What is the role of hormones in the body?
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Dr. Mehmet Oz answered:Your hormones are leading players in your body's chemistry. They affect everything, from our growth through childhood, our sexual development, what moods we're in, to how we break down our food, how well we sleep, how we process stress, how much weight we gain -- just about every function in the body, big and small. They play a role in many health conditions such as diabetes, an over- or underactive thyroid, osteoporosis, obesity, anxiety and depression, and stress disorders like irritable bowel syndrome and headache, as well as normal rites of passage like adolescence, menopause, and andropause.Helpful? 1 person found this helpfulYour hormones are leading players in your body's chemistry. They affect everything, from our growth through childhood, our sexual development, what moods we're in, to how we break down our food, how well we sleep, how we process stress, how... More -
RealAge answered:When we think about hormones, those such as testosterone and estrogen likely first come to mind, but there’s so much more to our endocrine system than the sex hormones that command our reproductive cycle. Every second of every day you have dozens of hormones acting in your body to get certain physiologic functions accomplished. This includes reactions taking place in the skin, too. Physiologically speaking, hormones control much of what we feel be it tired, hungry, horny, hot, or cold. They control the rates of certain chemical reactions, assist in transporting substances through membranes, and help regulate water balance, electrolyte balance, and blood pressure. They manage development, growth, reproduction, and behavior.
Put simply, hormones are the body’s little messengers, which get produced in one part of the body, such as the thyroid, adrenal or pituitary gland, pass into the bloodstream or other body fluid, and go to distant organs and tissues where they act to modify structures and functions. They are like traffic signals, telling our body what to do and when so it can run smoothly and efficiently. Hormones are as much a part of our reproductive system as they are a part of our urinary, respiratory, cardiovascular, nervous, muscular, skeletal, immune, and digestive system.
From The Mind-Beauty Connection: 9 Days to Less Stress, Gorgeous Skin, and a Whole New You by Amy Wechsler.
Find out more about this book: The Mind-Beauty Connection: 9 Days to Less Stress, Gorgeous Skin, and a Who...
When we think about hormones, those such as testosterone and estrogen likely first come to mind, but there’s so much more to our endocrine system than the sex hormones that command our reproductive cycle. Every second of every day you have... More
