Hormones--a little information for y'all

(Entry taken directly from my lecture notes for this month's Weston A. Price meeting--Northern KY chapter) Visit nwhic.com or call 859.331.2800 for more information on how you can be involved in this wonderful organization.

What is a hormone?

Hormones are biochemical messengers that exert profound and specific metabolic influences throughout the body.

The endocrine system produces a multitude of hormones that work together as a synergistic whole.

The gastro-intestinal tract is a key producer of brain hormones. We now know that all currently known brain hormones are also produced in the GI tract.

Hormones are very tightly controlled by body because they are so powerful. Tiny amounts of hormones are released directly into the bloodstream and exert profound effects on body processes. Hormones are not food. Hormones are not nutritional supplements. Hormones are not like vitamins or minerals. Hormones are not herbs and hormones are not nutriceutical products. Hormones are chemicals that cause cellular changes that enter the deepest internal workings of your body cells and effect the growth and development of human tissue and the necessary physiological changes that will be needed to support the cellular changes.

Hormones levels in the body are measured in parts per billion or nanograms and parts per trillion or picograms. One part per billion is like putting a pinch of salt in 10 tons of potato chips. One part trillion is like putting one drop of water in a train that is 660 tank cars long stretching out over six miles of track!

Hormones work with nerves as the body’s control system . Together they coordinate all adaptation to the world around as well as integrating every physical, mental, and emotional function.

They govern, among other things:

All metabolism--this is the building up, and the breaking down of the body and the extraction of energy from food.

Development and reproduction. The ability not only to desire sex, but to be successful is under hormonal control.

Mental, emotional and behavioral processes. The way you act, think and feel is a hormonal function.

Growth, repair and maintenance. A single hormone can function in many ways. For example, testosterone is the great building hormone for muscle and strength, but only in very small amounts. Testosterone is actually a catabolic hormone which will cause a breakdown of body tissue in improper amounts.

Many of the processes of fetal development including brain and nerve tissue.

Where are we exposed to hormones?

Until recently, all human exposure to hormones was simply to those we made in our own body, termed endogenous hormones, and those that naturally occur in plants termed phyto-hormones.

In the last 60 years, 87,000 new man-made chemicals have been introduced into our food, water and air.

Many, many of these 87,000 chemicals are now known to be hormone disruptors.

One category of this special class of hormones is termed Xeno-hormones or Xeno-estrogens.

Xeno comes from the greek word for foreign.

Estrogen is a female hormone.

Today we have 10’s of thousands of xenoestrogens which easily enter the human body, attach themselves to receptor ports on cells and start overriding the normal hormone controls of all biochemical processes.

Unlike normal hormones, a Xeno-hormone is forever. Your human hormones are produced in very small amounts with opposing hormones to control and prevent abnormal and destructive cellular events.

For example, progesterone is an opposer to estrogen but is no match for the powerful xenon-hormones. Normal hormones are easily metabolized and then broken down by the liver. Xeno-hormones bind permanently to the cell receptor site, accumulating in fat tissue, and ultimately disrupting normal biological processes.

Such normal processes under hormonal control include:

The proper amount of acid to digest food--not too much acid, not too little acid. Gastrin is the group of hormones that actually control normal and appropriate acid production. Nexium and other meds seem to be necessary now to perform this vital role.

Normal sleep and waking pattern. Melatonin is the “sleep” hormone. It is interestingly, also an estrogen opposing hormone, easily used up by xenon-estrogen overload. Lunesta and other sleep aids seem to be absolutely necessary today.

Sugar handling is done by normal insulin production. Insulin is a hormone. We have an explosion of diabetic disease and pre-diabetic disease that is out of control and shows no sign of slowing down.

Normal reproductive interest and capability. Pre 40 infertility clinics and post 40 sexual performance are common parts of our lives today.

Depression is affecting nearly everyone. Mood is definitely under hormone regulation--seratonin receptor sites are the target for SSRI medication .

And don’t even get me started on PMS!!

Just exactly how harmful are the consequences of these hormone disrupters?

…to pregnant women
…to children
…to adults
No one knows for sure.

…to normal intelligence
…to behavior
…to the health of future offspring?
No one knows for sure.

…the cumulative affect of many pollutants building up in the body over time?
No one knows for sure.

WOW!

Our shop-hop was a fantastic success! We had so much fun and have the folks at Kroger, Healthy Alternatives and Wild Oats to thank. Kroger greeted us with a very informative tour and gave us all HUGE tote bags filled to the brim with awesome free stuff! (Thanks Kroger!) Healthy Alternatives sent us on a scavenger hunt and awarded over 50 dollars in gift certificates to the lucky winners. Wild Oats cooked up quite a scrumptious organic feast for the hoppers (most had seconds of that divine spinach-strawberry salad with poppy seed dressing).

We all learned so much about organic foods. We can't wait for the next shop-hop (date TBA) this fall. Call us at 859.331.2800 for more information or to make your reservations. Bring a friend or make a new one, and get out there and shop with us!

Check out our website nwhic.com for photos of this event (go to "calendar" and scroll down for the link).