IMPORTANCE OF HORMONE BALANCE FOR A MAN'S HEALTH
Written by Dr. Welsh, Article reviewed and edited by Dr. Fine M.D.. Published on September 4th, 2019
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The
Importance of Hormone Balance for Men's Health
Although
people talk a lot about hormones in regard to women, we don't talk as
much about the importance of hormone balance for men. We associate
the reckless nature of youth as a symptom of hormones, and we
recognize that Testosterone Deficiency leads to sexual dysfunction,
but hormonal dysfunction can affect us at any point in our lives, and
it can have significant effects upon our ability to participate in a
healthy and active lifestyle.
Men
Need Hormone Balance Too
Just
because you're a man doesn't mean that your health and well-being
aren't largely at the whim of your underlying balance of hormones.
Hormones are the primary tools that the body uses to regulate itself,
and if they get out of whack, you may be in for some serious trouble.
Hormone
Imbalance can cause countless medical issues. Did you know that your
obesity may be the result of a chemical imbalance that tells your
body to store too much fat? Did you know that the overproduction of
cortisol and other hormones can contribute to frighteningly high
levels of stress, which can even break down your immune system?
These same
kinds of imbalance can even prevent you from getting a full night's
sleep. All that tossing and turning really puts a damper on your
health. There are even hormone imbalances that can cause your body to
forget to tell you when you are full, making it incredibly easy to
overeat.
Short
Term Effects of Hormone Imbalance Correctable; Long Term Effects can
Become Chronic
Although
the short term effects of most of these issues are reversible, if you
let things go wrong for too long, you can find yourself in some
serious metabolic trouble. Diabetes is one of the most devastating
chronic illnesses in the United States today, but Type-Two Diabetes
is completely the result of human choice and inaction. By choosing
not to regulate your hormones more effectively earlier in life, you
put yourself in a position where you will be taking insulin for the
rest of your life.
Just
think. All of that can happen just because your body is just a little
bit out of tune.
The
Importance of the Endocrine System
The
endocrine system is ultimately in control of everything your body
does. The endocrine system is this huge array of chemical messengers
that the brain uses to send and receive information, as well as
navigate useful peptides throughout the body.
One
medical researcher, Dr. John McLachlan, likens the endocrine system
to the Internet of the human body. The Endocrine system is
responsible for non-neural long distance communication throughout the
body, while also sending important deliveries to disparate organs.
Example
One: Human Growth Hormone
Take a
hormone that we've all heard of before: Human Growth Hormone. The
signal for Human Growth Hormone production starts in the
hypothalamus. Upon stimulation, the Hypothalamus releases a hormone
known as Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone, which is carried to the
Pituitary Gland, where it stimulates the production of Human Growth
Hormone.
After
Human Growth Hormone is released from the pituitary, it induces a
number of changes directly, but most Biological HGH is delivered
directly to the liver, where it is converted into a third set of
hormones, known as Insulin-Like Growth Factors. All of these Growth
Factors stimulate metabolic processes throughout the body.
Most HGH
absorbed by the Liver is converted into a particular Growth Factor
known as IGF-1, which is vitally important for muscle health, bone
metabolism, and immune health, just to mention a few.
HGH
Negative Feedback Mechanisms
As the
body recognizes that it has received a sufficient level of Human
Growth Hormone, excess HGH, as well as another hormone known as
Somatostatin, circulate back to the Hypothalamus and Pituitary, where
they send the message back to the hypothalamus to cut back on
production of GH-RH.
In
addition to this, hunger also stimulates Human Growth Hormone
Production, because the hunger hormone, Ghrelin, stimulates HGH
production in a manner which shares similarities with GH-RH.
Insulin
also acts as a Human Growth Hormone inhibitor, so, upon satiation,
the body actually cuts back on HGH production, especially if you
consume foods which encourage spiking Insulin Levels.
Restoring
Healthy HGH Balance
There are a lot of effective ways to maintain healthy Human Growth
Hormone Levels. The first is to maintain a healthy diet. If you eat
too much sugar, this causes insulin levels to spike, and Insulin is a
Human Growth Hormone Antagonist.
Exercise is another effective way to boost HGH Production. Vigorous
exercise that puts anaerobic pressure on the muscles stimulate large
pulses of Growth Hormone to be released. HGH is also released heavily
during restful sleep, so getting your eight hours is a surefire way
to improve HGH Levels.
