Dr. Saira Hameed, a consultant endocrinologist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and a senior lecturer at Imperial College London, has authored a new book titled "Signals: The Inside Story of Our Hormones." The book aims to demystify the complex internal communication network powered by hormones, which connect all body parts and ensure cellular coordination. Hameed emphasizes that hormones are responsible for our daily experiences, from waking refreshed and maintaining stable weight to our moods, and govern major life milestones such as pregnancy, puberty, and menopause.
The book challenges the prevalent social media narratives that suggest easy methods to "control" hormones. Hameed argues that humans cannot control their hormones; rather, hormones control us. She illustrates this by explaining that while a "rebalancing" tea might not directly reduce stress hormones, the act of taking a break to drink it with a friend provides a beneficial behavioral intervention. She also delves into the stories of anonymized patients whose lives are impacted by misfiring hormones, leading to symptoms like exhaustion, fertility issues, weight gain, and insomnia.
Hameed highlights the role of pioneering scientists whose breakthroughs have enabled the identification and treatment of hormone disorders through medication or surgery. She also discusses the increasing familiarity with gut hormones like GLP-1, which communicate fullness to the brain. She notes that while pharmaceutical mimics like Ozempic and Wegovy can be life-changing for weight management, they work by supplementing already balanced levels, sometimes with side effects such as constipation and nausea. The book encourages readers to listen to their bodies' signals and live considerately alongside their hormones, emphasizing that proper understanding and medical intervention are key, not simplistic "hacks."
