Hormonal imbalances can cause excess weight in different parts of the body

Latest research shows excess weight may gather in certain areas regardless of how much you diet or exercise, as a result of hormone imbalances. Lifestyle, diet and genetics play a part. Human bodies evolved to react to danger by producing the stress hormone cortisol, to trigger the release of energy for the ‘fight or flight’ response. Excess cortisol sparks the release of energy in the form of fat and glucose. This is redeposited as fat round the waist.

Eat little and often to keep blood sugar levels stable, as fluctuations can trigger cortisol release.  Eat foods with a low glycemic load, such as apples, wholegrain bread or cashews, which slowly release energy. Too much oestrogen can cause fat to build in the buttocks and thighs. Those fat cells manufacture more oestrogen, and, in turn, more fat is stored. Drinking too much alcohol means the liver can’t clear oestrogen from the blood.

Fat ankles are often the result of fluid retention, which can be caused by a lack of progesterone. Progesterone acts as a diuretic, flushing excess liquid from the body. Bulging calves may be made worse by low levels of human growth hormone, which seems to prompt fat storage in the legs.

Foods rich in vitamin E may boost progesterone. These include sunflower seeds and peanut butter. Reduce sodium intake as this is key in regulating blood pressure and fluid levels, which can help with water retention in the legs and ankles. Avoid processed food such as ready meals. And to boost human growth hormone, get plenty of sleep-HGH is only released at night in adults.

A chubby face, as well as a flabby neck, could be down to too little thyroxine, a hormone produced by the thyroid gland. An underactive thyroid slows the metabolism, which may cause bloating. Another symptom is a swollen neck, called goitre, where the thyroid gland becomes a visible bump. Taking a supplement with selenium, which helps body use thyroxine more efficiently.

Human produces a hormone called DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), which is converted into testosterone-DHEA helps build lean muscle mass. When testosterone levels drop too low, muscle mass can be replaced with fat-this is noticeable on the upper arms, which have large muscles.
Women's testosterone levels drop with age, peaking in their 20s, then halving by menopause, but certain foods can help. Consume more protein, such as fish, eggs, tofu and nuts. Zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6 also promote testosterone production.

The rolls that hang over the back of your bra could be because of low levels of human growth hormone (HGH). During the night, women’s pituitary glands release human growth hormone, which stimulates fat cells to release energy to repair the body’s tissues. Too little HGH and fat cells don’t receive the message to convert fat into energy. Studies show adults who lack HGH often have a high level of body fat around the trunk, especially the back.

Melatonin-rich foods, such as raspberries, can increase HGH secretion by up to 157 per cent. Melatonin triggers the release of hormones that tell the body it’s time for sleep. Another study found foods high in the amino acid glutamine, such as yoghurt, can raise HGH production.
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Birth control shot increases the risk of HIV

Transitioning away from a popular contraceptive shot known as DMPA could help protect women in Sub-Saharan Africa and other high-risk regions from becoming infected with HIV, according to a research review. The predominant contraceptive in Sub-Saharan Africa is depotmedroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) -- a birth control shot administered every three months.

Human studies suggest DMPA use may raise the risk of HIV infection by 40 percent. Other forms of contraceptive shots do not show the same correlation with HIV infection. Increasing availability of contraceptives that use a different form of the female hormone progestin than the one found in DMPA could help reduce the risk of HIV transmission. In addition to these clinical studies, the review's authors examined animal, cell and biochemical research on the form of progestin used in DMPA -- medroxprogesterone acetate, or MPA.

The analysis revealed MPA acts differently than other forms of progestin used in contraceptives. MPA behaves like the stress hormone cortisol in the cells of the genital tract that can come in contact with HIV. The increased rate of HIV infection among women using DMPA contraceptive shots is likely due to multiple reasons, including decreases in immune function and the protective barrier function of the female genital tract.
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Anger causes untimely death

Researchers have discovered that angry men aged 20 to 40 were one-and-a-half times more likely to be dead 35 years later than those who were calmer. They believe this is due to a number of factors linking stress to physiological damage. The frequent release of adrenaline during periods of stress damages DNA, which could lead to life-threatening illnesses such as multiple sclerosis.

Feelings of anger produce a heightened response in the amygdala, the part of the brain associated with survival instincts. Angry emotions prompt the amygdala to signal a heightened state of anxiety to the rest of the brain and the body, increasing blood flow to the limbs and heart, which makes relaxation impossible.

Those exposed to anger-inducing stimuli without discussing how it made them feel are more likely to experience insomnia than those who engage in an emotional ‘debrief’, according to neuroscientists. Writing the cause of anger frees up the space in the head, dampening the fear response and encouraging relaxation.

