What are "hormones"?

The term "hormone" comes from the ancient Greek (ὁρμᾶν hormān) and means "to drive" or "to excite". In medicine, the term was coined by Ernest Starling in 1905.

Hormones are produced by the body itself. Messenger substances, which consist of a hormone gland in the blood circulation be submitted in order to a specific effect in other organs to achieve this. (A special form is the so-called "neurohormones", which are produced by nerve cells and released into the blood.)

There are therefore 3 characteristics of hormones:

• Messenger substances produced in the hormone glands
• They are transported to their site of action in the blood.
• Specifically alter the activity of the target cells

What are the functions of hormones?

Hormones regulate a variety of physiological mechanisms and behavioral activities, such as:

• Growth and puberty
• metabolism
• Body temperature
• Sleep/Biorhythm
• Water balance
• memory
• Blood pressure/Heart rate/Blood lipids
• Energy balance (blood sugar)
• Sensations/Moods/Feelings/Stress
• Sex/Reproduction/Pregnancy

Each hormone has its own unique biochemical structure and functions according to the "lock and key principle".

What types of hormones are there?

3 hormone classes:

• Amino acid derivatives
  • T3 and T4 from the thyroid gland, adrenaline and noradrenaline from the adrenal gland, melatonin ("sleep hormone"), serotonin ("feel-good hormone")
• Protein- && Polypeptide hormones
  • They are broken down in the intestines – therefore oral administration is not possible.
  • Examples: TSH, ACTH, FSH, LH, pancreatic insulin
• Steroid hormones (Steroids are ring-shaped molecules that belong to the fats and are part of the cell membrane; all are derived from cholesterol)
  • Lipophilic ("fat-soluble") – are bound to globulins and transported in the blood
  • Examples: estrogens, progesterone, androgens, aldosterone
  • Sites of steroid hormone synthesis:
    • Cortisol (“stress hormone”): Adrenal glands
    • Testosterone (“male hormone”): testes (80%)/ovaries (50%), adrenal glands
    • Estrogens (“female hormones”): Testes/Ovaries && placenta, adipose tissue, adrenal glands
    • Progesterone (“pregnancy hormone”): testicles/ovaries && placenta, brain, adrenal glands
    • DHEA (“Good-Aging Hormone”): Testes/Ovaries, Brain, Adrenal Glands (90%)

Focus on adrenal hormones

The adrenal gland is the key organ for optimal stress management.The following hormones are produced by it:

• Aldosterone --&Regulation of sodium, potassium, and fluid levels
• Cortisol --&Regulation of blood sugar, anti-inflammatory, stimulation of the central nervous system, normalization of the stress response
  • Inhibition of HDL cholesterol and increase of LDL cholesterol
  • Anti-inflammatory (inhibition of the transcription factor NF-κB)
  • Humoral immune response (Th2 shift), anti-allergic
  • Suppresses cellular immune response → reduced defense against infection and tumors
  • Cortisol antagonists include progesterone and DHEA.
• DHEA --&Production of sex hormones, regulation of cortisol levels, “anti-aging”
  • DHEA levels decline sharply over the course of life: rising until around age 20, then halving by around age 50, and at the end of life (around age 80) only about 10% of the initial levels remain.
  • DHEA can control the negative effects of excessive cortisol release.
  • DHEA's "character profile": anabolic and immunizing.
    • Athero and cardioprotection
    • Anti-diabetic (increases insulin sensitivity, glucose utilization and lipolysis)
    • Osteoprotection (reduces osteoclast activity and increases bone density)
    • Increased vitality (mental and somatic)
    • Immunoprotection (modulates towards normalization of Th11-Th2 shift, increases natural killer cells, anti-inflammatory)
    • Improves muscle-to-fat ratio
    • Dermaprotection (improves skin thickness, elasticity, oiliness and moisture)
  • Optimal target range DHEAS:
    • Women: 2000-2800 ng/ml
    • Men: 4000-5000 ng/ml
  • Adrenaline, noradrenaline --&reaction to fight or flight situations

Possible symptoms of adrenal insufficiency

• Constant fatigue despite sufficient sleep
• Dizziness after standing up quickly
• Lower tolerance threshold/higher susceptibility to stress
• Increased menstrual cramps
• Craving for salt or salty food
• Poor memory ("scattered")
• Lack of energy (lethargy), reduced performance
• Depressive phases
• Significantly decreased libido
• Improvement in well-being v.a...after dinner

