What Is the Endocrine (or Hormonal)
System?
Not much has been known about the body’s Endocrine System until recently.
Its activities were thought mysterious and possibly only of secondary
importance. But now we’re realizing just how essential a healthy Endocrine
System is, what it actually does, how it's governed and how to ensure its
balance and operation with the rest of the body. The Endocrine System is
the biochemical system of the body which controls and regulates the
function of our entire metabolism through the production and direction of
all of our hormones. The Endocrine System and its activities are
specifically governed by parts of the brain (namely the neuroendocrine
apparatus of the medial basal hypothalamus, the pineal gland and the
pituitary gland), but it also involves other areas of the body including
the major endocrine hormone-producing glands: Thyroid, Thymus,
Parathyroids, Heart, Gastric and Intestinal Mucosa, Adrenals, Pancreas
(pancreatic islets), the Testes in men, and even the Heart. Within the
Endocrine System there are literally hundreds of types of hormones
produced, some of which merely stimulate the release of still larger even
more pronounced hormones. Nearly every process in our body is kept in
balance by this incredibly complex, but precise, interaction of our
hormones and their neural balancing function on all body activities.
Is the Endocrine (or Hormonal) System Involved with Aging?
Yes, it is. The Endocrine System directly controls the process of aging,
including how fast or slow we will age and how healthy we will be in the
process. Through the directions of the Endocrine System, its hormones
actually guide the body in its daily metabolic feats. Hormones
manufactured by the Endocrine System directly govern the welfare of our
whole body, keeping us young, healthy and happy. Hormones are often the
critical “conductors” of our “biochemical orchestra,” making sure that
everybody else within the biochemistry of our body's reads from the same
“sheet music” and plays their part at the right time with the rest of the
band without anyone missing a beat. Hormones can help us delay the aging
process, keeping us young and generally free from disease.
What
Do Some Of These Hormones Specifically Do?
Hormones like GH (Growth Hormone or Somatotrophin) are critical to all
forms of growth, healing, and repair in the body. Hormones like TSH
(thyroid stimulating hormone) play a critical role in stimulating the
thyroid to release its respective hormones, T3 and T4, which directly
influence the metabolic rate of all cells of the body, helping us to
metabolize food stores (fat and glycogen) efficiently, giving us energy
and orchestrating the use of other biological materials throughout the
day, as well as keeping us young, active and alert. ACTH (from the
Pituitary Gland) stimulates the adrenal cortex to synthesize and secrete
some of its hormones, like DHEA (discussed in the next section),
Pregnenolone (the “Memory” Hormone), Adrenalin (epinephrine) which
increases body metabolism, a small amount of Estrogen (both the ovaries
and the adrenals produce Estrogen), and Aldosterone which stimulates the
kidneys to retain sodium and water. Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH - from the
Pituitary Gland) acts in opposition to Aldosterone to dispel excess water
and sodium. Calcitonin (also produced by the thyroid) helps to increase
blood calcium levels while promoting the conservation of hard bone matrix,
while Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) acts as a direct antagonist; together
these two hormones help maintain calcium balance within the blood- stream
and keep bones dense and healthy. Normal neuromuscular excitability, blood
clotting, cell membrane permeability and the normal functioning of certain
enzymes, all depend on the maintenance of normal levels of calcium in the
blood. The Thymus, although generally considered to be a lymphatic organ,
secretes two families of peptide-hormones, thymosinand thympoietin, which
play a critical role in the development of the immune system’s T-cells.
And most importantly for men, the steroidal sex hormone, Androstenedione
(the precursor to Testosterone), produced in the testes and adrenal
cortex, acts more strongly in the production of male characteristics than
does Testosterone.
Pancreatic Hormones such as Glucagon, Insulin, Somatostatin and Pancreatic
polypeptide all aid in regulating body metabolism, glucose and fat
production as well as in the inhibition of Growth Hormone. The Gastric and
Intestinal Mucosa produce Gastrin, Secretin, Cholecystokinin-pancreozymin
(CCK) and others which control digestion and assimilation of foods. The
hormone CCK is most importantly involved with appetite and eating. Upon
its secretion, it immediately travels to the Hypothalamus within the brain
to “shut down” appetite. When its secretion is delayed or diminished,
over-eating is often the result! Researchers are also finding that
previously defined “sex-typed” hormones manufactured by the Endocrine
System are not only necessary for reproductive possibilities, but serve a
myriad of other essential health sustaining functions as well.