Human
Growth Hormone Supplementation with Hormone Replacement Therapy
Of course, Human Growth Hormone is inevitably sensitive to age, and
as you grow older, these holistic methods of restoring Hormone
Balance may just not be enough. At this point in your life, it may be
in your best interest to turn to Human Growth Hormone Replacement
Therapy or Sermorelin Acetate Injections to supplement your body's
waning Growth Hormone Production
HGH
is Just One Example
Now, look
back at that long web of chain reactions. If any of those hormonal
processes go haywire, the entire system suffers as a result. Too much
Insulin? Diabetes and HGH Deficiency. GH-RH Deficiency? HGH
Deficiency. Although the Hypothalamus and Pituitary gland are the two
primary organs in charge of the endocrine system, there are organs
all throughout the body that participate in this complex interplay of
chemical messaging.
In the
male body, the testes, thyroid gland, adrenal glands, pancreas,
liver, and kidneys all participate in a system which is heavily
regulated and precisely tuned. Because of the level of precision
involved with healthy endocrine function, even slight alterations in
proper function can lead to significant issues.
The
endocrine system is completely controlled by a myriad of positive and
negative feedback mechanisms which all work together in a delicate
interplay to create a healthy human being. Any change over time which
introduces a distortion to this delicate system can negatively
influence several other systems that may even seem to be unrelated.
Disruptions
in hormones meant to control pain can cause depression. Disruption in
systems meant to control sex hormone production can induce fatigue
and cause you to literally become weak in the knees.
Importance
of other Hormones for Healthy Balance
The rest
of this article will explore how various hormones (other than Human
Growth Hormone) contribute to overall health, and how you can
recognize if you are suffering from the symptoms of hormone
imbalance.
Epinephrine
and Cortisol: The Stress Hormones
Whether
you are in a life-or-death situation or anxious about a dinner date,
your body responds to stress through the same biological mechanisms.
When you are in a situation that induces stress, your Hypothalamus
recognizes cues from both memory and environment, and responds by
secreting high levels of two specific hormones: Epinephrine and
Cortisol.
The
Fight-or-Flight Hormones
These two
hormones are in charge of your Fight-or-Flight response. The brain
recognizes that there is a threat, and prepares your body for action.
Stress hormones simultaneously speed up your pulse and open up your
bronchial tubes so that your heart provides additional oxygen to the
brain.
These
physiological changes also correspond with an increase in alertness
and awareness in regard to your senses. In addition to this, these
two hormones also stimulate the diffusion of glucose and fat into the
blood, increasing the amount of energy available for your snap
decisions and actions.
Stress
Hormones Vitally Important, but Prone to Imbalance
Even in
today's modern world, these are still important hormones that could
save your life. Cortisol and Epinephrine give you that extra
half-second that you need to dodge a car, and these hormones are also
responsible for certain unequivocal feats of strength that still save
countless lives today. The problem is that most of us carry too much
stress on a daily basis.
Stress
hormones are supposed to help you rise to action, but often in this
modern society, these hormones keep people nervous and exhausted. If
you don't take steps to alleviate stress, this physiological state
will eventually lead to several health problems, and can even
increase the risk of life-threatening conditions such as heart attack
or stroke.
How
does Stress Hormone Imbalance Endanger Health?
Cortisol
and Epinephrine imbalance can lead to simple physiological changes
that lead to major problems down the road. Because these stress
hormones promote the release of sugar and fat into the blood stream,
constant stress causes your body to adapt and send signals to
maximize fat storage, causing you to pile on the pounds. And that's
not the worst of it.
Stress
also increases the accumulation of fat around the hips and
midsection. This type of fat is known as adipose fat, or visceral
fat. The fat cells which are concentrated on your midsection contain
more receptors for cortisol than any other area of the body.
Excess
cortisol production is one of the worst things that can happen in
regard to healthy Testosterone function. Adipose fat cells actually
have the ability to directly convert Testosterone into Cortisol, and
if you maintain stress and fat levels which are too high, your odds
of developing Testosterone Deficiency skyrocket.
How to
Avoid Stress Hormone Imbalance
There are
some easy ways to avoid Stress Hormone Imbalance, however. The most
effective way is to start exercising! Just one hour per day, three
times a week is enough to greatly decrease the rate at which your
adrenal glands and hypothalamus send signals for Cortisol and
Epinephrine Production.
Combining diet and exercise can also be an effective way to decrease
Cortisol production. If you shrink the size of your fat cells, you
can significantly reduce the rate at which your fat cells produce
Cortisol.
