HELLO , HORM ONES

We outline some of the most important chemical messengers in your body and how to keep them functioning happily.

- BY CHARNDRÉ EMMA KIPPIE

Hormones are these little chemical messengers that affect every response in your body. Sometimes, if they get out of whack, they can have a serious effect on your health. The Society of Endocrinology helps us understand how to keep them working optimally.

1 ADRENALINE

The 'fight-or-flight' hormone

Heart racing, palms sweating... When faced with a stressful situation, adrenaline is released into your bloodstream, triggering your body to either flee or prepare to fight. Your air passages dilate to provide muscles with enough oxygen to deal with the danger, and blood is redirected to your major organs. Adrenaline also heightens your strength, performance, mental awareness and decreases your pain receptors.

Associated risks: In these stressful, modern times, sometimes your brain can't distinguish between normal stress and real danger, so the extra rush of adrenaline can cause people to feel restless, anxious and jittery. Over time, it can also increase the risk of heart attack or stroke.

2 CORTISOL

The 'stress' hormone

Most often associated with stress, due to its connection with your body's fight-or-flight response, this steroid hormone actually has many other functions, including regulating metabolism, blood sugar levels and blood pressure; assisting with memory formation; and helping with the development of a foetus in pregnant women. Almost every cell in the body has cortisol receptors, which is why it has so many functions, depending on which organs the brain is communicating with.

Associated risks: Too much or too little cortisol in the bloodstream can be dangerous, and is associated with conditions such as Cushing's syndrome, which can cause a fatty hump between your shoulders, a rounded face and pink or purple stretch marks on your skin. Unbalanced cortisol levels can also result in high blood pressure, bone loss and Type 2 diabetes.