Introduction

What do they do?

Hormones are responsible for managing hundreds of normal processes in the body. Some of these processes include:

• Maintaining blood pressure

• Regulating blood sugar

• Ensuring the body temperature is balanced

• Ensuring electrolytes are balanced

• Metabolism

• Sexual function

• Growth and development

• Mood

• Reproduction

• Sleep and wake cycles.

Hormones will only act on the body if they “fit”. A hormone is like a key and the target tissue or organ would contain the lock. If the key fits the lock, the message will be received, and the target tissue or organ will act accordingly.

There are two different ways that hormones communicate. One occurs between glands. One gland will release a hormone which communicates with another gland. The other is between a gland and an organ, where the gland stimulates an organ to act. An example of this would be the pancreas releasing insulin which then acts on the muscle and liver to process glucose.

Where are hormones produced?

They can be produced in endocrine glands or in bodily tissues. An endocrine gland is considered an organ that may produce hormones, digestive juices, sweat, or tears, for example. They release hormones directly into the blood stream and include the following glands:

• Pituitary gland

• Hypothalamus

• Pineal gland

• Thyroid

• Parathyroid

• Pancreas

• Adrenal glands

• Ovaries

• Testes.

The body tissues that release hormones, or hormone-like substances include:

• Fatty tissue (adipose)

• Liver

• Kidneys

• The gut (Gastrointestinal tract)

• Placenta.

What can happen if hormones become imbalanced?

Multiple medical conditions have been linked to issues with hormones. Usually the issue is too much or too little of one or multiple hormones. Some of the common conditions that you may recognize include the following:

• Diabetes

• Infertility

• Thyroid disease

• Obesity

• Irregular menstrual periods

• PCOS

• And the list goes on.

What can cause hormones to become imbalanced?

Among the list of conditions that can lead to a hormone imbalance is tumors or abnormal cellular growth, damage or injury, genetic mutations, or autoimmune conditions. A more recent finding (recent being in the past decade or so) is the effect that diet can have on hormones.

A low-fiber, high-fat diet, which is consumed more often than not in the US, can cause hormones to become critically imbalanced. By reversing those, in other words consuming a low-fat and high fiber diet, hormone levels can be balanced which can lead to a reduced risk of cancer and infertility. A study showed that women following this type of diet were able to balance their estradiol, estrone, and testosterone hormones, therefore improving their health.

How do I know if they're out of balance?

Usually symptoms will be present that could alert you and your medical doctor to a possible hormone imbalance. Some of these are covered in the following articles. In addition, blood and other testing can be completed to check the balance of multiple different hormones. Check with your doctor on what might be right for you, what is considered the gold standard testing for some hormones, and when e.g., time of day, they should be checked.

References

Cleveland Clinic. (2022). Hormones. Retrieved from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22464-hormones

Ives, J. (2020). Nutrition researcher shows how foods affect our hormones and health. News-Medical-Life Sciences. Retrieved from https://www.news-medical.net/news/20200213/Nutrition-researcher-shows-how-foods-affect-our-hormones-and-health.aspx