 Emotions such as excitement or anger result in the release of stress hormones cortisol, adrenaline and testosterone, which put the body into flight-or-flight mode. The chemical surge increases blood flow to the brain and triggers the swelling of both blood vessels and nerves surrounding the brain. The pressure can result in tension and headaches.

Highly hostile individuals performed significantly worse on a simple inhalation task than those who were rated less hostile. When you are angry, neurotransmitters and hormones are sent through the bloodstream which, in turn, increase both the heart rate and muscle tension. Frequent occurrence of this reaction puts a strain on neurons in the hypothalamus, the brain’s ‘stress control centre’, meaning that it becomes harder for the neurons to switch off. And the ‘happy hormone’ serotonin is significantly depleted in some aggressive individuals.

Too much cortisol in the body – released by adrenal glands during angry outbursts can cause an imbalance in blood sugar, repress the thyroid and even decrease bone density. When released initially, cortisol triggers an anti-inflammatory response by the immune system, but prolonged increase of the hormone makes the body more susceptible to viruses. As blood pressure rises thanks to a surge in adrenaline, the heart beats faster, increasing the risk of potentially fatal abnormal heart rhythms. Adrenaline also signals for the release of platelets, which can trigger blood clots or block arteries – particularly dangerous if arteries are restricted by a build-up of cholesterol.

Studies have shown that men in particular who score highly on trait anger scales are three times more likely to suffer from general heart disease. Once the ‘fight or flight’ signal has been issued by the brain, blood supply is directed to areas needed for action such as the limbs. That means blood supply to the digestive system is reduced, with a reduced amount of oxygen provided to keep vital ‘good’ bacteria in the gut alive. A dampened immune system can lead to a weakened gut lining, increasing vulnerability to harmful bacteria entering the area.

Heightened stress reduces the amount of available glucocorticoids -the hormone involved in the synthesis of the skin-plumping compound collagen. Lack of collagen contributes towards saggy, wrinkled skin. The weakened immune system caused by stress responses increases inflammatory reactions to pathogens underneath the skin.

Enhanced periods of anger disrupt the skin-barrier function, making it easier for allergens to penetrate and resulting in skin conditions such as dermatitis and psoriasis. Repressing, rather than expressing anger puts you at an higher risk of developing health problems. This increased risk of hypertension for angry individuals who tended to keep their anger below a level of consciousness. By repressing emotion, excess stress hormones remain in the emotion-processing areas of the brain for longer period making physical reactions chronic.
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Effects of estrogen treatment on menopausal women

Hormone replacement therapy may protect menopausal women from stress-related memory loss. The sex hormone estrogen buffers working memory from the impact of stress, which is known to impair short-term working memory. Women going through menopause take hormone replacement therapy HRT which contains estrogen to offset hot flushes, night sweats, sleep disturbances, mood swings, and reduced sex drive. The treatment also blocks fluctuating hormones from affecting memory.

Estrogen can modify women's hormonal response to stress, researchers discovered that the treatment after menopause protects working memory needed for short-term cognitive tasks from the effects of stress. Stress prompts the hormonal system and the hypothalamus to release cortisol. Cortisol interferes with the activity of the hippocampus from making new neurons and neural connections, a process that is key to working memory.

HRT may reduce the response and cortisol, when there are environmental or immune system stressors. Stress can interference with prefrontal cognitive processes such as working memory.
HRT can reduce the HPA response to stress, the hormone may also mitigate the effects of stress on working memory by limiting the cortisol response to the stressor. Researchers examined different study participants, some received estrogen therapy for menopausal symptoms and others received a placebo for five years. The women provided saliva samples so their levels of cortisol, a hormone associated with stress, was measured.

During two separate sessions, each woman completed a memory task where they were instructed to remember the final word of each sentence. Prior to one of the sessions, the women submerged their non-dominant hand in ice water for as long as possible, for a maximum of three minutes. During the other session, the women submerged the same hand in warm water before completing the memory test.

Although the women who were receiving estrogen therapy reported feeling more stressed by the cold water exposure than the women who received the placebo, they had lower levels of cortisol than their counterparts following the stress test. Women receiving HRT performed about the same on the memory task, regardless of whether they were exposed. sed to the cold water stressor in advance or not. Women who were taking the placebo performed worse on the memory task because of exposure to the cold water than they did when they were not exposed to a physical stressor.
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Stress can shrink the brain

Stress management is a critical and often misunderstood aspect of a brain-healthy lifestyle. Regardless of your degree of risk of developing dementia, stress reduction is crucial to overall health and happiness. Some forms of stress are good for brain -these are purposeful actions that bolster brain reserves, making the brain stronger and more resilient. Unrelenting and uncontrolled stress can destroy the brain and it can start at any age.

