Humans have over 50 different hormones. Hormones are the body’s chemical messengers and are part of the endocrine system. They regulate metabolism, respiration, growth, reproduction, sensory perception and movement. The endocrine system regulates our heart rate, metabolism – how the body gets energy from the foods we eat – appetite, mood, sexual function, reproduction, growth and development, sleep cycles, and more.

Hormone imbalances are the underlying reason for a wide range of medical conditions. Maintaining proper hormone balances is an ongoing process. We emphasize a combination of medicines that regulate your hormone levels alongside good nutrition and lifestyle habits.

Endocrinology focuses both on the hormones and the many glands and tissues that produce them. The human endocrine system consists of a number of glands, which release hormones to control many different functions. Endocrine glands make hormones, which travel through the bloodstream to tissues and organs, and control most of our body’s major systems. They can exist in very small amounts and still have a significant impact on bodily function and development. Some of the factors that affect endocrine organs include aging, certain diseases and conditions, stress, the environment and genetics.

There are three broad groups of endocrine disorders:

• hyposecretion: when a gland does not produce enough of its hormones
• hypersecretion: when a gland produces too much of its hormones
• Tumors develop in the endocrine glands. They may be malignant, or cancerous, but they may also be benign, or non-cancerous.

[content sourced from hormone.org, the Hormone Health Network from the Endocrine Society]