PRESENTLY AVAILABLE IN THIS ARCHIVE:
NUTRITION 101: LESSON TWENTY-FIVE, SIX AND SEVEN
HORMONES AND YOUR HEALTH: THE TESTES
HORMONES AND YOUR HEALTH: THE PITUITARY GLAND
IODINE: AN IMPORTANT TRACE MINERAL
www.milkandhoneyhealthfoods.com/archives20.html for review of lessons twenty-three and twenty-four.
NUTRITION 101: LESSON TWENTY-FIVE
NEWSLETTER: MAY 2009
HORMONES AND YOUR HEALTH
In our last installment in this series, we discussed the female gonads called ovaries and their function. In lesson twenty-five of this series, we will discuss the male gonads called testes.
TESTES:
The testes are the male sex glands located behind the penis and suspended in a pouch of skin called the scrotum. There are two testes (testicles). There function is to produce and store sperm cells which contain the entire genetic history of the male. These glands are also the male body's main source of hormones, such as testosterone. This hormone controls the development of the reproductive organs and other male characteristics, such as body and facial hair, low voice, and wide shoulders.
As is true with the manufacture of eggs in the female gonads called the ovaries, the manufacture of sperm in the testes begins with a gland called the hypothalamus located in the head. This gland produces a hormone called gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) that causes the pituitary gland, also located in the head, to produce follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). In males, FSH and LH target the testes in what biologists call the “brain-testicular axis.” This process leads to the development of all male sexual characteristics including the ability to manufacture sperm. The testes produce a protein called inhibin and the hormone testosterone which together restrict the flow of GnRH and thus control male sexual development.
Testosterone:
Testosterone is the principal androgen or male sex hormone. It is one of a group of compounds called anabolic steroids. Anabolic means to “build up” and steroids are fatty substances containing four carbon rings. Testosterone is also an androgen. Androgens are substances that facilitate and maintain masculine characteristics. Testosterone increases protein synthesis in the cells and is therefore involved in muscle development. Testosterone is primarily secreted by the testes but is also synthesized in small quantities in the female ovaries, the adrenal glands and the placenta. It is made from cholesterol.
Before puberty, the testosterone level in boys is normally low. Testosterone production increases rapidly at the onset of puberty. This causes boys to develop a deeper voice, get bigger muscles, make sperm, and get facial and body hair. The level of testosterone is the highest around age 40 and then gradually decreases after that. It begins to more rapidly decrease after age 50. By age 80 it is at 20 to 50% of its peak level. Normally testosterone is 30% higher in the morning than the evening. This may explain why men are more interested in sex in the morning and is part of the reason for spontaneous morning erections. In fact, the loss of morning erections is a sure sign that testosterone is declining. Normally, the testes produce 4 to 7 milligrams (mg) of testosterone daily. Studies have shown that men who are obese and who suffer from diabetes and hypertension are twice as likely to have low testosterone.
In women, the ovaries account for half of the testosterone in the body. Women have a much smaller amount of testosterone in their bodies compared to men. But testosterone plays an important role throughout the body in both men and women. It affects the brain, bone and muscle mass, fat distribution, the vascular system, energy levels, genital tissues, and sexual functioning. Most of the testosterone in the blood is bound to a protein called sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG).
Low Testosterone:
As already discussed, testosterone levels are regulated by the pituitary gland, which releases luteinizing hormone (LH). When the level of testosterone is low, LH normally increases its production. Low testosterone, which is medically called hypogonadism, can lead to decreased sex drive, erectile difficulties, low sperm count, depression, concentration problems, fatigue and reduced muscle and bone mass. Low testosterone levels are easily measured through simple blood work.
Treatment of low testosterone:
. Topical testosterone infused gels and creams are available primarily by prescription. They are applied and absorbed into the skin, steadily increasing the testosterone level in the body until the next application, usually 24 hours later. The gel itself is a mix of the hormone, water and alcohol. Other hormone replacement therapies are the transdermal testosterone patch, injections of the testosterone-producing LH, or injections of the testosterone hormone itself. All these treatments must be obtained through a health care professional and should only be done after blood tests have determined a low testosterone level in the body. It must be noted that pharmaceutical testosterone may often be synthetic. Synthetic testosterone is of a different chemical structure than natural testosterone and can have negative effects upon the body, especially the liver.
There are some nutritional supplements available that appear to help increase testosterone levels. A formula called ZMA, available in health stores, consists of zinc monomethionine aspartate, magnesium aspartate and vitamin B6. Zinc and magnesium are often depleted during athletic training, and are vital to testosterone production. Taking these supplements may increase the body’s natural production of the hormone.
