Are Your Hormones “Aging Faster” Than You Want Them To?

Do you have lifeless frizzy hair, acne, dull or wrinkled skin, weak fingernail nails, autoimmunity, and low sex drive?  When we have hormonal imbalances we can also have metabolic and skin health imbalances. It’s possible to decrease these wrinkles in time and rejuvenate our body and health, when we make a few necessary “bite size” changes.

10 Ways Hormones Increase Aging

1. Insulin Resistance relies on abusive foods and medications that create this condition.  It can begin at any age. In the skin, it can cause skin tags and excess body hair. In the body, you may notice high blood pressure, obesity, cholesterol imbalances, and irregular menstrual cycles.  High levels of insulin can accelerate wrinkling of the skin. Sugar can not only rob you of your health, but it can also rob you of your beauty.

2. Thyroid Hormones & Oxidative Stress plays a major role in the aging process. Aging of hair manifests as graying.(1)  Causes can include environmental factors such as xenoestrogens (endocrine disruptors) ultraviolet radiation, smoking, and poor nutrition. These chemical and toxic exposures are linked to oxidative stress, cancer, and metabolic behavior. (2)

3. Cortisol Levels. Stress causes the release of the hormone cortisol. High cortisol levels increase the aging effects on our skin, showing wrinkling and broken capillaries. Stress also depletes immune function. Adrenal exhaustion from chronic stress means our adrenal glands are overworked from manufacturing cortisol, and they simply can’t produce enough DHEA to support a healthy skin or hormonal balance.

4. DHEA is a hormone produced by your adrenal glands and in our brain, which was first discovered by scientists in the 1930’s.(3) It’s the most abundant hormone in our body, and a key factor for skin health.(4) According to Ronald Klatz, D.O., president of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, “DHEA is one of the most crucial predictive factors in diagnosing aging-related diseases.” In 1994, the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism published the therapeutic effects of DHEA replacement therapy. The DHEA-takers had more energy, slept better, and handled stress better than the placebo-takers. Research concluded that, “DHEA will improve the quality of life over a longer period and will postpone some of the unpleasant effects of aging, such as fatigue and muscle weakness.” DHEA’s power to invigorate the immune system is closely linked to its potential to fight aging.(4a)

5. Testosterone. Several habits interfere with testosterone levels. Testosterone is a hormone found in both men and women.  BPA’s may be one culprit to the declining levels of testosterone.  Bisphenol-A, is a synthetic chemical and endocrine disruptor, often found in various plastic containers and cash register receipts. What else can disrupt testosterone?  Drinking alcohol creates inflammation throughout the body, skin and inhibits the release of testosterone. Alcohol and starchy foods show up on the skin as dullness/loss of radiance, dark circles under the eyes, puffiness, an increase in fine lines and wrinkles and increased pore size. These foods can also exacerbate acne, which is a systemic inflammatory disease.

6. Melatonin regulates our cycles, mood, reproduction, and weight. It’s instrumental in regulating skin homeostasis.(5)  It regulates the circadian day-night-rhythm and can decrease with UV and DNA damage.(6)  It is implicated in skin functions and hair cycling. Exploration of “the melatonin holds lessons to better understand the role of melatonin in the skin.”(7) Organic pineapples and bananas can boost melatonin levels.

7. Serotonin. Without serotonin the body can’t regulate blood sugar, which plays a causative role in premature aging and diabetes. If our body lacks certain nutrients there can be serotonin deficiency, which in turn can lead to increased belly fat.  Serotonin has precedence over pain tolerance, digestion, appetite, mood, emotions and cravings. High Cortisol levels and a poor diet can rob us of serotonin. Medications or addictions that are a major cause of lowered serotonin levels include: nicotine, antidepressants and caffeine.  Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as pesticides and heavy metals can lead to permanent damage to the nerve cells responsible for producing serotonin and cause DNA damage.  “An endocrine disrupting chemical substance alters the hormonal and homeostatic systems that enable the organism to communicate with and respond to its environment.”(8) Inositol improves the activity of serotonin in the brain. But did you know there’s more serotonin in the gut then the brain? A non-processed form of Inositol is found in organic vegetables.(9)

8. Progesterone is known to help maintain the glycogen stores and increase skin’s elasticity. Carbofuran interrupts progesterone and is one of the most toxic pesticides. Carbofuran is an endocrine disruptor. Avoid pesticide exposures.

