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Anxiety in Women

Low Testosterone and Anxiety in Women

AnxietyIn the body of a woman, there are hormones that are charged with very crucial functions. The most dominant hormones in the body of a woman are the estrogen and the progesterone hormones. These hormones control many aspects of a woman’s life especially the estrogen hormone which is available in the bodies of women in high levels than any other hormone. These hormones are even responsible for the way a woman looks; their skin glow and even how they age. However there is another hormone that also plays vital roles in the body of a woman yet not so dominant in their bodies. This hormone; testosterone is popular for all its much needed sexual functions that are always associated with men. In fact it is more dominant in men, where it is produced in higher levels in the testes but it is also available in women though in low quantities yet it has just as vital roles in the body of women as in the bodies of men.

Many people still think that testosterone has only one function which is to ensure a good sexual performance but the reality is that testosterone has far more functions that together make your life what it ought to be. So, to the many people who think that deficiency in testosterone hormone can only affect your sexual life, it’s time to think again. The reality is that this hormone has very many roles beyond ensuring a healthy sex life. The testosterone hormone is also crucial in production of red blood cells. This hormone also helps in distribution of fats in the body parts, increasing muscle mass, improving bone mineral density and even regulation of moods in a person. A major symptom of those suffering flooring testosterone levels is low moods.

Testosterone is derived from cholesterol just like all the known sex hormones and is a steroid belonging to the androgen group. DHEA is the immediate precursor to testosterone. Testosterone is mostly identified with males and this might not be so inappropriate (though it is) since it is in males where it is produced as a dominating hormone. This hormone is also produced in females. In the body of females this vital hormone is produced in the ovaries and the adrenal glands. The ovaries function to help produce testosterone even after menopause. This therefore means that women who have their ovaries removed are at significant risk for decreased testosterone levels and the subsequent symptoms associated with it.

Functions of testosterone in females

In women the testosterone hormone has very many functions. Just like in men, it is important for bone strength and development of lean muscle mass and strength in women too. Testosterone also contributes to overall sense of well-being and energy level. It is best known for its crucial role is a woman’s sex drive or libido. Without this hormone, women suffer low sex drive. More specifically, testosterone in women is responsible for the sensitivity of a woman’s nipples and clitoris associated with sexual pleasure. Testosterone not only enhances the sexual mood of a woman, but the experience as well. Just like in men it is also responsible for good moods in women.

However, just like other hormones as a woman is approaching menopause the production of testosterone in the ovaries will decline by at least 50%. Hysterectomy with or without removal of the ovaries will cause a more significant decline in testosterone levels. Also, high levels of stress can divert the precursors for testosterone hormone production in women over to cortisol production and create a further reduction. High stress levels can also contribute to symptoms earlier in the perimenopause when a woman is in her late thirties or early forties. This means less energy, brittle hair, less bone and muscle strength, and a diminished sexual drive. A hysterectomy and some prescription drugs can also result in lower levels of testosterone for women.

Testosterone and anxiety in women

Anxiety is one of the common health disorders. In the past it has never been easy dealing with this problem. However, scientists now know that a person’s genetics and current physical health can play a very significant role in both the development of anxiety and how it manifests. For instance, it’s known that low levels of serotonin, which is a common neurotransmitter, may lead to anxiety and depression, which is why drugs that improve the flow of serotonin are prescribed for anxiety.

AnxietyHormones have also been found to play a significant role in anxiety development. Those that feel as though their anxieties appeared over time despite effective coping strategies and a high overall quality of life may be suffering from hormonal anxiety, caused by any number of problems with hormone balance.

Anxiety is essentially a mental stress and since there are hormones that are associated with moods and stress, a fall in their level will give rise to anxiety. However cortisol which is a stress hormone may also cause anxiety when it is released in excessively higher levels. Testosterone which is known to many as a sex hormone has a purpose to quell anxiety. Studies have shown that women mostly suffer anxiety when the production of testosterone is suppressed. There have been studies on mice that have since confirmed that a drop in the levels of testosterone may cause anxiety in women.