Simply
taking steps to mitigate stress in your life is an obvious and
effective way to restore Stress Hormone balance as well. Take time
out of your day to engage in meditation or yoga. Spend time doing
things you enjoy. Simply taking the time to slow down and take things
easy for awhile can have a fantastic effect on your overall health
and stress levels.
Another
way to decrease your exposure to these two hormones is to try to
consume organic foods as often as possible. There is an oft-used
pesticide which has been scientifically proven to increase the
release of Cortisol and Epinephrine, known as Atrazine. Although
there are limited human studies regarding Atrazine, there have been
numerous studies which have analyzed the effect of Atrazine upon
birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals, and these studies have
uniformly shown that Atrazine exposure has a negative effect on
Stress Hormone Balance.
In one
study using rats, Atrazine was shown to produce a reaction which was
biologically identical to the physiological reaction the rat
experiences when being held down by force. Although seeking Organic
products is the most effective way to prevent exposure to Atrazine,
you can significantly limit exposure by ensuring that you always
properly wash and clean your vegetables before eating them. If you
work directly with Atrazine, wear a mask in order to limit exposure.
If you are
a frequent gardener, we very strongly suggest against using this
chemical in your garden, because Atrazine exposure is most dangerous
to people who work directly with the chemical, so it's best just to
leave it alone.
Hormones
that Control Weight and Hunger: Insulin, CCK, Ghrelin, and Leptin
Importance
of Ghrelin
In
addition to stress hormones, another group of hormones that is
especially susceptible to imbalance are those associated with hunger
and satiation. Ghrelin is the primary hormone that is in charge of
the feeling of hunger. As your stomach empties, and the body
completes the digestive process, the stomach starts to increase
production of Ghrelin, which circulates through the blood stream to
the brain, where it is absorbed by the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus
then tells the rest of your brain that you need more food.
Importance
of CCK
Another
hormone, cholecystokinin, also known as CCK, is responsible for the
opposite process. As you eat, and your stomach begins to stretch, it
releases CCK, which is delivered to the Hypothalamus, and your
hypothalamus sends messages to the rest of the brain that you are
full. CCK is one of the most powerful means of appetite suppression
that the human body has.
Peptide
YY and Insulin
After the
release of CCK, a number of other hormones begin to activate in order
to decrease your desire for food. As food begins to leave your
stomach and cycle through your digestive tract, you start to produce
another hormone known as Peptide YY, which gives more signals to the
brain that you have had enough to eat. In addition to this, the
pancreas starts to secrete Insulin in order to control and regulate
blood sugar, which also has a suppressive effect upon digestion.
Digestion
Signals Satiation
When your
body starts the process of serious digestion, it stops being
interested in eating. This is why you always hear the suggestion that
you should eat slowly and chew your food for long periods of time.
The longer it takes you to eat, the less food that you will eat
before your brain starts to shut down appetite.
Importance
of Leptin
On top of
all this, fat cells throughout your body produce a hormone known as
leptin, which serves a similar purpose to Ghrelin, telling the
Hypothalamus that you don't need to eat anymore. Upon stimulation by
Leptin, the Hypothalamus releases Alpha-MSH, another power hormone
that eliminates the desire for food.
Hunger
is Complicated
All of
these different hormones play their own special role in cultivating
the delicate balance between satiation and hunger. You may wonder why
so many hormones are involved
in your sense of hunger. This is because your body gets nearly
everything it needs through digestion, and all of these hormones
promote different aspects of hunger and fullness in order to ensure
that you get a healthy amount of all the nutrients that you need
without overdoing it.
Obesity, a Modern Dilemma
The problem is that our bodies are streamlined for a different
environment than what exists in the first world, or even the modern
world in general. There has never been a time in the history of the
world where so much food has been available to so many people. Even
the hunger that persists in the third world is not the result of a
global lack of food, but because of the combination of waste and poor
international distribution.
In our evolutionary past, we spent our days doing everything that it
took to survive, hunting and gathering for food and eating what we
could, when we could. Because of this, our bodies developed an
amazing ability to store fat in order to help us survive through
periods where food wasn't readily available. Up until very recently,
this ability was vitally important to the health and propagation of
the human race.
Today, however, sugars and fats exist in tremendous abundance, and
because of this, our bodies have a tendency to absorb too much, far
beyond that which we need in modern America. Upon accumulation of
body fat, our bodies even resist fat metabolism.
