Tag Archives: Pituitary Gland

Beta-Endorphins (Β-Ε) Levels and Alcoholism

November 30, 2014

The Effects Of Low Intensity Exercise On Beta-Endorphins (Β-Ε) Levels And Urge For Alcohol In Alcoholic Patients.

What are Beta-endorphins?

beta endorphinBeta-endorphins, or B-endorphins, are substances created by the pituitary gland. They specifically function as neurotransmitters, or conductors of messages between nerve cells. These substances are found around both the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The Beta-endorphins is classified as a peptide since it contains 31 amino acids linked together. The beta-endorphins circulate around the brain, spinal cord, and secondary nerve systems in the body. Two glands, the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus, have a particular prevalence of the substance. The pituitary gland is responsible for releasing this endorphin into the blood, where it then travels to the central nervous system in the first legs of its journey. The beta-endorphins are agonists. They therefore connect to a cell and kick-starts a response. Beta-endorphins targets portions of a cell called opiate receptors in particular. The substance can reach these receptors in bodily tissue via a process called diffusion.

Beta-endorphins and alcohol

When alcohol is consumed at below risk levels it is known to be very rewarding health wise, it improves the quality of life but when a person begins taking alcohol in higher levels then there are problems that he will definitely have to suffer as a result of the severe effects of alcohol consumption. There are myriads of alcohol disorders needless to mention many accidents occur when people are drunken making alcohol a lead cause of accidental deaths.

Alcohol consumption has been reported to influence the activity of the endogenous opioid system. Reports indicate that acute exposure to ethanol leads to an enhanced release of brain Beta-endorphins (β-E) which through its interaction with μ and δ receptors mediates, at least in part, neurobehavioral effects such as reinforcement and acquisition of ethanol drinking behavior. Specifically, ethanol intake has been shown to increase β-E release by the pituitary and hypothalamus, an action that is mediated by the increase of corticotropin releasing hormone in a dose dependent manner. Furthermore, some reports indicate a biphasic effect of ethanol on hypothalamic Beta-endorphins release. However, the ethanol-induced increase of Beta-endorphins release is fast and transient, lasting about 15-20 minutes before normalizing again. Besides its effects on pituitary and hypothalamic Beta-endorphins, ethanol administration enhances Beta-endorphins release in the nucleus accumbens. This is a brain region important for the processes of reward and reinforcement. Therefore, the activation of μ and δ receptors by the increase in Beta-Endorphins levels due to ethanol intake may be pivotal in reinforcing properties of alcohol intake. On the other hand, chronic exposure to ethanol may cause adaptive responses of neuronal systems linked to negative reinforcement. Decreased Beta-endorphins production following chronic ethanol exposure may be responsible for some of the feelings of discomfort and the presence of negative reinforcement. Reports indicate that chronic ethanol abuse results in lower concentration of Beta-endorphins in the cerebrospinal fluid and plasma of male and female alcoholics. Therefore, chronic ethanol abuse might result in a central opioid deficiency. That deficiency might be related to decreased synthesis and release of Beta-endorphins in the hypothalamus and pituitary as well as lower density and activity of the opioid receptors.

A group of scientists conducted a research study to find out the effects of low intensity exercise on Beta-endorphins (β-E) levels and urge for alcohol in alcoholic patients. These researchers were Athanasios Z Jamurtas, Nikos Zourbanos, Kalliopi Georgakouli, Panagiotis Georgoulias, Eirini Manthou, Ioannis G Fatouros, Marios Goudas, Yiannis Koutedakis and Yannis Theodorakis.

This study used nine chronic alcoholic patients of whom 8 were males and 1 was female. These participants who were undergoing alcohol detoxification were recruited from a psychiatric hospital in Greece and 9 healthy controls volunteered to participate. Patients were diagnosed as being alcohol dependent according to the DSM-IV and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). AUDIT consists of 10 questions scored individually from 0 = never to 4 = 4 or more times per week. A total score of > 8 is an indication of alcohol abuse, a score of > 15 indicates serious abuse/addiction whilst a score between 8 and 10 is an indication of being at risk. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was .73. Alcoholic patients were young and the medical exam revealed no presence of cardiovascular or metabolic disease in the participants. However, five patients were receiving antidepressant medicine, five were receiving anticonvulsant medicine and seven of them were receiving Thiamine, Pyridoxine, and Cyanocobalamine (three times a day) and folic acid (5 mg a day).

