Holistic Health Kick: Endo-what?

Endo-what?

Endorphins. Many have heard this term and know that the resultant feeling coming from them is desirable, but what are they?

Well, Wikipedia says:

"Endorphins ("endogenous morphine") are endogenous opioid peptides that function as neurotransmitters.^[1] They are produced by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus in vertebrates during exercise,^[2] excitement, pain, consumption of spicy food, love and orgasm,^[3]^[4] and they resemble the opiates in their abilities to produce analgesia and a feeling of well-being."

I've never thought of that euphoric feeling as originating from "endogenous opioid peptides functioning as neurotransmitters," (have you?) but what I do know is that it feels just plain great. Evidently there are a few different paths to lead you to such a state of being, but I'm concerned here only with the exercise route. This experience is not unique to runners only, as in a "runner's high," but to those who exercise at a high enough intensity.

Truly, there are many benefits of exercise, and mood enhancement is but one. In case you are needing some other good reasons to "Just Do It" (as Nike suggests), here are some others:*

to make you less susceptible to disease
to strengthen your heart muscles
to improve your complexion
to reduce tension and enable you to handle stress more effectively (Moms, listen up!)
to help you lose weight and keep it off
to help prevent constipation
to improve your sleep
to clear your mind and make you more alert by stepping up the flow of blood to the brain (Maybe it's not a nap that you need, after all.)
to relieve depression (Without the adverse side effects of some medications!)
to increase self-esteem and confidence
to ease your heart's work load by causing your muscles to use oxygen more efficiently
to relieve menopausal symptoms
to relieve tension headaches
to aid the digestive process
to retard premature aging (Mirror, mirror, on the wall...)
to increase flexibility
to ease menstrual cramps (Worth the price of admission, right here!)
to reduce varicose veins
to relieve arthritis
to decrease cholesterol
to relieve hypertension
to help control diabetes by improving insulin use (Moderate exercise causes the muscles to pull in glucose at a faster than normal rate and this in turn lowers the body's blood sugar levels.)
to balance your metabolism
to improve your posture and general appearance
to eliminate chronic fatigue
to give you strength
to give you balance
to improve circulation
to make you a more cheerful person
to cause your bone marrow to increase its production of red cells and increase the volume of blood
to help you regulate your appetite