---
date: "2020-01-26T20:41:55.827Z"
lang: "tw"
title: "荷爾蒙：它們如何運作"
linkTitle: "荷爾蒙如何運作"
description: "鑰匙、鎖和汽車點火裝置"
preBody: '_disclaimer'
siblings:
  prev: /tw/chromosomes
  prevCaption: 染色體
  next: /tw/second-puberty-masc
  nextCaption: 雄激素性第二青春期
classes:
  - gdb
---

<!-- # How Hormones Work -->
# 荷爾蒙如何運作

<!-- As we described in the [Causes of Gender Dysphoria](/en/causes) section, every human's DNA contains the genetic instructions for both male and female bodies, and which set of instructions gets used is controlled by what hormones your gonads produce. That differentiation occurs entirely based on whether you happen to have an SRY gene which, between the sixth and eighth weeks of gestation, kicks off a chain reaction that produces testes instead of ovaries. From that point on, every sexual attribute of the human body (primary and secondary) is a result of the hormones that those gonads produce. -->
正如我們在[性別不安的成因](/tw/causes)一節中所描述的，每個人的 DNA 都包含男性和女性身體的基因指令，而使用哪一套指令則取決於你的性腺產生的荷爾蒙。這種分化完全取決於你是否碰巧擁有一個 SRY 基因，它在妊娠的第六週到第八週之間會啟動一個連鎖反應，產生睪丸而不是卵巢。從那時起，人體的所有性徵（第一和第二）都是這些性腺產生的荷爾蒙的結果。

<!-- If they produce estrogens (primarily estradiol), the genitals form into a vulva, vagina, and uterus. If they produce androgens (primarily testosterone), the genitals form into a penis and scrotum, shifting the [Skene's gland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skene%27s_gland) downward and enlarging it into a prostate. Differentiation ends here until the onset of puberty, nine to ten years later, and we all know what puberty does. -->
如果它們產生雌激素（主要是雌二醇），生殖器就會形成外陰、陰道和子宮。如果它們產生雄激素（主要是睪固酮），生殖器就會形成陰莖和陰囊，將[斯基恩氏腺](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%96%AF%E5%9F%BA%E6%81%A9%E6%B0%8F%E8%85%BA)向下移動並將其擴大成前列腺。分化到此結束，直到九到十年後青春期開始，我們都知道青春期會做什麼。

<!-- So how does this work? Why do the cells differentiate like this? Well, before we can explain that, first we have to explain the concept of a **receptor**. -->
那麼這是如何運作的呢？為什麼細胞會這樣分化呢？嗯，在我們解釋這個之前，我們首先要解釋 **受體** (receptor) 的概念。

<!-- ## Hormone Receptors -->
## 荷爾蒙受體 (Hormone Receptors)

<!-- In simplest terms, a receptor is like the keyed lock ignition on a car (do new cars still have keyed ignitions?). Every cell in the body has a set of locks which activate different functions within that cell. They’re like switches which signal to the cell that it should activate a different part of its genetic sequence. Each receptor can only accept certain chemical compounds, much like how a lock can only accept certain keys, and different chemicals have different capabilities at turning the key. Some can completely start the car, while others only turn it to Accessory Mode. -->
簡單來說，受體就像汽車上的鑰匙點火裝置（現在的新車還有鑰匙點火裝置嗎？）。體內的每個細胞都有一組鎖，可以啟動細胞內不同的功能。它們就像開關，向細胞發出信號，讓它啟動其基因序列的不同部分。每個受體只能接受特定的化合物，就像一把鎖只能接受特定的鑰匙一樣，不同的化學物質轉動鑰匙的能力也不同。有些可以完全啟動汽車，而有些只能將其轉到配件模式(Accessory Mode)。

<!-- The ability for a chemical to fit into a receptor is called **relational binding affinity**, and is measured as a percentage of how likely a chemical will bind to a receptor compared to another. So, for example, if hormone B binds only 10% of the time in relation to hormone A, then it is said to have a 10% binding affinity. Similarly, the ability for a chemical to turn the key is called *transactivational ability*. Compounds which fit into a receptor but don’t do anything are called *antagonists*; compounds which are able to turn the key are called **agonists**. If it can only turn the key a tiny bit, it’s called a **partial agonist**. -->
一種化學物質與受體結合的能力稱為 **相對結合親和力** (relational binding affinity)，用一種化學物質與受體結合的可能性與另一種化學物質相比的百分比來衡量。例如，如果與荷爾蒙 A 相比，荷爾蒙 B 只有 10% 的時間與受體結合，那麼就說它的結合親和力為 10%。同樣，一種化學物質轉動鑰匙的能力稱為 *反式啟動能力* (transactivational ability) 。能與受體結合但不產生任何作用的化合物稱為 *拮抗劑* (antagonists)；能轉動鑰匙的化合物稱為 **促效劑** (agonists) 。如果它只能稍微轉動鑰匙，就稱為 **部分促效劑** (partial agonist)。

