Hormones

Hormones are tiny chemical messengers made by glands in your body. They travel through your blood to deliver important messages. Hormones help control how you grow, feel, and stay healthy.

What Hormones Do

Different hormones have different jobs. Growth hormone helps you grow taller. Insulin helps your body use sugar from food for energy. Melatonin helps you feel sleepy at bedtime.

Adrenaline is the hormone that gives you a burst of energy when you are excited or scared. It makes your heart beat faster and gets your muscles ready to act.

Keeping Hormones Healthy

Eating healthy foods, getting enough sleep, and exercising all help your hormones work well. When you do not sleep enough, your hormones can get out of balance.

Stress can also affect your hormones. That is why it is important to take breaks, play, and relax every day.

Fun Facts

• Your body makes more growth hormone while you are sleeping.
• The word hormone comes from a Greek word meaning to set in motion.
• Some hormones work in just seconds while others take hours or days.

Did You Know?

When you laugh, your body releases happy hormones called endorphins that can actually help reduce pain!