Continued from Part One and Part Two, we now look at the final batch of the 16 most important hormones that impact our health and well-being.
You already know that hormones are the body’s chemical messengers. They travel through the bloodstream carrying messages between cells and organs. Hormones affect our body’s everyday functioning and therefore it’s important to build our knowledge about them.
11. Cortisol
The adrenal glands produce and release cortisol. It affects almost every aspects of the body, and mainly helps regulate its response to stress, therefore often called the stress hormone.
During times of stress the cortisol released increases heart rate, blood pressure, blood glucose, respiration and muscle tension.
It temporarily shuts down the body’s systems that aren’t needed in crisis, such as digestion and reproduction.
Plays an important role in:
- Stress response
- Use of fats, proteins and carbohydrates, and metabolism
- Suppressing inflammation
- Regulating blood pressure
- Regulating blood sugar
- Helping control sleep-wake cycle
Our body usually produces the right amount of cortisol, however it can happen that it produces too much or too little.
Symptoms of too much cortisol can be:
- Weight gain, mostly around the abdomen and face
- Fragile skin that bruises easily and is slow to heal
- Acne
- Diabetes
- For women: irregular periods, facial hair
Symptoms of too little cortisol are:
- Permanent tiredness
- Diarrhea, nausea and vomiting
- Weight loss
- Muscle weakness
- Low blood pressure
There are several things you can do to try to limit your stress, and therefore manage your cortisol levels, including:
- Get quality sleep
- Exercise regularly
- Practice deep breathing
- Enjoy yourself and laugh
- Maintain healthy relationships
12. Adrenaline
Adrenaline, also known as Epinephrine , is both a neurotransmitter and a hormone, but it acts mainly as a hormone. It plays an important role in your body’s fight-or-flight response.
People are exposed to stressful situations occasionally, which cause an increase in the levels of adrenaline (called adrenaline rush), producing the following symptoms:
- increased the heart rate
- increased blood pressure
- rapid breathing
- sweating
- enlarged pupils in the eyes
- heightened senses
- decreased sensitivity to pain
- slowed digestion and altering metabolism
- redistributed blood to the muscles
The increased level of adrenaline is intended to help us respond to a stressful situation. Once the stress is over the excess secretion of adrenaline stops, and the symptoms quickly disappear. Experiencing some stress is normal, and sometimes even beneficial for your health.
However, a mind full of thoughts and worry also stimulates your body to release adrenaline and cortisol, known as the stress hormone. Persistently high levels of adrenaline from chronic stress increases your risk for anxiety, depression, and heart disease, and causes high blood pressure, headaches, and weight gain.
How to control adrenaline?
You need to activate your parasympathetic nervous system, also known as the rest-and-digest system to control adrenaline levels. There are techniques to counter your body’s stress response, promoting balance, and allowing rest and repair, such as:
- deep breathing exercises
- meditation
- regular exercise
- yoga, yin yoga in particular
- tai chi
- talk to friends or family about your feelings or thoughts
- eat a balanced, healthy diet
- limit caffeine and alcohol consumption
- avoid bright lights before bedtime
13. Melatonin
Melatonin, often called the sleep hormone, regulates our sleep and wake cycles.
The pineal gland in the brain produces melatonin. Its production and release is connected to time of day, increasing just after it gets dark, peaking in the early hours of the morning and reducing during daylight hours.
Melatonin helps regulate the circadian rhythm and synchronize the natural sleep-wake cycle with night and day. This hormone facilitates a transition to sleep, and promotes consistent, quality rest.
People with sleeping difficulties usually have a problem with thier melatonin production. Therefore they often use melatonin supplements to improve the quality and quantity of sleep. However taking external melatonin can have unwanted sude effects such as day time drowsiness and headaches.
What steps can you take to improve sleep?
Most people can benefit from taking steps to develop healthy sleep habits and optimize their sleep hygiene.
- Establsish a sleep shcedule and go to bed and wake up at the same time every day
- Create a cool, quiet, dark, relaxing bedroom environment that is conducive to relaxation
- Invest in a comfortable mattress and new bedding
- Abstain from large meals, caffeine and alcohol in the hours leading up to bed
- Limit your screen time and exposure to blue light before sleep
- Schedule short afternoon naps
- Include exercise in your daily routine
- Do something calming like reading or listening to soft music before sleep
Melatonin levels decline gradually over the life-span. This is related to lowered sleep efficacy, and deterioration of many circadian rhythms.
