As we work our way through the body, we touch on the endocrine system quite a bit while investigating other systems. For instance, the pancreas releases insulin for digestion. The kidneys help to regulate blood pressure. Sex organs produce hormones that facilitate reproduction. Endocrine glands are everywhere doing extremely important work and reminding us of the delicate balance found within us every day.

The endocrine system has a role in every aspect of our body’s function, from telling us when to grow to telling us when to sleep. They do this by releasing chemicals called hormones which signal when to start and stop different processes. Feeling hungry? Thank your endocrine system. Feeling sleepy? Thank your endocrine system. Heart pumping at a steady rate? You can thank your endocrine system for that, too!

The Endocrine System

Your endocrine system does so much more than we could possibly cover in a single blog article. Much of it is made up of tissues called glands, which synthesize hormones from protein or fat and secretes them into the bloodstream where they quickly deliver instructions to relevant organs. Other players in the endocrine system include certain organs which also produce hormones and even some fat cells called adipose tissue.

We’ll touch on the highlights moving from top to bottom.

Head and Neck

• The Pineal gland is found in the middle of your brain. This little gland produces melatonin, which sets your circadian rhythm and helps control your sleep and wake cycles. When the pineal gland gets out of whack, it can have downstream effects all throughout your body due to the negative effects of poor sleep health. To help it out, try to limit screen time before bed. (Artificial light can confuse your body’s processes.) Maintain a regular sleep schedule if you can. Make your sleeping space a calm, pleasant environment. If sleep is a challenging area for you, try using magnesium spray on your skin before bed. Some people like to take melatonin supplements if they feel their pineal gland isn’t making the cut. We also recommend herbs like valerian and chamomile to help prepare for solid sleep.
• The Hypothalamus is not a gland but a part of the brain that synthesizes hormones. It receives messages from your nervous system and uses them to help regulate your most basic functions. This includes maintaining body temperature and blood pressure, hunger, sex drive, and sleep. It also plays an important role in governing your emotions and mood. Among the hormones it uses to achieve this are dopamine and oxytocin. Any disorders of the hypothalamus are serious and require treatment from a doctor, but you can send your hypothalamus some love with a meditation on the mind. As you inhale through your nose, breathe “into” your brain and imagine lighting up its various structures.
• Just below the hypothalamus sits the tiny Pituitary gland. The pituitary gland does much to help order the seasons of life. It makes growth hormones, which are essential in childhood. It releases hormones that tell your sex organs when it’s time to start working toward reproduction. Thyroid stimulating hormones help maintain your metabolism, while other hormones stimulate the adrenal glands when you’re stressed. Your pituitary gland sends you oxytocin when you’re ready to bond, prolactin when you’re ready to nurse, and even when you’re doing nothing in particular, the pituitary gland releases hormones that help your body maintain homeostasis. While there are several brain disorders and illnesses that can impact your pituitary gland, one of the most important things you can do for pituitary health is to keep your head safe from injuries.
• The Thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped gland located in the throat. It may be among the better known parts of the endocrine system as thyroid dysfunction is very common, especially in women. The thyroid is responsible for controlling your body’s metabolism, or the speed at which your cells operate. People who have hyperthyroidism tend to run fast and hot and may experience a high heart rate, difficulty keeping on weight, restlessness, and anxiety. People who have hypothyroidism tend to run slow and cold, have difficulty losing weight, have dry skin, and struggle with fatigue. Thyroid issues are often caused by an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Some people take synthetic or animal versions of thyroid hormones to regulate the imbalance. Other thyroid issues can stem from an imbalance of iodine in the system. Historically, people struggled with iodine deficiency, and as a result it has been added into common ingredients like salt. Most people in the United States have access to plenty of iodine, so it may not be useful to take additional iodine supplements. Selenium is an important nutrient for thyroid health and can be found in seafood and Brazil nuts.

