Throughout life our sexuality is controlled by hormones.
Even before birth, hormones are at work controlling our sexual development. It
is the chemistry of hormones that directs the development of our sexual organs
and later our secondary sexual characteristics such as beard growth in men and
breast development in women. Hormones instigate and regulate the menstrual
cycle. They create the peaks and valleys of our sexual desire. They arouse.
They depress. Hormones can precipitate aggressive or receptive sexual behavior.
They are the force behind the sex drive, the prime instigator and controller of
sexual desire. In many respects, the chemistry of love begins with the
chemistry of hormones. Learn about pheromones at http://austingosser.bcz.com/2016/09/19/top-pheromones-for-guys-in-depth-reviews/
THE POWER OF HORMONES
What are hormones? Why do they exert such a powerful control
over our lives and our sexuality? How can we tap their power to enhance sex and
boost our sex drive? Hormones are chemical messengers that come primarily from
the endocrine glands. They enable the endocrine system to regulate activity
in other cells and organs of the body. Endocrine glands pour
secretions directly into the bloodstream. Examples include the sex glands
(ovaries and testes), the pituitary gland, and the thyroid. (Exocrine glands,
on the other hand, do not secrete into the bloodstream and do not produce
hormones. The salivary glands, sweat glands, and tear glands are examples of
exocrine glands.)
Hormones are considered messengers because they enable a
gland to control activity of a cell or organ from a distance. For example, when a female reaches puberty, her ovaries release
sex hormones. These ovarian hormones trigger activity in other parts of the
body, such as the development of the breasts, broadening of the hips, and
growth of underarm hair.
How Do Hormones Work?
In simple terms, this is how a hormone transmission takes
place: a gland secretes a hormone into the bloodstream. The hormone is
programmed for a specific target - a cell or organ that the gland regulates.
Once released, the hormone circulates in the blood until it is picked up by a
receptor cell on its target. When
contact is made, the hormone binds to the receptor, thus delivering its message
- a message that triggers a reaction in the target tissue.
The word hormone comes from the Greek hormon, meaning
"to excite or arouse," which is an apt description of what happens
when a hormone delivers its message: The target tissue is aroused to activity.
Its reaction may be immediate and of short duration or it may be more long-lasting.
Hormones are very powerful and
therefore are released only in minute amounts. Even slight fluctuations in
hormone levels can affect the body, mind, or emotions.
Kinds of Hormones
Hormones are classified in two groups, based on their
chemical structure:
- · Steroids
- · Peptides
Steroids are made from cholesterol and have a characteristic
four-ring structure. Sex hormones are steroids. The male hormones are called
androgens, of which testosterone is the most active. The female hormones are
the estrogens and progesterone. In
addition, DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), which is part of the androgen family,
is an important sex hormone precursor that can be converted to the other sex
hormones. (A precursor is a substance that turns into another or more active
substance. DHEA, for example, can be used by the body to make testosterone and
other androgens and to make estrogens.)
Positive Thinking
Hormone levels are affected not only by what we do, but by
what we think. Positive thoughts raise hormone levels.
Negative thoughts decrease them. Positive (or negative) thinking can control
hormones.
Hormone Supplementation
If medical intervention is required, physicians can
prescribe natural or synthetic hormone boosters. Some hormone supplements are
made from phytochemicals (plant chemicals) and are available in health food
stores. They come in several different forms, such as tablets, pills, creams,
and suppositories.
In the sections below on testosterone, estrogen,
progesterone, DHEA, and in the interview with Dr. Merey I will discuss how to
supplement individual hormones.
TESTOSTERONE
Testosterone is the most active of the male sex hormones, or
androgens. It is the primary male hormone, the one that controls male sexual
development and the sex drive. Outside the sexual arena, testosterone
influences the male's overall physical health and emotional outlook.
There are two common myths about testosterone. One is
that it is an exclusively male hormone. It is not, although
males produce a much greater amount of it than females. The other is that
testosterone is the only hormone that affects the sex drive. This is not true
either, though its effect on sex exceeds that of the other hormones, in both
men and women.
