1, what is a hormone?
Hormones are transliterated as hormones. It is an important substance in our life.
Hormones are made by endocrine cells.
There are two kinds of endocrine cells in human body: gregarious and dispersed.
Form endocrine glands in society, such as pituitary gland in skull, thyroid gland and parathyroid gland in front of neck, adrenal gland, islet, ovary and testis in scrotum in stomach.
Scattered, such as gastrointestinal hormone cells in gastrointestinal mucosa and peptide hormone secretion cells in hypothalamus.
Every endocrine cell is a small workshop for producing hormones.
The concentration of hormones produced by a large number of endocrine cells has become a force to be reckoned with.
Hormones are chemicals. According to the chemical structure, it can be roughly divided into four categories.
The first category is steroids, such as adrenocortical hormone and sex hormone.
The second category is amino acid derivatives, including thyroxine, adrenomedullin and pineal hormone.
The structure of the third kind of hormones is peptide and protein, such as hypothalamic hormone, pituitary hormone, gastrointestinal hormone and calcitonin.
The fourth category is fatty acid derivatives, such as prostaglandin.
2. What is the function of hormones?
Hormone is an important substance to regulate the normal activities of the body. None of them can start a new metabolic process in the body. They do not directly participate in the transformation of matter or energy, but directly or indirectly promote or slow down the original metabolic process in the body. If growth and development is the original metabolic process of human body, the increase of growth hormone or other related hormones can accelerate this process, while the decrease will delay growth and development. Hormones play an important role in regulating human reproduction, growth, development, various other physiological functions, behavioral changes and adaptation to the internal and external environment. Once the hormone secretion is unbalanced, it will bring diseases.
Hormones only play a unique role in certain tissues or cells (called target tissues or target cells). Every tissue and cell in the human body can be the target tissue or cell of one hormone or another hormone. For each hormone, one or more tissues and cells can be selected as the target tissues or cells of the hormone. For example, growth hormone can play a unique role in bones, muscles, connective tissues and internal organs, making the human body grow tall and strong. But muscle is also the target tissue of androgen and thyroxine.
★ Thyroid and metabolism
1. What are thyroid and thyroid hormones?
1, thyroid gland
The word thyroid gland is a relatively strange word to many people. Thyroid gland is the largest endocrine gland in human body, which is located in the soft tissue at the front and lower part of the neck. The thyroid gland is H-shaped and consists of two lateral lobes and a narrow isthmus connecting the two lateral lobes. Thyroid weight varies greatly, ranging from 1.5g for newborns, 10-20g for children and 20-20g for adults. The thyroid gland of the elderly will shrink obviously, weighing about 10- 15g.
The structure and functional unit of thyroid gland is follicle. Thyroid follicles vary in size and are generally spherical, oval or tubular in shape. Their main function is to secrete thyroid hormone. Follicular cavity is surrounded by monolayer epithelial cells, and its center is follicular cavity, which contains colloid and is the storage place of thyroid hormone.
Parafollicular cells, also known as calcitonin cells, are mostly located on the follicular wall or in the follicular stroma, which can exist alone or aggregate in groups. Parafollicular cells are larger than follicular cells and can be oval or spindle-shaped. The main function of parafollicular cells is to secrete calcitonin.
2, thyroid hormone and its role
① Thyroid hormone
The pituitary gland releases thyroid stimulating hormone (tsh), which commands the thyroid gland to release thyroid hormone, which can accelerate the metabolism of cells in the body. When the level of thyroid hormone in the blood reaches a certain level, the pituitary gland no longer produces thyroid stimulating hormone.
② The role of thyroid hormone
Thyroid hormone has an important influence on metabolism, growth and development, tissue differentiation and the functions of various systems and organs. Thyroid dysfunction can lead to many diseases. Therefore, thyroid gland is also an extremely important endocrine gland in human body.
* Thyroid hormone has the function of maintaining calcium balance.
Calcitonin from thyroid gland and parathyroid hormone (PTH) from parathyroid gland (four small glands attached to thyroid gland) work together. Parathyroid hormone is helpful to convert vitamin D into active hormone form, and to promote the absorption and utilization of calcium. Parathyroid hormone promotes the release of calcium from bone, while calcitonin sends calcium back to bone.
Second, what is the harm of too much or too little thyroid hormone secretion?
