Dr. Saira Hameed, an endocrinologist who’s been in the game for 20 years, has been getting more questions about hormones than usual.
“Hormones are having a bit of a moment right now,” Hameed told the Intelligence Squared podcast on June 10. “Some hormones have become like rock stars: cortisol, testosterone, GLP-1.”
But with their raised profile has come a lot of misinformation, Hameed said.
The body produces hormones, which are secreted into the bloodstream by endocrine glands, such as the thyroid and pancreas, as well as tissues. They tell our cells, tissues, and organs when to stop or start certain processes. Hameed said that we have around 50, but scientists will likely discover more in the future.
“Hormones control really every aspect of day-to-day life, from your energy to your stress to your sex drive to your thirst to how hungry you feel,” Hameed said.
Asked what would constitute an endocrinologist-approved lifestyle by the interviewer Dr. Güneş Taylor, Hameed said you don’t need to do anything fancy to have a functioning endocrine system.
“There’s nothing here that, I don’t know, would get you clicks or get you followers or whatever,” Hameed said.
She shared a checklist of habits that included managing stress as much as possible, getting enough sleep, and “trying to wake up roughly the same time every day.” Hameed recommended doing some form of movement and spending some time outside daily.
She also advised eating enough protein and fiber, as well as doing “a little bit of intermittent fasting if you can.”
Her advice chimes with the general consensus among health experts of all fields that prioritizing basic healthy habits is the best starting point for protecting our health.
“It’s kind of like the age old wisdom,” Hameed said.
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