Testosterone, for example, allows males to keep their hair and not go bald
as well as develop muscle mass (even late in life), while Estrogen and
Progesterone maintain women’s smooth and supple skin, protect their hair
and eyes as well as many other functions within the body, including the
maintenance of bone density, thus preventing osteoporosis. Again, when the
Endocrine System is not functioning properly, or has been interfered with
by chemical look-a-likes such as the estrogen-like hormones coming from
canned foods (see next page), our health suffers dramatically, and we age
much, much more quickly!
Can Hormones Really Affect Our Overall Health?
Yes, most certainly! Now, more than ever, it’s time to seriously take care
of and nutritionally rebalance our Endocrine System. Hormonal balance is
now being seen as critically essential to the maintenance of good health
and a strong Immune System. Indeed, Endocrine System functioning and our
health are intimately related... you can’t speak about the Immune System
without referencing the essential organic hormonal steroids of the
Endocrine system. In fact, researchers recently are discovering that a
number of hormones from within the Endocrine System play a significant
role with “T-cell markers” within the Immune System, such as some of the
ones previously mentioned, and most notably DHEA.
What is DHEA?
DHEA (or dehydroepiandrosterone) is commonly called the “mother” hormone,
since from it a number of other hormones may be manufactured upon demand,
such as estrogen, testosterone, progesterone and corticosterone to name
just a few. Because of DHEA’s biochemical flexibility, it has become the
subject of much recent study, especially for its almost unbelievable but
wonderful potential to actually slow the aging process. Some are even
calling it the “fountain of youth” anti-aging elixir we’ve all been
looking for. More and more research is being published about DHEA
production and the body’s need for it. For example, recent studies have
demonstrated that DHEA levels in our blood generally peak around 20 years
of age. As we grow older, DHEA levels decrease in both men and women to
only about 5% of our peak levels by the time we’re 80. Understandably,
researchers have seen a strong inverse correlation between DHEA levels and
disease. It appears that the higher the level of DHEA in the blood, the
less an organism may suffer from disease. Further, published studies have
demonstrated that appropriate supplementation of DHEA could possibly be a
factor in decreasing the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes,
obesity, even senility, Alzheimer’s disease and premature death.
Is it Safe and Wise to Supplement with DHEA?
Yes it is! DHEA may play other important roles within the body, such as in
the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome, aging, osteoporosis and bone
health, as well as many of the autoimmune disorders including arthritis,
systemic lupus, and Crohn’s disease. In lab tests, DHEA reduced the fat
stores of rats by converting fat calories to heat rather than storing them
as fat, while at the same time helping the body to produce lean muscle
tissue. (Not too surprisingly, naturally-occurring DHEA and its precursors
can also be found in VÄXA’s Cell-U-Lite and Ultra CitriSlim!) More and
more scientific support is emerging which calls for early supplementation
of DHEA and its nutritional precursors (such as the “Memory” Hormone
Can Environmental Factors and Pollutants Disturb Hormonal Imbalance?
Yes they can! It’s recently become widely known that the chemical
pollution of excess man-made Estrogens are very real and proliferate in
our environment (as independently documented on CBS, the Discovery
Channel, and other news programs). These chemical pollutants offer a very
real threat to our body’s Endocrine (hormonal) System which affects
various bodily functions, including sexuality. A case in point, our health
and welfare are being threatened from something that nobody ever thought
dangerous: the common tin can! The modern process of canning foods in tin
cans lined with a thin layer of plastic is not as innocuous as has been
first believed. Ironically, although today’s canned goods are keeping
foods from spoiling, they’re “spoiling” us instead. As reported, it seems
that all canned goods are inadvertently supplying us with unwanted
estrogen-like hormones, apparently coming from a newly discovered reaction
between the tin and the plastic liner over time. This unwanted cumulative
chemical addition is believed to have dire consequences within our bodies,
adding a synthetic steroidal hormone which directly interferes with the
normal function of the critically important Endocrine System in both males
and females.
