Nutrition fads come and go, and manufacturers of foods and supplements ride the wave of popularity as long as it is profitable. As new research is released on a particular vitamin or hormone, mass media is quick to make it public knowledge. But choosing to ingest a substance based on isolated research can have an adverse effect on your health. Understanding the roles of vitamins and hormones in the human body can help you make responsible choices regarding their consumption.
Role of Vitamins
Vitamins are organic substances found in foods and play a role in a variety of metabolic processes. According to the Ultimate Health Care and Information Center, vitamins function as mediators for cell growth and regulation and as antioxidants that protect cells from free radicals. Vitamins work in conjunction with enzymes as catalysts to transport chemicals between the cells.
Vitamin C and the spectrum of B vitamins are water-soluble, meaning excess amounts are flushed from the body and need to be replenished daily. Vitamins A, E, D and K are fat-soluble and can be stored in fat cells for later recruitment. Most vitamins must be ingested from food or synthetic vitamin supplements. Your body manufactures vitamin D from sunlight and uses it in conjunction with dietary calcium to build bone tissue.
Role of Hormones
According to Colorado State University, hormones are chemical messengers secreted into intra-cellular fluid or into the bloodstream by a cell or organ. Hormones impact the functioning of target cells especially equipped to receive information from that particular hormone. Several vital organs in the body are devoted to the secretion of hormones. The testes, ovaries, adrenal glands, pancreas, thyroid, pituitary, hypothalmus and parathyroid all secrete hormones that serve specific purposes in human physiology.
Hormones are naturally manufactured by the body. However, synthetic hormones that mimic the behavior of natural hormones can be orally, transdermally or hypodermically introduced to the body to evoke a particular response. Birth control pills are an example of synthetic hormones.
Interaction of Hormones and Vitamins
Hormone production in the body can be influenced by nutrition. Many hormones rely on essential fatty acids and amino acids for their production. Your body uses the fat-soluble vitamin A for hormone production and balance. Vitamin D plays an important role as a hormone receptor in the thyroid gland. In their book "Nutrition for Sport and Exercise," Marie Dunford and J. Andrew Doyle explain that low-fat and restricted-calorie diets can predispose athletes to deficiencies in fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K and can adversely effect the production of male and female sex hormones.
Chemical Soup
While the volume of available information on hormones and vitamins and their role in body chemistry is growing, much remains to be discovered and understood. Body chemistry is complex and precisely balanced. Electing to ingest an isolated vitamin or hormone based on nutrition trends can upset that balance, creating a chemical soup that may have adverse health effects in the long run. To achieve optimal body chemistry, a healthy lifestyle based on balanced whole-food nutrition and vigorous physical activity is the safest and most reliable path.
References
- Ultimate Health Care and Information Center: Role of Vitamins in the Human Body; Sept. 2008
- Colorado State University: Hormones, Receptors and Control Systems: Introduction and Index
- "Nutrition for Sport and Exercise"; Marie Dunford and J. Andrew Doyle; 2007
- MayoClinic.com: Vitamins and Minerals from A to Zinc; July 2009
- Healthy Traditions Network: Fat Soluble Vitamins and Health
