Hormones are very important for your body to function properly.
These chemical messengers are produced in the endocrine glands and are responsible for many bodily functions; anything from moods and emotions, to sexual reproduction or controlling stress responses.
As you age, your hormone levels naturally change, in most cases decreasing; but when levels drop too drastically, your health may be at risk. In these cases, doctors may recommend hormone replacement therapy using hormone bioidenticals.
Four important hormones your body needs are estrogen, androgen, adrenals (cortisol) and thyroid hormones.
Estrogen: the main sex hormone for females. It is needed for puberty to occur, regulates the menstrual cycle, and also helps to prepare the body for pregnancy.
Androgen: known as a male sex hormone (but it is also found in females!). The most well-known androgen is testosterone, which is needed for the proper development and the maintenance of male characteristics.
Adrenals (cortisol): dubbed the ‘stress hormone’. Adrenals are responsible for helping the body respond to stress but it is also released in response to low blood-glucose concentration.
Thyroid hormones: produced by the thyroid, and are responsible for regulating metabolism. The thyroid hormones (triiodothyronine and its prohormone, thyroxine) impact protein synthesis and are required for proper development of all the cells in the human body.
It is very important to ensure that your body has normal levels of all of these hormones – too much or too little can have huge detriments to your health! Take our Hormone Replacement Calculator to find out if your hormones levels are within the normal range.