Low Testosterone and Anxiety in Women

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Hormones Linked to Sugar Addiction

Low Estrogen, Low Testosterone, Low Progesterone Cause Sugar Addiction

Sugar addictionThe hormones above are very crucial in our bodies but most of their functions are unknown to many people. Recently, researchers have been able to point out the relationships between these hormones and sugar addiction.

Low Testosterone and Sugar addiction

Low testosterone has been found to be a cause of Insulin resistance. Even a slight amount of insulin resistance keeps your body from managing blood sugar levels normally. When there is insulin resistance, it means that the glucose that you get from foods like carbohydrates that should give your cells instant energy is blocked from entering the cells. The cells therefore become starved leading to uncontrollable craving for sugar. Low testosterone in men induces insulin resistance. Testosterone is needed in sugar metabolism, insulin regulation and fat metabolism therefore when the levels of testosterone are low then the cells will starve and this will lead to a person becoming addicted to sugary substances.

Estrogens and Progesterone linked to sugar addiction

Estrogens are hormones that play important roles in matters of sexual and reproductive development in women. In most cases they are referred to as female sex hormones. Estrogen refers to all of the chemically similar hormones in the women which are estrone, estradiol and estriol. Contrary to what many people think estrogen and progesterone hormones play other crucial roles other than the sexual purpose that they are well known for. Apart from their sexual purpose they can also be useful in performing the following purposes that are equally crucial.

The estrogen hormone helps in fighting depression in women by boosting the levels of serotonin, a boost in the levels of serotonin improves the quality of sleep. Estrogen also increases GABA which are crucial as they help in calming the neurotransmitters.

Another crucial function of the estrogen hormones is that they responsible for good mood in women. They increase the levels of endorphins that help women to feel good. When the levels of estrogen go down the feelings of sadness and hopelessness will find their way in a woman and therefore it is necessary for a woman to stress free.

Estrogen hormone is also very important in bone formation and strengthening, it works with vitamin D and other mineral calcium in developing bones that are strong enough. As the level of estrogen declines women will begin to have weak bones and that explains why women in menopause are most likely to suffer osteoporosis.

Estrogen hormone also plays a role in blood clotting, maintaining the strength and thickness of the vaginal wall and the urethral lining, vaginal lubrication and a host of other bodily functions. It affects skin, hair, mucous membranes and the pelvic muscles. The hormone also affects the brain and literally estrogen rules a woman’s life.

Just like estrogen Progesterone also plays very crucial roles in our lives. This hormone is present in both men and women but it is more dominant in women than in men. This hormone helps in promoting healthy sleep, it also balances the levels of estrogen in the body. Progesterone has a natural calming effect and is a natural diuretic and antidepressant. When the levels of progesterone drop it will cause insomnia and lead to bad moods as well.

These hormones are produced in the ovaries and are available in the highest levels in women at puberty but may also be produced in lower levels in fat cells and the adrenal glands. During menopause the production of these hormones stops and that explains why women in menopause have lower levels of estrogen.

Some women will feel sugar cravings escalating in perimenopause periods in their forties, this may be caused by a fall in the levels of estrogen and progesterone and estrogen levels. On DR. Oz show Jacob Teitelbaum, MD opines that earlier in a woman’s life the cravings for sugar are likely to manifest as premenstrual syndrome. This is often associated with lower levels of progesterone and estrogen in them that may be accompanied by severe irritability that happens in during the periods. In his article he explains that when a woman hits mid-forties the levels of estrogen will drop. The drop in estrogen and progesterone causes deficiency of the hormones in the body and this causes increased craving for sugar. Other symptoms of low progesterone and estrogen fatigue, moodiness and insomnia as well as decreased vaginal lubrication.

According to Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, it is not only progesterone and estrogen deficiency that causes increased craving for sugar but testosterone deficiency associated with andropause can also cause sugar craving along with other severe problems in men. Depression, decreased libido, decreased erectile function, high blood pressure, weight gain, diabetes or high cholesterol can suggest testosterone deficiency. This problem can be solved by supplementing testosterone.