1, thyroid hormone secretion
Thyroxine is a hormone secreted by the thyroid gland and is synthesized by an amino acid, tyrosine. Enzymes that promote this synthesis process depend on iodine, zinc and selenium. Lack of tyrosine or iodine, zinc or selenium can reduce thyroxine levels.
2, the harm of too much or too little thyroid hormone secretion
Do you feel tired, forgetful or depressed? If these conditions have become normal in your daily life, you may want to pay attention to whether there is something wrong with your thyroid.
Thyroid problems can be divided into two situations: hyperthyroidism or insufficiency. When the thyroid gland secretes too much hormones and accelerates the operation of various functions of the body, it is hyperthyroidism. At this time, the symptoms will be quite obvious, such as rapid heartbeat or arrhythmia, high blood pressure, mental tension, difficulty or shallow sleep, or excessive sweating. People with hyperthyroidism will lose weight for no reason, often feel depressed or uneasy, in addition, it will also lead to exophthalmos and vision problems.
Hypothyroidism or hypothyroidism refers to insufficient (too little) secretion of thyroid hormone or diseases caused by it. It is the most common thyroid disease at present, often accompanied by fatigue, listlessness, slow metabolism and weight gain due to slow metabolism. In addition, there will be depression or emotional ups and downs, forgetfulness, hoarseness, fear of cold and so on. In infants, it often leads to dementia, and in adults, it is often manifested as decreased oxygen consumption, decreased basal metabolic rate, lethargy, pale face, decreased concentration and listlessness.
When the pressure is great, the physical or psychological burden is heavy, and after middle age, the thyroid gland is more prone to the problem of secretion disorder. Abnormal thyroid secretion will not only cause the above symptoms, but also lead to elevated cholesterol and osteoporosis, increasing the chances of heart disease and infertility.
Thyroid diseases have many adverse effects on physical and mental health, but once found, they can be controlled by drugs. Doctors suggest that when people reach middle age or feel that they have symptoms of thyroid disease, it is best to do thyroid stimulating hormone blood screening. Through this blood screening, doctors and patients can better understand the thyroid condition and prescribe the right medicine.
In addition, thyroid diseases are particularly common in women, so some people call thyroid diseases cosmetic diseases. Although thyroid diseases can be controlled by drugs, it is unlikely to be cured, and it should be noted that pregnant women may endanger the development of fetal brain because of abnormal thyroid secretion and give birth to children with low IQ.
Basically, the treatment of thyroid diseases is mainly taking medicine, and glands may be removed when the condition is serious. Doctors suggest that maintaining the thyroid gland is a lifelong matter. Usually, it is best not to stay up late, don't be too tired, avoid abnormal work and rest, and pay attention to whether you have symptoms of thyroid disorder. Women over the age of 35 and men over the age of 50 should be screened regularly every year.
★ Pressure and adrenal gland
1, the role of adrenal gland
The adrenal gland is located at the top of the kidney. It secretes hormones and other ingredients to help us cope with stress. These hormones, including adrenaline, cortisol and prednisolone (dhea), can guide the energy distribution of the body, promote the supply of oxygen and glucose to muscles, generate mental and physical energy, and help us deal with emergencies in time.
2. Side effects of stress
Long-term stress is closely related to the acceleration of aging process, as well as many digestive system diseases and hormone balance diseases.
Living on coffee, cigarettes, high-sugar meals or stress itself will increase the risk of disturbing the thyroid secretion balance (which means that your metabolism will slow down and you will gain weight) or calcium balance (leading to arthritis), or suffering from diseases related to sex hormone imbalance or excessive cortisol. These are the long-term side effects of constant stress, because anyone's body system will eventually fall into a state of dysfunction after being over-stimulated.
One way to reduce stress level is to reduce the intake of sugar and irritants.
3. Nutrients beneficial to stress hormones
In order to be able to cope with long-term stress, you must have enough adrenaline. In order to produce adrenaline, we need enough vitamin b3 (nicotinic acid), vitamin b 12 and vitamin C. Cortisol is also a natural anti-inflammatory component. If there is not enough calcium pantothenate (pantothenic acid), it cannot be produced.
4. Supplement dehydroepiandrosterone
Dhea is a vital adrenal hormone, and its level will decrease due to continuous stress. A small amount of this hormone can restore our tolerance to stress. Dhea can be used to produce sex hormones, including testosterone and estrogen, and is also considered to have "anti-aging" effect. However, too much dhea can also over-stimulate the adrenal gland, leading to insomnia. Therefore, when the adrenal load test shows that you lack this hormone, it is best to supplement dhea.