Some research shows that supplementing with the hormone DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), at 50 mg per day, may increase testosterone levels. DHEA is the immediate metabolic precursor for the hormone androstenedione which in turn is the immediate precursor for testosterone. DHEA is an androgen steroid hormone manufactured primarily in the adrenal cortex of the adrenal glands and can also be manufactured synthetically. DHEA is the most abundant steroid hormone in the human bloodstream. Even though it is considered an androgen (male sex hormone), it is synthesized in both males and females. Research indicates that DHEA at 50 mg per day may increase serum levels of testosterone in men to levels equal to those of younger men. DHEA is available in health food stores as a supplement.
A variety of foods and herbs have been associated with increasing testosterone levels. These include velvet deer antler, Fenugreek seeds, ginger, horny goat weed, Korean ginseng, bee pollen, passion flower, tribulus terrestris, oats and garlic. Fenugreek seeds may increase testosterone levels because of there content of steroid saponins which stimulate the release of luteinizing hormone which in turn stimulates the production of testosterone. Tribulus terrestris may enhance the conversion of androstenedione to testosterone. As already mentioned, androstenedione is the immediate precursor of testosterone, apparently under the influence of luteinizing hormone. Some studies have claimed that daily intake of 750 mg of Tribulus terrestris results in an increase in free testosterone levels of 30% (only in males) within five days. Oats are claimed to stimulate the release of testosterone from being bound to (SHBG)) resulting in it being free in the blood stream.
Exercise and testosterone levels:
Both the lack of physical activity and excessive physical activity (over training) will result in decreased levels of testosterone. Exercise effects testosterone directly by stimulating the pituitary gland and the testes. Exercise is one of the best ways to increase testosterone levels. On the other hand, excessive exercise can lower testosterone levels. Studies conducted on endurance athletes who exercise for long stretches of time were shown to have testosterone levels up to 85% lower than people who do not perform endurance exercises. Long distance running can lower testosterone levels. Short duration exercise such as sprinting and weight training will boast both human growth hormone (HGH) and testosterone. It has been observed that construction workers who lift moderate loads all day are frequently listless and tired as well as not as strong and muscular as their co-workers who perform less frequent but more intense activity.
As a side note, studies of Bulgarian Olympic athletes, whose work-outs are considerably more than one hour, showed that testosterone levels increased by as much as 40% in those athletes using the herb tribulus terrestris which is discussed above.
Diet and testosterone levels:
As is true in all areas of bodily function, quality of diet is critical. Excess intakes of simple carbohydrates that raise blood sugar rapidly create chronically elevated levels of the hormone insulin and cortisol. These two hormones oppose the action of testosterone and diminish its production. On the other hand it is important to get enough fats in the diet. As already mentioned, testosterone is made from cholesterol and when fats are deficient in the diet, this process will be inhibited. Studies clearly indicate that low fat diets results in lower testosterone levels while those higher in protein, lower in carbohydrate and moderate in fat cause the greatest sustained levels of testosterone and human growth hormone.
NEWSLETTER: AUGUST 2009
HORMONES AND YOUR HEALTH
This month we continue our discussion of the role hormones play in our health by examining the role of the pituitary and hypothalamus glands and the hormones these glands produce.
THE PITUITARY GLAND:
The pituitary gland is an endocrine gland situated at the base of the brain. It is about the size of a pea and weighs 0.5 grams. An endocrine gland is a gland that secretes hormones directly into the blood stream.
The pituitary gland is primarily divided into anterior and posterior lobes which are responsible for the secretion of eight different hormones. There is also an intermediate lobe which secretes one hormone. The anterior lobe grows upward from the pharyngeal tissue at the roof of the mouth. The posterior lobe grows downward from neural tissue. It is structurally continuous with the hypothalamus gland. The hypothalamus controls almost all secretions of the pituitary. The posterior lobe of the pituitary is controlled by nerve fibers that originate in hypothalamic neurons and the anterior lobe by substances that are transported from the hypothalamus by tiny blood vessels.
PITUITARY HORMONES:
The anterior lobe consists of a number of cells that secrete six different hormones. Human growth hormone stimulates all the tissues in the body to grow by effecting protein formation. Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) controls the secretion of steroid hormones by the adrenal cortex, which affects glucose, protein, and fat metabolism. Thyrotropin, also known as thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), controls the rate of thyroxine synthesis by the thyroid gland, which is the principal regulator of body metabolic rate. Prolactin regulates the formation of milk after the birth of an infant.
The two other hormones produced by the anterior lobe of the pituitary are called the gonadotropic hormones and consist of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) hormone. These hormones control the growth and reproductive activity of the male and female gonads.
The release of each of the hormones from the anterior lobe is controlled by specific substances called releasing factors which are secreted by nerve cells in the hypothalamus gland. These releasing factors move through blood vessels to the anterior lobe, where each releasing factor facilitates the release of a specific pituitary hormone.