He reveals that blood testing for hormonal deficiency may not reveal the problem when still mild and manageable, it can only work in severe conditions that will leave a person debilitated for long time. He advises that it is very essential to eliminate sugar addiction that is caused by estrogen, progesterone or testosterone.

Treating Sugar addiction

There are natural therapies that can be used in restoring the levels of estrogen and progesterone in the body and calm the sugar craving and break the addiction. These natural therapies may include edamane and black cohosh also known as remifemin, they are very effective in treating estrogen deficiency syndrome more effectively and naturally. In case the drop in level is more severe then prescription of natural bioidentical hormones can help.

Sugar addictionDr. Teitelbaum advices that using non-bioidentical hormones may not to be so safe and therefore encourages the use of the natural bioidentical hormones to help patients with low estrogen and progesterone levels hence break their sugar addiction and stop the craving. He advises that post menstrual syndromes characterized by increased sugar craving can be greatly reduced by taking vitamin B6 200 mg a day, magnesium 200 mg a day, and Evening Primrose oil 3,000 mg a day for 3 months. Then the dose can often be lowered. Bioidentical progesterone can also help in severe cases that persist after three months of the nutritional treatments above.

When you use the natural bioidentical hormones, your metabolism will be improved and your cravings for sugar will stop. With improved metabolism you will reap additional benefits like loss of weight hence a more satisfying life. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center is committed to availing integrative care to all addicts call on her at Myrtle beach, South Carolina for help.

Low Estrogen, Low Testosterone, Low Progesterone Cause Sugar Addiction

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Oxytocin for Eating Disorders

Oxytocin May Remedy Eating Disorders

Eating disordersEating disorders have caused lots of anxiety and even depression to many people. Eating disorders are characterized by an abnormal attitude towards food that causes someone to change their eating habits and behavior. Most people who are too keen on their weight and shape do make unhealthy eating choices which in the long run will pose a health threat to them. Here are examples of eating disorders that you should be aware of;

Anorexia nervosa – this is characterized by an individual’s endless pursuit to keep his or her weight as low as possible. Most people will either starve themselves or exercise too much to achieve this goal.

Bulimia – when someone tries to control their weight by binge eating and then deliberately being sick or using laxatives (medication to help empty their bowels)

Binge eating – Binge eating is characterized by a feeling of compulsion to overeat.

Helping people who suffer from eating disorders has never been easy as it does not only involve dealing with the symptoms but requires a total lifestyle change. It takes lots of professional counseling sessions to help a person through the journey of self-awareness and acceptance that is crucial in the healing of anybody suffering from eating disorders. However there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel to those struggling with eating disorder after scientists have discovered that a hormone known as oxytocin can be helpful in treatment of eating disorders, specifically Anorexia nervosa.

A new study done by a team of British and Korean scientists has reported that oxytocin, also known to many people as the ‘love hormone’, could provide a new treatment for anorexia nervosa.

The study, published in March, 2014 found that oxytocin alters anorexic patients’ tendencies to fixate on images of high calorie foods, and larger body shape. Those who are anoxic have the tendencies of being mired by ugly thoughts of overweight. Before this research the group had done an earlier research that oxytocin changed patients’ responses to angry and disgusted faces.

This disorder; Anorexia nervosa is a serious catastrophe that affects approximately 1 in 150 teenage girls in the UK and is one of leading causes of mental health related deaths, both through physical complications and suicide. This disorder does not only present its victims with food problems, body and shape issues but also affects how people relate in the social circles. People who are suffering from this disorder do exhibit anxiety and hypersensitivity to negative emotions.

“Patients with anorexia have a range of social difficulties which often start in their early teenage years, before the onset of the illness. These social problems, which can result in isolation, may be important in understanding both the onset and maintenance of anorexia. By using oxytocin as a potential treatment for anorexia, we are focusing on some of these underlying problems we see in patients. “Says Professor Janet Treasure from the Eating Disorders Section in the Department of Psychological Medicine at King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry and senior author on both studies.