★ Sex hormones
1. What are the advantages of estrogen? What are the hazards and side effects of estrogen superiority (too much)?
For women, the balance between estrogen and progesterone is very important. If estrogen is relatively excessive, it is called estrogen advantage, which is related to the risk of breast cancer, fibroma, ovarian cyst, endometriosis and premenstrual syndrome. Early symptoms of estrogen dominance include premenstrual syndrome, depression, decreased libido, sweet tooth, menorrhagia, weight gain, breast swelling and water retention.
2. What causes the advantages of estrogen?
The reason for the advantage of estrogen may be excessive intake of estrogen, which is because estrogen is added to the feed of many animals; At the same time, it also exists in dairy products, various pesticides and soft plastics (hormones may penetrate into food when packaging food with soft plastics). Estrogen is also found in most contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy.
However, if there is a slight deficiency of estrogen in women, they cannot ovulate, so progesterone will not be produced. This is because progesterone is produced in the capsule containing the egg, and progesterone can only be produced after the egg is discharged. So if you don't ovulate, there will be no progesterone, and estrogen will have a comparative advantage.
Stress will increase the levels of adrenaline and cortisol, which will compete with progesterone and reduce the level of dhea, the precursor of corpus luteum isthmus. Dehydroepiandrosterone is also the precursor of androgen, and many evidences show that men are also troubled by estrogen superiority and estrogen deficiency. Although men only produce a small amount of estrogen, they will be exposed to estrogen from diet and environment. Some substances, such as the decomposition of pesticide ppt, will interfere with the normal activity of androgen in human body, resulting in androgen deficiency. This may explain the causes of male children's reproductive organ defects, testicular increase, infertility, prostate cancer and testicular diseases. Some men will suffer from male climacteric diseases in their later years. Symptoms of this disease include fatigue, depression, sexual hypofunction, fat redistribution and weight gain, including breast tissue hyperplasia.
Prostaglandins synthesized from basic fat can make cells sensitive to hormones. Prostaglandins are closely related to many hormones, especially sex hormones. The deficiency of essential fat, or the deficiency of nutrients (such as vitamin b3, vitamin b6 and vitamin C, biotin, magnesium and zinc) that can convert essential fat into prostaglandin, will cause symptoms related to hormone imbalance.
These nutrients, together with essential fat, are very helpful to relieve premenstrual syndrome and menopausal symptoms. Vitamin e is helpful for menopausal symptoms. This may be because vitamin E can protect essential fats and prostaglandins from oxidation.
★ Balance your hormones
Some hormones are similar to fat, and these hormones are called steroid hormones; Some are similar to protein, such as insulin. Are made up of some ingredients in food, so diet plays a vital role in maintaining the balance of hormone levels.
If you suffer from a typical hormonal imbalance (such as estrogen dominance), it may be necessary to take a small amount of natural progesterone. This kind of progesterone is very different from the chemically synthesized estrogen existing in some contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy. Compared with the natural products of the human body, the doses of those synthetic estrogens are usually much larger.
In order to keep the balance of hormones in our body, we should do the following:
1, maintain a diet with low fat content in animals.
2. Choose organic vegetables and meat as much as possible.
3. Don't eat greasy food packed with pvc (polyvinyl chloride) food film.
4. Try to eat little or no irritants, such as coffee, tea, chocolate, sugar and cigarettes.
5. Reduce stress.
6. Make sure you get enough essential fat from seed food and seed oil or supplements. You can also choose to take α -linolenic acid to supplement essential fat.
7. Make sure that your food contains the best levels of vitamin b3 and vitamin b6, biotin, magnesium and zinc.
8. If you suffer from premenstrual syndrome or menopausal syndrome, you can consider adding supplements beneficial to hormone balance. These supplements contain high contents of vitamin b3, vitamin b6 and vitamins C, biotin, magnesium and zinc. Menopausal female friends can also choose to take pueraria isoflavones, which can regulate estrogen from two aspects.
[Part of this article is taken from the Nutrition Bible translated by Fan Zhihong. The author of Nutrition Bible is Patrick Holford of Britain, and Patrick Holford is an authoritative expert in the field of health and nutrition in the world.