HORMONE DISRUPTERS

THe seemingly innocuous activities that can wreak havoc on your hormones

SHRUGGING OFF AN ILLNESS

STRUGGLING back to work too soon could encourage weight gain. That’s because when we’re ill the body stops producing growth hormone, which has a knockon effect on the metabolism — growth hormone encourages cells to burn fat and builds muscle mass.

‘During infection, levels of stress hormone rise, leading to the brain stopping growth hormone release,’ explains Ashley Grossman, professor of neuroendocrinology at Barts Hospital, London.

So it’s important to recover properly, in order to switch the hormone back on and to keep your weight under control.

Meanwhile, long-term illness can also cause hormonal changes that stop essential body functions such as reproduction.