As stated in an introductory article to oxytocin: Oxytocin is a hormone released naturally during bonding, including sex, childbirth and breastfeeding. As a synthesized product, it has been tested as a treatment for many psychiatric disorders, and has been shown to have benefits in lowering social anxiety in people with autism. It helps improve relationships and settle problems with associated with social disorders.

The first Test

In this study, the first of its king on this issue, 31 patients with anorexia and 33 healthy controls were given either a dose of oxytocin, delivered via nasal spray, or a placebo. The participants were then asked to look at sequences of images relating to foods some of which were in calories while others had low calories, body shape (fat and thin), and weight (scales). Once the images flashed on screen, the researchers measured how quickly participants identified the images. If they had a tendency to focus on the negative images, they would identify them more rapidly. The test was done before and after taking oxytocin or placebo.

After taking oxytocin, patients with anorexia reduced their focus on images of food and fat body parts. The effect of oxytocin was particularly strong in patients with anorexia who had greater communication problems. The findings of this study were published in Psychoneuroendocrinology.

The second Test

After the first phase of the test, the second test was done and it involved the same participants, A similar test was done, before and after oxytocin or placebo, but this time the stimuli was changed as it involved testing the participants’ reactions to facial expressions, such as anger, disgust or happiness unlike in the first phase where it involved images of food, body and weights. After taking a dose of oxytocin, patients with anorexia were less likely to focus on the ‘disgust’ faces. They were also less likely to avoid looking at angry faces, and became simply vigilant to them. The findings of this study were published in PLOS ONE.

Eating disorder“Our research shows that oxytocin reduces patients’ unconscious tendencies to focus on food, body shape, and negative emotions such as disgust. There is currently a lack of effective pharmacological treatments for anorexia. Our research adds important evidence to the increasing literature on oxytocin treatments for mental illnesses, and hints at the advent of a novel, ground-breaking treatment option for patients with anorexia.” says Prof Youl-Ri Kim, from Inje University in Seoul, South Korea and lead author on both studies.

“This is early stage research with a small number of participants, but it’s hugely exciting to see the potential this treatment could have. We need much larger trials, on more diverse populations, before we can start to make a difference to how patients are treated.” adds, Prof Treasure.

With ongoing research new and even better treatments will be discovered and fighting eating disorders will be a lot easier. These problems need to be treated effectively through integrative medicine. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an expert at this. Call her on (843) 213-1480 for help.

Oxytocin May Remedy Eating Disorders

 

 

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Progesterone And Nicotine Addiction

Research Shows Progesterone Influences Nicotine Addiction in Women

Nicotine addictionNicotine is a common substance in certain drugs. In fact we interact with nicotine most of the time without even stopping to think that it is really an addictive substance. Nicotine can be found in tea but again the level of nicotine will be different depending on which drug you are using. However nicotine has always been associated with tobacco and this is because it forms a bigger content of tobacco. Unknown to many, nicotine is the addictive substance in the tobacco and so should be avoided as much as other drug contents that are often considered more dangerous. Today, Nicotine addiction is on the rise and it continues to be the main cause of preventable death in developed countries. Despite of use of tobacco by people of all genders, it has been found that women and teen girls appear to be more vulnerable on certain aspects of nicotine addiction compared with men and boys. While the mechanism of gender differences in nicotine addiction is not yet clear, evidence suggests that while estrogen may underlie enhanced vulnerability in females, progesterone may protect females. Thus, progesterone may have therapeutic use for tobacco addiction, especially in female smokers. Researchers are working to establish the reason for this gender variation in nicotine addiction and the revelation will pose a greater understanding of the role of progesterone in nicotine addiction is important not only from a treatment purposes but also from a prevention perspective. The changes in hormones in the body of women such as those that occur at adolescence and during pregnancy and following birth. The changes in hormones that are also caused by hormonal manipulation like using methods of hormonal birth control may all contribute to changes in vulnerability to nicotine addiction.

In this article we will explore in reference to recent evidences from clinical studies how progesterone affects the health of a woman in relation to nicotine addiction. Depending on the data already availed from past researches we will find out the effects of progesterone during the initiation stage and even during the later stages of nicotine addiction process as a potential relapse prevention treatment.