Can Our Lifestyle (diet,exercise habits, etc.) Cause HormonaI Imbalance
As Well?
Yes again! Not only do these chemical pollutants interfere with our body’s
hormonal balance, but bad or inadequate diet, poor nutritional habits,
erratic eating patterns, lack of exercise, mounting periods of ill health,
and the nutritional wearing-down which often occurs when growing older,
all combine to dull our health and further compromise the Endocrine
System. Although not often understood, the body’s Endocrine System
intricately impresses itself upon the cellular nature of our complexion,
our psychology and mood, our muscle tone (including appropriate
gender-specific muscle growth and formation), the clearness of our eyes,
the health and shine of our hair, even our body’s ability to heal itself.
In fact, much of that which allows us to be happy and “balanced” in life
we really owe to the wonder of our body’s Endocrine System and its ability
to maintain a precise, yet flexible balance over time.
Hypothalamic Potentiation of Some
of the Major Pituitary Hormones and the Organs They Affect in the
Endocrine System.
How Does the Men’s Strategy Pac
Work?
The Men’s Strategy Pac consists of three unique formulations, (1) Endocrin
For Men, (2) Eternal-In, and (3) Prostatin+, respectively, in each Pac. It
works to normalize Endocrine function through Homeopathic stimulation of
the body, and through the replenishment of critical nutritional elements
and hormones which serve as precursors and cofactors to the biochemical
processes of healthy, balanced hormonal production, while helping the body
protect against premature aging and associated dysfunction.
How Does Endocrin for Men Work?
Endocrin for Men is a Homeopathic Nutraceutical expressly engineered for
men, serving as an all-natural strategy to safely rebalance the male
hormonal system. Homeopathic Medicines contained herein address a number
of recurrent or continuing problems including lack of sexual desire,
functional impotence, failure of erections, weak erections, failure to
ejaculate, premature ejaculation, diminution of genitalia, sexual
melancholia and sexual neurosis. Endocrin for Men contains DHEA derived
from nature (Barbasco Yam Tubor extract: Dioscurea Macho Stachya) and safe
buffered amounts of pure pharmaceutical grade DHEA (the “Mother” Hormone),
Pregnenolone (the “Memory” Hormone), and Androstenedione (the precursor to
the male hormone Testosterone, which will increase both natural
Testosterone and Androstenedione levels in the blood: Androstenedione
yields more “male characteristics” than does Testosterone). Endocrin for
Men also contains pharmaceutical grade free-form amino acids, the
necessary vitamins and cofactors which help potentiate this formula, and
the correct balance of Homeopathic Medicines and specific phytomedicinal
ingredients from rare and exotic Chinese and South American Herbs, such as
Radix Morindae, Multiflori Polygoni, Rehmanniae Glutinosa, Lycium Chinense,
and Yohimbe, Catuaba and Quibracho bark extracts containing potent
alkaloids, plus other cofactors believed to be required by the Male body
in order to allow healthy physiological hormonal/sexual function and
proper balance of biochemical and nutritional necessities.
How Does Eternal-In Work?
This Homeopathic Nutraceutical formula works in concert with the body,
complementing and supplying the necessary anti-aging nutritive
requirements that the skin uses to repair itself, allowing it to maintain
its elasticity and safeguarding against premature aging of the skin.