Regulatory circuit of thyroid and adrenal hormones

• The thyroid gland and adrenal glands influence each other.
• Through a feedback loop, the pituitary hormones TSH and ACTH activate the thyroid gland (thyroxine) and the adrenal gland (cortisol) in the brain, respectively.
• Put simply, the division of roles is as follows:
  • The thyroid gland provides and regulates energy in the body (via T3 and T4).
  • However, the adrenal glands must be strong enough to handle this metabolic energy.
  • This can result in "poorly controlled hypothyroidism" that shows little improvement even with therapy.
• Adrenal fatigue creates the following "vicious cycle":
  • The pituitary gland also reduces ACTH --&A fatigued adrenal gland leads to lower cortisol production.
  • TSH is reduced --&subclinical hypothyroidism (adaptation of the body to cortisone deficiency)
  • DangerIf this hypothyroidism is treated with L-thyroxine, the pituitary gland, via ACTH release, prompts the adrenal gland to produce more cortisol.However, if the adrenal gland is already exhausted, then the symptoms of adrenal insufficiency really become apparent. Therefore, in cases of hypothyroidism, adrenal insufficiency should always be investigated as a possible underlying cause!
• Excursus on Hashimoto's disease (Source: Schulte-Uebbing 2012):
  • There is a correlation between the occurrence of Hashimoto's thyroiditis and estrogen dominance (pregnancy improves Hashimoto's).
  • When progesterone is additionally administered to replace thyroid hormones, anti-TPO levels decrease (30-50% within 2-6 months).
  • Sleep, mood, and physical and mental resilience also often improve under this combination therapy.
  • It is important to simultaneously compensate for a frequently existing deficiency of zinc, selenium and vitamin D3.

Focus on estrogen and progesterone

estrogen

• “Character image” estrogen: feminine, soft and moisturizing
• There are 3 different estrogens in the body:
• Estrone (E1) = the storage form
• Estradiol (E2) = the “main estrogen” (the most potent estrogen)
  • "Make the woman a woman"
  • It stores fat, it retains water
  • Slows down metabolism by inhibiting thyroid function
  • Reduces the overall risk of heart disease by 40-50%
  • Improves mood and enhances brain function.
  • Slows down bone loss by inhibiting osteoclasts
  • Promotes cell regeneration of the uterine lining and breasts in the first half of the menstrual cycle.
• Estriol (E3) = the “mucosal estrogen” (but has only about 10% of the biological activity of E2)
• The ideal ratio E1 : E2 : E3 is between 10 : 10 : 80 and 20 : 20 : 60.
• Typical symptoms of estrogen deficiency:
  • Depressed mood
  • Cosmetic aspects such as crow's feet or vertical mouth wrinkles
  • Mucosal atrophy, dystrophic breasts
  • Sleep disturbance
  • Slim, petite, perfectionistic

progesterone

• Occurs in both women and men
• Precursor of testosterone
• 20% of the receptors are located in the brain.
• “Character image” Progesterone: balancing and energizing
  • Natural antidepressant – the “feel-good hormone”
  • Neuroprotective
  • Important role in fat burning
  • Dehydrating (antimineralocorticoid effect)
  • Improves thyroid function
  • Protects against breast pain and cysts
  • Promotion of apoptosis v.a. in the uterus, ovaries, breasts and prostate
  • Stimulates bone formation via osteoblasts
  • Normalizes blood sugar levels, lowers insulin levels
• Typical progesterone deficiency symptoms:
  • Headaches and migraines, v.apremenstrual
  • Myoma formation
  • Spotting, hypermenorrhea (even leading to iron deficiency anemia)
  • Difficulty falling asleep
  • Aggression, inner restlessness
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Increase in abdominal fat (“pear shape”)
  • Lack of libido

The “hormone triangle” of estradiol/progesterone/testosterone

All hormones interact with each other to form an individual "hormonal orchestra". If one of them is elevated or reduced, it will affect all the other "players".

• For example, the physiological estradiol/testosterone ratio is 1:6 in women and 1:10 in men.
• The physiological estradiol/progesterone ratio is between 1:100 and 1:200 across genders.

Furthermore, there are hundreds of genes whose promoters are regulated by estrogens/progesterone. This affects more gene segments than previously thought. A lack of estrogens/progesterone leads to disruptions in gene regulation. This explains the wide range of possible symptoms associated with estrogen/progesterone deficiency. Therefore, hormonal supplementation is not about "rejuvenation," but rather about addressing the root cause as directly as possible.

