Aug2015_GET TO KNOW YOUR HEALTH:
Piecing the puzzle
Hormones Part 5
I hope your memory is better than mine, as sitting down to write this part of the hormone topic, I thought back to what we have covered, and struggled to remember it all. If you are struggling like me, all the previous articles are now up on the www.primecompounding.com.au website with some more info and links.
I should warn you though, reading over it again did leave me concerned as I read that menopause can cause memory and cognitive changes. And all of a sudden…………
Argh crap, I think I could be menopausal! (Or just be an incredibly creative hypochondriac…). The last pieces of the sex hormone puzzle are going to hopefully tie it all together and either make this very complex system make more sense, or just totally confuse the hell of out everyone.
The first cab off the rank is called Oxytocin, but is often called the love hormone. While this hormone doesn’t actually belong to the sex hormones, I feel it’s still topical to include it now. Oxytocin is produced by the hypothalamus in the brain; where it produces its more ‘psychological’ effects (and pharmacologically experimental treatments), however its release into the wider body is where it produces its more tangible effects. During childbirth, oxytocin is released in large amounts causing contractions during the later stages of labour, but more interestingly this release also governs the bonding moment between mother and child after birth. Smaller amounts of oxytocin release reinforce this during breastfeeding, where it’s responsible for the breasts letdown reflex (milk flow).
Psychologically, oxytocin is thought to be behind many of those ‘bonding’ behaviours such as romantic attachment, social group bonding, physical and mental sexual arousal, sexual enjoyment, basal generosity and trustingness. It’s even thought to be behind the strong bonding relationship between man and ‘man’s best friend’. I bet you’re thinking, ‘well duh! If it’s related to all the other bonding scenarios then of course,’ but the study focused a little differently, finding that a dog’s level of oxytocin will increase significantly after a petting session, so they are actually bonding with us too.
The light at the end of the tunnel; or in this case otherwise known as Dehydroepiandrosterone, is the last piece of the puzzle. ($50 to anyone who can say it fast….3 times in row…after a few drinks) Luckily someone had the great idea to shorten it to its acronym, hence its more common name, DHEA, and the tail end of this hormone story…well sort of.
DHEA is a hormone that, while producing effects on its own merit, its importance is more closely tied to its primary role; being the parent (precursor) of both estrogen and testosterone, where it can convert to either depending on our body’s need. DHEA is produced in the brain and a few other places, but like most others, most is made in the adrenal gland. It’s found in both men and women and while many may not know much (if anything) about it, it’s the most abundant circulating steroid hormone in the human body. DHEA also balances the body’s stress hormone (Cortisol), which is the proposed mechanism behind its many anti-aging and other properties. However, while these benefits have been shown, most remain contested, except for its use in the treatment of Adrenal Insufficiency, low bone mineral density and in its cardio protective effect in men.
In summary, the interplay between the big three (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone) is a very rigid affair in both sexes. Men are relatively easy to explain though, as their estrogen and progesterone levels stay relatively low always, and their testosterone levels rise sharply but fall slowly over many years. The hormone triad just isn’t so simple in women.
I like to think of female hormones as kind of like ballroom dancers, except they are trying to dance with three people instead of just two. The routine works but it’s crowded, and there is going to be regular times when one partner (estrogen) will bump into another (progesterone). This bumpy exchange is the point at which those (dare I say it) menstrual/premenstrual issues can pop up. Oh, I almost forgot, half way through the routine, two of the partners (estrogen & progesterone) must bump into each other pretty hard. Because they both end up unconscious (menopausal) on the floor on top of the third partner (testosterone) who got caught on their way down. This is the point in which a lot of women, often feel like their music is off and their dance floor is empty. But modern medicine produced a solution (for some…) which offers a (complicated/challenging) choice; HRT or not HRT!
This is the topic of next months article, which should hopefully tie up any loose ends from the expansive topic just covered. If you just can’t wait till then, you want to know more or just feel like a chat? Just drop into the pharmacy, or visit another local health care practitioner or go to the Prime Compounding website for more info.
Written by Andrew Harvey
Dayboro Pharmacy, Phone 3425 1435,
Mon – Fri 8.30am – 5.30pm Sat 8.30am – 12.30pm