The posterior lobe of the pituitary produces two hormones that are synthesized by nerve cells in the hypothalamus. One of these hormones, called antidiuretic hormone (ADH), alters the permeability of the kidney tubules, permitting more water to be retained by the body. The other hormone is called oxytocin which aids in the release of milk from mammary glands and causes uterine contractions. The intermediate lobe secretes the one hormone melanocyte-stimulating hormone, which appears to control skin pigmentation.
DISORDERS OF THE PITUITARY GLAND:
Over secretion of human growth hormone, before the growth of the body’s long bones is complete, can cause a condition known as Gigantism where the body grows to an abnormal size. In such cases the metabolic rate increases up to 20% above normal. In mature adults where the bones have grown to normal size, this disorder can lead to an excessive thickening of the bones and a condition called acromegaly. Under secretion of human growth hormone can lead to dwarfism if experienced during childhood, and decreased endocrine function accompanied by lethargy and loss of sexual capacity in an adult.
HYPOTHALAMUS GLAND:
The hypothalamus is located below a part of the brain called the thalamus just above the brain stem. It is about the size of an almond and weighs about four grams. It is sometimes called the master gland of the body because all the other endocrine glands depend on its secretions for stimulation.
The hypothalamus links the nervous system to the endocrine system via the pituitary gland. The hypothalamus is responsible for certain metabolic processes and other activities of the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is part of the central nervous system and functions largely below the level of consciousness, controlling the function of the body’s internal organs. As indicated in our discussion of the pituitary gland, the hypothalamus releases hormones that stimulate or inhibit the secretion of pituitary hormones. The hypothalamus controls body temperature, hunger, thirst, fatigue and our circadian cycles (day and night body rhythms). The Hypothalamus is widely regarded as the overall center of management for the Immune System.
The Hypothalamus is the primary regulating organ for the process of homeostasis. Homeostasis is a term that describes the process of attaining overall hormonal and chemical equilibrium of the body. The hypothalamus accomplishes this process by a process called negative feedback. Negative feedback is a term used to describe the mechanism by which the excessive endogenous (in the body) production of a substance causes a shutdown of the process by which that substance is produced by inhibiting the production or release of its precursor chemicals. Negative feedback is an important means by which the body maintains homeostasis.
NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT:
As is true of all body parts, endocrine glands such as the pituitary and hypothalamus require a wide range of nutrients in order to function properly and do the jobs these glands are designed to do. In order to produce hormones, the endocrine system must have the raw materials necessary for such production. This includes vitamins, minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids and numerous other components. Eating a high quality, nutrition dense diet is the pathway to the health of the endocrine system as it is to all body systems.
NUTRITION 101: LESSON TWENTY- SEVEN
IODINE: AN IMPORTANT TRACE MINERAL
This month we return to our series discussing the fundamentals of nutrition by taking a look at the very important trace mineral iodine (iodide). Iodine is part of the very reactive family of non metallic minerals called halogens. The term halogen means salt-former and compounds containing halogens are called salts. Fluoride is the most reactive of this group followed my chloride, bromide and iodide. By reactive is meant the mineral’s ability to combine with other minerals to form compounds. For example, sodium easily combines with chloride to form sodium chloride which is common table salt. Iodide combines with potassium to form potassium iodide which is a common supplemental form of iodine.
Most people are familiar with the need for iodine in making the hormone thyroxine in the thyroid gland which is essential for cellular metabolism. Inadequate iodine levels can lead to hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), a condition characterized by insufficient production of thyroxine. A growth in the neck known as goiter is an obvious sign of hypothyroidism. Lack of sufficient iodine can lead to a condition called cretinism characterized by severe mental retardation accompanied by physical deformities. What is less known, even among health professionals, is that iodine has been shown to protect the body from a variety of additional health problems.
Researchers have shown iodine to effectively relieve signs and symptoms of fibrocystic breast disease. A study published in the Canadian Journal of Surgery in 1993, found that iodine relieved signs and symptoms of fibrocystic breast disease in 70 percent of their patients. The incidence of fibrocystic breast disease in American women was 3% in the 1920’s. Today 90% of women will have this disorder manifested with fluid filled cysts and fibrosis. Six million American women with fibrocystic disease have moderate to severe breast pain and tenderness that lasts more than six days during the menstrual cycle. Dr. Donald Miller, Jr., M.D., in his presentation, “Iodine for Health”, said, “In animal studies, female rats fed an iodine free diet, developed fibrocystic changes in their breast, and iodine in its elemental form cures it.”
