// HORMONES

Hormones

Testosterone, estrogen, thyroid, progesterone, insulin, cortisol

Hormones are the chemical messengers that regulate every system in your body — metabolism, reproduction, mood, energy, sleep, and growth. Testosterone declines ~1% per year after 30. Estrogen dominance drives inflammation. Thyroid dysfunction affects 1 in 8 women. Insulin resistance underlies most metabolic disease. Yet most people have no idea their levels are off because standard lab ranges are based on population averages, not optimal function.

LIGHT-TO-CLOCK PATHWAYLIGHT480nmRETINAipRGCsMelanopsinNon-visual \u00B7 NOT for seeingRHTSCNMaster Clock~20,000 neuronsDAYTIME SIGNALSCortisol ↑Serotonin ↑Alertness ↑NIGHTTIME SIGNALSMelatonin ↑Core temp ↓Immune ↑380nm700nmPeak melanopsin: 480nmScreen emission: 450-495nmVioletRed2x stronger suppression at 480nm \u00B7 Brainard et al., 2001ipRGCs are the only photoreceptors that directly entrain the circadian clock

Mechanism

LightipRGCs (melanopsin, 480nm)RHTSCNDay: cortisol \u2191, alertness \u2191Night + screens:Melatonin suppressedBrainard et al., 2001
1 in 8

women will develop a thyroid disorder in their lifetime — most go undiagnosed for years because TSH alone misses subclinical dysfunction

American Thyroid Association, 2024

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