Hormone Regulation

How to keep your hormones in balance

A good balance in your lifestyle. In short, that comes down to using pure unprocessed foods with lots of variety, getting plenty of exercise, stress management and engaging in activities that make you happy, meaning.

Hormone disruptors

Many personal care products such as shampoos, cosmetics 's and body lotions contain endocrine disruptors. Another source of these substances is plastic materials such as food packaging and various pesticides. These substances can mimic, mislead, block or even degrade our own hormones. This has adverse effects on our health. We call these substances EDCs (Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals).

The most important hormones

Insulin is produced by the pancreas and promotes in the liver and muscles the conversion of glucose into glycogen. In addition, insulin stimulates the uptake of glucose by the cells.

Thyroid hormones play a role in every cell of our body and stimulate cellular energy and metabolic processes, among other things.

Leptin is a hormone that inhibits the feeling of hunger. Leptin is released by adipose tissue. Its counterpart is ghrelin, a hormone that actually triggers the feeling of hunger. Ghrelin is secreted mainly by the stomach wall.

Cortisol is released during stress and is produced in the adrenal glands. This hormone releases energy and prepares the body for the so-called "fight or flight" response.

Female sex hormones are oestrogens and progesterone. The male hormone is testosterone. All of these have their own specific roles to play.

Endocrine glands

Hormones are made and secreted to the blood by the endocrine glands. There are also exocrine glands. These are glands with a drainage tube; for example, sweat glands and salivary glands.

In addition, there are also tissue hormones such as gastrin from the stomach wall. This hormone, among other things, is responsible for the stimulation of stomach acid production.

Hormones can be divided into two groups; steroid hormones, these are soluble in fat and made from cholesterol and peptide hormones made from proteins.

An example of steroid hormones are sex hormones and adrenal cortex hormones. Insulin and growth hormone are peptide hormones.

Hormones are transported through the blood and bind to receptors of cells specific to that hormone. Then second messengers pass that information to the cell.

There are many different types of hormones and they work closely together. If one hormone is out of balance then it affects other hormones as well.

Homeostasis

Homeostasis (body processes in healthy balance) is regulated by the nervous and endocrine systems. The brain stem receives information from the nervous system and when a disturbance of homeostasis is signaled, it is transmitted to the hypothalamus. The endocrine system anticipates this by producing hormones.

Hypothalamus

The hypothalamus releases 2 types of hormones to the pituitary gland: releasing (activating) hormones and inhibiting (inhibiting) hormones. Then the pituitary gland makes (glando)trope hormones (affect the secretion of other hormones) and effect hormones that directly affect certain body functions.

Trope hormones are produced by the (adeno)pituitary gland. This is located in the anterior lobe and they affect the secretion of other endocrine glands, such as the thyroid (TSH) and the adrenal glands (ACTH).

The adenohypophysis also produces effect hormones. Growth hormone is one of the three effect hormones that are produced by this.

In addition, the posterior lobe, the neurohypophysis, transmits 2 hormones made in the hypothalamus: the antidiuretic hormone, ADH, and oxytocin. The latter is also known as the cuddle hormone which, among other things, is released when touched.

Once hormones have done their job, they are broken down in the intestines and in the liver.

Written by: Liesbeth Thoen
Reviewed and edited by: Peter Smeets

Updated on: March 26, 2022