9. Human Growth hormone is a protein hormone and produced in the anterior pituitary gland deep inside the brain. Sleep loss causes the body to produce less HGH. With a decrease in HGH our skin can show signs of wrinkles and sagging. Make time for sleep. Remove wi-fi, TV’s and computers from the bedroom.

10. Estrogen dominancecan be caused by endocrine disruptors which in turn causes fat gain, water retention and bloating.  Endocrine disrupting chemicals in skin care products, pesticides and toxic laundry supplies can increase allergies, weight gain, skin aging, disrupt our hormones and is linked to a low sex drive.(10) Make it a point to purchase non-toxic products.

8 Tips on What You Can Do Now

1. Begin with avoiding chemicals that can lead to DNA damage. Processed and Genetically Engineered Foods can play a causative role in DNA Damage.  The elimination of toxic trans- fats and refined sugar could avert tens of thousands heart disorders each year in the United States. For example these ingredients can all be found in your favorite ice cream cone. Eat good fats such as organic avocados, organic coconut oil and organic raw nuts for balanced testosterone levels, while avoiding insulin resistance. Pro-inflammatory foods such as sugar, corn, soy, alcohol, caffeine and rBGH dairy will promote skin wrinkles, a host of diseases, accelerate aging, and cause the storage of body fat.

2. Your organs and systems work together. They are not separate parts. Enjoying great skin means paying attention to good gut bacteria. You can start by feeding the gut fermented foods or supplement with a non-dairy probiotic. (11) Increase organic fruits and veggies and drink more pure clean water to avoid constipation.

3. Exercise ensures beautiful skin. Studies have indicated that exercise benefits the skin in much the same way it improves metabolic, hormonal and bone health.

4. Balance pH. Don’t allow your body to become acidic which paves the way for autoimmune diseases, dull hair and skin.

5. Eat for a healthy liver. Make sure to avoid excess alcohol, drug use, obesity, and a fatty liver.(12)

6. Love your sleep. Sleep is when your skin has a chance to detox, rebuild and rejuvenate. Not getting a good nights sleep is not going to be beneficial for your testosterone or other hormone levels.

7. Avoid exposure to xenoestrogens from plastics, cosmetics, toxic laundry detergents, and medications. These can increase aging, weight gain, and obesity.

8. Stress interrupts hormones, increases aging and reduces immunity.  Find healthy ways to release your stress.

Conclusion:  Science has found that hormones influence our brain, ten bodily systems, and all our organs. No one wants to age faster than normal or experience hormonal imbalances that can lead to unwanted weight gain and autoimmune disorders. It’s a fact that you can take action to support your body’s immunity, metabolism, hormonal activity, and skin’s defense systems with whole foods from Mother Nature’s Table.

footnotes:

1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2929555/
2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2990475/
3. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/03/19/the-most-common-mistakes-in-bioidentical-hormone-replacement.aspx#_ednref1
4. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3499288/ ** 4a- http://www.anti-agingmd.com/dhea.html
5. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3583885/
6. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23467217
7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16150102
8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16037129/ **see also http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2726844/#B435
9. http://www.ehow.com/about_5548572_causes-depleted-serotonin.html
10. http://blogs.naturalnews.com/stop-estrogen-dominance-related-diseases-get-sex-drive-back/
11. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19203862/ **see also http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19300508/
12. http://skinhealthfromwithin.com/2014/02/18/fat-in-our-liver/