Our endocrine system is what balances our hormone production. When it is off-balance, everything from sleep to mood, metabolism, and tissue function can be affected.
Can you improve the health of your endocrine system, when it’s acting off-balance – yes, thankfully. But before we delve into how, it’s important to understand how the endocrine system works. The system is essentially a collection of glands and organs which produce or maintain hormones. These hormones are a necessity for proper body function.
The endocrine system’s glands and organs send hormones into the bloodstream, carrying signals across the body instructing it on what to do. The endocrine system is plugged into almost every organ in the body and has a direct connection to almost every cell. An unhealthy endocrine system can be a huge problem.
Our hormones affect how we function physically and chemically. Some of the body’s function they regulate include appetite, metabolism, respiration, circulation, mood, sleep, digestion, movement and mobility, sensory perception, growth, muscle strength, sexual development, fertility, reproduction, and temperature regulation.
The anatomy of the endocrine system is rather varied and includes the brain, lungs, and kidneys among other places. In fact, within the endocrine system, you’ll find the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, pineal gland, thyroid gland, parathyroid, thymus gland, adrenal glands, pancreas, ovaries, and testes.
The best way to maintain your endocrine system is to avoid what could impair it and provide it with what can help it function. As an example, a healthy diet filled with nutrients is needed to facilitate hormone production. Carbs, proteins, and healthy fats are all key, as are probiotics and high fiber foods. Inflammatory foods like added sugars, trans fats, refined grains, and alcohol will also work to keep your system’s health on the right track.
A way wherein an infrared sauna helps the endocrine system is through controlling and maintaining a healthy weight. The more active you are, the more this stimulates hormone production which could resolve a possible hormonal imbalance. Exercise also improves insulin sensitivity, boosts testosterone, and relieves stress by reducing harmful cortisol hormones. Thankfully, you don’t need to go running or lifting weights to see these benefits. Sitting in a sauna and/or steam room, through heat therapy, will help a tremendous amount.
Pharmaceutical medications can also negatively impact hormone levels. Everything from birth control to insulin can increase or decrease hormone production. If you suspect medications may be complicating matters for you, consult with a doctor about possibly changing harmful pharmaceuticals in your daily regimen.
Now, regarding hormone regulation, saunas are again very useful as they stimulate hormone release. Saunas for hormone production benefits can also include reduced cortisol, increased growth hormones, and increases in beta-endorphins, prolactin, and norepinephrine secretion. Some studies suggest the endocrine system’s response to a steam room or infrared sauna correlates closely with stress as well. If we work to reduce stress, this only serves to heighten the impact a sauna has on an endocrine system.
Endocrine system health issues can range from trivial to very serious. Diabetes, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, and infertility are just some problems that are traced back to hormone production. Learn how to better regulate and maintain a healthy endocrine system through a healthy diet, infrared sauna use, and prevention. Most importantly, if you suspect there’s a hormonal imbalance, it’s important to resolve it as soon as you can.