GONADS are comprised of the ovaries, prostate, and testes glands. The Ovaries are on either side of the female pelvic cavity and produce female eggs for reproduction, plus the two hormones estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen is secreted by more than one gland. In post-menopausal years progesterone production stops and estrogen production reduces. The Prostate is a large male gland lying just below the neck of the bladder and around the top of the urinary tract, primarily made up of zinc. The prostate gland helps the semen move through the urethra during. ejaculation. The Testes are located in the scrotum. These are the workhorses of the male reproductive system, producing sperm and testosterone. Testosterone affects the development of secondary male characteristics–face and body hair (including male-pattern receding hairline), body odor, v! Voice change, enhanced muscles, increased skin oiliness and coarseness, and also establishes male sex drive. Decrease in testosterone is referred to as Andropause.

PANCREAS, located just behind the stomach, is both an exocrine and an endocrine gland, secreting hormones into the bloodstream and enzymes into the small intestine. Its hormone, glucagon, controls blood sugar levels and metabolic enzymes. The ‘Islets of Langerhans’ are tiny glandular clusters in the pancreas that produce insulin. Their impairment or destruction results in glucose intolerance, hypoglycemia, diabetes, or digestive disorders. Alcohol, excessive use of prescription drugs, and poor nutrition are all hard on the microscopic structure of the gallbladder tissue and therefore the pancreas.

GALL BLADDER, located on the right side of the chest, just beneath the liver, acts as a refinery. It stores and excretes the bile produced by the liver, regulates the flow of bile into the small intestine, and stores poisons. The gallbladder helps digest fat, and it also feeds fuel to the heart, so most of heart problems begin here. When the gallbladder bile fluids become saturated with cholesterol, the cholesterol precipitates into solid crystals and then accumulates into stones. High risk factors for problems in the gallbladder include poor diet, obesity, chronic lack of digestion, certain drugs, Crohn’s disease, age, estrogen replacement therapy, parasitic infections, lack of regular exercise. Symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating & gas, one-sided headache, bad temper, sluggishness, acne, yellow tongue/eyes, eating too much, high blood pressure, sleepy after eating, pain in back of knees.

ADRENAL glands lie just on top of the kidneys and have two parts, the Medulla and the Cortex. The Medulla is active in the ‘fight or flight’ response, and maintain involuntary functions helping our bodies to cope with stress by increasing metabolism. The Cortex secretes corticoid-steroid hormones formed from cholesterol and is responsible for maintaining body balance, regulating sugar metabolism, and a complex array of steroid hormones, including cortisone, DHEA, progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone. Adrenal function is impaired by long-term corticoid-steroid drug use because these drugs cause the adrenals to shrink. Adrenal exhaustion is an epidemic in this country—no other gland is more affected by chronic stress, anger, too much sugar or caffeine. Warning signs of Adrenal exhaustion are poor memory and low energy; nervous moistness of hands and soles of feet; brittle peeling nails and extremely dry skin; heart palpitations and panic attacks; chronic low back pain/ hypoglycemia and cravings for salt or sweets; severe reactions to odors or certain foods; high incidence of yeast and fungal infections; low blood pressure and poor circulation; and irritability.

SPLEEN is the largest mass of lymphatic tissue in the body. It produces lymphocytes, destroys worn-out blood cells, and serves as a blood reservoir. During times of great stress or hemorrhage, the spleen can release its stored blood to prevent shock. Depletion symptoms include anemia, pallor, extreme slimness, poor memory, and sluggishness. To encourage a healthy spleen, drink carrot-beet-cucumber juice for a week, then every other day for a week to ‘spring clean’ the spleen of stored toxins.

THYMUS lies below the thyroid and between it and the heart. It is the Master gland of the immune system and vital to the production of T-lymphocyte cells, thymic hormones, and critical to cell-mediated immunity. This gland shrinks with age and is easily damaged by free radicals. Symptoms of this gland struggling is such things as hair loss, tendency to chronic infections, food allergies.

LYMPH – our Lymphatic system (which has more fluid than our cardiovascular system and no heart to pump its fluids) includes lymphatic vessels, lymph nodes, thymus gland, the tonsils and the spleen. This system is often called our body’s other circulatory system because it bathes our body’s cells and collects tissue fluids not needed by capillaries or skin, returning them to the heart for recirculation. Most lymph fluid is rich in the nutrients produced in the liver, especially protein, and the system is a major route from/to the liver and intestines. This system is also the key to our body’s immune defenses and cancer protection, draining & filtering fluid from the spaces between cells, taking with it waste products, toxins, and other tissue debris while we sleep.

THYROID is a butterfly-shaped gland wrapping around the front part of the windpipe, just below the Adam’s apple. It produces hormones that influence essentially every organ, every tissue, and every cell in our bodies. These hormones regulate the body’s metabolism, organ function, heartbeat, cholesterol level, body weight, energy level, muscle strength, skin condition, menstrual regularity, memory, body temperature, the rhythm of the heart, kidney adrenals, and many other areas. The Parathyroids are four small glands embedded in the thyroid gland that help maintain the proper level of nutrients in the body. If they produce too much hormone, the calcium level in the blood is raised and can contribute to kidney stones. Over 75% of those who suffer from a thyroid disorder do not realize that it is the problem (and 90% of the 75% are women). Common signs of a thyroid problem are lack of energy or fatigue, mood changes, depression, persistent hoarseness, muscle weakness, bulging eyes… An overactive thyroid can contribute to Parkinson’s disease. Thyroid disorders can be detected with a simple sensitive TSH blood assay ( T hyroid- S timulating H ormone). Synthetic treatment by Levothyroxine (Synthroid, etc) may cause a loss of as much as 13% of bone mass (University of Massachusetts study).

PITUITARY lying at the base of the brain, is called the Master gland, regulates the other glands and stimulates growth. Its communication needs to be clear in order for our bodies to receive the right signals,. Deficiencies will show as a stressed nervous system, mental burn-out brought on by stress, poor healing, erratic blood sugar levels or body fluid imbalance. To support a compromised pituitary gland increase your intake of broccoli, sprouts, peas, dried fruits, green leafy veggies, brown/wild rice, fruit juice, and good drinking water. Try to avoid refined and processed foods, beer, sweet wines, sugar, heavy pastries, canned or preserved foods, and all monosodium glutamate-containing foods (MSG). Some other names used to indicate MSG are hydrolyzed protein, sodium caseinate, glutamic acid, etc

HYPOTHALAMUS, located just behind the pituitary gland, is involved in breast milk production, body temperature, sleep and wakefulness, water balance, and smooth muscle contraction.

PINEAL lies just under the pituitary gland behind the eyes and is highly responsive to light waves—our body’s light meter. It helps balance the Endocrine system, regulating our body rhythms, sleep patterns, fertility, and the development of consciousness. Our indoor lifestyle in which we receive distorted light waves from eyeglasses, window glass, fluorescent lights, contact lenses, and sunglasses is hard on the pineal gland.