The pituitary gland is a small (half-inch), bean-shaped organ that hangs down from the lower center of the brain on a stalk attached to another gland, the hypothalamus. Weighing less than one gram, the pituitary gland is often called the "master gland" since it controls the secretion of hormones by other endocrine glands. It regulates many body activities, and is partitioned into front and back lobes. The front lobe is stimulated by the hypothalamus, and produces any one of six different hormones that in turn stimulate the thyroid, adrenal and reproductive glands, and also breast milk production. Also: Pituitary Gland

	ACTH (Adrenocorticotropic Hormone) As A Treatment "...ACTH is a proteinaceous hormone secreted by the pituitary gland..." Addison's Disease The Condition "...Cortisol production is regulated by another hormone, adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), made in the pituitary gland which is located just below the brain..." Alfalfa As A Treatment "...Alfalfa can help lower cholesterol, balance hormones, and promote pituitary gland function..." Andropause/Male Menopause The Condition "...lupus erythematosis, subtle genetic abnormalities which permit normal adult development but lead to premature testicular failure, generalized vascular diseases such as diabetes, chemotherapy, and pituitary tumors (rare)..." Cluster Headaches The Condition "...It controls the pituitary gland (which is responsible for reproductive function) and also regulates body temperature, emotion, hunger, sleep, and the body's biologic rhythms (its circadian rhythms)..." Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease The Condition "...to other people from grafts of dura mater (a tissue that covers the brain), transplanted corneas, implantation of inadequately sterilized electrodes in the brain, and injections of contaminated pituitary growth hormone derived from human pituitary glands taken from cadavers..." Cushing's Syndrome / Hypercortisolism The Condition "...First, the hypothalamus, a part of the brain which is about the size of a small sugar cube, sends corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) to the pituitary gland..." Diabetes Insipidus The Condition "...ADH is made in the hypothalamus, stored in and secreted by the pituitary gland and works on the kidney to conserve fluid..." Endocrine Glands Related Topic "A set of glands including the pituitary, hypothalamus, pineal, thyroid, parathyroid, thymus and adrenal glands, as well as the pancreas, ovaries and testes..." Enlarged Prostate Recommendation Zinc "...It also decreases prolactin secretion by the pituitary gland, thus decreasing its binding to the prostate, both of which prevent prostatic enlargement..." Erectile Dysfunction (ED, Impotence) The Condition "...Physical factors include ... Neurogenic disorders - multiple sclerosis, spinal cord lesions, pituitary microadenoma with hyperprolactinemia, and cardiovascular accident; drugs such as hypertensives, sedatives, Proscar (finasteride), tranquilizers, and amphetamines..." Female Hair Loss The Condition "...Common causes of hair loss or hair thinning in women ... any condition that upsets the ovarian, adrenal, or pituitary axis..." Relationship to Hypothalamus / Pituitary / Pineal Dysfunction "Any condition that upsets the ovary, adrenal or pituitary gland may result in hair loss..." Female Infertility Recommendation Vitamin Paba "Para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) stimulates the pituitary gland and sometimes restores fertility to some women who cannot conceive..." Fibrocystic Breast Disease The Condition "...Vitex stimulates the pituitary gland to produce more luteinizing hormone, and this leads to a greater production of progesterone..." Histiocytosis X (Rare) The Condition "...Rarely, damage to the pituitary gland causes bulging eyes (exophthalmos) and diabetes insipidus, a condition in which large quantities of urine are produced, leading to dehydration..." Our Question about bulging eyes "Rarely, damage to the pituitary gland causes bulging eyes (exophthalmos)..." Human Growth Hormone (HGH) As A Treatment "...It is secreted by the pituitary gland and causes growth and repair of the body's tissue through several mediations such as IGF-1..." Hyperparathyroidism The Condition "...Familial endocrine neoplasia type I is one rare inherited syndrome that affects the parathyroids as well as the pancreas and the pituitary gland..." Hyperpituitarism The Condition "...Causes & Development Since pituitary tumors (usually benign) are the most common cause of this condition, other areas controlled by the pituitary are often affected, such as Prolactin and thyroid hormones..." Hyperprolactinemia The Condition "Prolactin is one of many hormones produced by the pituitary gland..." Hyperthyroidism The Condition "...Production and release of thyroid hormone by the thyroid gland are controlled by another gland - the pituitary..." Hypogonadism, Male The Condition "...Secondary (gonadotropin) hypogonadism - Caused by a pituitary failure or pituitary-hypothalamic injury from tumors, trauma, or radiation; characterized by low serum testosterone levels, but with gonadotropins in the normal or low range Signs & Symptoms..." Hyponatremia (Low Blood Sodium Level) The Condition "...The hypothalamus and pituitary gland are also involved in sodium regulation by making and releasing vasopressin, known as anti-diuretic hormone, into the bloodstream..." Hypopituitarism The Condition "Hypopituitarism is a general term that refers to any under-performance of the pituitary gland..." Our Question about your Total T4 level "When TSH and Total T4 are both low, a poorly-functioning