<!-- You can think of antagonists like bouncers at a club. They stand in the doorway and prevent anything else from getting through, but don’t enter the club themselves. Most antagonists are referred to as **blockers**. This is different from an **inhibitor**, which is a compound that slows down a chemical reaction, or an *activator*, which speeds up a reaction. In receptors, an inhibitor lowers the ability of the receptor, causing it to respond less effectively to things that bind to the receptor, and an activator increases the ability of the receptor, making it respond stronger, like a booster. -->
你可以把拮抗劑想像成俱樂部的保鏢。他們站在門口，阻止任何其他東西通過，但自己不進入俱樂部。大多數拮抗劑都被稱為 **阻斷劑** (blockers)。這與 **抑制劑** (inhibitor) 不同，抑制劑是一種減緩化學反應的化合物，而 *活化劑* (activator) 則是一種加速反應的化合物。在受體中，抑制劑會降低受體的能力，使其對與受體結合的物質的反應效率降低，而活化劑會增強受體的能力，使其反應更強，就像加速器一樣。

<!-- In some cases, a hormone can function as an inhibitor or an activator for a different hormone by slowing down or increasing behavior in a cell. For example, progesterone increases cell activity, making cells respond more effectively to estrogens and androgens, and testosterone increases the transactivational ability of dopamine receptors, so less dopamine is needed in the brain for the same effect. -->
在某些情況下，荷爾蒙可以透過減緩或增強細胞內的行為而充當另一種荷爾蒙的抑制劑或活化劑。例如，黃體素(progesterone)會增強細胞活性，使細胞對雌激素和雄激素的反應更有效，而睪固酮會增強多巴胺受體的反式啟動能力，因此大腦中需要較少的多巴胺就能達到相同的效果。

<!-- ## What's in a Hormone -->
## 荷爾蒙是什麼

<!-- There are four main kinds of hormones: -->
荷爾蒙主要有四種類型：

<!-- - [Amino acids](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amino_acid) such as melatonin (which controls sleep) or thyroxine (which regulates metabolism).
- [Peptides](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peptide_hormone) like oxytocin and insulin, which are collections of amino acids.
- [Eicosanoids](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eicosanoid) that are formed from lipids and fatty acids and predominantly affect the immune system.
- [Steroids](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steroid), which signaling molecules produced by various internal organs in order to pass messages to other organs within the body. -->
- [胺基酸(Amino acids)](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B0%A8%E5%9F%BA%E9%85%B8)，例如褪黑激素（控制睡眠）或甲狀腺素（調節新陳代謝）。
- [肽(Peptides)](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%82%BD%E7%B1%BB%E6%BF%80%E7%B4%A0)，例如催產素和胰島素，它們是由胺基酸組成的。
- [類花生酸(Eicosanoids)](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%B1%BB%E8%8A%B1%E7%94%9F%E9%85%B8)由脂質和脂肪酸形成，主要影響免疫系統。
- [類固醇(Steroids)](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%94%BE%E4%BD%93)，是由各種內臟器官產生的信號分子，以便向體內其他器官傳遞訊息。

<!-- {!{ <div class="gutter print-span3">{{import '~/img' images.steroidogenesis
  className="card"
  link="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Steroidogenesis.svg"
  external=1
  alt="Chart of steroid metabolism flow"
  caption="All steroids are formed from cholesterols (top left) and are derived from other steroids. Progestogens form into androgens which form into estrogens. This is a one-way exchange, and does not reverse, so don't believe it when someone tells you that too much estrogen will turn it into testosterone."
}}</div> }!} -->
{!{ <div class="gutter print-span3">{{import '~/img' images.steroidogenesis
  className="card"
  link="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Steroidogenesis_(zh-tw).svg"
  external=1
  alt="類固醇代謝流程圖"
  caption="所有類固醇都是由膽固醇（左上角）形成的，並且衍生自其他類固醇。孕激素形成雄激素，雄激素形成雌激素。這是一個單向的交換，不會逆轉，所以當有人告訴你雌激素過多會轉化成睪固酮時，不要相信。"
}}</div> }!}

<!-- For the purposes of transition, this last category is what we care about the most, as all of the sex hormones are steroids. They fall into seven main categories: -->
就轉變而言，我們最關心的是最後一類，因為所有的性荷爾蒙都是類固醇。它們主要分為七類：

<!-- - [Androgens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Androgen)
- [Estrogens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estrogen)
- [Progestogens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progestogen)
- [Glucocorticoids](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucocorticoid)
- [Mineralocorticoids](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineralocorticoid)
- [Neurosteroids](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steroid)
- [Aminosteroids](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aminosteroid) -->

- [雄激素(Androgens)](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%9B%84%E6%BF%80%E7%B4%A0)
- [雌激素(Estrogens)](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%9B%8C%E6%BF%80%E7%B4%A0)
- [孕激素(Progestogens)](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%AD%95%E6%BF%80%E7%B4%A0)
- [糖皮質素(Glucocorticoids)](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%B3%96%E7%9A%AE%E8%B4%A8%E6%BF%80%E7%B4%A0)
- [鹽皮質素(Mineralocorticoids)](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%9B%90%E7%9A%AE%E8%B4%A8%E6%BF%80%E7%B4%A0)
- [神經類固醇(Neurosteroids)](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%94%BE%E4%BD%93)
- [氨基甾體(Aminosteroids)](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B0%A8%E5%9F%BA%E7%94%BE%E4%BD%93)

