How Do Hormones Really Work?

We hear a lot these days about hormones, especially in relationship to changing moods, attitudes and bodily functions...but just what are they and how do they really work...

Hormones are tiny chemical messengers continuously secreted into the bloodstream by your endocrine glands...these are the pituitary and pineal in your brain, thyroid in your throat, thymus in your chest, and adrenals deep in your abdomen...

Hormones regulate the activities of your vital organs...they stimulate a multitude of life-giving processes throughout the body which in turn maintain health, healing, growth, and repair...yet, they also decline dramatically with age, producing many of the problems associated with aging itself including heart disease, memory loss, osteoporosis, reduced energy and skin tone deterioration...

You are probably familiar with the female sex hormones, estrogen and progesterone, and the male sex hormone, testosterone which, by the way, is needed in small doses by some women...less commonly known are the human growth hormone produced in your pituitary, DHEA, made in the adrenals, and melatonin, produced by your pineal gland...there is a great deal of research being done today on the anti aging and health stimulating factors in all of these hormones...some researchers believe that they may actually contain the secrets of the fountain of youth... 

For example, the hormone melatonin is produced naturally by the pineal gland at the onset of darkness and is often in the news these days... it is available in synthetic form in most health food stores and its proponents are touting it as a powerful antioxidant...it is the first effective remedy for jet lag and is a safe and effective inducer of natural sleep...it also increases the activity of some components of the immune system and appears to be completely nontoxic...although some health professionals are somewhat reluctant to recommend it as a long term supplement until more is known, it is certainly a safer alternative for sleep than the pharmaceutical options...

Progesterone, together with estrogen, is the female sex hormone...it is synthesized from cholesterol and is important for menstruation, fertilization, uterine health during pregnancy and lactation...

There is a lot of worldwide research being done today on how natural progesterone can help build bone back even in older women, thus reversing some osteoporosis...

Osteoporosis is caused by many factors including genetics, endocrine function, lack of exercise and nutritional deficiencies...it is actually a loss of bone mass as the result of the loss of both minerals and protein ...once upon a time, we thought only of calcium when we discussed osteoporosis...but we now know that nutrients other than calcium are of equal importance, including vitamin D, magnesium, copper, manganese, zinc and boron...research has demonstrated the necessity of these trace elements for bone development and maintenance and has validated the need for their supplementation in post menopausal women...look for calcium supplements that contain these ingredients, as well...

While some studies show a modest correlation between calcium consumption and bone density, many have not...in fact, the prestigious journal Science claims that there is no relationship between actual calcium intake and bone density...rather, they focus on how well the ingested calcium is absorbed...in fact, many researchers now advocate that the best way to improve actual bone uptake of calcium and other minerals is through exercise and hormone balancing with natural progesterone...

Natural progesterone, made from the popular wild yam herb, can also restore or prevent the occurrence of vaginal dryness, a common complaint among menopausal women...according to extensive research in England, it can also reduce many symptoms associated with PMS, especially mood swings, depression, bloating and breast tenderness...

A cream containing 3% natural progesterone is sold over the counter in many pharmacies and health food stores...you may be surprised that a cream applied to the skin can be so effective...we sometimes forget that the skin not only moves wastes from the inside out but is also capable of absorbing substances directly into the body...progesterone cream, estrogen patches for menopause, nicotine patches for cessation of smoking, and nitroglycerin patches for cardiovascular pain are just a few examples of your skin’s absorptive powers...