Читать книгу The Healthy Thyroid: What you can do to prevent and alleviate thyroid imbalance - Patsy Westcott - Страница 15

The glands themselves are situated at key locations throughout the body (see Figure 2.1). Together they produce over 50 different hormones – so-called ‘mighty molecules’ – that have widespread effects on us from cradle to grave. As hormones cannot be stored in large quantities in the glands, the brain programmes their manufacture by means of a complex biochemical cycle that uses a series of checks and balances to ensure that hormone levels are maintained according to your body’s needs.

In addition to the endocrine glands themselves, other organs contain pockets of glandular tissue that produce hormones. One of these is the hypothalamus, a region of the brain that is both part of the nervous system and a gland.

Not surprisingly, with such a complicated system, things can go wrong. Broadly speaking, when a gland ceases to function as it should, it results in two categories of problems: the gland becomes underactive and produces too few hormones; or it becomes overactive and produces too many.