Hormones

Let’s take a look at the different hormones and why it is so important to balance your hormones.

Estrogen is primarily known as the female hormone, but men also produce estrogen, but in smaller amounts.  In women, the estrogen hormone helps stimulate the growth and development of sexual characteristics and reproduction.  In puberty, this is the hormone that develops the breasts and then while a woman is pregnant, develops the ducts for breast milk.  It also is responsible for the growth of the uterine lining in the first part of the menstrual cycle as well as regulating cholesterol and bone growth.  In men, estrogen stimulates chest and facial hair to grow, muscle development, and deepens the male voice.  It also helps men in the growth and maturity of sperm as well as increasing libido and increased sex drive.

 

The benefits of estrogen:

·      Combats obesity

·      Fights osteoporosis

·      Prevents diabetes

 

Estrogen and progesterone work hand in hand.  When either one is out of balance, it can make us quite miserable.

 

Indications of low estrogen in a woman:

·      Hot flashes

·      Breast tenderness

·      Insomnia

·      Memory Loss

·      Low Libido

·      Low Sex Drive

·      Painful intercourse

·      Reduced collagen

 

Indications of too much estrogen in a woman:

·      Headaches

·      Fatigue

·      Weight Gain

·      Anxiety

·      Allergies

 

Effects of too much estrogen in men:

·      Prostate Cancer

·      Heart Disease

·      Gynecomastia  (enlarged breasts)

·      Loss of muscle mass

·      Fatigue

·      Low libido

·      Erectile dysfunction

·      Increased body fat

·      Diabetes

 

This is why it is so important to get your hormone levels tested.  Aging Younger will look at your levels and customize the exact amount your body needs to balance your hormones.  Many doctors today prescribe estrogen for symptoms, when in fact, the very issue is too much estrogen.

Progesterone is the "happy hormone" and is responsible for hormones that are vital for good health.  It pulls the trigger for not only your DHEA, testosterone and estrogen, but also cortisol, the stress hormone.

 

Benefits of progesterone:

·      Regulates blood suger

·      Builds bones

·      Brain Activity

·      Regulates thyroid

·      Boosts libido

·      Anti-depressant

·      Blood clotting

·      Induces sleep

·      Natural diuretic

·      Boost immune system

 

Symptoms of low progesterone in women:

·      Breast tenderness

·      Headaches

·      Anxiety

·      Weight Gain

·      Chronic stress

 

Symptoms of high progesterone in women:

·      Vaginal Dryness

·      Low Sex Drive

·      Fatigue

·      Depression

 

Good nutrition and exercise alone can help correct estrogen levels, but it isn’t always enough to help the issues that hormone imbalance causes.

 

Symptoms of low progesterone in men include:

·      Low libido

·      Hair Loss

·      Weight Gain

·      Fatigue

·      Depression

·      Gynecomastia (enlarged breasts)

·      Erectile dysfunction

·      Impotence

·      Bone Loss

·      Muscle Loss

 

Progesterone also serves as a great combative to many health issues such as osteoporosis and more.

While testosterone is thought of as the male hormone, it is equally important in women.

Hormonal balance is like a jig-saw puzzle without all of the pieces in place, it just doesn’t work.

 

Benefits of testosterone:

·      Improved bone density

·      Weight Loss

·      Increased lean muscle

·      Increased sex drive

·      Decreased hot flashes

·      Decreased night sweats

·      Improved memory

 

Benefits of testosterone for women specifically:

·      Increased Bone Strength

·      Increased Energy Level

·      Increased Sex Drive

·      Increased Libido

·      Increased sexual pleasure in nipples and clitoris

 

Benefits of testosterone for men specifically:

·      Increased sexual drive

·      Increased sperm production

·      Produces erections and increased sexual stamina

 

For men, the right level of testosterone is crucial.  Let’s look at the specifics.

 

Symptoms of low testosterone in men:

·      Loss of body and facial hair

·      Loss of muscle mass

·      Hot flashes

·      Brittle bones

·      Increased breast size

·      Depression

 

Symptoms of too much testosterone:

·      Low sperm count

·      Shrinking testicles

·      Heart muscle damage

·      Impotence

·      Liver Disease

·      Aggressive Behavior

·      Insomnia

·      Acne

 

Cortisol is known as the stress hormone.  It is responsible for your response to stress.  Cortisol is at its highest in the morning and then slowly decreases as the day proceeds.  The right level of cortisol in your body is incredibly important since cortisol is how your body handles stress.  It is also hugely responsible for fatigue.

 

Effects of cortisol imbalance in women:

·      Weight Gain

·      Foggy Thinking

·      Fatigue

·      Depression

·      Anxiety

·      Irritability

 

Effects of cortisol imbalance in men:

·      High Blood Pressure

·      Hyperglycemia

·      Weight Gain

·      Weakened Immune System

·      Fatigue

·      Depresssion

·      Bone and Muscle Loss

·      Foggy Thinking

·      Anxiety

·      Irritability

 

DHEA is sometimes called the “mother of all hormones.”  It is the profuse steroid in our bodies.  It is the hormone that effects all of your other hormones.  When your DHEA is out of balance, then it effects all of your other hormones.  Once you have your 30^th birthday, your DHEA level will begin to decrease.

 

Low levels of DHEA Symptoms:

·      Fatigue

·      Aching joints

·      Loss of strength

·      Decreased muscle mass

·      Decreased sex drive

·      Poor immune function

 

Benefits of DHEA balanced:

·      Better immune system

·      Improved memory

·      Increased testosterone

·      Better body fat ratio

·      Better flexibility

·      Increased endurance

·      Fights auto-immune disorers

·      Decreased risk of dementia

·      Decreased risk of obesity

·      Prevents osteoporosis

·      Combats chronic fatigue

·      Fights depression

 

As you can see, our hormones are responsible for so much.  When we are younger and our bodies are producing all the hormones we need, and those levels are balanced, we do not see all of the issues that began occurring as we age.  Hormones truly are responsible for helping you age younger.  There is no need to accept that feeling bad is just something that happens as you age.  At Aging Younger, we will partner with you to customize the exact balance of hormones your body needs.  Because are hormones are bioidentical, your body will embrace them rather than fight them.  Call us today to find out more.