Is it really true that we need hormones?

[kristoff]

Can taking vitamins of calcium and vitamin D be a substitute for hormones?

Basically stated, NO they cannot.

[wanasoso2 (imported)]

It's a no no. Vitamins although essential for a good health had a complete different way of action in our body. First they are part of our natural food diet and if you think of ingestion of hormones like in some HRT treatment it must be seen as a medical intervention and not the normal natural diet which is composed of food where some are rich in vitamins. To help some possible deficiency in our plates it's current to take vitamins supplements.

Now at the level of action, vitamins usually work together with proteins more specifically with enzymes being active in the "work" that this enzyme has to do. At this level of action they may have various actions, each vitamins has it's own specific. Has an example I recall from my biochemistry study is the synthesis of the amino acid proline which is not found in the diet. Necessarily we have to produce it from a precursor and to accomplish this work the enzyme doing the job needs vitamin C. Which is the reason why when people don't have access to fresh fruit or a supplement of Vit C they can develop scurvy.

On the other hand, hormones are produced by our gonads, testicules for male and ovary for female and have direct intervention on various cells in different part of the body. Their actions are not like the vitamins, they do not help or support biochemical reactions. They are signaling molecules, fixing themselves to specific receptors at the surface of cells which triger specific biochemical reaction in the cells that will change some pathway of protein synthesis specific to the signal received. As an exemple the clitoris and the penis which are bassically the same structural origin. At the foetus level, we all start as female, (that is why male as nipples) but when testosterone appears in the development (I think is about the 13th week ???), the original clitoris enlarge to become the small penis we have at our birth. Becomming a teenager, with more T the penis enlarge again and other sexual fonction starts. In all those complex modification fo the body, basically trigered by hormones the vitamins has no power to intervene, it's simply not their job.

[Valery_V (imported)]

I am not an expert and can only judge based on my own experience.

Since I lead a healthy lifestyle, I have no bad habits, I eat normally, everything is more or less fine with me.

Testosterone even after ... is produced by the adrenal glands (albeit in smaller quantities).

Maybe my body, continuing to develop, was able to adapt?

[WheelyCurious]

Can taking vitamins of calcium and vitamin D be a substitute for hormones?

They are not a substitute, but given that eunuchs have a tendency towards bone health issues, which hormones help prevent but don't eliminate, it is a good idea to make sure that you get plenty of these in your diet . Supplements are arguably not as good as what you get in appropriate foods, but are a sure fire way of knowing what you are getting.

WheelyCurious

[wanasoso2 (imported)]

Wheely curious made and excellent point here. The testosterone is important to avoir osteoporosis but cannot do the job only by itself. In the process the body need

a good amount of calcium and

indeed vitamin D in part of that process too and getting enough of those "molecules" is important.

[sftineun (imported)]

Can taking vitamins of calcium and vitamin D be a substitute for hormones?

Definitely NO. Calcium and Vitamin D is only part of the treatment to slow osteoporosis. But testosterone or estrogen is needed as well.

[Sileta11 (imported)]

Well, I will have no choice but to go back to estrogen

I still don't understand why many eunuchs were centenarians if they didn't take hormones

[Bullseye (imported)]

I hope I didn't mislead about calcium and vitamin D. Calcium and vitamin D, or any other vitamin, are not a substitute for testosterone and I was not implying that. Eunuchs without hormone are more susceptible to osteoporosis and I was just expressing my use of vitamins for my own health. If I mislead, I apologize, it was not my intent.

[erikboy (imported)]

It is well known that sex hormones play important role in bone health. Reading this threads may make you think that hormones are unavoidable. I think yes and no. It is not that if you do not take any hormones your bones will fall apart. So, people have lived without sex hormones and without breaking their bones. There are many aspects. First there is a genetic aspect. Some have naturally very strong bones. Some have not. See, only few of these postmenopausal women have real bone problems, not all of them. Yes bone density is reduced in all of them, but not to a catastrophic levels. Apart of hormones, there is another very important factor - physical activity. It is well known fact that minerals leave bones, if bones are not in use. And it happens rather quickly, like people in space have very serious bone density problems, and they fight it with physical activity. Becoming an eunuch usually reduces person physical activity, which adds to the bone problem. I think there is alternative for people who like to keep their hormone levels at castrate. And of course. with no hormones, it is best to monitor your bone health. To be able to react at the right time. Either with hormones or whatever else is possible.

[DeaconBlues (imported)]

It is well known that sex hormones play important role in bone health. Reading this .... Becoming an eunuch usually reduces person physical activity, which adds to the bone problem. I think there is alternative for people who like to keep their hormone levels at castrate. And of course. with no hormones, it is best to monitor your bone health. To be able to react at the right time. Either with hormones or whatever else is possible.

I so completely agree with this post. Many years ago I was talking with a doctor about the longevity of eunuchs versus intact males, typically eunuchs in any society outlive the intact males by a considerable number of years and I mentioned the eunuchs currently living in India (the "Hijra") who are somewhat ostracized, they often make their living by dancing at weddings and other celebrations. He pointed out that it is possible that their being eunuchs contributed to their longevity, but it was entirely MORE probable that making their living by dancing and such was contributing more to their longevity. It is well known that and understood that physical activity in moderation is clearly a great contribution to health and longevity. So, when people look at any eunuchs, they often focus only on the fact that they castrated and too much they completely ignore all other aspects. The "take away" bit of wisdom here is that castration may very well increase the length of life, but that benefit could also be completely negated by other unhealthy things (sedentary lifestyle, smoking, drinking, etc) and the eunuchs of India might be living longer mostly because of a healthier lifestyle.

On the subject of osteo perosis and bone density and such, I am not at all surprised that most doctors want to prescribe all sorts of new drugs to solve the problem, after all, that is what they do for a living, but the somewhat unpleasant and ordinary prescription of "exercise and live a healthy lifestyle" is just too too too mundane and it does not make anyone (except the patient) richer yet that could very well be more effective than the latest (most expensive) drug at keeping you healthy.