Dance
of the Hormones
A
woman’s body is a
wonderful, mysterious,
mystical work of art
that science and
medicine have still not
fully deciphered.
At birth a girl will
already have around
400,000 eggs formed in
her ovaries, lying
dormant and immature
until puberty when one
each month evolves into
a mature egg ready for
ovulation and
conception. The eggs are
wrapped around with
layers of cells, each
package being called a
follicle. Follicle
stimulating hormone
(FSH) is released from
the pituitary gland in
response to low levels
of estrogen in the
blood. The FSH causes
several follicles to
begin maturing, coming
out from dormancy and
continuing with the
processes of meiosis
(cell division). One of
these will mature faster
than the others and
eventually this becomes
the egg of the month.
As the follicle develops
it produces estrogen
which enters the blood
stream, travels to the
brain and switches off
the FSH. It also
stimulates the pituitary
to produce Luteinizing
hormone (LH). When
LH reaches a certain
critical level in the
bloodstream it causes
the ovary to burst open
and release the
egg,leaving behind the
follicle cells.
Continued production of
LH results in the
follicle cells
accumulating fat and
turning yellow, thus
being called the corpus
luteum. This
produces more estrogen
as well as progesterone.
The role of estrogen is
to stimulate the
proliferation of the
uterine lining and ready
it for implantation of
the fertilized egg. The
role of progesterone is
to cause the thickened
uterine lining to
develop glands and
secrete substances which
will nourish the egg
after implantation.
If conception occurs
then the egg will
implant in the uterine
wall and release
hormones, which cause
the on-going production
of LH and thus support
the corpus luteum to
continue to make
estrogen and
progesterone to nourish
the developing embryo.
In the absence of
fertilization, no
implantation occurs and
LH production drops off
sharply. This causes
cessation of estrogen
and progesterone
production. Without
these hormones, the
uterine lining is no
longer adequately
nourished and will begin
to slough off and shed
(the menstrual period).
When estrogen reaches a
low level the pituitary
gland releases FSH and
the cycle starts all
over again.
Imbalance
and Disease
Due
to the intricate nature
of the hormonal balance
in a woman’s body,
many health problems may
occur if even one of the
hormones is disrupted.
Deficient estrogen may
cause delayed ovulation
and scanty, infrequent
menstruation. Excessive
estrogen may cause heavy
menstruation with clots
and cramps. Deficient
progesterone will impair
the ability of the
fertilized egg to
implant and may be a
cause of infertility or
repeated miscarriage.
Excessive progesterone
may cause delayed
cycles. PMS may be due
to and aggravated by
deficiencies or excesses
of either estrogen or
progesterone.
Using
a bi-phasic (two part)
formula allows you to
address the two
different and
complementary phases of
the menstrual cycle and
to specifically balance
and regulate the
functions as they change
through the month.
This
approach may be useful
for women experiencing
PMS with weepiness,
irritability, food
cravings, water
retention or bloating.
It is also helpful in
cases of ovarian cysts,
menstrual irregularity,
hormonal disruption due
to miscarriage or
termination, and painful
menstrual cramping
without excessive
bleeding.
It
should be noted that,
while herbs may be
extremely beneficial in
treating a wide variety
of women’s health
problems, they should
always be used as part
of a holistic program in
conjunction with dietary
and lifestyle changes.
Only
organically raised foods
should be consumed
because pesticides,
herbicides and other
sprays applied to food
crops are known to be
estrogenic and
carcinogenic in the
body. Plenty of fibre
should be eaten to
ensure good elimination
of toxins and metabolic
waste products. No
coffee or other
caffeinated products
should be taken because
of their damaging
effects on the liver.
All refined sugars and
carbohydrates should be
avoided, as should any
refined or processed
foods. Foods should be
eaten as close to their
natural state as
possible. A good
multi-vitamin and
mineral supplement may
be useful and plenty of
fresh water should be
consumed.
Exercise,
rest, relaxation and joy
are also crucial in
achieving and
maintaining good health.
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