Hormones, Health and Happiness

What We Know and What We Don’t Know About Hormones Over Our Lifespan

Hormones define who we are (Schwartz and Villa, 2024) and play a key role in our health and happiness and yet, why are they often treated as a source of embarrassment or simply dismissed?

Many health problems can be linked to or made worse by a lack of understanding of our hormones, hormone cycles, or major hormonal transitions – such as menopause or andropause. Yet hormones are seldom considered by individuals or suggested to investigate by healthcare professionals.

We’re ready for a new era – where our hormones are better understood, appreciated, and managed in a way that makes our lives fundamentally better, healthier, and happier.

Join us as we explore the complex world of hormones across our lifespan.

We’ll start with the basics, then highlight some key things that science knows – and doesn’t yet know – about how hormones impact our energy, emotions, health, and overall well-being. Finally, we’ll begin the conversation about how we can take charge and advocate for ourselves and others.

Introduction to Hormones

What Are Hormones?

Hormones are your body’s chemical messengers. They’re produced by different glands and travel through your bloodstream to deliver instructions to organs and tissues. These instructions affect everything from your mood and energy levels to your growth, metabolism, and reproduction.

You’ve probably heard of many of them – estrogen, testosterone (also in women’s bodies), insulin, melatonin, oxytocin (the “love hormone”), and more.

Hormones are known for their role in reproduction – but their roles go well beyond reproduction and, for women, menstruation – to our overall well-being as humans.

Why Understanding Hormones Matters

Because hormones impact so many of our body’s systems for men, women, and younger girls and boys, knowing more about hormones can make a difference in the health and happiness of nearly every person on the planet.

But, hormones remain a mystery to many people – including doctors and healthcare professionals. For example, in the United States, of nearly 100 university program directors surveyed about their obstetrics and gynecology training programs, nearly 70% had no menopause curriculum in their residency programs. In the UK, 41% of medical universities don’t have peri/menopause in the curriculum. We don’t have any of the same figures for Asia. Please tell us if you know…

How Do Our Hormones Change Over Our Life?

Hormones play a crucial role throughout a person’s life, starting even before birth, through puberty, reproductive years, menopause or andropause, and even into older age.

In the Womb

• During pregnancy, hormones are essential for a baby’s growth and development. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a hormone produced by the placenta, that helps the production of another hormone – progesterone.
• Progesterone keeps the lining of the uterus healthy to support the developing baby.
• Thyroid hormones are important for the baby’s brain development.
• Androgens and estrogens help shape the development of male or female sexual organs.

Toddlers/Children

• In toddlers and early childhood, hormones continue to guide growth and development.
• Growth hormone (GH) is key to helping bones and tissues grow.
• Thyroid hormones are still important as children grow – they influence metabolism, energy levels, and brain development.

Teenage Years – Puberty

• The teenage years bring about significant hormonal changes that lead to sexual maturity and other physical changes.
• Both boys and girls start producing more gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from the brain, which triggers the release of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).
• These hormones stimulate the production of testosterone in boys and estrogen in girls and are responsible for their development.
• These hormonal changes can also lead to huge emotional swings, which impact teenagers mental well-being.

Reproductive Years & Lactation

• Estrogen and progesterone control the menstrual cycle and help prepare the body for pregnancy.
• If a woman becomes pregnant, these hormones continue to support the pregnancy, with human placental lactogen (hPL) helping to ensure that the baby receives enough nutrients.
• Oxytocin becomes important during labor, helping with contractions and later supporting breastfeeding by stimulating milk release.

Menopause and Andropause

• In women, the drop in estrogen and progesterone ends menstrual cycles and may cause symptoms like hot flashes, mood changes, and bone thinning (osteoporosis). 
• In men, testosterone levels gradually decrease, which can lead to lower energy, decreased muscle mass, and reduced interest in sex. 
• Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels may rise in both men and women as the body tries to compensate for the lower production of sex hormones. 

Post-Meno- and Andropause

• For women, the drop in estrogen and progesterone can lead to long-term changes such as an increased risk of osteoporosis and heart disease. 
• In men, the decline in testosterone can contribute to ongoing issues like decreased muscle mass, energy, and sexual function.
• Additionally, lower testosterone levels can affect mood and cognitive function, leading to conditions like depression or memory loss. 

What We Don’t Know About Hormones and Health

While research is ongoing, there is so much more needed to ensure we get the necessary healthcare. For example we still need to learn more about:

• For children, how hormones impact their health before puberty
• For teens, whether they can detect signs of large hormonal swings before they take place for easier and more proactive management 
• The exact mechanisms by which hormones influence bodily processes, and their relationship to diseases, memory, and mental health to understand and develop more prevention and treatment options.
• How we can make every stage of menopause and andropause easier.
  
• Hormonal fluctuations throughout a woman’s life, and how this impacts health.
• For women, how we can harness our current knowledge for better treatments and prevention of severe menstrual pain, PCOS, PMDD, and more.
  
• The long-term effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on various women’s and men’s health outcomes, such as cardiovascular health, sleep, and memory.
  
• How we can decrease physical pain for women and men based on what we’re learning about hormones.
  
• For women, the role of the rising field of Femtech and AIin tracking and optimizing women’s health. Femtech is technology-based products and solutions designed to address the health needs of women, which can address anything from menopause, to menstrual health, to osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.
• For men, a greater and deeper understanding of the role their hormones play in their health, and identification of cycles and declines in hormones. 

What Can We Do?

We’re stronger together.

FemTalkAsia is a pioneering digital platform dedicated to transforming health, happiness and productivity by focusing on often-overlooked aspects associated with hormones and major life hormonal changes. We recognise and are frustrated by the huge gap in women’s health. Equally, we see that very little attention has been paid to hormonal changes men go through that can impact their health and well-being.

We want to empower people globally by providing accessible, expert-verified information and a supportive community where they can share experiences and learn from each other.

Leveraging the latest research, user-generated content, and expert insights, we’re here to ensure everyone navigates their health journey with knowledge and confidence.

Join us to challenge the status quo in hormonal health, because we all deserve to thrive at every stage of our lives.

What Can You Do?

• Stay informed. 
  • We’ll be adding more information on our website and blog posts in the coming months. 
  • If you see anything we haven’t addressed yet, write in to us and we’ll work towards including it in our future content. 
  • See a woman’s or mans hormone myth that needs busting? Send it our way! 
  • We don’t just link to random blog articles and opinion pieces. The content we create is based on recent peer-reviewed scientific research.

• Stay connected. Join our newsletter and follow on IG and Facebook where we’ll share:
  • Articles on hormones, health and productivity
  • Solutions for how you can more effectively and easily manage life transitions
  • Latest research and articles on women and men’s health and specifically perimenopause and andropause
  • News of any upcoming events in your area.

• Advocate for yourself and others. 
  • If something doesn’t feel right health-wise, it may be time to find a healthcare provider who can investigate if hormones are playing a role.
  • When a healthcare provider isn’t taking you seriously, it’s time to look for someone new. 
  • Don’t dismiss your emotions, feelings, or health. You matter

References:

1. Speroff, L., & Fritz, M. A. (2005). Clinical gynecologic endocrinology and infertility. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
2. Brook, C. G. D., & Clayton, P. E. (2012). Paediatric Endocrinology. John Wiley & Sons.
3. Endocrine Society. (2021). Hormones and your health. Retrieved from https://www.endocrine.org.
4. Schwartz and Villa, 2024 – https://www.intechopen.com/online-first/88972