8 Hormones Every Woman Should Know About

Your brain quarterbacks your thoughts and actions. But when it comes to your body's internal workings, hormones run the show.

Actually, scratch that. Your endocrine system – the network of glands that produces and regulates your hormones – is really in charge, says endocrinologist Dr Cynthia Stuenkel.

Working in concert, the glands that make up your endocrine system (your pancreas, thyroid, ovaries, and others) manage everything from your mood, appetite, and energy levels to your reproductive cycle and immune system. Your glands do all that by releasing and regulating hormones, which are effectively chemical messengers that tell the different systems in your body how to behave, Stuenkel explains.

You're probably familiar with oestrogen and testosterone, the primary female and male sex hormones. But there are many others that serve essential functions. Here are eight you should be familiar with, why they matter, and how to tell if they're out of whack. 

1. Thyroid

What it does: The thyroid gland releases hormones that act as your body’s ‘metabolic thermostat’. Think appetite and energy to the flow of your periods.

Signs it’s off: If your thyroid produces too much of these hormones, you may overeat, feel agitated or heat up. Too little and you’ll get brain fog, your energy levels drop and your menstrual cycles may be longer or heavier. A thyroid-stimulating hormone test should sort it out.

2. Oestrogen

What it does: As the primary female sex hormone produced by the ovaries, oestrogen helps develop and maintain the reproductive system and female characteristics, such as breasts and pubic hair.

Signs it’s off: Irregular and absent periods could indicate your body isn’t ovulating as it should, while mood swings, hot flushes and other menopausal symptoms are also signals. Your doctor may prescribe a hormonal birth control method or HRT (also known as MHT) to deal with symptoms, while lifestyle changes, such as exercising, can help.

3. Cortisol

What it does: It spikes during stress. It also assists with memory formation, helps control blood sugar and promotes or limits inflammation.

Signs it’s off: Look for things like a flushed face, hair loss, fine hairs covering your face, osteoporosis and menstrual cycle irregularities. A blood test can reveal what might be up.

Here's how to lower cortisol levels naturally.

4. Parathyroid

What it does: It helps regulate your blood, organs and bone calcium levels. It also assists your body to break down and metabolise vitamin D.

Signs it’s off: Hand or foot spasms and an irregular heartbeat are cues it’s low. Dehydration, kidney stones and osteoporosis are linked to overproduction of parathyroid. A blood test can shed light on levels.

5. Melatonin

What it does: By regulating your body’s circadian clock, melatonin helps you get to sleep at night and also plays a role in appetite and energy levels.

Signs it’s off: You feel sleepy during the day and wired late in the evening. Your appetite levels may also surge and flag at odd times. A blood or urine test can reveal if you’re deficient in melatonin. But, sticking to a consistent sleep, wake and meal schedule should get your body
clock back on track.

6. Progesterone

What it does: It's an important pregnancy hormone that helps your womb accept and adapt to the presence of sperm. Progesterone rises and falls dramatically during the course of your menstrual cycle, says neuropsychiatrist Dr Louann Brizendine, author of The Female Brain.

"We sometimes call it the valium hormone because when it's very high – around day 19 of your cycle – you feel very mellow, you sleep well, and you eat more," Brizendine says. Before this progesterone peak – or around days 10 to 14 of your cycle – a milder uptick in progesterone "energises thinking and behaviour," she explains. 

Signs it's off: Pregnancy complications, irregular or abnormal periods, and low energy or weight gain could all be the result of progesterone issues. A simple blood test called the PGSN or "the progesterone test" can check your levels, Brizendine says.

7. Insulin

What it does: It allows the cells in your muscles, fat and liver to absorb the glucose – or energy – circulating in your bloodstream. This energy comes from the foods you consume.

Signs it’s off: Too much or too little insulin affects your body’s ability to manage blood glucose. At first, this could result in extreme thirst, urinating all the time or unusual skin patches. Later, it can develop into type 1 or type 2 diabetes. A blood glucose test can identify insulin issues.

8. Ghrelin

What it does: This hormone fires up your ‘feed me’ urges. It also tells your gut to start making the digestive acids and juices that break down food.

Signs it’s off: You’re hungry again very soon after eating or you don’t feel satisfied even after eating excessively. Too little sleep and too much stress can both throw off your ghrelin levels. Issues can also stem from carb- or sugar-heavy diets, suggests research from the British Journal of Nutrition.