How to keep the endocrine system healthy?

Overview

Your endocrine system is made up of eight main glands that are distributed throughout your body. These glands produce hormones. Hormones act as chemical messengers. They are carried through your bloodstream to various organs or tissues. Hormones function slowly and affect bodily processes from head to toe. 

The endocrine system is made up of glands that make hormones. 

Hormones function

• Growth and development
• Metabolism 
• Breathing, 
• Blood circulation, 
• Digestion, elimination, 
• Temperature control.
• Sexual function
• Reproduction
• Mood

Hormone disorders can result from improper hormone response, stress, infections, and changes in blood fluid and electrolyte balance, leading to the development of hormone-related diseases.

Diabetes is the most prevalent endocrine condition in the US, with other conditions managed by regulating hormone production. Hormone supplements may help address hormone deficiency issues.

What Is the Endocrine System?

• The endocrine system consists of glands that produce hormones, which serve as chemical messengers conveying information between cells.
• This system influences nearly all aspects of bodily function, including mood, growth, organ function, metabolism, and reproduction. 
• Hormones are secreted into the bloodstream, allowing them to affect various cells throughout the body. 
• The release and regulation of hormones depend on the concentration of existing hormones or other substances in the blood and can be influenced by factors such as stress and infections.
•  Imbalances in hormone levels can lead to health issues, which may often be managed through medication.

What Are the Components of the Endocrine System?

Although various body parts produce hormones, the primary glands that constitute the endocrine system are as follows:

• Hypothalamus
• Pituitary
• Thyroid
• Parathyroids
• Adrenals
• Pineal body
• The ovaries
• The testes

* The digestive and endocrine systems both depend on the pancreas. It releases hormones into the bloodstream and produces and secretes enzymes into the digestive tract.

* The hypothalamus is located in the lower central area of the brain and connects the nervous system to the endocrine system. It produces chemicals to control hormone release from the pituitary gland, using information about temperature, light, and emotions to influence hormone production.

* The pituitary gland is at the brain's base, and although small, it is called the "master gland" because it regulates many other glands. It produces several hormones, including growth hormone for tissue growth, prolactin for milk production in nursing women, thyrotropin for thyroid hormone production, corticotropin for adrenal hormone stimulation, antidiuretic hormone for water balance, and oxytocin for uterine contractions during labor. It also releases endorphins to reduce pain and controls reproductive organ functions.

The thyroid gland is situated in the lower neck and produces hormones that manage how fast cells convert food into energy, which is crucial for growth and brain development. The parathyroids, small glands attached to the thyroid, regulate blood calcium levels.

Adrenal glands, located atop each kidney, consist of an outer cortex producing corticosteroids for various body functions and an inner medulla producing catecholamines like epinephrine for stress responses. The pineal gland in the brain releases melatonin, which helps regulate sleep cycles.

The reproductive glands, or gonads, are the main source of sex hormones, such as androgens in testes, which lead to puberty changes in boys, including growth and deepening voice.

A girl’s gonads, the ovaries (OH-vuh-reez), are located in her pelvis. They generate eggs and release the female hormones estrogen (ESS-truh-jen) and progesterone (pro-JESS-tuh-rone). Estrogen plays a role when a girl begins puberty. During puberty, a girl will experience breast development, start to accumulate body fat around the hips and thighs, and have a growth spurt. Estrogen and progesterone also play a part in regulating a girl’s menstrual cycle. These hormones additionally influence pregnancy.

Pancreas: The pancreas (PAN-kree-us) produces insulin (IN-suh-lin) and glucagon (GLOO-kuh-gawn), hormones that manage the levels of glucose, or sugar, in the bloodstream. Insulin aids in maintaining energy reserves for the body. The body utilizes these stored energy reserves for physical activities, and it also supports the proper functioning of organs.

What Can Help Keep the Endocrine System Healthy?

To maintain your child’s endocrine system healthily:

• Engage in regular exercise.
• Consume a balanced diet.
• Attend regular medical checkups.
• Consult a physician before using any supplements or herbal remedies.
• Inform the doctor of any family history related to endocrine issues, such as diabetes or thyroid conditions.

When Should I Call the Doctor?

Notify the doctor if your child:

• Drinks excessive water yet remains thirsty
• Frequent needs to urinate
• Experiences regular stomach pain or nausea
• Feeling excessively tired or weak
• Is gaining or losing significant amounts of weight
• Has tremors or experiences excessive sweating
• Constipated
• Not growing or developing as expected

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs)

• EDCs are harmful substances found in the environment, food, personal care products, and manufactured goods that interfere with the endocrine system. 
• People can be exposed to EDCs through air, food, water, and skin absorption. 
• EDCs mimic hormones, block them, or change their levels, affecting how hormones work in the body. 
• This disruption can lead to various health problems, including reduced sperm quality, fertility issues, organ deformities, early puberty, nervous system changes, immune system impacts, cancers, respiratory problems, metabolic disorders, and learning disabilities.