What can disrupt the hormonal balance?

• Age-related Menopause (s.u.)
• Chronic stress
• Sleep disorders
• Hormonal contraception (pill, IUD, ring, patch)
• Surgery (uterus, ovaries)
• Thyroid disease
• Pituitary gland disorder
• Anorexia/Eating disorders
• Environmental toxins (plasticizers – v.a. BPA)
• etc.

The “menopause”

What are typical "menopause" symptoms in women and men?

Woman

• Hot flashes
• Sweating
• Sleep disorders
• listlessness
• Dry mucous membranes, painful sex
• Depression
• nervousness
• irritability
• Memory impairment
• hair loss
• Increase in body fat
• Joint pain
• loss of muscle mass
• Skin aging/Wrinkling
• osteoporosis
• Bone pain
• Joint pain
• Heart palpitations
• Cardiac arrhythmias

Man

• Decreased sexual desire
• Erectile dysfunction
• Depression
• Sleep disorders
• irritability
• listlessness
• Memory impairment
• States of exhaustion
• Increase in body fat
• loss of muscle mass
• High blood pressure
• Elevated cholesterol levels
• Skin aging/Wrinkling
• osteoporosis
• Bone pain
• Joint pain
• Heart palpitations
• Cardiac arrhythmias
• Sweating

What happens on a hormonal level during the "menopause" (climacteric)?

“Myth of estrogen deficiency” in menopausal symptoms:

The prevailing opinion is that menopausal symptoms result from an estrogen deficiency. Accordingly, treatment involves "estrogens".

However, estrogen continues to be produced, but in smaller quantities and not in the ovaries, but predominantly in the fat cells from the male hormones androstenedione and testosterone (with the help of the enzyme aromatase).

The real problem, however, is that the balance between estrogen and progesterone is no longer correct, as the progesterone level drops much faster than the estrogen level:

During menopause, estrogen levels drop to below 25 ng/l in the first half of the cycle and below 80 ng/l in the second half.The progesterone level is very low, tending towards zero. The FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone – produced in the pituitary gland, influencing the female menstrual cycle and responsible for the proper functioning of the female reproductive system), on the other hand, is high. rises to values ​​above 12 IU/l.

D.hContrary to popular belief, at the beginning of menopause it is not the estrogen deficiency, but rather the progesterone, which drops even more sharply in relation to estrogen, that is responsible for the hormonal imbalance between estrogen and progesterone! Because it's not absolute values, but ratios that determine well-being. For example, the physiological progesterone/estrogen ratio in women is between 1:100 and 1:200. At the beginning of menopause, this ratio deteriorates significantly, with progesterone levels falling further.

1. phase of menopause: Loss of progesterone

• Irregular menstrual cycle from the age of 45 onwards
• weight gain
• Water retention
  Therapy: Progesterone – no estrogen/progesterone

2. phase of menopause: Estrogen loss

• Hot flashes
• Sleep disorders
• Joint pain
• Dryness all over the body (genitals, eyes)
• Muscle pain
• Hypercholesterolemia
• Unstable blood pressure
• Irregular heartbeat/palpitations

3. phase of menopause: Loss of androgens

• Stimulate the metabolism
• Strengthen connective tissue
• Important for mental health
• Important for libido
• Starting material for the synthesis of other hormones
• Weight problems in the abdominal area
• Enlarging breasts
• Chronic fatigue

Important: Male hormones are also important for women! And female hormones are also important for men!

Deficiency-associated complaints

• progesterone
  • Depressive mood
  • Restlessness, irritability
  • anxiety
  • Irregular/shortened cycles
  • Bleeding disorders, hyperplasia
  • Mastodynia, mastopathy
  • Edema, labile hypertension
  • Osteopenia
• estrogen
  • Sweating
  • Mood instability
  • Sleep disorders
  • Vaginal dryness
  • Prolonged menstruation
  • Joint pain
  • Incontinence
  • Osteopenia
• androgens (v.aTestosterone)
  • Libido reduction
  • Reduced vitality
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Low-fat skin
  • anemia
  • Atrophy (tissue, muscle)
  • Fat accumulation

Therapy of the orduring menopause

• Symptomatic
  • Antirheumatic drugs
  • Blood pressure lowering medication
  • Antidepressants
  • Bisphosphonate
  • Sleeping pills
  • Painkillers
  • Synthetic hormones
• Holistic
  • Bioidentical hormones
  • Dietary supplement

What are hormones made from?