Around fifteen percent (one in seven) of American women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime. Thirty years ago, when iodine consumption was twice as high as it is now one in twenty women developed breast cancer. Iodine was used as a dough conditioner in making bread, and each slice of bread contained 0.14 mg of iodine. In 1980, bread makers started using bromide as a conditioner instead, which competes with iodine for absorption into the thyroid gland and other tissues in the body. Iodine was also more widely used in the dairy industry 30 years ago than it is now.
Iodide is the “weak sister” of the halogen family as it is the least reactive compared to fluoride, chloride and bromide. All four of these halogens compete for receptor sites in the body, and the first three are able to gain acceptance by receptor sites more readily than iodide. Both fluoride and chloride is found in municipal water supplies, and some researchers believe these two halogens adversely compete with iodide in the body and prevent its proper utilization.
Natural iodine is primarily found in sea weeds such as kelp and in ocean fish. Much of our food supply is iodine deficient because our soils have become very deficient in this mineral. Therefore, iodized table salt has become the main source of iodine in the Western diet. However, because of concerns about the association between too much salt and high blood pressure, consumption of iodized table salt has decreased 65 percent over the past thirty years. Furthermore, the much higher concentrations of chloride in salt inhibits absorption of its sister halogen iodine. The intestines absorb only 10 percent of the iodine present in iodized table salt.
ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS OF IODINE:
Other functions of iodine that are being studied is its role in the removal of toxic chemicals from the body, its suppression of auto-immune activity, its capacity to strengthen T-cell immune activity and its observed protection against abnormal growth of bacteria in the stomach. It has been shown that a number of body tissues have receptor sites for the iodine molecule which indicates iodine is necessary for a variety of physiological process in addition to its association with thyroid function.
Iodine is known to induce a process called apoptosis which is programmed cell death. This process facilitates the destruction of cancer cells and cells infected with viruses. It has been shown that when human lung cancer cells are caused to take up and utilize more iodine, they undergo apoptosis and shrink.
Iodine was discovered in 1811 and for years was used for a wide variety of ailments. It has been found to be effective in gram amounts for treating various skin conditions, chronic lung disease, fungal infestations, syphilis and arteriosclerosis. The Nobel Prize winner Dr. Albert Szent Györgi (1893–1986), the physician who discovered vitamin C, writes: "When I was a medical student, iodine in the form of KI (potassium iodide) was the universal medicine. Nobody knew what it did, but it did something and did something good.”
For many years physicians used potassium iodide in doses starting at 1.5 to 3 gm and up to more than 10 grams a day, on and off, to treat bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with good results and surprisingly few side effects.
Americans consume an average of 240 micrograms of iodine a day. In contrast, Japanese consume more than 12 milligrams (12,000 micrograms) of iodine per day. The Japanese eat a lot of different types of seaweed on a regular basis. The rate of breast disease is much lower in
It is interesting that ductal cells in the breast, the ones most likely to become cancerous, are equipped with an “iodine pump” which is responsible for the uptake of iodine. This pump mechanism is just like the one responsible for the uptake of iodine by the thyroid gland. The very presence of such a pump in the breasts shows iodine to be a necessary nutrient to the health of this tissue. In addition to the thyroid and breasts, a number of other tissues possess an iodine pump and include the stomach mucosa, the salivary glands, ovaries, thymus gland, the skin, choroid plexus in the brain, which makes cerebrospinal fluid, and the joints, arteries and bone.
Dr. David Brownstein, M.D., has treated thousands of patients in his clinic with iodine supplementation. He writes the following, “As I started to use larger amounts of iodine (12.5-50 mg/day) to achieve whole body sufficiency, I began to see positive results in my patients. Goiters and nodules of the thyroid shrank, cysts on the ovaries became smaller and began to disappear, patients reported increased energy, and metabolism was increased as evidenced by my patients having new success in losing weight. Libido improved in both men and women. People suffering from brain fog reported a clearing of the fogginess. Patients reported having vivid dreams and sleeping better. Most importantly, those with chronic illnesses that were having a difficult time improving began to notice many of their symptoms resolving”.
In view of the body’s apparent need for iodine in many ways other than for thyroid function, it may be wise to consider increasing dietary iodine. The daily requirement for iodine is recommended at 150 micrograms. This amount was established by the government many years ago as the minimum required to prevent thyroid deficiency. Since many additional needs for iodine have been identified, it should be apparent that a higher level of iodine intake is justified. As cited above, the Japanese average over 12,000 micrograms of iodine per day with no negative side effects and with apparent health benefits.
Since it is virtually impossible to get much additional iodine from the typical American diet, it may be wise to take a good quality iodine supplement that will supply the level of iodine discussed in this essay. At Milk ‘N Honey, we carry a product called Tri-Iodine from the company EuroPharma which provide 12.5 milligrams (12,500 micrograms) of iodine in one daily capsule.