Specifically, Homeopathic Medicines within Eternal-In aid in the reduction
of emaciated shrivelled skin, premature wrinkling, folds in the skin, skin
ulcers, cutaneous eruptions, some pre-cancerous states of the skin, senile
prutitis (itching skin due to sensitized nerve endings), necrosis, hair
loss in men or baldness, lymphatic inflammations which generally “backup”
into the skin creating acne-like problems, and regulation of optimal blood
formation within the dermis, epidermis and elsewhere. Eternal-In also
supplies Pycnogenol®, a powerful antioxidant well documented to help
regenerate and sustain fine capillary function, acting against the
development of unsightly spider veins within the skin. L-Cysteine and L-Cystine
aids in restoring the natural color to hair. Eternal-In also supplies DMAE
(dimethylaminoethanol, a very efficient antioxidant and free radical
deactivator) which reverses the formation of lipofuscin, a toxic pigment
which clogs the brain and nerve cells as we age, while also becoming
deposited within the epidermis as unsightly age/liver spots. But most
importantly, DMAE has considerable life extending properties even when
started late in life, shown to have extended the life of mice 36.6% who
had already past their mean expected lifespan. DMAE is now added to the
whole blood stored for transfusion purposes so as to double its storage
life, preventing the clumping and sludging of red blood cells. DMAE can
also enter the brain easily, and being converted to acetylcholine,
increases mental alertness and mood, as well as learning and memory
abilities. Eternal-In also includes Ginkgo Biloba, L-Glutathione, ActiVin+®,
OptiZinc® and the Homeopathic Medicine Sarsaparilla, as well as the
necessary free-form amino acid precursors to maintain our youth and
health, and all which aid the body in usefully eradicating “free
radicals,” thought to be a major factor of wrinkling and aging.
How Does Prostatin+ Work?
Prostatin+ is a Homeopathic Nutraceutical especially for men over 35 years
of age. This formula provides essential medication and nutrition for the
prostate gland, and especially for those suffering from mild to moderate
Benign Prostatic Hyplasia (BPH), providing relief for general prostatic
hypertrophy where dysfunction may lead to inappropriate enlargements and
swellings of the prostate which often prove painful and incapacitating
regarding the abilities to pass urine, frequent micturation at night, as
well as to perform normally, regarding sexual function. With the proper
specific Homeopathic and nutritional regime, the body often has the
ability to heal itself, even with problems of this type and magnitude.
Homeopathics used in Prostatin+ have been well documented regarding their
efficacy of BPH symptomatology and relief. Also, scientific research on
Saw Palmetto in Prostatin+ can be used as a primary treatment for both
short-term and long-term treatment of BPH, with little or no side effects
(no reduction of libido) as compared to synthetic pharmaceuticals. Saw
Palmetto’s mechanism of action appears to be due in part to its activity
on the steroidal-enzyme named 5-a-reductase, and the anti-edematous
actions of the free fatty acids in the Saw Palmetto berry. Clinical
studies have shown that when 5-a-reductase is inhibited, the hormone
testosterone will not be converted within the prostate to
dehydrotestosterone, and the prostate generally atrophies (shrinks
glandular hyperplasia), subsequently deobstructing the urethra for easier
urinary flow, and thereafter preventing the development of incontinence
because of exhaustive bladder failure. Finally, in a conservative study
that used lower dosages of Saw Palmetto and Nettle than can be found in
Prostatin+, over a 12-week period patients reported a 25.8% increase in
maximum urinary flow, a 29.0% increase in mean urinary flow, a 44.7%
reduction in residual urine, a 50.4% reduction in nocturia, a 62.5%
reduction in dysuria and a 53.6% reduction in post-void dribbling.
Interestingly, most popular conventional pharmaceuticals used for BPH,
whether for inhibiting hormones or a-adrenergic blockers (smooth muscle
relaxers), often demonstrate little change within the first six months of
therapy. Moreover, Saw Palmetto is also a research candidate as a
potential deterrent to prostate cancer. And Taxus Brevifolia (the Pacific
Yew Tree), yet another ingredient in Prostatin+, contains “taxol” which
has demonstrated high cytotoxic effect on prostatic cancer cells, or in
other words, has been found to be phytomedicinally active against prostate
cancer. (Interestingly the hydrolyzation of testosterone to
dehydrotestosterone is thought to be the culprit behind male baldness; the
“perverted” molecule resting at the root of hair follicles which signals
them to “go to sleep or hibernate.” By stopping the hydrolyzation of
testosterone, it may be possible to reverse certain forms of male
baldness.)
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