Neglect and emotional abuse sustained at a young age have been associated with memory deficits in adulthood. A process called ‘myelination’ by which the neuron’s connections are coated with a protective fatty membrane called myelin to ensure effective communication starts before the age of five and continues into early twenties.

Stress has been shown to significantly affect growth in developing brains, and lower cognitive resilience in childhood-myelination was inefficient or incomplete, which could increase the risk of developing dementia. Stress puts the body in overdrive and subsequently increases the level of stress hormones- cortisol.

These affect blood sugar levels and cause damaging long-term problems such as anxiety, depression, disrupted sleep and depressed immune function, which then makes us more vulnerable to infections and increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Stress affects each of us differently, but our brains are vulnerable. Studies show chronic stress decreases levels of the crucial protein responsible for the production of new brain cells. It puts the brain in a state of high inflammation, causing structural damage and impairing its ability to clear harmful waste products.

Uncontrolled stress initiates a hormonal cascade that taxes the brain on many levels. It even changes the structure of the brain, destroying cells and effectively shrinking it. Creating a personalised plan of eat a brain-boosting diet, being active, good night rest, avoiding stress, and challenge your brain can be of good help. Stress damages the entire body, but the brain is more susceptible to the damage even more than the heart.
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Dangers of disrupting body clock

Body clock regulates day and night cycle that guides sleep and eating patterns and hormones. Nature can have serious consequences ranging from impulsive behaviour to life-threatening conditions such as obesity and cancer if the body clock is disrupted.

Human body can not adapt to operating outside the normal cycle of working by day, and sleeping at night. Shift workers' biological clocks are set by the rising and setting of the sun. There is no drug for speed up or slow down of body clock.

When workers force themselves to stay awake, it triggers the release of stress hormones such as cortisol- the hormone release into the blood in a life-or-death situation. Cortisol works to suppress the immune system and in the long run increases the risk of illnesses.

Working when you are supposed to sleep also opens you up to eating outside of normal times, when the body's metabolism might be lower and the calories are more likely to be converted into fat instead of being burnt up.

Short time disruptions of the circadian clock can wreak havoc within the body-raising heart rate, raising blood pressure and insulin levels. Circadian dysfunction has been linked to depression, bipolar disorder, cognitive function, memory formation and some neurological diseases.

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Post trauma stress disorder may increase the risk of lupus

Lupus is an incurable autoimmune disease that causes kidney inflammation and can affect many organs in the body like joints, skin, blood cells, brain, heart, lungs and kidney.

Lupus can be difficult to diagnose because lupus flares can be as minor as a rash, but can also come with muscle pain, joint pain and fatigue. Severe flare ups can cause fluid to build up around the heart and cause kidney failure.

Women who have post traumatic stress disorder PTSD or have experienced trauma may develop lupus. There is a correlation between PTSD and lupus in women than any other risk factor.

PTSD has been associated with other autoimmune diseases like cardiovascular problems. PTSD creates constant state of anxiety and defense. In these states, the heart rate goes up, and cortisol release is less controlled, which leads to an inflammation. This stress response causes lupus.

Lupus is an enigmatic disease; it affects different organs, the disease can be genetic, it may be triggered by infections, drugs and sunlight. Presently, there is no cure for lupus, the available treatments can control the symptoms.
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Causes of abdominal fat

Excess abdominal fat may be the result of excess consumption of sugar and simple white carbohydrates. However,
sleep deprivation, stress or wrong exercise can leads to abnormal fat.

Having abdominal fat increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart problems.
Cortisol, the stress hormone, plays a part in laying down central adipose tissue. You can avoid stress by engaging in yoga practice and mindfulness to your daily routine.

High-sugar diet can increase abdominal fat, cut down on sugar, saturated fats and white refined foods such as white bread, pasta, rice and potatoes, as they metabolise quickly, resulting in elevated blood sugar levels that promotes fat storage.

Eat more of lean meats, vegetables, fruits, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, such as those found in nuts and avocados. Avoid eating fruit after a meal, as fruit can cause food to ferment in your stomach, leading to bloating and lots of gas.

Fat can play a vital role in weight loss, by slowing the release of nutrients into the bloodstream, add little fat to your meal. Hormonal disruption can affect fat distribution, seek medical help.
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Stress hormone reduced the effectiveness of cancer treatment

Stress reduction therapy is very important for cancer patients, stress hormones during treatment can prevent the cancerous cells in the body from dividing and reacting.

These hormones prevent the growing tumors from being treated by the cancer drugs that are used for the patients. Stress reduction therapy is essential during cancer treatment to promote the success of the drugs and cancer treatment.

Chemotherapy method of cancer treatment targets rapidly dividing cells, cells exposed to stress hormones such as cortisol and norepinephrine generate destructive DNA damaging free radicals molecules.

