1. Introduction
Hormones are commonly known as the body’s chemical messengers, as they regulate the function of multiple organs and tissues across the body. One of the essential hormones in the body is produced by the endocrine system, which includes various organs, including the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, pineal gland, thyroid gland, parathyroid glands, adrenal glands, pancreas, ovaries, and testes. From a functional perspective, endocrine hormones influence different aspects of the body’s metabolism, growth, development, reproduction, and sexual function.
A dysfunctional endocrine system can lead to the production of abnormal levels of hormones, which can cause a broad range of symptoms, including abnormal heartbeats, unexplained weight gain or weight loss, fatigue, constipation, diarrhea, numbness or tingling in the hands, and abnormally high blood levels of cholesterol. Hormone dysfunction is associated with conditions like diabetes, Cushing’s Syndrome, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, and Addison’s Disease, among others.
2. The Endocrine system
The endocrine system regulates a broad range of body activities through the use of hormones, which function as chemical messengers throughout the body. The endocrine system consists of organs or glands that secrete hormones and are located across the body. The most prominent endocrine glands and their function are:
- Hypothalamus—located deep within the brain, the hypothalamus is a specialised region that controls the endocrine system. Working alongside the nervous system, it regulates endocrine glands, such as the pituitary gland, to produce hormones that control functions like mood, hunger, thirst, sleep patterns, and sexual function.
- Pituitary—Located at the base of the brain, just behind the nose, this small gland releases nearly a dozen hormones that control several other glands, such as the thyroid, adrenal, ovaries, and testicles. The pituitary gland influences a broad range of functions, including metabolism, blood pressure, reproduction, and other vital functions.
- Thyroid – This butterfly-shaped gland is found at the level of your neck. The thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate other hormones and influence metabolism.
- Parathyroid—located behind the thyroid gland, the parathyroid produces the parathyroid hormone, which regulates calcium blood levels.
- Adrenal – Located on top of each kidney, these triangle-shaped glands release the hormones adrenaline, cortisol and aldosterone. These hormones regulate metabolism, blood pressure, sexual development and the body’s response to stress.
- Pineal – This gland regulates the body’s sleep cycle by releasing the hormone melatonin.
- Pancreas—This organ is also part of the digestive system, but within the context of the endocrine system, it produces insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar levels.
- Ovaries – these female sexual organs produce the sex hormones estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. These hormones are essential for reproductive development, menstruation and pregnancy.
- Testes – these male sexual organs produce sperm and release the hormone testosterone, which influences sperm production, muscle strength and sex drive.
Endocrine Hormones: the basics
Hormones produced by the endocrine system are released into the bloodstream, where they travel until they reach their target organ or tissue and regulate their function. Hormones can also communicate with specific glands that are part of the endocrine system and stimulate the production of other hormones: table 1 lists endocrine hormones, their secreting gland and the primary function associated with the hormone.
Table 1. List of endocrine hormones and their function.
| Hormone | Secreting gland(s) | Function |
| adrenaline | adrenal | increases blood pressure, heart rate, and metabolism in response to stress |
| aldosterone | adrenal | regulates salt and water balance |
| cortisol | adrenal | involved in stress response |
| dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) | adrenal | involved in production of body odor and growth of body hair during puberty |
| estrogen | ovary | helps regulate the menstrual cycle, maintain pregnancy, and develop female sex characteristics; involved in sperm production |
| follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) | pituitary | controls the production of eggs and sperm |
| glucagon | pancreas | helps increase blood glucose levels |
| insulin | pancreas | helps reduce blood glucose levels |
| luteinizing hormone (LH) | pituitary | regulates estrogen and testosterone production as well as ovulation |
| melatonin | pineal | controls sleep-wake cycles |
| oxytocin | pituitary | involved with lactation, childbirth, and mother-child bonding |
| parathyroid hormone | parathyroid | regulates calcium levels in bones and blood |
| progesterone | ovary | helps prepare the lining of the uterus after egg fertilization |
| prolactin | pituitary | promotes breast-milk production |
| testosterone | ovary, teste, adrenal | involved with sex drive and body density in men and women; involved with development of male sex characteristics |
| thyroid hormone | thyroid | involved with multiple body functions, including regulation of weight, energy levels, internal temperature, metabolism, as well as skin, hair, and nail growth. |
4. Pathologies of Endocrine Hormones
Malfunctions of the endocrine system can lead to overproduction or underproduction of hormones, which can adversely affect the function of one or more organs, glands, or tissues. Depending on the specific condition, there are many potential drivers behind malfunctions of the endocrine system. Possible drivers of endocrine dysfunction include faulty genes, cancer, or autoimmunity.