Diagnosis and prevention

• Significant exposures to EDCs during fetal growth and childhood can have enduring health implications since there are phases where hormones manage the development and maturation of organs. 
• Early-life exposure has been associated with developmental irregularities and may elevate the risk for various health conditions in later years.
• Several EDCs have been shown to penetrate the placenta and accumulate in the fetus's blood supply. 
• Other EDCs may be transmitted from mother to baby via breast milk.

Prevention

• While the evidence connecting EDCs to negative health effects is increasing, the precise cause-and-effect relationship remains not understood. 
• Typically, persistent high exposures present the greatest risk; however, a developing fetus or infant is particularly susceptible to lower exposures.
• Moreover, an individual's genetic tendency toward particular health issues, with additional environmental risk factors, can influence how a person is impacted by EDCs.

Taking precaution

Even if certain health impacts are not conclusively established, exercising caution is advisable. Familiarize yourself with EDCs that you and your family might encounter. 

Strive to evade unnecessary, avoidable exposure to consumer products containing EDCs. 

These precautions are particularly crucial if you are expecting or planning to start a family.

• Food and Water
• Consult local resources regarding which sport fish are safe for consumption.
• Remove fat from meat and skin from fish and cook on a rack to let fat drain.
• Thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables before ingestion.
• Do not microwave plastic food containers or utilize them for hot liquid storage.
• Steer clear of plastic containers designated #3, #6, and #7.
• Decrease intake of canned and processed foods.
• Prefer glass, porcelain, or stainless-steel containers whenever feasible, especially for hot food and beverages.
• Prepare more meals at home, prioritizing fresh ingredients.
• Think about using a water filter.
• If feasible, buy organic produce, meat, and dairy items.
• Swap older non-stick pans for newer ceramic-coated variants.
• Maintain a varied diet with a wide assortment of foods.

Exercise and Activity

• Check the air quality in your region [https://airnow. gov].
• Refrain from outdoor exercise when pollution levels are elevated.
• Avoid working out near busy traffic zones. Select routes away from congested roads and vehicles.

Personal Care

• Examine labels and avoid items that contain phthalates.
• Opt for products labeled “phthalate-free,” “BPA-free,” and “paraben-free. ”
• Steer clear of fragrances and choose cosmetics labeled “no synthetic fragrance” or “scented only with essential oils. ”
• Wash your hands frequently, especially before preparing and consuming food.
• Limit handling of receipts and thermal paper.

All Around the House

• For individuals with a submersible pump in their well who detect an oily film or fuel smell in their well water, verify whether the pump has malfunctioned and, if it has, replace it. 
• Reach out to your local Department of Public Health for guidance on how to sanitize the well.
• Remove and throw away old fluorescent bulbs and deteriorating construction materials from aging buildings.

Limit the practice of burning wood or trash.

• Utilize hand-powered or electric lawn maintenance equipment instead of gas-powered versions.
• Prohibit smoking indoors and support efforts to create tobacco-free public areas.
• Regularly clean your floors and eliminate dust from your residence.
• Plant trees, as they help filter out airborne gases and particulates.

Regarding Children

• Steer clear of hand-me-down plastic toys.
• Make use of toys and bottles of infant formula that are marked "BPA-Free."

Transport.

• Select transportation methods and transit routes that minimize the amount of time spent in traffic.
• Inspire your child's school to lessen school bus emissions, including the reduction of idling.

An Illustration of Typical EDC Sources:

• Industrial chemicals and pesticides have the potential to leach into soil and groundwater, finding their way into the food chain by accumulating in fish, animals, and humans.
• Non-organic fruits and vegetables might carry pesticide residues.
• Certain consumer products may contain EDCs or come in containers that can leach EDCs, like household cleaners, fabrics treated with flame retardants, cosmetics, lotions, fragrant products, and antibacterial soaps.
• Processed foods may gather remnants of EDCs that leach from materials utilized in manufacturing, processing, transport, and storage.
• Soy-based products hold phytoestrogens, which are plant-produced chemicals that imitate estrogen.
• Household dust may contain EDCs such as lead, flame retardants, and PCBs resulting from deteriorating construction materials or furniture.

System and risk factors

• Further research is required, but it is understood that EDCs impact:
• The response to psychological stress
• Changes in behavior and the nervous system
• Decreased capacity to manage stress
• Body metabolism
• Certain EDCs have been associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes.
• Several industrial chemicals and flame retardants might disrupt thyroid function.

Reproduction.

• Certain groups of EDCs (like DDT, BPA, phthalates, and PCBs, among others) can influence reproductive health by mimicking or obstructing the effects of male and female sex hormones.

Development and growth

• High levels of exposure to EDCs during pregnancy can result in low birth weight.

Changed progress.

sexual development that is disturbed.

Compromised immune system.

Tumors

• Exposure to EDCs that mimic estrogen or androgens can encourage the growth of breast and prostate cancer and/or hinder hormonal cancer treatment.
• Prenatal exposure to some EDCs may occur following the development of mammary glands and increase the likelihood of breast cancer later in life.

Conclusion

You might have an endocrine disease or disorder if your hormone levels are excessively high or low. If your body does not react to hormones as it should, you may also develop endocrine diseases and disorders.