Hormones are our body’s way of controlling everything from growth and development to reproduction. These small compounds act as chemical messengers, and just a small amount can trigger significant responses in our bodies. Each one has its own role to play, and ultimately, they work together to make sure our bodies function properly.
Hormones have a delicate balance that we need to maintain. Sometimes they get out of whack, and this can lead to all sorts of issues like problems with glucose control, changes in your weight, or even affect the mind.
What is DHEA?
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is secreted by the adrenal glands. Some of the hormone is also made in the brain. It’s a precursor hormone, which means the body converts it into other hormones.
But what does DHEA do?
An increase in DHEA may offer certain health benefits in people with a deficiency. Some of these include improved physical strength, making it easier to build muscle mass, and enhancing sexual performance.
It acts as a precursor to androgens and estrogens (male/female sex hormones), as well as a shift from a catabolic state into an anabolic protein-building state. This versatile compound has many benefits for your body.
What is Testosterone?
Testosterone is a hormone that regulates the development of masculine characteristics, including muscle mass and sex drive. Some researchers have also found that healthy testosterone levels may have protective effects on the heart.
Healthy T levels may help to improve body composition.
This isn’t the only way in which testosterone helps the heart and cardiovascular system. It may have a positive effect on blood vessel function, as well as on heart muscle contractions. The hormone has the ability to improve the metabolism of blood sugar and body fat. These are all important points to consider when understanding hormones in the body.
Testosterone can be found in various parts of your body, including the testes (in men), adrenal gland, and ovaries (in women).
Your estrogen levels can also drop due to a lack of this vital hormone.
Understanding hormones also means recognizing the differences between male and female hormones. Testosterone is considered the main sex hormone in men. This is often considered common knowledge.
Did you know that testosterone is also important for women, though? Women require significantly less of this hormone than men, but it remains crucial.
What is Estrogen?
Estrogen is necessary for a variety of functions in the human body. It plays an important role in promoting heart health and reducing the severity of menopausal symptoms.
While testosterone is the main sex hormone in men, estrogen takes this role for women. Men still have some estrogen that serves certain functions, but levels should not get too high; otherwise, problems can develop.
can be found in three different forms: estradiol, estrone, or estriol.
The majority of estrogen (or menstrual cycle hormones) is produced in your ovaries during puberty. As time goes on, there’s a natural decline in estrogen that happens. It becomes especially notable during menopause.
Estrogen deficiencies can become a contributing factor behind several unpleasant symptoms. These can result in fatigue, depression, mood swings, as well as a decreased libido and sense of well-being. Some physical symptoms include loss of bone density and skin elasticity, which is why it’s important to act quickly before these conditions worsen with time.
Estrogen also promotes cardiovascular health, in part, by influencing cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the bloodstream.
What are Thyroid Hormones?
Thyroid hormones control cerebral function, body temperature, and metabolism. Increased thyroid hormone levels can increase your energy levels while decreasing brain fog. On the other hand, too many can lead to hyperthyroidism. A low level of thyroid hormones can cause problems with body temperature regulation, contribute to weight gain, and make you feel tired.
The production of these two types of thyroid hormones starts with the release of Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone or TSH (released by the Pituitary Gland). This is then sent to the gland in order to produce Triiodothyronine (T3) and Thyroxine (T4).
T4 is the main hormone that the thyroid gland makes. As this hormone enters the body, it gets converted into T3 (the active thyroid hormone) in peripheral tissues.
Because these hormones are essential to our metabolism and several other functions, it is vital that they maintain balance for a healthy life. This is also why it’s so important to include T3 and T4 when we talk about understanding hormones.
In times where there may be dysfunction in this system, further testing will need to happen before an accurate diagnosis can take place, as symptoms such as weight gain or fatigue might not always be indicative enough on their own without more information from doctors.
What is Hypothyroidism?
Millions of Americans suffer from hypothyroidism, a condition in which the body doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormone. The prevalence has been increasing over the past few years, rising to 14.4% in the United States by 2019, even when previous datasets suggest it was much lower at 4.6%.
Left untreated, it can lead to numerous health concerns, including obesity and infertility. Testing T3 and T4 levels is a good way to determine if you are affected by hypothyroidism.
Thyroid replacement hormone provides the body with a combination of both T3 and T4.
What is Progesterone?
Our body’s natural hormone progesterone can be found in the ovaries and begins during puberty (in women). This is because it is essential to help drive the menstrual cycle before menopause, but when a woman goes into menopause, her production of these hormones declines. Progesterone has been shown to be an important player for many vital processes in the female body, including PMS treatments, protection against uterine cancer, breast cancer, as well as fibrocystic disease treatment, and even ovarian cysts.
In men, they are made by the Leydig cells in the testes and the adrenal glands. It plays a role in helping with sperm production, regulating other hormones and is important as an intermediary step to synthesize testosterone.
What is Pregnenolone?
Pregnenolone is a naturally occurring steroidal hormone that provides the body with many vital hormones. This particular chemical is often described as a prohormone or a precursor hormone.
It can be converted into progesterone, mineralocorticoids, and glucocorticoids when needed for the body’s healthy functioning. It also aids in the production of DHEA, which in turn produces testosterone and estrogen as needed.
Without pregnenolone, the body will not produce essential sex hormones.
Pregnenolone may also have a significant impact on the central nervous system, helping to enhance and maintain healthy cognitive function. We reach a peak level of pregnenolone during early adulthood. Later in life, levels of this hormone start to decline.
This natural decline in pregnenolone can cause several complications in the body. Testosterone levels can fall in men. For women, the main concern is often estrogen levels declining before menopause.
What is Melatonin?
Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by the pineal gland in the brain, regulating sleep-wake cycles. The body’s production of melatonin increases during the mid-to-late evening hours, preparing for bedtime, with high levels persisting throughout the night.
When morning comes around, as the light starts coming up from outside or artificial lights are turned on inside your house, your body will release less melatonin into your bloodstream. You’ll still have some melatonin in your body as the decline happens. This makes it easier to wake up feeling refreshed and ready for the day.
Melatonin helps the body enter deep REM sleep, which has been shown in studies to be crucial for cell rejuvenation and repair. As it affects sleep timing, this also means melatonin is important for mood and mental health.
Melatonin is an essential part of our lives if we want to maintain healthy cells and a happy mind.
When hormone levels are not in balance, it can cause unpleasant symptoms. At Androgenix, we believe in creating highly specific and individualized treatment programs and offer expert advice on hormonal health. If you suspect hormonal imbalances, reach out and we can start with a panel of tests to see how Androgenix can help you.
