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HPA-HPG-Gut Axis

Meaning

The HPA-HPG-Gut Axis represents a complex, tripartite neuroendocrine-metabolic signaling network that integrates the body’s primary systems for stress response, reproduction, and nutrient processing. This unified axis links the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, governing stress and cortisol release, with the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal (HPG) axis, controlling sex hormone production and fertility, and the Gut-Brain Axis, which includes the enteric nervous system and the microbiome. Understanding this profound interconnection is crucial, as chronic stress or intestinal dysbiosis can cascade to disrupt sex hormone balance, thereby impacting fertility, mood, and metabolic health.