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In the same way that there are healthy ranges for
cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure levels, there are optimum
ranges for hormone levels. Sex steroid hormones are chemical messengers that
circulate throughout your body and tell your cells what to do. From time you
are born, these important hormones not only ensure that you will grow and
develop, but they also help to protect you from disease. The texture and
suppleness of your skin, the strength of your muscles and bones, the
flexibility of your arteries and veins, your digestion and elimination, your
sexuality, even your ability to cope with stress, are all impacted by your
sex steroid hormones.
Some Functions of Your Endocrine System:
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Determines sex characteristics (male vs. female
genitalia)
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Enables a woman to become pregnant and carry a baby
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Mediates sex drive
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Enables individuals to build strong, healthy bones
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Determines how slowly or quickly the aging process
proceeds
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Maintains the crucial balance between the body's
electrolytes (important minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium and
magnesium).
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Monitors what’s going on in the environment,
interpreting what a person sees
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and experiences, and translates the information into
physical reactions which allow for adaptation to change and stress
Particular hormones from the endocrine glands carry out many
critical functions. For example, the sex steroid hormones
Estradiol
and
Progesterone control the rhythm of a woman’s monthly cycles. Estradiol and two
weaker estrogens,
Estrone and
Estriol,
are being used increasingly in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to replace
diminishing levels.
Testosterone, another
sex steroid hormone, wakes up the libido (sex drive) while
DHEA aids in
creating and maintaining lean muscle mass. The pineal hormone,
Melatonin,
is necessary for going to sleep at night. The adrenal gland produces
Cortisol,
the hormone that responds to stress. Knowing and being able to manage the
levels of these hormones helps your body function properly. Nutrivea has
developed testing for hormone levels in saliva – a superior medium for
measurement of body hormone levels.
Hormone
Benefits
Estradiol
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Relieves menopausal symptoms
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Protects against osteoporosis, heart disease,
Alzheimer’s disease, colon cancer, incontinence and tooth loss
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Enhances mental acuity and memory
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Increases serotonin and endorphin levels
Estrone
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Readily converts to estradiol
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Levels increase following menopause giving the body
some estrogen benefits
Estriol
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Essential for a successful pregnancy
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Useful in promoting urogenital health
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Reported to oppose and modulate the more potent
estrogen, estradiol
Progesterone
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Decreases risk of endometrial cancer
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Enhances mood and has a calming effect
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Involved in reduction of PMS and menopausal hot
flashes
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Regulates fluid balance
Testosterone
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Builds muscle and promotes muscle tone
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Increases libido
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Helps strengthen bones
DHEA
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Helps protect against heart disease, osteoporosis,
diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis
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Can increase and enhance energy levels, libido,
memory, and immunity
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Protects against the effects of stress
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Aids weight loss and healing of burns
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Helps to prevent wrinkles and dry eyes
Cortisol
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Helps in responding and coping with stress, trauma,
infection, and environmental extremes
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Increases energy and metabolism
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Helps regulate blood pressure
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Enhances the integrity of blood vessels
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Reduces allergic and inflammatory response
Melatonin
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Regulates sleep / wake cycle
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Reported to have powerful antioxidant properties
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