If you don't engage in healthy exercise in combination with diet,
then your body will actually burn energy from your muscles before it
will start burning fat effectively. This is why it is important not
just to diet, but to engage in cardiovascular and aerobic exercise as
well.
Dangers
of Digestive Hormone Imbalance
So how do
you know if your hunger hormones are in a state of balance? Are you
still hungry? Have you had enough? Your stomach isn't nearly as
trustworthy as you should believe, especially if you have had a
history of poor eating habits in the past. When you start to pack on
extra pounds, your fat cells start to produce much lower levels of
Leptin.
When you
are in a relatively healthy state, your fat cells release Leptin in
response to weight gain, encouraging you to eat less. But once you
pass a certain threshold, your body starts to function differently.
High levels of insulin and sugar over time have a negative effect on
proper Leptin production. Sugar and Insulin have the ability to shut
down the signals that your fat cells release, telling you to slow
down.
Without
these signals, you may still experience feelings of hunger nearly
immediately after you have completed your meals. In the worst cases,
you will feel starving all the time, almost no matter what you eat.
Over time, eating habits that encourage excess hunger and
over-stimulation of the pancreas can cause you to develop a
resistance to Insulin, leading directly to Type-Two Diabetes.
Another
issue is that your liver can become serially overworked, causing
fatty liver disease. Fatty liver disease is a dangerous disorder in
which your liver no longer has the ability to properly process fat
coming into and out of your system. As a result, your liver starts to
develop fatty lesions which damage and inhibit the organ.
Take
Control of your Hunger
Fatty
Liver Disease and Type-Two Diabetes are irreversible, so it is up to
you to take control of your health before these chronic illnesses
take root. In regard to increasing Leptin production and corralling
Insulin levels, the best two things you can do are lose weight and
cut back on your sugar. It's important to do both. Even a person at a
healthy weight can develop Insulin Sensitivity if they consume way
too much sugar.
In
America, the average adult eats or drinks around twenty-two teaspoons
of sugar on a daily basis. AHA guidelines suggest that men should
have no more than nine teaspoons of sugar per day. There are lots of
ways that you can limit your sugar intake, but be careful about
sources of sugar you may not regularly think about. Everyone knows
High Fructose Corn Syrup is bad, but any source of simple sugars is
just as bad.
One of the
most nefarious sources of sugar consumption is juices. In fact, a
twelve ounce serving of fruit juice has the same amount of sugar as a
can of soda.
Relearn
What Full Really Means
Another
way to improve your health and your sense of hunger and satiation is
simply to be patient. CCK becomes less effective at regulating
fullness if you have a history of poor eating habits. If you eat too
much food too often, your stomach starts to recalibrate, not
considering yourself full until you reach a certain threshold.
This is
one reason why the initial week or weeks of a diet can be so tough.
Your stomach very slowly recalibrates to the new normal in regard to
your eating habits, but it takes time. In that initial period of
dieting, your digestive system floods your body with hunger signals,
because it is not filling up as completely as it is accustomed to.
The most
important aspect of cultivating hormone balance in regard to hunger
and satiation is to recognize the difference between what your body
wants and what your body needs. In doing so, your body will slowly
change to reflect the new state of homeostasis that you encourage.
This is also why you shouldn't crash diet. Changing too much, too
fast makes it harder for your body to recalibrate, causing you to be
far more likely to go back to your old and unhealthy ways.
Testosterone
and Men's Health
Oh
Testosterone, the single hormone which most powerfully calls forth
the ideals of manhood and masculinity. Testosterone is intricately
connected to male health, and Testosterone Deficiency induces a state
where a sense of manhood is difficult or impossible to achieve.
Although
Testosterone itself is primarily released by the Testes, Testosterone
is produced by the human body as a result of a chain of hormone
interactions which begin in the brain. Testosterone production is
controlled by the release of two different types of hormones,
Follicle Stimulating Hormone and Luteinizing Hormone. Both of these
hormones are important for the production of both male and female sex
hormones, they simply activate at different target organs.
The
Hypothalamus uses a hormone known as Gonadotropin-releasing Hormone
(GnRH) to stimulate the production of both Luteinizing Hormone and
Follicle Stimulating Hormone.
Luteinizing
Hormone circulates from the Anterior Pituitary to the Testes, where
it directly stimulates Leydig Cells to produce Testosterone. Leydig
Cells are small organs attached to the Testes which have the
important job of providing Testosterone to the body.