• Synthetic hormones
  • Urine of pregnant mares
  • Chemical
• Bioidentical hormones
  • Progesterone from yam root (Dioscorea vilosa)
  • Identical to the body's own hormones
  • Same spectrum of effects
  • No increased risk of cancer

Effects of synthetic hormones

• Foreign substances for the body (different chemical structure)
• Cancer risk increased by up to 80% (s.u.)
• Ultimately unknown effect
• Biological structures change
• They only alleviate a few symptoms
• Promote remodeling processes in the body

How synthetic hormones can trigger breast cancer

"Vienna. Scientists at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences clarified the connection between the use of synthetic sex hormones and an increased risk of breast cancer. (…) Only a small proportion of those affected have inherited the predisposition; in most cases, the tumor is acquired through external influences. (…) Factors that promote breast cancer include the intake of synthetic progesterones (progestogens) as part of hormone replacement therapy or for hormonal contraception. (...) Original work: Osteoclast differentiation factor RANKL controls development of progestin-driven mammary cancer (Schramek et al.). Nature AOP, September 29, 2010, doi:10.1038/nature09387; Source: RANK Ligand mediates progestin-induced mammary epithelial proliferation and carcinogenesis
(Gonzalez-Suarez et al.). Nature AOP, September 29, 2010, doi:10.1038/nature09495

Risks of synthetic hormones

Source: Breast cancer data according to Fournier et al. 2005 and Clavel-Chapelon et al. 2005/2006 in 69647 women (in Europe): No increased cancer risk has been observed with natural estrogen and progesterone..

Difference between bioidentical hormones and synthetic hormones (= medications with hormonal effects) – using progesterone as an example:

• In the 1930s, progesterone was first extracted from the pig ovaries, then also from the placenta of women.
• In 1939, it was finally possible to produce progesterone from the diosgenin of the yam root. (Incidentally, this discovery also formed the basis for the development of the birth control pill in the USA in 1951), which reduced the price of progesterone from over $100/gram to a few cents.
• But that was natural Progesterone became uninteresting to the pharmaceutical industry because natural substances cannot be patented. Consequently, "progestogens" were developed – d.h. Medications with hormonal effects.
• The difference between hormones and drugs with hormonal effects lies in their altered biochemical structure.:
  • Bioidentical hormones have an identical structure to the body's own hormones., d.hThey trigger original metabolic processes and integrate into the natural synthesis pathway.
  • Synthetically altered hormones, on the other hand, are foreign substances!
• No natural hormone causes side effects at the dose the body is used to.

Hormones compared:

Which micronutrients are beneficial for menopausal symptoms?

• Yam root as a source of diosgenin. Diosgenin is very similar to progesterone (corpus luteum hormone), which is naturally produced by the ovaries.
• Red clover and hops
  • They belong to the phytoestrogens (3 groups: isoflavones (u.a. Soybeans, hops, red clover), lignans (e.g. flaxseed) and coumestans (e.g. black beans or alfalfa sprouts)
  • Blockage of proliferative ER-alpha receptors: breast, uterus, liver
  • Estrogen-like effects via apoptotic ER-beta receptors: bones, blood vessels, brain, bladder
  • Antioxidant effect and strengthening of the immune system
• Chaste tree:
• Strengthens progesterone levels/has a diuretic effect
• Lowers prolactin and raises progesterone levels in the second half of the menstrual cycle.
• Key symptoms: Mastodynia, premenopausal menstrual and bleeding disorders, premenstrual depression, premenstrual edema
• Cordyceps: In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), cordyceps is used to treat menopausal symptoms because it strengthens kidney energy. This is said to alleviate both hot flashes and cold symptoms.
• Valerian: a study with 60 postmenopausal women investigated the influence of valerian on excessive sweating. investigated – with the result that valerian helps with hot flashes was able to significantly reduce the effects compared to the placebo (see above). https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03630242.2017.1296058)
• Iron: Men and postmenopausal women lose about one milligram of iron daily. Since women, especially at the beginning of menopause, often experience prolonged and heavy bleeding, iron deficiency is not uncommon.
• Vitamins B6, B9 (folic acid), and B12: In combination with vitamin B12 and folic acid, vitamin B6 is essential for breaking down the cellular toxin homocysteine. This toxin is present in higher concentrations in the blood due to the reduced estrogen levels during menopause. Vitamins B6 and B12 They also support the production of the "feel-good hormone" serotonin.
• Melatonin: increases the body's estrogen sensitivity