Hormones play a very important role in the human body, affecting metabolism and physiological functions. But a person with his actions and habits can influence the level of hormones in the body and not always in a positive way. What are the usual and simple things that can negatively affect the hormonal system?

Wrong and unbalanced nutrition

“We are what we eat” – everyone heard this phrase more than once, as more than once they had to heed the calls of nutritionists not to eat foods rich in trans fats and fast carbohydrates that cause the development of various diseases – cardiovascular, oncological, etc. But only this dangerous harmful food. They also cause undesirable changes in the level of hormones in the body. Thus, high-carbohydrate food, causing a sharp release of the hormone insulin, destroys testosterone – the main male sex hormone, responsible for the potency and the characteristic proportions of the male figure.

Hard diets, poor in essential substances for the maintenance of normal life, pose a particular danger to the fair sex.   Nutrition   with a lack of proteins, carbohydrates, and most importantly, fat leads to a sharp decrease in the volume of subcutaneous fatty tissue, and in fact it is in this that the conversion of androgens into estrogens takes place. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully monitor your diet, trying to get proteins from lean meat, fats – from vegetable oils and sea fish, and carbohydrates – from cereals. But the source of vitamins and minerals are fruits, vegetables and herbs.

Increased or insufficient exercise

Much has been said about the benefits of sports for the organism and there is no point in doubting this, but some people take the call to literally increase their motor activity too literally and train to exhaustion and wear. Leading a merciless fight against body fat, engaging in strength, extreme and other sports associated with high physical exertion, women risk facing a significant decrease in the level of estrogen hormones in the body, and in fact they provide the normal flow of the menstrual cycle, stimulate protein synthesis, have procoagulant and atherosclerotic action.

In men, the opposite is true. If there is no physical activity in their life or it is not enough, then the level of estrogen hormones in their body increases, and testosterone decreases. Studies conducted on athletes have shown that weight training for 4 weeks can increase testosterone levels by 40% and reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol by 24%.

How does stress affect hormone levels in the body?

In an age of fast technology and a high pace of life, an increasing number of people who devote themselves to work and do not leave time for themselves experience the negative effects of stress. What happens in the body? It produces cortisol, which is popularly called “hormone stress”. In a body mobilized when confronted with a threat, a condition develops, which is called “hit or run.” A short and rare reaction of this kind increases the tone of the body, so to speak it hardens, but if stress is chronic, it negatively affects the work of all organs and systems.

Immune protection falls, a person begins to get sick more often and more. Persistent hyperglycemia develops with an increase in the level of sugar in the blood, digestion and heart function are disturbed, and libido decreases. Therefore, it is important to be able to avoid stressful situations or learn to cope with them.

Healthy sleep is the basis of the normal level of the hormone melatonin

Sleep, during which the recovery of the body takes place, is as important for a person as nutrition and exercise. In   time to sleep   The hormone melatonin is produced – the main hormone of the pineal gland that regulates circadian rhythms. But its function is not only this. Melatonin coordinates the endocrine system, increases the formation of antibodies, slows down the aging process, has an antioxidant effect. Its synthesis and secretion depend on light: the lighter, the less production, and the darker, the stronger it is. At night, up to 70% of melatonin is produced.

Therefore, a sufficient eight-hour sleep is necessary for a person like air. In conditions of constant lack of sleep, the production of not only melatonin, but also other hormones is disturbed. According to the results of scientific studies, the level of testosterone in the body of a chronically sleepy male drops by 200-300 ng / dl. The level of the stress hormone cortisol also largely depends on the duration of sleep, which in turn affects the safety of energy reserves in the body, for which it is responsible.

Harmful habits – how do they affect hormone levels?

Harmful habits, the most popular of which include smoking and alcohol abuse, have a very negative effect on hormones. Numerous scientific studies have shown that in the blood of women who smoke there is a shortage of vital hormones – estradiol, estriol and estrone, as well as placental lactogen. In the future, smoking leads to menstrual disorders, up to the development of secondary amenorrhea. In addition, lovers once or twice drag on a cigarette before others face menopause.

If we talk about the dangers of bad habits for men, then it is worth noting that toxic tobacco smoke substances inhibit the production of testosterone, destroy sperm cells, damage the subcortical structure of the brain, leading to a decrease in sexual desire and potency. Alcohol does not spare the health of either women or men. Under the action of alcohol-containing beverages, testosterone ceases to perform its function with the gradual degradation of muscle tissue. All drinking people, regardless of gender, increase the level of the stress hormone cortisol, which changes a person’s character beyond recognition. He becomes angry, irritable, prone to anxiety and depression. Appearance also changes not for the better.

As you can see, the level of hormones in the body is influenced by various factors, most of which a person can control. From his own desire to look attractive and feel healthy depends a lot, if not everything.