Introduction
The impact of poor nutrition on health has long been recognized. Interest in nutrition as it relates to Hormonal Balance and heart health is directed largely to the macronutrient content of the diet, which is known to have an important modulatory effect on serum lipid levels. The primary focus of this article is on the dietary intake of particular fats, protein, carbohydrate, specifically dietary fiber, and its relationship to postprandial metabolism, obesity, and diabetes. Given that coronary heart disease in women often follows the menopause, consideration of the pre- and postmenopausal diet in the wider context of the potential impact of nutrition on hormonal balance is also warranted. Accordingly, hormone replacement therapy is considered.
Understanding Hormonal Balance
In reality, the human body is the ultimate dynamic chemical laboratory. The interplay and balance between the various chemical substances in the body make us feel cheerful and vital one moment, and despondent or tired at the next. This complex interplay between our emotions and the chemicals in the body and blood is brought about by the interaction between our five vital life forces, or vital airs – energy, hormones, fluids, thoughts, and consciousness. The balance and synergy between these vital airs changes throughout life. Different biochemical substances are secreted and maintained in the body, depending on individual physiology, emotional state, tissue health, mental balance, and age. Some of these chemicals are generated by the body, while others have to be consumed through the diet.
Hormones are essentially biological messengers. Produced by glands of the endocrine system, hormones enter the bloodstream and then travel to the organs and tissues where they exert their own particular biochemical actions. For example, insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, tells cells when to conserve sugar, while estrogen, a hormone secreted by the ovaries, causes the development of the lining of the womb. Hormones are produced in tiny amounts, but their impact is incredibly potent. For example, a milligram of estrogen, the female hormone, can provide relief to women suffering from a severely debilitating loss of estrogen or damage to their ovaries. There are several different sex hormones, but the primary sex hormones secreted by the sex glands are estrogen and progesterone, present in women, and androgen, present in men.
Nutrition and Hormonal Balance
Perhaps the most exciting prospect in taking our understanding of optimal health to a new level comes from a closer look at how different foods influence various hormonal levels in the body. Already, many people know that taking too much thyroid hormone can dangerously speed up your metabolism, while too much insulin can lower your blood sugar to a life-threatening level. While these hormones regulate essential body functions, they have undesirable side effects in someone who is otherwise healthy. These examples emphasize the importance of maintaining just the right amount of these hormones. When levels are excessive or too low, your body can become very out of balance, causing some of your worst symptoms. However, nutrition can shift this balance either to decrease or increase your body’s production of these hormones or reduce levels through proper detoxification.
Nutritional support can prevent hormonal imbalances and result in immense health benefits, such as overcoming fatigue, managing your weight, increasing your muscle tone, achieving optimal sleep patterns, and maintaining good mood control and stabilizing your blood sugar. Best of all, at a more advanced level, nutritional support can regulate the female monthly cycle and male sex drive, with research indicating the ability of soy products rich in phytoestrogens to reduce the symptoms of menopause. Another group of plant hormones, 7-hydroxy isoflavones, maintain the health of the prostate. New research on the heart health benefits of DHEA, a precursor to male and female hormones, can be an added nutritional advantage. While nutritional science is rapidly advancing in our understanding of how foods influence the complex architecture of the human body, the best medicine is still nature’s whole foods, rich in vitamins, minerals, and other healing factors.
Conclusion
Diet and nutrition have a major impact on both hormonal balance and heart health. Obesity is a worldwide epidemic that not only is associated with all of the major heart disease risk factors but also is associated with various hormonal imbalances (insulin, leptin, adiponectin, estrogen, and androgen in women and men) that predispose to heart disease. This review article provides a summary of the present state of the knowledge supporting the negative effect and potential positive impact of nutrition on hormonal balance, heart disease, and heart disease risk factors. Good nutrition influences and increases the healthspan, decreasing the incidence of chronic degenerative diseases, including cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, and cardiometabolic syndrome.
INTERNATIONAL HEALTH AND MEDICINE ORGANIZATION IHMO
