Have a break, have a ...
We humans have a tendency to make mistakes, do more than expected and follow our heart more than the power of our mind. We choose the easier path and make short cuts in our life than face the world as it is. Sometimes life offers us opportunities which we ignore most of the time and we rather leave it up to fate or wait for random signs that would give us the "go" sign. Sometimes all we have to do, is expect the unexpected, be extraordinary and just take a leap of faith.
I have this little obsession with kitkats. You can give it to me in the morning or before going to bed or give it to me as a present, and we'd be best friends forever.
Did you know? Kitkats, or chocolates in general are good for you?
When you consume chocolates, you seek pleasure or that satisfaction which in turn leads to craving of it every now and then. When you're attacked with school works, projects, your stress level increases. When you just got out of a relationship, or you got your heart broken, your depression level increases. When you generally experience pain, or stress, chocolates can be your best friend. Good for us, chocolates are natural analgesics or pain killers.
When we take in chocolates, it stimulates the release of endorphins. Endorphins are natural hormones produced by the brain which promotes a sense of well being and stimulates happiness or pleasure. Tryptophan, an ingredient that is present in chocolates is an amino acid that enables the brain to produce serotonin which is a mood stimulating neurotransmitter. It could also be called the "happy chemical" of the brain. Of course, when there is a high intake, then the level of happiness is also high :)
Endorphins do not only decrease pain and stress but they also lead to the feeling of euphoria, a good appetite and they even release sex hormones.
Meet your hormones
Hormones are your little messengers, specifically chemical messengers sent into the circulatory system then to various organs from the endocrine glands. These chemical messengers trigger intracellular responses. They are in charge of several processes such as Reproduction, growth and body development, metabolism and they even control our mood! Based on their structures, hormones are classified into three: '
1) Amines; 2) Peptides; and 3) Steroids.
An important feature of the endocrine system is that its regulation is controlled by what we call the 'negative feedback'. The importance of this negative feedback is to maintain hormonal homeostasis which determines the balance between hormone levels and a particular physiologic range. This also means that, when the endocrine system stimulates and produces a hormone from another gland, it is made limited in order to avoid hormone imbalance production.
Now let's focus on how these hormones are produced.
emc.maricopa.edu
Special group of cells form the endocrine glands. The important endocrine glands that you should remember are:
- Adrenal glands
The Adrenal glands are located on top of the kidneys. These glands are known for the production and release of hormones when stress is found in the body. These hormones help in production of energy and play an important role in the balance of electrolytes and fluids. These glands are divided into 2 regions known as the cortex and the medulla. The hormones secreted by the Adrenal glands make an impact on the metabolism of the body, blood chemicals, our bodies' characteristics, likewise, it influences the part of the nervous system that is in relation with the response and defense against stress. An example of a mineralcorticoids is aldosterone that controls blood volume and help regulate blood pressure by acting on the kidneys to help hold enough water and sodium.
- Hypothalamus
The Hypothalamus plays an important role in the nervous system which controls most of the body functions. This organ is the soul to the nervous system that initiates functions such as stimulating the apetite and controls sleep. The hypothalamus controls hormone production in the pituitary gland through several releasing hormones. Such as the growth hormone-releasing hormone or controls GH release, etc. The GnRH or gonadotropin releasing hormone tells the pituitary gland to make leuteinizing hormones (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) which are needed for normal puberty.
- Pancreas
This gland is solely responsible in secreting insulin which is in charge of the glucose by the body. Pacreas secrete insulin which is a hormone that aids the glucose from the blood to the cells where it is consumed as energy.
- Parathyroid
This gland is known for monitoring and maintaining the calcium levels in our bloodstream. It produces the PTH(parathyroid hormone) that consumes calcium from the bones so that it will be available in the circulation of blood for nerve conduction and muscle contraction.
- Pineal
This gland is incorporated with our daily biological cycles. Scientists are still curious about this gland up to this day. Melatonin is one hormone they have found that is produced by the pineal. Melatonin may stop the action of the hormones that produces gonadotropin. It also regulates sleeping patterns.
- Thymus
Our immune system is involved with the thymus. This gland produces humoral hormones that renders the development of the lymphoid system.
- Pituitary
Many different hormones are produced by the Pituitary that influence other endocrine glands.
We have the anterior pituitary which produces several hormones like the FSH(follicle stimulating hormone) which promotes sperm production and stimulates ovaries to release eggs; LH(leuteinizing hormone) which regulates testosterone and estrogen; etc.
The posterior pituitary on the other hand, produces two hormones which are oxytocin and the antidiuretic hormone (ADH) respectively. Oxytocin is responsible for the letdown of milk in mothers and in contraction during pregnancy. ADH is also known as vasopressin whose action is to regulate water balance in the body.
- Ovaries & Testicles
These work hand n hand by secreting hormones that affect and influence the female and male characteristics. They are also responsible for the sexual function and reproduction.
Testosterone is produced by the testes which is the major hormone in males that is responsible for development and sexual traits.
Estrogen and progesterone on the other hand are the two main hormones produced by the ovaries of the female. These hormones are responsible for developing and maintaining female sexual traits as well as for the maintenance during pregnancy.
- Thyroid gland
This gland produces hormones that stimulate body heat production, bone formation and our body metabolism. It produces T3, T4 and calcitonin as well which is responsible for body metabolism and calcium levels.
For a better understanding, here's a video clip to further explain what hormones are and their functions!
Here is a list of my reliable sources:
- AMA's Current Procedural Terminology, Revised 1998 Edition. CPT is a trademark of the American Medical Association.
- Understanding Pathophysiology, 4th edition by Huether & McCance.
- http://altered-states.net/barry/newsletter260/index.htm
- http://www.medicalwellnessassociation.com/articles/chocolate_benefits.htm
Don't forget to comment about my post on this insight! Thank you :)
