The endocrine system is our hormone headquarters!
Hormones are our body's chemical messengers. They carry information and instructions from cell to cell, influencing almost every cell, organ, and function of our bodies.
The glands that make up our endocrine systems are all key components we need to look at when exploring poor gut health, unbalanced hormones and fertility issues.
I’m going to start doing an in-depth spotlight on each of the endocrine glands - the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, pineal gland, pancreas, adrenal glands, thyroid, parathyroid and thymus - every couple of weeks in relation to these and their disorders think menopause, diabetes, Graves, Hashimoto’s, Addison’s, PCOS, adrenal fatigue and more… the disruptors and healers and how nutrition can help and hinder these conditions.
But here's a little starter on what they are and where they are in our bodies:
Hypothalamus
This guy is located at the base of the brain and secretes hormones that either stimulate or suppress the release of hormones in the pituitary gland
Pituitary Gland
This lives below the brain and it at most, the size of a pea, it controls the functions of the other endocrine glands
Pineal Gland
This sits in the middle of the brain and produces melatonin so you can almost think of it as our sleep centre as it helps tell our bodies when we should sleep
Pancreas
This guy is housed behind the stomach at the back of the abdomen and plays a role in digestion and hormone production, specifically insulin and glucagon which help to regulate our blood sugar
Adrenal Glands
You have one of these on the top of each kidney and they work closely with the pituitary gland and hypothalamus
They make and release epinephrine and corticosteroid hormones that help to regulate our metabolism and maintain our blood pressure
Thyroid + Parathyroid
These are both found in the front of the neck, below our voice box (anatomical name 'larynx')
The thyroid plays an important role in our metabolism, while the parathyroid plays an important role in regulating the bodies calcium balance
Thymus
Is found in the upper part of the chest and produces white blood cells that fight infection and destroy abnormal cells
Such an important part of the body (but let's be honest, it's all important!) that really never gets talked about
Ovaries
These ladies are either side of our uterus below the opening of the fallopian tubes
They contain our female reproductive egg cells but also produce estrogen and progesterone
Testicles
These guys hang out in a pouch outside the male body and produce sperm and testosterone
Watch this space!
🩵 Kelley
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