Several studies have indicated that in spite of the public knowledge that nicotine addiction can be dangerous to one’s health, tobacco use has been on the rise especially on young women and teens. In a 2007 study results on National Survey on Drug Use research done by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration often shortened as SAHMSA found that Females aged 12–17 are also more likely than males initiate smoking. It has also been found out that women take shorter time to develop tobacco dependence syndrome after their initial use of tobacco.

Similar reports of enhanced vulnerability in females versus males have been reported among adult smokers. For example, among adults (18 years and over), although more men than women smoke, women take less time to become dependent after initial use, report shorter and less frequent abstinence periods and smoke for longer periods of time in their lives compared with men with the median cessation age of 33 years for males versus 37 years for females. This finding was reported by a research done by Pierce and Gilpin in 1996 in a study titled: How long will today’s adolescent smoker be addicted to cigarettes?

Of all the studies that have been available on tobacco use it has been found that women are more vulnerable to nicotine addiction as they also appear to respond less favorably to smoking cessation treatments.

Preclinical studies on rats

A preclinical study on rats done by Donny and Clark with other researchers provided information that is Consistent with the above findings. In preclinical studies, adolescent and adult female rats showed faster acquisition of intravenous nicotine self-administration and higher break points on a progressive-ratio schedule compared with adolescent and adult males. Similarly, female mice showed a greater preference for nicotine in a two-bottle choice task compared with male mice indicating greater sensitivity of females to nicotine’s reinforcing effects. These studies point to important gender differences in initiation and maintenance of nicotine use that may contribute to smaller gains in curbing nicotine addiction in women.

Progesterone interacts with GABA receptors

Nicotine addictionSeveral research findings point out that Progesterone and its metabolites interact with multiple neurotransmitter receptors including GABA, glycine, sigma1, kainate, serotonin3, and nicotinic cholinergic receptors. However, most relevant for nicotine addiction are interactions with GABA. Progesterone’s active metabolites, pregnanolone and allopregnanolone, have positive modulatory effects on GABA receptors which enhance GABAergic transmission. GABA is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain and has significant influence on multiple central nervous system (CNS) function. The positive modulatory effects of progesterone metabolites on the GABA receptors have been proposed to weaken drug reward. Remarkably, the effects of progesterone and its metabolites on GABAergic signaling vary with menstrual cycle phase and at hormone transition phases including during adolescence and during pregnancy. For instance, during puberty, allopreganolone’s effects on GABAergic transmission are opposite to those seen before and after puberty with results showing a reduction in GABAergic transmission.

It has also been reported that progesterone also affects signaling at nicotinic receptors. Specifically, both progesterone and allopregnanolone are negative modulators of the α4β2 nicotinic receptors. Progesterone has also been reported to increase mRNA expression of α5 nicotinic receptors.

In conclusion

Progesterone may avail a skeleton for nicotine treatment in women but more research need to be done on this issue so as the potential of nicotine addiction with progesterone can be examined. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Center is an expert in integrative medicine for addiction. Call her on (843) 213-1480 for help.

Research Shows Progesterone Influences Nicotine Addiction in Women

 

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Circulating Stem Cells And Opiate Addiction

Deficit of Circulating Stem Cells-In Opiate Addiction Cause Major Illnesses in the Body

Circulating Stem cellsA new research has pointed out that deficit of circulating stem cells-in opiate addiction cause major illnesses in the body. This however is not much of a surprise since past researchers were able to discover the fact that slow cell growth and apoptosis were major reasons for the different capacities of addictive drugs. To people who have slow cell growth, the chances addiction is much higher of Couse within a shorter lifespan than those who had optimum cell growth levels.

Deficit of circulating stem cells-in opiate addiction cause major illnesses in the body The stem cell hypothesis of ageing suggests that ageing at the organismal level is reflected by impaired cell health at the cellular level including reduced function, reduced growth, increased senescence, and cell loss by apoptosis, necrosis. The often disorganized and disheveled body habitus of many drug addicts is well known, as is their predisposition to a variety of unusual disorders.