Although
not directly responsible for Testosterone Production, Follicle
Stimulating Hormone is a hormone that is vital for procreation.
Follicle Stimulating Hormone promotes the formation of sperm cells in
preparation for sexual activity.
Why is
Testosterone Important?
Testosterone
is important primarily in regard to five different aspects of male
health:
Libido
and Sexual Ability
Testosterone
is the hormone which is primarily responsible for both male sexual
desire and and erectile function. Upon arousal, Testosterone
production amplifies significantly, causing men to take on
characteristic sensuality, as well as promoting the release of Nitric
Oxide which directly leads to the male erection. Low Testosterone
Levels prevent males from experiencing desire effectively, and it
also limits the body's ability to express that desire physically.
Mental
Balance and Happiness
Everyone
knows about Testosterone and Sex, but most people don't realize that
Testosterone is incredibly important in preserving male mental
health, just like Estrogen promotes the same mental balance in women.
Without healthy levels of Testosterone, the brain starts to have
trouble signaling for pleasure hormones in the brain, which increases
the risk of depression. In addition to this, Testosterone contributes
to numerous psychological traits that are associated with manhood,
including assertiveness and aggressiveness. Many men with
Testosterone Deficiency find themselves depressed and unable to
create positive change in their own life as a result.
Muscle
Development and Maintenance
When it
comes to muscle development, Testosterone is probably the most
effective hormone at inducing physiological muscular development.
Testosterone is the singular reason why men develop muscle tissue
easier than their female counterparts. Testosterone Deficiency makes
it harder to build muscle effectively, and leads to muscle atrophy
and frailty over time.
Energy
and Metabolism
Testosterone
is also associated with the burgeoning energy levels associated with
a healthy male lifestyle. Along with erectile dysfunction, Low-T can
cause men to lose their ability to distribute energy effectively. The
most vivid symptom of this change in metabolism is muscle fatigue and
weakness. Men with Testosterone Deficiency often suffer from bouts of
muscle fatigue which cause them to have a lot of difficulty standing
or engaging in work.
Bone
Health
For both
males and females, Testosterone, as well as Human Growth Hormone, are
intricately involved in normal bone health. Testosterone encourages
organs within the bones known as Osteoblasts to remodel and maintain
the structural integrity of bone. Severe Testosterone Deficiency is
one of the most powerful indicators for Osteoporosis in aging men.
What
causes Testosterone Deficiency?
There are
a number of issues that directly lead to Testosterone Deficiency:
First,
Testosterone is primarily produced through physical activity. If you
lead an inactive lifestyle, this causes Testosterone Levels to remain
abnormally low.
Second,
Testosterone Deficiency is caused by the accumulation of excess body
fat. You see, body fat directly correlates with decreased levels of
Testosterone. Adipose fat cells have the ability to absorb
Testosterone and convert it into Cortisol. The more fat that you
have, the less Testosterone your body will be able to sustain.
Third,
poor sleeping habits are linked to poor Testosterone production, and
sleep apnea caused by obesity, or simply generally poor sleeping
habits, can cause your Testosterone Levels to plummet.
Finally,
human physiology and the aging process inevitably reduce the body's
ability to produce Testosterone. The older that you get, the less
effective that your body can produce Testosterone. Although some men
remain functional with lower levels of Testosterone, many men will be
able to benefit from Testosterone Replacement at some point during
their lives.
How can
I boost my Testosterone Levels?
All of
these issues can be alleviated or resolved through modern
Testosterone Replacement Therapy. With a simple patch or cream, men
can experience normalized Testosterone Levels which help them live a
healthier, happier, and more active lifestyle.
For
patients that do not qualify for Testosterone Replacement Therapy,
there are a number of holistic approaches to increasing Testosterone
Production, including:
Physical
Exercise - Physical activity induces significant increases in
Testosterone Release. The harder you work out, the better.
Good
Sleeping Habits - Men who have poor sleeping habits are among
the most likely to experience Testosterone Deficiency
Stress
Reduction - Stress hormones eat up resources your body uses to
make Testosterone. By relieving stress, you can increase your body's
capacity to produce Testosterone.
Weight
Loss - Adipose fat cells contain enzymes which both have the
ability to convert Testosterone into Estrogen and divert resources
from Testosterone production to Cortisol Production. By losing
weight, you reduce the number of these enzymes as well as their
efficiency in limiting your Testosterone Production.
Number of words: 4198
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