The findings of the study

beta endorphinsAll patients had a history of addiction of 10 years or more. All subjects were able to complete a 30-minute workout and the mean relative exercise heart rate was 61.1 + 4.9 % and 62.2 + 3.5% of their maximum heart rate for the alcoholic patients and healthy controls, respectively. Beta-Endorphins levels were significantly lower (p<0.001) in alcoholic patients whereas exercise resulted in significant increases (p<0.001, Cohen’s D: 3.31) only in the alcoholic group. Lactic acid at baseline was not significantly different between groups and increased significantly (p<0.001) after exercise in both groups. Analysis for CBC parameters revealed a significant time effect for red blood cells, hemoglobin and hematocrit. None of the remaining parameters was significantly different between groups nor was changed due to exercise. Pearson correlation analysis revealed non-significant relationships between Beta-endorphins and urge for alcohol (r = 0.23, p = 0.58). Finally, results on the Beta-Endorphins test revealed no significant changes in scores for alcohol urge in alcoholic patients (pre: 2.3 + 1.17; post: 1.87 + 1.17).

Finally, we at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are committed to availing help to addicts by availing some of the most integrative approaches to healing an addict. Be it issues with Beta-Endorphins or general addiction treatment needs, we are here to help. We advocate for natural healing to all kinds of addiction. Call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for help.

The Effects Of Low Intensity Exercise On Beta-Endorphins (Β-Ε) Levels And Urge For Alcohol In Alcoholic Patients.

 

 

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Addiction causes Hypothyroidism

November 17, 2014

Addiction causes Hypothyroidism

Addiction is a host of many disease, in itself it is a vice, no a jail that, many people find too hard escaping from.  Addiction can host many diseases because it debilitates the neurotransmitters or in the affects how they work one of the diseases that can be caused by addiction is hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroidism- this is a condition in which the thyroid glands fail to produce certain crucial hormones or produces the hormones but in limited quantity. Hypothyroidism is a disease that commonly affect Women who are 60 years and above of age. At an early stage it may not show any symptom but when it stays for a long time without getting treating then such symptoms as joint pain, heart disease and obesity may occur.  Hypothyroidism affects the chemical balances in the body.

The thyroid gland is located at the base of the neck just over the collarbone and is responsible for producing hormones which manage protein production and oxygen use by the body cells. The most important role of the thyroid gland is that they help in metabolism in the body.  It also serves another purpose which is to distribute calcium in the body.

Hypothyroidism

Addiction causes hypothyroidism

Several studies have linked addiction to hypothyroidism. These studies have found out that consumption of opium derivatives can affect the function of hypothalamic-pituitary axis. Even though some studies have rejected the effect of alcohol and heroine consumption on hypothalamic-pituitary axis or on T3 and T4 levels some other studies have reported different results and showed decreased rate of hypothalamic-pituitary axis function in alcohol and heroin addicts. A scientist Pfeiffer showed that endogenous opioids including β-endorphin, enkephalins and dynorphins and also opiate receptors have an important role in regulation of several neuroendocrine functions. It is a known fact that opioids inhibit luteinizing hormone (LH) and thyrotropin secretion in rats. Opioids control neuroendocrine processes in hypothalamic level through releasing hypothalamic releasing or inhibiting factors.

Addiction to drugs of abuse affects hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and body hormonal system. Morphine particularly increases hormones such as adrenalin, noradrenaline, corticosterone and glucagon and can reduce the activity of hypothalamic-pituitary axis, however in relation to alterations of T3, T4 and especially TSH levels following morphine consumption, different and sometimes controversial results have been reported. In some research study reports it has been reported decrease of TSH level but no alterations in T3 and T4 levels during morphine consumption. In other researches there has been reported decrease of TSH, T3 and T4 levels following short-term consumption of morphine. One particular study that was done in Pakistan has it that opium consumption leads to total T3 increase and total T4 decrease.

The controversies that are around opium effect on hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis left a gap that a more recent study strived to fill. The most recent study sought to investigate alterations of thyroid function hormones among opium addicts compared with non-addicts.

Consuming different types of opiates will lead to different effect on hypothalamic-pituitary axis and thyroid functions. For example, it has been reported that when a person consumes buprenorphine and heroin consumption it will lead to increased thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). In a study, no difference in TBG level has been observed between heroin- dependents and normal subjects. According to another study, those who received methadone maintenance therapy showed normal level of TSH and T3 responses to thyrotropin-releasing hormone administration. This present study emphasizes the places a particular emphasis on the effects of drugs of abuse on the thyroid and encourages doctors to pay attention to the thyroids as they take care of the entire endocrine system.

This is how addiction causes hypothyroidism. Drugs of abuse such as Opiates exert their effects on hypothalamic-pituitary axis through K-receptors located in hypothalamus and their peripheral effect on liver leads to increase in production of TBG and decrease of thyroid hormones metabolism. However, the involved mechanism causing such alterations in liver has not been known.

Addiction induced depression causes hypothyroidism

It has also been noted that depression has a link to hypothyroidism, depression and addiction are more of synonyms, and depression can either be a cause or a result of addiction and vice versa. When you have a mild depression, it is better to seek medical advice as the problem may affect your thyroid. Hypothyroidism may not have very severe effects on a person but when coupled with depression then all may be very difficult to deal with.

When it comes to depression then all substances of addiction come to mind, the fact is that when a person is addicted to any substance one of the side effects of addiction is depression and that isn’t safe for thyroid health and may lead to hypothyroidism.