This causes the cells temporarily to stop their relentless cell division as DNA repair mechanisms starts and protects the tumors from the lethal effects of chemotherapy.

Stressed mice with breast cancer produced higher levels of a nitric oxide-generating enzyme iNOS in their tumors. Greater iNOS activity leads to more aggressive breast cancer.
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Dangers of stress

A stressful life increases the thickness of the artery walls, leading to high blood pressure and heart disease.

It also increases the production of cortisol. Researchers used high-tech MRI scanners to examine the brains, hearts and bone marrow of nearly 300 patients.

They discovered that people with higher activity in the amygdala region of the brain, the part associated with stress, were 59 percent more likely over the next 3.7 years to develop heart failure.

Stress has been linked to illnesses like cancer, lung disease, bone loss and cirrhosis of the liver.


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How to remove impact of stress on your skin

 Stress can cause dry, flaky and acne on skin surface by releasing damaging free radicals and hormone like cortisol that speed up aging skin, eczema and psoriasis

Frowning and clenching of jaw when we are stressed increase wrinkles and cause premature ageing of the skin.

Prolonged stress can slow down the production of collagen and elastin, leading to sagging.

 Facial massage is one of the ways of managing skin stress, it helps in blood circulation and prevents toxins from the complexion.

Smiling or laughing can reduce effects of stress on your skin. Taking warm bath before bed can also revive your skin.

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How stress affect foetus through amniotic fluid

Stress during pregnancy for a longer period of time can lead to concentration of stress hormones in amniotic fluid.

If an expectant mother is strongly stressed over a longer period of time, the risk of the unborn child developing a mental or physical illness later in life -- such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or cardiovascular disease increases.

Physical stress to the mother can change the metabolism in the placenta and influence the growth of the unborn child.

 The research team tested 34 healthy pregnant women, who took part in amniocentesis within the scope of prenatal diagnostics.

Such a test constitutes a stress situation for the expectant mother as her body secretes cortisol in the short term. To determine whether the placenta also releases stress hormones, the researchers compared the cortisol level in the mother's saliva with the CRH level in the amniotic fluid -- and determined that there was no connection.

The baby obviously remains protected against negative effects in case of acute, short-term stress to the mother,

The situation of the results regarding prolonged stress is completely different, as was determined using questionnaires for diagnosing chronic social overload: "If the mother is stressed for a longer period of time, the CRH level in the amniotic fluid increases

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Keeping secrets may damage your health

Keeping secrets may be damaging to health because the internal torment drives up stress, causing sleeping problems, wrinkles and sickness.

According to scientists, 95 percent of people keep an average of 13 secrets at a time. The experts at Columbia University in New York said the amount of time thinking about the secret is more harmful to health than the secret.

Researchers said one of the most frequently kept secrets were sexual fantasies about a non-partner or having sexual relations with a non-partner.

Other commonly held secrets were sexual orientation, poor self-image, finances, poor job performance, health challenges and addiction.

These undisclosed thoughts can cause stress hormones, such as cortisol, to go wild. High cortisol can lead to high blood pressure and weak immune system.

Secrets may also impact the way we relate to others, people who have
secrets tend to change their language and behavior when communicating with their friends.

Secret-keepers are socially active and very vigilant than usual, they respond quickly to those they were keeping in dark.

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Connshing syndrome caused high blood pressure

Scientists at University of Birmingham has discovered new cause of high blood pressure. Patients with Conn syndrome produce excess aldosterone and cortisol.

According to Professor Wiebke Arlt of Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, University of Birmingham adrenal glands of patients with Conn syndrome produce too much cortisol.

Patients need more medical assessment to confirm if they have Connshing syndrome for correct diagnosis.

Researchers need to do proper medical test before treating Connshing patients, using drugs that counteracts cortisol excess will improve their health.

Health benefits of keeping dogs

Dog is one of the common pets in the world, dogs exist in a wide range of colours and sizes, common examples of dogs are: German Shepherd, Doberman pinscher, Beagle, Cocker spaniel, Collie and Welsh corgi.

Beagle and Cocker spaniel are playful family pets that are very useful at home.

Benefits of keeping dogs
• American Heart Association said dogs decrease risk of cardiovascular disease, playing with dogs is a form of exercise.

• Laughing and playing with dogs release serotonin and oxytocin hormone and block cortisol.

•Some beneficial bacteria in dogs are useful for human, keeping and staying with them will give you access to the healthy bacteria.

•Dogs are very sensitive, they can detect burglars easily and prevent intruder from coming closer.

• Trained dogs are used in medicine to detect cancer; they can detect prostrate cancer by smelling the patient's urine.