Abdomen

• Adipose tissue is another word for body fat. This tissue produces hormones that help your body maintain homeostasis. Leptin helps control your feelings of hunger and your body weight, while others help control blood pressure and insulin sensitivity. This is all important work, which is just another reason we should be kind to our bodies and careful about our tone when we throw around the word “fat.” To help keep these tissues at their healthiest, aim for a healthy diet and exercise routine that maintains a steady weight that feels good for your body. There are lots of people out there who struggle with their relationship to adipose tissue, which means there’s also a lot of support if you’re struggling. The endocrine system is just one of the essential functions fat has, so love it up!
• The Adrenal Glands sit on top of the kidneys, which are located behind your other organs near your lower back. The adrenal glands have everything to do with helping your body manage stress. As you probably guessed, they produce the hormone adrenaline, which activates your body’s fight or flight response. When you’re frightened, your palms itch, and your heart rate increases, that’s adrenaline at work. Cortisol is another important stress hormone released by the adrenal glands. Cortisol impacts metabolism, sleep, inflammation, and inflammation. Adrenal glands produce DHEA, which is converted into sex hormones in the reproductive system. Unfortunately for our adrenal glands, many of us experience a world with a great deal of stress. A combination of our own mental loads, work lives, relationships, past traumas, and environment can tell our body to be in a constant state of anxiety, putting those glands to work. After too long in fight or flight mode, it can be exceedingly difficult for our body to regulate itself, and we may experience what many people call “adrenal fatigue,” though this is not a condition recognized by the medical community. That agreement aside, the long-term effects of prolonged stress on the body have established medical consequences ranging from issues with weight management to poor sleep to heart disease. So, one of the best things you can do for your adrenal glands is take a little time out. Start by dedicating five minutes a day to a meditation practice or some deep breathing techniques. Check out a yoga class, or stop by the salt room. For herbal assistance, adaptogens like ashwagandha are superstars for helping your body cope with stress.
• The Pancreas is an organ of the digestive system that also acts as an endocrine gland. This is where insulin is produced and the body’s blood sugar is managed. Diabetes occurs when your body is unable to produce (Type I) or use (Type II) insulin. Type II diabetes is reversible and can be caused by our lifestyles. Contributing factors include a poor diet high in sugar, a sedentary lifestyle, and excess body weight. (Remember that body fat plays a direct role in determining insulin sensitivity.) People can also suffer from pancreatitis, which is an infection, and pancreatic cancer. For good pancreatic health, it’s important to avoid or quit smoking if you can. Eating a balanced diet and getting plenty of exercise are also essential.
• The Ovaries and Testicles are part of the reproductive system. These sex organs aren’t only responsible for producing eggs and sperm respectively. They’re also responsible for producing the hormones that influence reproduction and secondary sex characteristics, like the development of breasts or the growth of pubic, chin, and chest hair. Female hormones made by the ovaries include estrogen and progesterone, which govern menstrual cycles and pregnancy. Testes produce testosterone, which impacts things like sex drive and muscle mass. Men and women also have each other’s primary hormones in much smaller quantities. All kinds of issues occur when these hormones are out of balance, including problems with mood and depression. For both men and women, it’s a good idea to have regular conversations with your healing professionals about how you feel and what’s “normal” for your age and phase of life. Sex hormones are shifting all the time, but small adjustments can go a long way toward helping you feel your best. Healthy fats are said to boost testosterone, while plants like soy contain phyto-estrogens which mimic estrogen. (This isn’t always a good thing. Having too much of a hormone can have a negative effect on your health.) If you suspect something’s off, it’s good to get your levels tested before embarking on a more specific plan to even them out. If you’re going through a (somewhat) predictable hormone shift, like PMS or pregnancy, there are plenty of herbs and practices that can support you.

Tips and Tricks

So much of what the endocrine system regulates are things that we seem hell-bent on dysregulating. Perhaps our pineal gland works away at helping us get a good night’s sleep while we drink caffeine late in the day, scroll on our phones, and go to bed full of stress. Maybe our pancreas can’t keep up with the amount of sugar we keep sending it, but other imbalances have caused us to crave carbs. Our adrenal glands could be trying their best to fend off disaster while we seem to find mental disaster at every turn.

To help our endocrine system, we have to do our best to address the roots of these issues. What habits can we change to get better sleep? What circumstances throughout the day lead to unhealthy food choices? What past pain are you carrying on your shoulders, and what stresses can you put down? What new activities can you incorporate into your life to soothe and calm those systems? What can your conscious mind do to stay level so that your body isn’t working as hard to maintain homeostasis?

Another thing we can do to help ourselves is to avoid certain toxins that harm our endocrine system. Endocrine disruptors are chemicals found in lots of products like plastics and cosmetics. They show up in pesticides and find their way into our food and water supplies. They’re even in the air we breathe. But, we can take plenty of measures to reduce their presence in our lives. Watch out for cosmetics with phthalates and parabens and plastics with BPA. Better yet, avoid using plastic whenever you can, opting for glass, metal, stonewear, cloth, or paper instead. Avoid the word “fragrance” in products. Opt for organic food and household products when you can.

We aren’t suggesting that you can cure yourself of any endocrine disease with lifestyle and environment changes. This complex system is subject to all kinds of different challenges, and most of them are well outside our control. But, as with all areas of health and wellness, we have found that when we work at the things we DO control, we give ourselves the best conditions for handling all the things we don’t.

Remember, it’s alright to step away from things that aren’t serving us, whether that’s something we’ve come to love a little too much (like sweets) or something that causes too much panic in our lives (like tough relationships) or something you didn’t know could make you sick (like that shampoo). Sometimes the best thing we can do for ourselves – and our endocrine systems – is to sit in a dark quiet room, take a deep breath, and give ourselves a hug. You can get your pituitary gland to release that oxytocin all on your own!