pituitary gland is suspected..." Hypothalamus Related Topic "...It is important for longevity and coordinates the entire endocrine system, especially in connection with the pituitary..." Hypothalamus / Pituitary / Pineal Dysfunction The Condition "...For example, an unhealthy pituitary can produce too much growth hormone (leading possibly to giantism) or too little, which can lead to premature aging and wasting of tissue..." Hypothyroidism The Condition "...Hypopituitarism (low functioning pituitary) and hypothyroidism (low functioning thyroid) can both result in deficient production of T4, which is the raw material the body uses to produce the active thyroid hormone T3..." Kelp As A Treatment "...Growth Problems: Growth problems occur when the pituitary gland or the thyroid bland does not function, as it should..." Low HGH (Human Growth Hormone) Recommendation GHB (Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate) "GHB stimulates pituitary growth hormone (GH) release..." Recommendation Glutamine "It has been shown that growth hormone (GH) is adequately produced by the aging pituitary, but its secretion from the pituitary is down-regulated with age..." Recommendation Vitamin B3 (Niacin) "There is some evidence that the use of niacin improves growth hormone release from the pituitary gland..." Luteinizing Hormone Related Topic "Anterior pituitary hormone stimulating estrogen production by the ovary; promoting formation of progesterone by the corpus luteum in women and stimulating testosterone release in men..." Maca As A Treatment "...There are always a few individuals who will show an allergic reaction or who fall into a group of women or men for whom a pituitary stimulator such as maca is contraindicated in the absence of studies that prove its safety..." Male Hair Loss Relationship to Hypothalamus / Pituitary / Pineal Dysfunction "Any condition that upsets the adrenal or pituitary gland may result in hair loss..." Melatonin As A Treatment "...At puberty, there is a temporary decline, which signals the pituitary to release the sex stimulating hormones..." Metrorrhagia Recommendation Vitex / Chasteberry "Vitex acts on the pituitary gland in the brain to adjust levels of LH (luteinizing hormone) and FSH (follicle stimulating hormone)..." Multiple Sclerosis Recommendation ACTH (Adrenocorticotropic Hormone) "One hormone which has been shown to shorten the duration and intensity of acute exacerbations is adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), a pituitary gland substance that stimulates the adrenal glands to produce additional cortisone, which acts to reduce the inflammation in the brain or spinal cord..." Ovarian Cysts The Condition "...Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, a separate condition, causes follicular cysts to develop as a result of pituitary overproduction of luteinizing hormone in an attempt to initiate ovulation..." Oxytocin Related Topic "A peptide hormone from the pituitary that stimulates lactation; used to induce labor, manage postpartum hemorrhage, and reduce painful breast engorgement..." Phosphytidalserine As A Treatment "...Stress causes the pituitary gland to secrete an adrenal cortisol stimulator, ACTH..." Pituitary Tumor The Condition "...Although pituitary tumors are classified as brain tumors they have very few similarities to other types of brain tumor..." Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) The Condition "...Polycystic ovary disease is due to an abnormal production of two of the hormones produced by the pituitary gland in the brain..." Premenstrual Syndrome PMS H (Headache) The Condition "...the luteal phase of PMS-H patients may arise due to any of the following factors ... Stress - aldosterone is secreted by the adrenal cortex under the control of ACTH, which is secreted by the pituitary in response to stress, high serotonin levels and angiotensin II..." Prolactin Related Topic "An anterior pituitary peptide hormone that initiates and maintains lactation..." Schizophrenia The Condition "...It comes from the pituitary gland and induces lactation..." Test Adrenal Function As A Treatment "...The pituitary may not be producing enough ACTH or - more likely - the adrenal glands may not be responding adequately to the brain's signals..." Test Estrogen Level As A Treatment "...Low values ... In women this can indicate reduced function of the ovaries, possibly caused by a failure of an ovary to develop properly (Turner's syndrome) or because of a drop in pituitary gland activity..." Testosterone Levels, Test As A Treatment "...This separates the patients who have testicular disease from those who have diseases of the pituitary gland, the master gland that sits at the base of the brain and essentially controls many bodily functions..." Thyroglobulin Related Topic "...It is converted into circulating thyroxines when the thyroid is stimulated by TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) from the pituitary (in turn stimulated by the hypothalamus, where thyroxine levels are actually monitored)..." Thyroid Medications As A Treatment "...Clinically, it is common to check the TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) level, which is a pituitary hormone..." Topical Estrogen As A Treatment "...The proper dose is titrated against the pituitary hormones of LH and FSH..." Vasopressin As A Treatment "Vasopressin is a hormone secreted by the posterior portion of the pituitary gland..." Vitex / Chasteberry As A Treatment "...Another pituitary hormone, prolactin, may also be elevated during this time, resulting in breast tenderness and pain, a classic symptom of PMS..."

Last updated: Oct 08, 2008