…And the Hypothalmic Connection
So, challenged by the Hormonally Challenged, I began to assess and focus my treatments on the symphony of hormones produced by the neurological, immune, and endocrine systems.
Thanks to some fat white mice, I discovered – rather rediscovered – the Hypothalamus.
I noticed three disorders in my obese patients. They presented with thyroid disorders, adrenal disorders, and problems with glucose metabolism. On top of all this they were unhappy, oftentimes treated with antidepressants. They wanted relief, preferably something natural. I wanted to figure out what was the common denominator.
What was the root of their issues?
Despite being the late nineties and before fantastic search engines, I diligently researched medical literature and could find nothing. So I focused on animal studies. And that’s when I found the fat white mice and POMC.
Proopiomelanoncortin or POMC is a really, really big hormone. Produced by the hypothalamus that converts into thyroid releasing hormone (TRH), cortico-releasing hormone (CRH), glucose releasing factor (GRF), melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH), and beta-endorphins. This one hypothalamic hormone controls thyroid function, adrenal function, glucose metabolism, the light sensitivity of your skin and hair, and your state of happiness!
If one hormone controls all this, what else does your hypothalamus do?
Your Hypothalamus orchestrates your:
- Entire endocrine system – all your hormones
- Neurological system – all three brains
- Immune system
- Weight set point
- Metabolism
- Heart and respiratory rate
- Temperature control
- Sleep cycles
- Energy output
- Sex drive
- Fertility
- Skin color
- Stress response
There’s not much that your hypothalamus does not control.
Therefore, your hypothalamus is the crucial organ in your brain that runs the entire neuro-immune-endocrine system. And when the “hormones” produced by the neuro-immune-endocrine system are out of balance, biochemical miscommunication causes the body to malfunction which leads to dis-ease.
Although we learn about the hypothalamus in premed anatomy and physiology classes, by the time we begin our health care practice, we forget the importance of this primitive brain structure. We just don’t appreciate the hypothalamus. We cannot measure the hormones the hypothalamus produces. So, we don’t deal with it.
Yet, the hypothalamus plays a vital role in the orchestration of the symphony of hormones.
Hormones sing to your DNA and your DNA dances accordingly. If you’re not healthy, you’re out of tune. So rather than tune every gland that produces hormones, why not focus on the maestro.
Why not balance your Hypothalamus?
Excerpt from: Hormones in Harmony
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