The Balancing Act: Navigating the Hormonal Health Space
From understanding the role hormones play in our daily lives to exploring strategies for achieving balance, this week we dive into the importance and science behind our hormonal health.
Hormones have quickly become the latest fixation of health and wellness community and rightfully so. They are one of the MOST important aspects of our health and affect everything from blood pressure to metabolism to mood. Our bodies are finely tuned machines, relying on a delicate balance of hormones to regulate various bodily functions. There is still so much that is unknown about hormones, but what we are certain about is that they are crucial to our health and wellbeing.
Scientists have identified over 50 hormones that work within our bodies. Some of the most notable include cortisol, serotonin, testosterone, estrogen, insulin, oxytocin, and adrenaline. These hormones are often referred to as the bodies messengers, working together to orchestrate a symphony of physiological processes that keep us alive and well. Hormones and the glands that secrete them are part of the endocrine system, which is responsible for heart rate, metabolism, reproduction, and more. Hormones work through communication between two endocrine glands and an endocrine gland and a target organ. There are 7 glands/organs that make up the endocrine system; pituitary, hypothalamus, pineal, adrenal, thyroid, pancreas, and ovaries (or testes in males). Each play a unique role in the human body. Homeostasis (blood pressure, blood sugar, electrolyte balance, temperature), reproduction, sexual function, mood, sleep, growth, and metabolism are all regulated by hormones.
When hormones are unbalanced or the endocrine system isn’t functioning properly, individuals can experience chronic health conditions such as diabetes, endocrine cancers and tumors, thyroid diseases, sexual and reproductive issues, and even bone conditions. Doesn’t matter if you are old or young, rich or poor, male or female, hormone imbalances can affect anyone at any time. Many of these hormonal conditions lead to ancillary side effects such as weight gain, hair loss, acne, infertility, fatigue, and even depression. Some of these conditions are not preventable, like in the case of autoimmune diseases, but many can be managed or even cured with proper hormone regulation and lifestyle changes. Exercising regularly, getting proper nutrition and sleep, limiting alcohol consumption, avoiding smoking, and maintaining healthy weight can all aid in a health endocrine system.
In today’s society, there are also many external factors that act as endocrine disruptors that work against our bodies and cause many of the common side effects mentioned above. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can be found in common household items such as makeup, cleaning supplies, pesticides, toys, and even food and beverage packaging. Consumer companies like Seventh Generation, producer of EDC-free cleaning supplies, Well People, maker of clean makeup, and Henry Rose, a safer fragrance brand, are redefining markets by offering products made and packaged with materials that are not harmful to our endocrine systems.
Outside of these safer consumer products, the hormone diagnostics and testing space has blown up in the past decade. Companies like Everlywell and Allara Health offer at home and lab hormone testing to detect imbalances and some even offer holistic wrap around solutions to help aid in regulation once detected. Longevity focused start ups such as Lifeforce and Function Health offer full metabolic blood panels and a functional medicine platform approach to help prevent long term chronic disease and early aging.
Diving deeper, there are several digital and consumer health companies now offering hormonal health testing and treatment both through insurance and out of pocket. Midi Health is redefining menopause care through their full service platform that offers hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for women experiencing severe menopause side effects. For more than two decades, HRT was feared by any providers and patients to treat symptoms of menopause due to a series of misleading studies dubbed the Women’s Health Initiative that linked HRT and breast cancer. Since then, this claim has been proven false, but for many years menopausal women were being denied HRT therapy or refusing to utilize it to help reduce mood swings, hot flashes, nights sweats and other nasty symptoms that emerged in their late 40s as they transitioned out of the reproductive phase of their life.
Outside of menopausal women, HRT has been used on males primarily to address testosterone imbalances. HRT offers several potential benefits, including improvement in mood, increase in muscle mass and bone density, enhanced libido, and greater energy and vitality. Hone Health, has dominated the male hormonal health market with their modern men's health platform that offers personalized care with data driven insights, licensed physician consultations, and medications, through an innovative Telehealth clinic. Other competitors in the market such as Blokes and even the publicly traded company Hims have capitalized on this increased consumer interest in hormonal health by offering an array of hormone targeted products and services.
One of the most promising hormonal health spaces, not shockingly, is in the treatment of hormone imbalances as it relates to obesity. With the rise of GLP-1s, more and more providers and patients are looking into alternative weight management solutions that don’t cost thousands of dollars out of pocket. Obesity is tied heavily to hormonal health. The hormone leptin, which is produced by fat cells, helps reduce a person’s appetite by acting on specific brain centers to reduce the urge to eat and also seems to affect how the body manages the storage of fat. Diabetes is a direct result of the endocrine’s ability to secrete and use insulin, the stimulator of glucose uptake and another important hormone in weight management. Cortisol, commonly known as the stress hormone, has become one of the most talked about and studied hormones and has an effect on the management of weight gain. The hormone helps blood sugar levels, reduce inflammation, and regulate metabolism. High levels of cortisol in the blood stream have been linked to overeating and weight gain, specifically the accumulation of belly fat.
There are a handful of supplement companies that have come out with “cortisol blockers” that aim to reduce these spikes and therefore prevent overeating and weight gain. Along with supplementation, we’ve seen companies aimed at more holistic nutrition approaches to combat glucose spikes through personalized diet plans and Telehealth dietician consults (Noom, Nourish). Another innovative company tackling this metabolic health problem is Lumen. The company has manufactured a hardware device that tracks your respiratory exchange ratio (RER), the ratio between the metabolic production of CO2 and oxygen to determine the ideal source of fuel for your body (carbs or fats). The platforms then gives you personalized nutrition recommendations and insights to optimize your workout routine as a way to track and improve your metabolic health.
Despite many of these companies being rooted in science and producing great outcomes, the tried and true best ways to manage hormone health are free, easy, and accessible to everyone. Sleep, a healthy diet, exercise, and mindfulness practices are some of the most effective ways to combat hormonal imbalances. If you don’t have deep pockets for these products or services, I recommend implementing small lifestyle changes that can drastically improve side effects from poor hormonal health. and as always it’s important to consult with your doctor about any measures you take to improve hormonal health, especially in cases where you have diagnosable endocrine disorders that often need the attention of trained endocrinologists.
Hormones serve as the body’s internal regulators, influencing virtually every aspect of our health and well-being. From metabolism and mood to reproduction and growth, their impact is profound and far-reaching. Understanding the importance of hormonal balance empowers individuals to prioritize lifestyle choices that support optimal hormonal function, ultimately fostering a state of vibrant health and vitality.
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