Hormones and the Diet

Paper Summary:

This paper deals with scientific work that has been carried out over recent years to identify a small group of chemicals and hormones that regulate the processes of the body and the brain. The author provides comprehensive information regarding various hormones that are produced in the body, their importance and how they can affect an individual's diet.

Outline:
Introduction
Cortisol
Estrogen and Progesterone
Testosterone
DHEA
Stress and the Diet
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Conclusion

From the Paper:

" Within the last fifteen years or do, research scientists have identified a small group of chemicals and hormones that regulate the processes of the body and the brain, such as insulin (diabetes), adrenaline, noradrenaline and glucagon, "a hormone that stimulates the conversion of glucogen into glucose in the liver and often is linked with hypoglycemia (Parry, 2005, p. 256). And within the last ten years, these same scientists have discovered that the chemical/hormonal story is considerably more complex, due to finding hundreds of newly-identified compounds that regulate a person's mood, his/her susceptibility to particular diseases, and especially what a person eats, i.e. that these chemicals are secreted and made active by certain types of food based on diet and intake.
"At least seventy neurotransmitters (chemicals that modify or result in the transmission of nerve impulses between brain synapses), have also been identified which regulate nerve function, including memory, mental function, mood, movement, the wake-sleep cycle and appetite. The disruption of even one neurotransmitter significantly alters nerve cell function and causes a reaction which affects all other neurotransmitters, profoundly affecting many natural processes in the brain and the body."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Asimov, Isaac. (1974). The Chemicals of Life: Enzymes, Vitamins and Hormones. New York: Abelard-Schumann.
• Buckingham, Julia C. (1997). Stress, Stress Hormones and the Immune System. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
• Clegg, Catherine P. (1973). Hormones, Cells and Organisms: The Role of Hormones in Man. CA: Stanford University Press.
• Cohen, Richard, M.D. (1998). "Maintaining Healthy Levels of Testosterone." The Hormone Shop. Internet. Accessed February 27, 2006. http://www.the hormoneshop.com/maintaining testosterone.htm.
• Cooke, B.A. and R.J.B. King. (1988). Hormones and Their Actions. St. Louis, MO: USA Elsevier Science, Ltd.

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