As a natural antioxidant, melatonin has significant anti-aging and anti-depressant properties. It is also belived have an immune ehancing quality.
14. Serotonin
Serotonin hormone plays a key role in regulating and naturally stabilizing your mood. It is often called the “feel-good hormone”.
It is also thought to play a role in sleep, digestion, nausea, wound healing, bone health, blood clotting and sexual desire. Lack of enough serotonin plays a role in depression, anxiety, mania and other mental health conditions.
Serotonin is found in many parts of your body: in your digestive system, blood platelets, and throughout the central nervous system. Most of serotonin is found in the cells lining the gastrointestinal tract. Only a small proportion is produced in your brain. Serotonin can’t be made by your body but it has to be obtained from the foods you eat.
It impacts every part of you, from your central nervous system to your motor skills.
Serotonin helps your body to:
- Regulate anxiety
- Experience happiness
- Heal wounds
- Stimulate nausea
- Regulate sleep and wakefulness
- Bone health
- Digestion
Serotonin is in the group of hormones called the “happy hormones” along with Dopamine, Oxytocin and Endorphins. These hormones are known to help promote positive feelings, including happiness and pleasure.
In order to increase serotonin levels you can try eating more tryptophan-containing foods or taking supplements. Salmon, eggs, cheese, turkey, tofu, pineapples, nuts, oats and seeds contain high levels of tryptophan. This combined with carbohydrates helps the body absorb amino acids.
Natural serotonin boosters:
- Exposure to bright light
- Regular exercise
- Good night sleep
- Health-promoting diet
- Meditation
- Laughing with a friend
- Listening to music
- Receive a massage
15. Parathyroid hormone
The Parathyroid hormone (PTH) regulates calcium and phosphorus balance in the body (not your bones). It is produced and released by the four parathyroid glands located in the neck.
PTH increases calcium levels in the blood by increasing calcium absorption in the intestines, calcium release from bones and calcium reabsorption in the kidneys.
It also increases phosphorus excretion in the kidneys, thus maintaining a balance between calcium and phosphorus levels in the body.
Why is calcium important?
Calcium is one of the most common minerals in your body. Most of your calcium is stored in your bones. The calcium in your blood helps your nerve functioning, your muscles contract so you can move, maintaining normal heart rate and helps with blood clotting when bleeding.
Abnormal PTH levels
High levels of PTH can cause high levels of calcium in the blood, a condition known as hypercalcemia. Symptoms of this can be:
- Digestive problems
- Joint and bone pain
- Muscle aches, weakness
- Fatigue
- Depression and memory loss
With lifestyle changes you can make to balance your Parathyroid hormone levels.
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Exercise regularly
- Don’t smoke
- Diet: Monitor how much calcium and vitamin D you eat.
On the other hand, low levels of PTH can cause low levels of calcium in the blood, a condition known as hypocalcemia.
Symptoms include:
- Muscle cramps
- Numbness in lips, fingers or feet
- Dry skin
- Memory loss and confusion
- Irregular heart rhythm
Diet plays a cricial role in improving calcium levels. Food containing calcium affects your level of calcium in your blood. Alfacalcidol, vitamin D3 and magnesium all work together to help your body to absorb calcium from your diet.
- Dairy (cow, goat, sheep)
- Plant-based milks (almond, soy, rice)
- Cheese
- Yogurt
- Fruits, such as rhubarb
- Leafy greens
- Nuts, almonds
- Starchy vegetables
- Winter squash
- Edamame and tofu
- Sardines, salmon
Vitamin D is crucial for increasing the absorption of calcium in the body. Get regular sun exposure!
16. Growth hormone
Growth hormone is a natural hormone promotes the growth of bones and cartilage in children. In adults, growth hormone helps maintain normal body structure and metabolism. I also helps keep blood sugar levels within a healthy range.
The pituitary gland makes and releases growth hormones throughout your lifetime. Its production is controlled by a set of hormones produced in the hypothalamus and in the intestinal tract and pancreas.
Growth hormone not only promotes human growth but also plays a crucial role in increasing muscle mass. It protects our tissues from breaking down to avoid injury.
With aging growth hormone production slows down. However you can use natural mehtods to work against aging. With combination of healthy diet and regular, balanced exercise you can reduce the risk of many chronic illnesses, enhance your vigor and enjoyment of life.