Do you know what are the different types of hormones and their functions?
Hormones are chemical messengers that regulate different functions in your body.
They basically travel through the blood to different parts of your body such as muscles and organs.
They work to stimulate cells or tissue to perform specific functions.
While hormones are present in minimal amounts, they can potentially bring some bigger changes to your overall health.
However, there are more than 50 types of hormones available in the human body.
But of course, we can not include all of them in a single blog post.
So, in this blog, we have mentioned several important and varied types of hormones and their functions.
8 Different Types of Hormones and Their Functions
It’s impossible for the human body to work smoothly without hormone secretion.
Each hormone has a vital role to play which adds to the proper development and functioning of the body.
The top 8 types of hormones and their functions that we are going to discuss today are
- Testosterone
- Strogen
- Progesterone
- Insulin
- Human Growth Hormones
- Anti-Diuretic Hormone
- Cortisol
Let’s start discussion…
#1. Testosterone Hormone
The testosterone hormone is also known as the primary male sex hormone. It is responsible for regulating some vital functions in the body.
The testosterone hormone plays a crucial role in the development of primary sexual characteristics and male sex organs.
In fact, testosterone also impacts secondary male characteristics such as hair patterns, voice, and masculinity.
However, the female body also produces testosterone hormone but in minimal quantities.
In the male body, it is produced by the Leydig cells in the testes while in women it is produced in the ovaries.
In men, the levels of testosterone in the blood start declining as you age.
The symptoms of low testosterone in men include low bone density, increased fat production, loss of muscle mass, and lower libido.
Talking about what causes low testosterone in young males, it could be anything from medical issues or stress or drug abuse.
#2. Estrogen Hormone
Estrogen is a female sex hormone that helps regulate the development of the reproductive system.
It is responsible for controlling the menstrual cycle, and the development of breasts, bone, and mucous membranes in women.
Along with this, the estrogen hormone also contributes to the development of secondary sex characteristics in women such as pubic and armpit hair.
Most of the estrogen hormone is produced by the ovaries while the rest is produced by the adrenal glands and fat cells.
However, a low estrogen level can affect your overall health in various ways.
The primary symptoms include fatigue, irregular menstrual cycles, lack of sleep, headaches, and mood swings.
Just like how excessive male sex hormone testosterone can have an adverse effect on females, the effects of estrogen on male body are also not favorable.
While low estrogen levels can lead to poor bone health issues, high levels of female sex hormones can lead to man boobs.
The symptoms of high estrogen in men are mood swings and fatigue, fat deposits, and fluid retention.
#3. Progesterone
Progesterone is a hormone that plays an important role in regulating the menstrual cycle.
It is also important in the early stage of pregnancy as it helps prepare the endometrium after ovulation.
The hormone also works to prohibit muscle contraction to prevent the fertilized egg.
Moreover, progesterone helps prepare the female body for pregnancy.
It triggers the development of new blood vessels to supply endometrium.
And thus, it assists in the development of the embryo.
However, low progesterone levels can potentially lead you to an irregular menstrual cycle or shorter periods, anxiety, low libido, and even infertility.
If you’re pregnant, it can cause miscarriages or uterine bleeding.
#4. Human Growth Hormone
Human growth hormone is also known as somatotropin. It is found naturally in the human body and is produced by the pituitary gland.
The primary function of the Human growth hormone is to promote growth in children.
It possesses such properties that help promotes the development of cartilage and bone tissue during puberty.
Once the person reaches their potential growth, the hormone work to maintain the structure for the rest of their life.
Moreover, it is also responsible for maintaining metabolism. It does so by increasing the production of insulin-like growth factors.
HGH also helps convert the food you eat into energy. However, a deficiency in Human growth hormone can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases along with reducing your energy levels.
#5. Cortisol
Cortisol hormone is commonly known as a stress hormone because of its association with stress.
This means the hormone is basically released as a result of stress. However, the cortisol hormone is also responsible for regulating your mood, motivation, and fear.
It also works to manage inflammation and blood pressure, along with maintaining blood sugar levels.
However, if your body produces too much or too little cortisol, you’ll find yourself in trouble.
That’s because too much cortisol is usually associated with an increased risk of heart disease, anxiety, excess weight gain, and insomnia.
On the other hand, low cortisol levels may cause low blood pressure, diarrhea, nausea, and muscle weakness.
So, it becomes important to maintain a healthy level of cortisol to prevent its negative effects.
#6. Insulin
Insulin is one of the crucial hormones in your body. It acts as a chemical messenger which enables cells to absorb glucose from the blood.
It is also responsible for maintaining metabolism and blood sugar levels.
The hormone is produced in the pancreas and then released into the bloodstream.
It helps break down sugar and convert them into energy. However, a deficiency in the level of insulin hormones leads you to develop diabetes over time.
That’s because without insulin your cells become unable to absorb glucose from the blood.
It results in increasing blood sugar levels – a condition commonly known as hyperglycemia.
#7. Adrenaline
Adrenaline is also known as the epinephrine hormone. It is secreted by the medulla of adrenal glands which are located at the top of your kidneys.
The hormone plays an important role in regulating essential body functions along with maintaining metabolism.
Like cortisol hormone, adrenaline is also known as stress hormone as it prepares your body for a fight or flight response during stressful events.
It basically helps increase your cardiac output and blood sugar levels to provide you with the energy required to fight stressful movements.
Furthermore, it also works to control blood flow. This means it can block or re-direct blood vessels to major organs required at that time.
However, if your body produces too much adrenaline, you’re more likely to develop high blood pressure or anxiety over time.
#8. Vasopressin/ Anti-Diuretic Hormone
Also called arginine vasopressin, the ADH hormone is responsible for regulating the amount of water in the body.
ADH after getting produced in the pituitary gland when reaches the kidney, signals it to absorb water and produce more concentrated urine.
The increased ADH helps increase the blood volume and blood pressure and dilutes your blood.
Adding to it, low ADH levels lead to nocturia and also cause slow gut movement.
For those who don’t know how to increase ADH at night naturally, you can start by adding legumes, raisins, and berberine to the diet.
So, these are the different types of hormones and their functions. As you can see, all hormones serve specific biological functions.
These functions include physiological change as well as behavioral change.
Keeping a check on healthy hormone secretion can help prevent many diseases.
Conclusion
Hormones play such a crucial role in your body. They are actually chemical messengers that help regulate vital functions required for overall development.
In fact, hormones are so powerful that it takes a tiny amount to bring some bigger changes in your body.
So, in order to gain good health and development of your body, your body needs hormones in the required amount.
Try to be active as much as you can along with maintaining a healthy diet to prevent the symptoms of high estrogen in men.
Hope you got the point “types of different hormones and their functions. If there’s still anything left to know, feel free to register your comment below.
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