Hormonal Information
For years I have had to learn and learn and learn about Hormones. How they work, why they work and why are they so important. I once read in a scientific magazine that enough hormone to fit on a head of a pin can change a personality from male to female and visa- versa. The head of a pin!
This article is a report of findings of what I have learned to date. A great deal of what I learned originated with the following two gentlemen:
Dr. Ray Peat known as the “Father” of Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy/Research
The late Dr. John Lee known as the “Son” of Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy/Research
The following are methods I use to determine a patients’ hormonal profile both female and male.
- Saliva Test because it contains both RNA and DNA and is usually very accurate
- I sometimes back up the saliva test with blood analysis even though it is not as accurate
- I ask my patient to fill out an Adrenal/Hormone Questionnaire which to me is most important because no one knows more about themselves than the patient does.
*Keep in mind that each one of us has a unique biological signature and what may work for one person may not necessarily work for another.
What follows is a brief explanation of hormones beginning with the adrenal glands which play a major role in either making the hormones themselves or providing components to do as such.
The Adrenal Glands:
- Sit on top of each kidney as an umbrella would, but are not part of the kidney
- Known as the fight or flight glands because they assimilate stress
- Produce steroid hormones such as progesterone, mineralocorticoids, glucocorticoids, androgens, estrogens, DHEA, prednisone, and cortisone.
- Due to stress, many of us suffer from adrenal failure which is measured in Stages 1, 2 & 3.
Pregnenolone:
- Known as the “mother steroid compound” because it is the basic raw material for all steroid hormones of the body including cortisone, estrogen, testosterone and DHEA even though technically Pregnenolone is not a true steroid hormone
- It is a GABA (Gamma Amino Butyric Acid) antagonist and increases neurogenesis in the hippocampus of the brain where it is believed Dementia and Alzheimer’s originate.
- It is made from cholesterol in the cells of both the adrenal gland and central nervous system. Inside each cell there are 1000’s of mitochondria (tiny power plants) and it is inside these mitochondria that Pregnenolone is produ
- Reducing allergic reactions
- Acts as a stress buffer
- Reduces inflammation
- Memory Enhancement
- Fatigue Buster
- Anti-depressant and Mood Enhancer
- Arthritis treatment especially Rheumatoid and other Rheumatologic Diseases
**The Pregnenolone Steal is a phenomenon where Pregnenolone is used as the raw material to make the stress hormone cortisol instead of your other hormones.
- The get up and go hormone
- Low estrogen results in hot flashes
- High estrogen results in bloating, holding water and not being able to remove rings from fingers (the ring test)
- Estrogen should be slightly higher in the daytime and slightly lower in the evening
- Too much estrogen in males may lead to prostate Cancer
- A minimal amount of estrogen should be used to alleviate symptoms
- Estrogen products should be stopped for 4-7 days per month
Progesterone:
- The feel good hormone
- Progesterone should be slightly higher in the evening and slightly lower in the daytime hours
- Progesterone use during pregnancy always makes for a healthier more intelligent offspring and plays a major role in preventing post-partum depression
- Progesterone is a precursor to estrogen production
- Progesterone may be needed at bedtime for those who cannot sleep
Testosterone:
- Also the feel good hormone
- Keeps one lean and mean
- Creates muscles and eliminates fatty deposits
- Responsible for libido in both men and women
Cortisol:
- Known in medicine as the “death hormone”
- Should be highest upon awakening and gradually lowering throughout the day
- Involved with the Hippocampus portion of the brain which is responsible for memory and is the portion of the brain where dementia and Alzheimer disease originates
- Low Cortisol involved with either dysglycemia or hypoglycemia
- Imbalances in Cortisol levels wears down the Immune System
- Not being able to sleep is synonymous with cortisol/melatonin coordination issues which can be brain based or adrenal based
Melatonin:
- The sleep hormone
- Should be lowest upon awakening and gradually increase throughout the day with the highest increase being around 3:00am
- Melatonin rises throughout the day gradually lowering Cortisol levels. This is known as the Cortisol/Melatonin Rhythm
- Melatonin activates the Immune System
- If Melatonin does not increase throughout the day, Cortisol cannot go down. This results in people either not being able to fall asleep or once asleep, they wake up in the middle of the night and cannot fall back to sleep.
DHEA (Dehdydroepiandrosterone):
- Most abundant steroid hormone found in humans
- It is made from cholesterol by the adrenal glands but also can be produced by testes, ovaries and brain
- It is a chemical cousin of testosterone and estrogen and can easily convert into either one of the two
- Peaks in the 20’s and gradually diminishes with age
Xenoestrogens: are novel, industrially made compounds that have estrogenic effects and differ chemically from ancient, naturally occurring estrogenic substances produced by living organisms. Their potential ecological and human health impact is under study and it is felt that they may be responsible for the following conditions:
- Erectile Dysfunction (due to men having too much estrogen-not enough testosterone)
- Infertility (not enough estrogen to create a successful fertilization)
- Premature Puberty Female (too much estrogen)
- Early Onset Aggression Male and Female (too much testosterone or testosterone conversion)
- High Cholesterol (needed by the adrenals to create hormones)
The above problems are pandemic (widespread) in society but especially in the United States. It is one thing for a certain number of people to suffer from erectile dysfunction or infertility but another when it is affecting millions. Although it existed in my day, such a thing was rare and almost unheard of.
Closing Comments:
- Working with hormones is no joke and cannot be taken lightly.
- Each individual has a unique biological signature and what works for one person may not work for another.
- When suggesting hormone replacement, they must always be BIO-IDENTICAL for if not, the body simply will not utilize them correctly.
- They should be used for 60- 90 days and then the patient re-tested.
- And last but not least they should only be used to balance the system and are not to be used FOREVER.
- Always use the lowest dose possible to produce the desired results
Hormonal E-books:
Below is a link to two different E-Books. I am sending them to you because I believe you will learn a great deal from the read.
The first is about the Adrenal Hormones, Cortisol and Thyroid connections
http://www.hotzehwc.com/eBooks/Adrenal-Fatigue-and-Cortisol-101.aspx?ext=.pdf
The second E-Book is about Testosterone
http://www.hotzehwc.com/eBooks/Le-ts-Talk-Testosterone.aspx?ext=.pdf
Please take the time to read this and if you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them for you.