A rising body of knowledge suggests that disorders common in aged populations occur at an increased frequency in addicted populations as a result of stem cell deficiencies. Stem cells dysfunctions in addicts apply to:

  • Osteoporosis,
  • Neuropsychiatric disorders,
  • Depressed sperm counts,
  • Calcific arteriosclerosis,
  • Premature graying of the hair,
  • Severe mental disorders.

These problems have in common a failure in stem cell physiology. The high mortality accompanying chemical addictions is also well recognized.

New Research

Currently, the field of stem cell biology is mushrooming with many investigations centered on a host of prospective applications in regenerative medicine and including particularly bone marrow transplantation, tissue regeneration and immune and gene therapy. Several recent developments make these advances of particular interest to the field of addictive medicine particularly to its toxicology. Stem cells exist at low frequency in the peripheral circulating blood and may be quantitated there. Several methods have been recently described for the quantitation of various lines of stem and progenitor cells in peripheral blood, a tissue which is regularly accessed in routine clinical care. Secondly the endothelial progenitor cell has been said to be of enormous importance to the regeneration of the vasculature and has be noted to be a superior predictor of cardiovascular outcomes including mortality than commonly used classical cardiovascular risk factors. Similarly counts of the circulating osteoblastic progenitor cell have been shown to correlate with bone density studies. Finally the cellular theory of ageing suggests that stem cells and their health should be a special focus of ageing medicine and the deficits associated with ageing, and this has been confirmed by recent reports.

Given the importance of the circulating stem cells in the blood, it is therefore necessary to examine the peripheral blood for circulating stem cell numbers in addicted and control populations so as to find out the relationship between suppressed levels of the circulating stem cells and illnesses that are common in opiate addicts.

In a research that was done recently by substance abuse prevention policy it was found that patients who were addicted to opiates had decline in stem cells circulating in the peripheral blood appears to be three or four times as fast in addicts as in the general population.

In this research the patients were chosen from normal clinical primary care population. Medical patients were representative of those seen typically in primary care clinics. Opiate addicted patients were maintained on buprenorphine/naloxone combination and are gradually reduced. They were not in clinical withdrawal at any time. Blood was obtained with patient consent. Blood was drawn for standard clinical indications in the course of routine patient care. Peripheral venous blood was sampled from patients and processed fresh without storage by flow cytometry. Absolute lymphocyte counts were taken, and CD34+ CD45+ double positive cells were counted as haemopoietic stem cells (HSC’s), and CD34+ KDR+ (VEGFR2+) cells were denoted endothelial progenitor cells (EPC’s). Progenitor cells were standardized against the lymphocyte fraction as these were believed to be of the most appropriate nuclear cytoplasmic ratio.

Based on the data presented the decline in stem cells circulating in the peripheral blood appears to be three or four times as fast in addicts as in the general population. This therefore indicates that opiates addicts are more likely to suffer the symptoms of low circulating stem cells than those who are not addicted to opiates.

This research however was small but if these results are confirmed by other researches that are done on a much larger scope then they would have very significant potential implications for understanding the cumulative toxicology of indefinite maintenance therapies and programs both for opiate dependency and the notion presently widespread in medicinal chemistry, clinical, research funding and other circles that agonist medication is functionally superior to sustain patient compliance in the long term to antagonists. If confirmed the present results are likely to have far reaching implications for clinical practice and hence public policy, particularly as an increasing number of long acting depot preparations of antagonists are currently entering the marketplace.

Circulating Stem CellsThis research as said earlier is a preliminary study and its researchers are still suggesting that further investigations be done for on-going research in this important field as it has significant future implications for drugs policy administrations and long term patient treatment development.

Finally drug addiction is effectively fought through integrative care. If you are battling with addiction and you need help call Dr. Dalal Akoury of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Center on (843) 213-1480 for help.

Deficit of Circulating Stem Cells-In Opiate Addiction Cause Major Illnesses in the Body

 

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