Some examples of conditions associated with an endocrine system malfunction include diabetes, fertility problems, Addison’s disease, Cushing’s syndrome, hypo- and hyperthyroidism, Polycystic ovary syndrome, Hypogonadism, osteoporosis, and acromegaly. Table 2 provides a list of pathologies of the endocrine system and associated symptoms.
| Condition | Hormone | Pathology | Symptoms |
| Diabetes | Insulin | Body does not produce enough insulin | Fatigue, increased hunger or thirst, frequent urge to urinate, irritability, frequent infections. |
| Addison’s disease | Cortisol | Adrenal glands do not produce enough cortisol | Fatigue, weight loss, abdominal pain, low blood sugar, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, irritability, irregular periods and craving for salt. |
| Cushing’s syndrome | Cortisol | Adrenal glands do not produce too much cortisol | poor healing, irregular periods, decreased sex drive and fertility in males, weight gain, fatty deposits in face, midsection and shoulders. |
| Hyperthyroidism | Thyroid hormones | Thyroid glands produce low levels of hormones | Fatigue, weight gain, constipation, poor cold tolerance, dry skin and hair, slow heart rate, irregular periods, fertility issues. |
| Hypothyroidism | Thyroid hormones | Thyroid glands produce low levels of hormones | Fatigue, weight loss, diarrhea, poor heat tolerance, fast heart rate, sleeping issues. |
| Polycystic ovary syndrome | Androgen | Commonly: dysregulation of androgen secretion | Excess hair on face, chest, stomach or back; baldness, irregular periods or no periods, acne and difficulties getting pregnant. |
| Hypogonadism | Testosterone | Low production of testosterone | Erectile dysfunction, reduced energy, reduced muscles, depression, irritability. |
| Osteoporosis | Estrogen and testosterone | Commonly: low estrogen levels in women and low testosterone levels in men. | Bone fractures and injuries that occurr easily. |
| Acromegaly | Growth hormone | Excessive production of growth hormone | Swollen nose, ears, hands and feed; increased sweating and body odour, changes in voice. |
5. Endocrine Hormones – A clinical perspective
Clinical testing of hormone levels is a central part of diagnosing and managing a wide range of medical conditions. Clinical hormone testing usually involves taking a sample of blood, urine or saliva, which is then analysed to determine the levels of a specific hormone.
The gold standard of clinical testing for endocrine hormones is the Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones or DUTCH test. The DUTCH test measures the levels of sex and adrenal hormones and metabolites associated with these hormones. The DUTCH test measures levels of the following hormones:
- Estrogens
- Progestagens
- Androgens
- Glucocorticoids
- Free Cortisol
- Free Cortisone
- Melatonin
In a typical test, these hormones are assessed at four time points during the day: the first morning, the second morning, the early evening, and bedtime. This approach allows the DUTCH test to provide a complete overview of hormone levels and their fluctuation during the day and night.
Results obtained from the DUTCH test can help a practitioner better understand the potential pathologies present in a patient. The DUTCH test can potentially help practitioners identify patients suffering from a broad range of conditions, including:
- Anxiety
- Brain fog
- Abnormal blood pressure
- Bone loss
- Salt cravings
- Dry skin
- Abnormal energy levels
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Hot flushes
- Irregular menstruation
- Irregular sleeping patterns
- Mild depression
- Mood changes
- Sexual dysfunction
- Impaired immune system
- Thyroid dysfunction
- Vaginal dryness
AUSCFM and Endocrine Health
At AUSCFM, we employ a holistic approach to treating disorders related to endocrine and hormone dysfunction. This is the crucial difference between the “conventional approach” and the approach used by a Functional Medicine doctor (Table 3).
| FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE | CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE |
| Health oriented | Disease oriented |
| Patient centered | Doctor centered |
| Biochemical individually | Everyone is treated the same way |
| Holistic | Specialized |
| Cost effective | Expensive |
| Looks at underlying causes of disease | Diagnosis based on symptoms |
| Preventative approach | Early detection of disease |
| High touch/high tech | High tech |
Table 3. Differences between conventional and functional medicine approaches.
Based on our comprehensive diagnostic approach, our functional medicine doctor creates a patient-centred treatment plan to target the source of your hormonal dysfunction from the inside out.
At AUSCFM, our ultimate goal is to resolve the underlying pathologies driving your symptoms to restore you to optimal health.
Our treatment plan depends on the specific drivers of your hormonal dysfunction, and may involve the use of:
- Conventional medications, hormone supplementation or treatments, depending on the condition.
- Supplements that are specific for hormonal dysfunction.
- Mineral or vitamin supplements to correct any micronutrient deficiencies.
- Botanicals or probiotics to normalise the balance of the gut microbiota.
- A personalised nutrition, sleep and exercise plan aims to restore your body’s optimal function.
At AUSCFM, you will be treated by functional medicine doctors with ample experience using a holistic and multi-disciplinary approach to health care. Our doctors will prescribe personalised therapies that are right for your condition.
