levels of cortisol produced by daily environmental stressors, over-exercising or under-fuelling can signal to our brain that the body is not a ‘safe’ place to potentially create and nurture a new life, and consequently, GnRH levels decrease, which in turn, will reduce the number of other hormones produced (FSH, LH, estrogen and progesterone). When these levels are low, we may lose our periods or have difficulty ovulating and getting pregnant.
As women, our hormones are constantly changing, throughout the day (24-hour cycle), as well as throughout our monthly cycle (28-day cycle), and if they stop working harmoniously with one another, it can cause havoc on your body's ecosystem.
Hormonal imbalances can occur at any age and can be accompanied by problems such as lack of energy, reduced libido, irregular menstrual cycles, mood swings and infertility. On the other hand, balanced hormones equal good health and overall well-being. When we are in balance, symptoms like fatigue, weight gain or weight loss, depression, low libido and irregular menstruation disappear.
We begin to feel what it means to be a thriving human!
Comments