Hormones affect more than just mood. The vital chemicals enable daily bodily functions, reproduction, movement, and more.
We think of fueling certain hormones at certain times of life, such as puberty, pregnancy, and menopause, but the fact is that our hormones affect the health of our bodies and minds every single day.
What Are Hormones? A Description of the Messenger Chemicals
So what exactly are hormones? Hormones are special chemicals that pass through the bloodstream. “Think of them as the body’s internal Wi-Fi,” says Randy Hutter Epstein, MD, author of (1) Orgad: History of History and How to Control Everything. They carry messages from the glands where they are transported to cells in different parts of the body. These chemical messages help to “turn on” or “shut down” the cellular processes that control appetite, growth, stress, blood sugar, sleep cycle, sexual drive, and sexual function, to name a few. (2)
Hormones Play an Important Role in Daily Healthy Living
Dr. Epstein says that the term “hormonal” has become synonymous with “moody”. ”
Eat, Breathe, Love: Hormones Help You Do It All
Most body functions involve hormones in one way or another – from basic (appetite, heart rate) to complex (reproduction and emotion). (2)
Neurotransmitters: Hormones That Help the Brain Communicate With the Rest of the Body
Some hormones, such as serotonin and dopamine, also act as neurotransmitters. Chemicals that send messages from the brain’s nerve cells and neurons to muscles. Neurotransmitters help coordinate movement and control mood and perception. (3)
Hormones Are Produced by Glands That Make Up the Endocrine System
Glands are the components that make up the substance. The major hormone-releasing glands in the body include: the pituitary gland, the hypothalamus, the thymus, the adrenal glands, the pancreas, the thyroid, the ovaries and the testes. (2) “Caroline Davies Pitts, MB, BCH, an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rhodester, Minnesota, explains,” The endocrine system is the body’s network of hormone-producing glands and organs. is called. “(4) Endocrinologists are hormone doctors.
Endocrinologists Help Diagnose and Treat Hormone-Related Health Problems
Because hormones are so important for proper functioning, minor problems with hormone balance can lead to serious health problems. But the diagnosis of a hormonal problem can be complicated, and treatment usually involves more than just getting more or less of a particular hormone. (4)
The endocrine system is a complex web of communication. “Hormones interact with each other and with many of the body’s systems, including the body’s immune system, which we don’t yet realize,” Epstein said. (1)
Here’s a look at some of the key hormones and what research is showing us about their different roles in the human body.