New Understandings of Hormones
Larger job description. Most doctors and patients regard hormones as having to do with “sexy” or “reproductive” issues. Or to be considered during aging with menopause or andropause. But new science clearly shows that hormones rule body and brain health. Hormones deliver signals to tissues throughout the entire human body that are critical for staying healthy or fighting illness.
For example, the male hormone testosterone (T) protects the immune system, especially inside the gut where 70% of the immune system lives. T protects both breast and prostate tissue from growing out of control. Hormone replacement in the form of testosterone topically, or as a pellet or cream applied to mucosal areas, boosts immune function and protects tissues such as breast and prostate from turning cancerous.
T protects the basic cell of the heart (cardiomyocyte). T is also an analgesic hormone. Often giving testosterone to a patient with angina who has low or very low normal T, improves or gets rid of their heart pain.
The female hormone estrogen has over 800 newly appreciated functions, like protecting mitochondria (a cell’s power generator) from damage and allowing your genes to respond to your lifestyle choices (epigenetic changes). One particular estrogen, estriol, has been shown to be protective against cancer. Estrogen’s final metabolite, 2MEO, protects against the initiation of cancer and even fights against established cancer. This is not well known nor acted upon in the typical medical practice.
It’s all in the ratio. It is the “ratio” of protective to aggressive hormones inside the human body that makes you vulnerable to cancer or recurrence of cancer or other diseases like excessive gut wall permeability (leaky gut). These ratios are often not recognized, tested, or addressed.