Читать книгу Brain Fitness for Women - Sondra Kornblatt - Страница 32

Three hormones start the dance of a girl's body into womanhood. Sometime between ages ten and fourteen, the brain triggers a release of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) from the pituitary gland. These two hormones stimulate estrogen production in the ovaries. (In boys, LH and FSH stimulate testosterone and sperm production.)

The domino effect of hormonal changes includes a rise in dopamine and oxytocin (the “love hormone”). The neurotransmitter dopamine stimulates the brain's pleasure and motivation circuits.

Other hormones active in puberty are androgens, which are associated with aggression and sexual response. One type of androgen is testosterone, and another is dihydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Androgens are primarily male hormones, though females also have them, and girls who have higher levels of DHEA and testosterone tend to have sex earlier than girls with lower levels. Ironically, a good countermeasure for these high levels is oral contraceptives.⁷²They reduce sex drive and aggression because they suppress the androgens produced by ovaries.