Basic Hormones You Should Know About

More and more we’re seeing content about hormone health, imbalances and what to do – and I’m not going to lie to you, it isn’t ALL the best information. Much of it comes from influencers with little to no education, and who certainly don’t practice nutrition or medicine!

There are TONS of hormones in the human body – some that communicate within the tissues they are created in, and others that communicate across tissues in the body. So many hormones, this would become its own science textbook and you can definitely purchase one of those in a bookstore. To make it easy, I like to focus on the basic hormones you should definitely know about in all human bodies.

1. Estrogen. This is actually a category of sex hormones responsible for developing and regulating the “female” reproductive system. There are 3 major estrogens that exert hormonal activity: estrone (E1 or “menopause” estrogen), estradiol (E2 or “period” estrogen) and estriol (E3 or “pregnancy” estrogen). Estrogen has many different roles (like most hormones do), including increasing bone density and collagen development, increasing metabolism, and stimulating uterine and endometrial growth. It also is involved in fluid balancing, promoting lung function, and supporting mental health and verbal memory. We typically think of estrogen as an ovulation hormone (which it does play a strong role in) but did you know that the human body requires BOTH estrogen and testosterone to be present in order to increase libido around ovulation?

2. Progesterone. This hormone belongs to a group called progestogens and is primarily involved in menstruation, pregnancy and embryo creation. On top of these functions, progesterone also supports neuron development and protection and is anti-inflammatory – we often think of progesterone as a natural “relaxing” hormone. Progesterone increases body temperature during the ovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle, which can be identified during basal body temperature tracking (I’ll be writing a post about this in the future!).

3. Testosterone. Commonly thought of as a “male hormone”, testosterone not only is important for male reproductive health but also plays a key role in mental health and wellness – your mood is affected by testosterone! In people who have a period, testosterone spikes before ovulation (increasing libido, of course) and to a small degree before a new period.

4. Cortisol. Another steroid hormone, cortisol is produced in the adrenal glands and is released in a cycle through the day. It increases with stress and low blood sugars, suppressing the immune system, decreasing bone formation and aid in metabolism. While those things don’t sound positive, cortisol is heavily involved in the fight-or-flight response and serves to protect us in emergencies!

5. Insulin. This is actually a peptide (or protein-type) hormone produced in the pancreas. It is an anabolic hormone, important for tissue growth by supporting the storage of carbohydrates. This storage is either in the form of glycogen or triglycerides. When blood sugars are high, insulin is released to bring levels back to a normal range. If insulin levels become high but are not responded to, this is called insulin resistance. Over time insulin resistance can contribute to the development of Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body destroys the cells that make insulin, so no insulin is available to keep blood sugars down – insulin injections are required for survival as extremely high blood sugars can be deadly.

6. Glucagon. Also a peptide hormone, and also produced in the pancreas, glucagon has the opposite action of insulin. When blood sugars are low, glucagon is secreted and stimulates the breakdown of stored glucose. This helps to bring blood sugar levels back up to a normal level. Similar to cortisol, glucagon is also elevated with stress – when the body needs to run or fight, it needs quick fuel to do so – and glucose is perfect for the job! If glucagon levels do not increase in response to low blood sugars, it’s possible that a person may become unconscious - the brain needs glucose to function and survive!

While there are many others that are also incredibly important to human health, these top 6 are ones you don’t want to forget about. And if you’re not sure about the health of your hormones, talk to your physician about working with a specialist!