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1. Melatonin
Melatonin plays an important role in your ability to get to sleep and stay asleep, explains sleep expert Dr Carmel Harrington. If you’re not producing enough melatonin, it can impact your overall energy levels.
Bright lights and watching screens late at night can inhibit the production of melatonin, leaving you feeling flat, foggy-headed and fatigued.
Implement good sleep habits to get your melatonin mojo back. Sleep and wake up at the same time every day, switch off devices an hour before bedtime, and limit caffeine and alcohol.
2. Thyroid hormones
“Thyroid hormones act on almost every cell of your body,” says Dr Izzy Smith, a specialist in endocrinology (hormones). From regulating metabolism and maintaining cardiovascular health to neural function and cognition, these hormones help drive your body’s engine.
If you have low thyroid function, your body will shift into “go slow” mode, says Izzy. You may feel consistently cold and suffer poor energy, brain fog and constipation.
If your thyroid’s in overdrive, you may feel anxious and hot, and experience heart palpitations, weight loss and diarrhoea.
Blood tests and further imaging, such as a thyroid ultrasound or nuclear medicine scan, can help assess your levels.
3. Oestrogen
Oestrogen is produced by your ovaries and fluctuates during your menstrual cycle. In addition to maintaining the reproductive system, oestrogen is critical for bone health, cardiovascular health and cognition.
Levels of this hormone decrease naturally around menopause. Signs of low oestrogen can include absent periods, feeling low or flat and hot flushes.
Low oestrogen is also linked with an increased risk of osteoporosis, heart disease and dementia. Depending on the underlying causes, symptoms can be treated with a combination of lifestyle changes and medicine, like menopausal hormone therapy (MHT).
4. Progesterone
“Progesterone is secreted by the ovaries after ovulation,” says Izzy. “It gradually increases during the second half of your cycle as it prepares the body for potential embryo implantation and pregnancy.”
Women with naturally higher levels of progesterone may experience heightened PMS symptoms, as well as increased breast tenderness, mood changes and fatigue.
“It’s important to listen to your body and rest if required,” explains Izzy. “Some supplements like magnesium and omega-3 may help with symptoms.”
5. Cortisol
Cortisol is a critical hormone that spikes in response to physical and psychological stress, and fires up your “fight, flight or freeze” response. It also affects nearly every organ system in your body, maintains blood pressure and blood glucose levels, as well as minimising inflammation.
Cortisol can also be abnormally elevated in problems with the pituitary or adrenal glands, which is called Cushing’s syndrome.
So what indicates your cortisol levels may be out of sync? Fatigue, mental fogginess, muscle weakness, and fluctuations in weight and blood pressure are all common signs.
“Elevated cortisol levels are usually linked to lifestyle and managing stress, rather than a problem with the adrenal glands,” says Izzy.
6. Ghrelin
Ghrelin is the “hungry Cookie Monster” hormone that’s produced in your gut and regulates your hormones and appetite. It tells your brain when to seek out food, particularly if you’re dieting or have lost weight.
The higher your ghrelin levels get, the hungrier you are. You may feel unsatisfied after eating or be hungry again within a short time. Ghrelin levels can also be affected by poor sleep and stress.
Avoiding rapid weight loss or yo-yo dieting will help ghrelin levels stay normal, advises Izzy. Eating balanced meals with healthy fats and good carbohydrates will help the satiety centre of the brain, telling you that you’re full.
7. Insulin
Insulin is a hormone that provides a doorway for glucose to enter your cells. Glucose is your body’s primary fuel source and is especially important for optimal brain function and those high-intensity exercise classes.
Problems with glucose and insulin are caused by type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Symptoms include fatigue, blurry vision and frequent urination.
A blood glucose test can identify insulin issues.
8. Parathyroid
The parathyroid hormone is critical for the absorption of calcium from food, and regulates calcium levels in the body and the blood, explains Izzy. It controls levels of vitamin D as well.
Fatigue, constipation, kidney stones and osteoporosis can all indicate elevated levels. Brain fog can also occur when levels are extremely high.
Low parathyroid hormone levels generally present with pins and needles, numbness, muscle cramps and stiffness.
A blood test can identify any issues.
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