Endocrine System

How does Phyto-Androgen affect the Endocrine System?


Most hormones in the body are controlled through a negative feedback mechanism, where increased levels of a hormone are sensed by receptors, and messages are sent to reduce the production of that hormone. In this way, when levels drop, the message is sent to increase production of the respective hormone. Most hormones in the body work though negative feedback, and only a few work through positive feedback. An example of positive feedback is child birth, where the presence of the hormone oxytocin causes a further production of that hormone.

The negative feedback response of hormone production causes alarm when discussing hormone replacement therapy, and for good reason: bio-identical hormone replacement can cause the atrophy of hormone producing glands in some people. An often told example of this is testicular atrophy in adolescent and teenage males, caused by steroid use. In this case, bio-identical testosterone causes the negative feedback mechanism to arrest testosterone production in the testes, causing possible atrophy in the glands. Because the body is thrifty, sensing adequate levels of a hormone, it knows not to produce extra.

In the case of phyto-hormones, like phyto-androgens eg. pine pollen or phyto-estrogens eg. soy, the plant hormone is not identical to the animal hormone--is it not bio-identical. The effects of the hormone are very similar, but they are not sensed by the receptors linked to the negative feedback system, and do not trigger the cessation of hormone production.

For people interested in pine pollen for its phyto-androgen properties, this means that pine pollen does not trigger the body to stop producing testosterone.

For the endocrine system, pine pollen is used to bring hormone levels back into correct balance when they are otherwise out of balance. In this way, pine pollen seeks to restore healthy ratios of testosterone to estrogen in the body, when those ratios are otherwise influenced, through diet and environment, illness and disease, or age Andropause.