Hormonal Imbalance
Hormonal Imbalance
- Hormonal Imbalance
- Possible imbalances that need addressing
- Nutraceuticals, vitamins and minerals that need consideration
- Natural remedies
Our health is determined by the flexibility of our metabolism. As humans, we have survived having to face periods of severe environmental changes, from famine, infection and war to periods of excess.
Our metabolism is controlled by the release of various hormones (chemical messengers) from our endocrine and nervous systems. In understanding the “dance” that all these hormones have in our bodies enables us to balance our metabolism and respond to our ever-changing environments so that we can restore health or continue to remain in good health and continue in longevity and wellness.
We have about 50 hormones that we secrete and circulate throughout our bodies. Many of these hormones are produced by endocrine cells, most occurring in endocrine glands. Once secreted the hormones enter into the bloodstream and make their way to their target cells. The endocrine system, intimately linked with the nervous system assists in controlling many of the body’s function such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, contraction of smooth and cardiac muscles. Hormones play an important function in assisting the body to maintain homoeostasis.
Biologically we respond to our environment is one of two ways:
- If we perceive positive sensory information, for example, we feel happy, interested, we meet someone charming, we feel love, affection or fondness, hormonally this will encourage growth and reproduction and this is represented by the hormone insulin, allowing for growth and storage of energy. Insulin is also known to have an interplay with oestrogen, testosterone, DHEA (short for dehydroepiandrosterone) and thyroid hormones which have a balancing effect on our stress hormones – adrenaline and cortisol. Insulin receives environmental signals by the food in our digestive system as well as internal signalling by the amount of glucose in our bloodstream.
- If we perceive negative sensory information, for example, we feel fearful, we anticipate danger or an angry boss, we suspect something very bad is about to happen, hormonally this will encourage avoidance and withdrawal and certainly abandon growth and reproduction, this is represented by the hormones, adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenalin you will commonly know as the hormone responsible for the fright -or-flight reaction in a severely stressful situation, our short term stress response and cortisol our long term stress response hormone that is responsible for suppressing our immune systems, suppressing our brains resulting in depression, suppressing our growth resulting in osteoporosis.