However there are still some controversies on this topic and therefore further studies with more general evaluation of endocrine system and hypothalamic-pituitary axis and TBG are recommended to recognize the effects of opium and other substances abuse. The subject of addiction is not a light matter, many people are suffering from irreversible effects of this vice and so whenever possible its effects should be tamed for better health.

Finally, Here at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center we are committed to availing help to addicts by availing some of the most integrative approaches to healing an addict. We advocate for natural healing to all kinds of addiction. In case you are struggling with addiction just call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for help.

Addiction causes Hypothyroidism

 

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Hormones and Neurotransmitters in Sex Health

September 1, 2014

Role of Hormones and Neurotransmitters in Sex Health

A healthy sex life is something that every couple needs. Sex forms an important part of every marriage as it the most intimate way of expressing love to your best half. However sex is a rather complicated issue as very many factors come to play in order for sex to be satisfactory to both sex parties. One of these factors is the hormonal functions. As you know by now there are androgens which are the sex hormones that enables effective sex performance and give a healthy sex life to us. This hormones concentration in the body varies and this may be caused by age as well as other factors like diseases. In young people especially between 18 to 30 years of age these hormones are very active as they are still produced by the body in large quantities that are enough to enable a person’s sexual activities to be at the peak. Sex drive becomes high and a person’s appetite for sex becomes heightened. At this age sex performance is also very satisfactory to both parties. However the production of these hormones will be reduced at later stages in life resulting in sex hormone deficiency. When this happens a person will not be active in sex as he was in the earlier years and his performance becomes less satisfactory. This is a natural process and may not mean that you are sick. It is different for erectile dysfunction that may affect even a person who is in his twenties. This is often solved by hormone therapies like the testosterone replacement therapy. Testosterone s the most active sex hormone in men and so its levels in the body are critical for sex health.

Neurotransmitters in Sex Health

Another important player in sex health is the brain. The brain plays various roles in relation to hormonal regulation in the body. Testosterone is produced in the testes whose functions are controlled by the pituitary glands in the brain. Therefore brain health is critical in sex health. Basically the brain is the engine of the body that when maimed by any disease can cause various negative alterations in the general body functions. The brain plays a major role in the neuron system. The pituitary gland is a small part of the brain positioned bellow the hypothalamus yet it has very crucial role when it comes to production of hormones. The hormones which are also crucial part of the endocrine system are chemicals that control various biological functions. They are made in your endocrine glands, secreted in small amounts directly into your bloodstream, and travel to other organs where they induce an action in the organ’s cells. They function as chemical messengers without which some crucial processes of the body cannot be accomplished. Sex involves the coordination of the pituitary glands that controls the production of testosterone in the testes and other hormones that are produced by other glands to ensure the sexual functions of a person are at optimum level. However the functions of the neurological functions can be altered by diseases resulting in a condition referred to as neurological disorder which maims the normal functions of the hormones and the entire endocrine system.

Neurological disorders affect the brain health which in turn affects the sex functions of a person due to poor sex hormone production that is normally controlled by the pituitary glands in the brain. However not all sex problems are caused by neurological disorders in a person. Some of the neurological disorders that may cause sex problems include the following; stroke, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson disease and spine injuries. These diseases severely affect the functions of the endocrine system and may cause paralysis which may inhibit the coordination between the sex hormones and the brain leading sex problems. It is therefore evident that a healthy brain is essential for a healthy sex life.

Hormones and Neurotransmitters

For body to accomplish its functions and processes there must be some messages that must be sent to responsible organs and tissues. The body therefore relies on messengers to signal these organs to do their duty. The messengers are the Hormones and the Neurotransmitters. These are very crucial chemical messengers that determine how we think and feel. They influence how we are motivated, our eating patterns, sleep cycle, sexual desire, ability to learn and concentrate. However they work in different systems. The hormones are messengers of the endocrine system while the neurotransmitters are messengers of the nervous system. However their functions are synergistic towards accomplishment of some processes.

Neurotransmitters in Sex Health

Hormones and Neurotransmitters are therefore very crucial in our bodies that without them most bodily processes cannot be accomplished. However there are diseases that might interfere with the both the functions of the hormones and neurotransmitters making the organs in the body unable to work effectively. These messengers are crucial in sex health and so when they are affected sex drive in a person becomes low. It is therefore essential for Neuroendocrine Restoration. Dr. Dalal Akoury has a Neuroendocrine Restoration program that can help you restore your sex drive and perform better. He has helped many patients regain their sexual vigor and spice their sex life.

Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an experienced doctor that has helped many cancer patients in their fight against the disease. She has also helped many people regain their sex appetite and add more fun into their sexual life. She founded AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center which is home to many people seeking health breakthrough. Call on her now and learn more on how to enhance your sexual health.

Role of Hormones and Neurotransmitters in Sex Health

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