<!-- The first three of these are what we care about most when it comes to hormone therapy. Note: All human beings, regardless of phenotype, have some of every one of these hormones in their bodies. The ratios are what affect body shape. -->
在激素治療方面，我們最關心的是前三種。注意：所有人，不論表現型如何，體內都有一些這些荷爾蒙。比例是影響體型的因素。

<!-- ### Androgens -->
### 雄激素

<!-- There are nearly a dozen different androgens, but the ones we care about the most are [testosterone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testosterone) and [dihydrotestosterone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dihydrotestosterone). -->
雄激素有將近十幾種，但我們最關心的是[睪固酮(testosterone)](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%9D%BE%E9%85%AE)和[二氫睪固酮(dihydrotestosterone)](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8F%8C%E6%B0%A2%E7%9D%BE%E9%85%AE)。

<!-- Testosterone is the primary masculinizing hormone for the human body and is produced in the adrenal glands, the testes, and in the ovaries (where it is immediately converted into estrone and estradiol). It tells both muscle and bone cells to grow and, in higher concentrations, encourages larger muscle mass and thicker skeletal structure. This also means that testosterone is critical for bone health, as it affects calcium distribution within the skeletal structure. Thus, severe depletion of testosterone can result in osteoporosis and fragile bones. Testosterone also plays a major role in sex drive and libido, encouraging mating behavior within the cerebral cortex. -->
睪固酮是人體主要的男性化荷爾蒙，在腎上腺、睪丸和卵巢中產生（在卵巢中，它會立即轉化為雌酮和雌二醇）。它會指示肌肉細胞和骨骼細胞生長，並且在較高濃度下，會促進更大的肌肉質量和更厚的骨骼結構。這也意味著睪固酮對骨骼健康至關重要，因為它會影響骨骼結構中的鈣分佈。因此，嚴重的睪固酮耗竭會導致骨質疏鬆症和骨骼脆弱。睪固酮在性慾和性衝動中也起著重要作用，促進大腦皮層內的交配行為。

<!-- Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is converted from testosterone in the prostate, skin, and liver, plays a major role in the development of the male genitalia during puberty by inducing random erections, and the growth of facial and body hair. Paradoxically, DHT is also what causes male pattern baldness, as it chokes off blood circulation to the follicles on the top of the scalp (sorry, trans guys, it's a double-edged sword). DHT binds to androgen receptors ten times more strongly than testosterone, which is why it is critical to eliminate it for feminizing transition. -->
二氫睪固酮 (DHT) 是由前列腺、皮膚和肝臟中的睪固酮轉化而來的，它透過誘導隨機勃起以及面部和身體毛髮的生長，在青春期男性生殖器的發育中起著重要作用。矛盾的是，DHT 也是導致男性型禿髮的原因，因為它會阻礙頭皮頂部毛囊的血液循環（抱歉，跨男們，這是一把雙刃劍）。DHT 與雄激素受體的結合力是睪固酮的十倍，這就是為什麼在女性化轉變過程中消除它是至關重要的。

<!-- ### Estrogens -->
### 雌激素

<!-- There are four estrogens: [estradiol](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estradiol), [estrone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estrone), estriol and estetrol. The latter two are only produced during pregnancy and are important for fetal health, but have no bearing on transition. -->
雌激素有四種：[雌二醇(estradiol)](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%9B%8C%E4%BA%8C%E9%86%87)、[雌酮(estrone)](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%9B%8C%E9%85%AE)、雌三醇(estriol)和雌四醇(estetrol)。後兩種只在懷孕期間產生，對胎兒健康很重要，但與轉變無關。

<!-- Estradiol is the feminizing hormone, as it is the primary signaling hormone for growth in the mammary glands (breast tissue), and because it encourages fat deposits in the thighs, hips, butt, chest, and arms, while discouraging fat deposits in the abdomen, thus producing a curvier figure. Estradiol also promotes increased collagen production, resulting in softer skin and more flexible tendons & ligaments. -->
雌二醇是女性化荷爾蒙，因為它是乳腺（乳房組織）生長的主要信號荷爾蒙，而且它會促進大腿、臀部、臀部、胸部和手臂的脂肪沉積，同時抑制腹部的脂肪沉積，從而產生更有曲線的身材。雌二醇還能促進膠原蛋白(collagen)的產生，使皮膚更柔軟，肌腱和韌帶更靈活。

<!-- Estrone's role in the body has been something of a puzzle in medical research, as it has significantly lower binding affinity compared to estradiol (0.6%) and very low transactivational ability (4%). The hormone doesn't appear to *do* anything; it just sits in the bloodstream. However, it has a unique ability to convert to and from estradiol via an enzyme group called [17β-HSD](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17%CE%B2-Hydroxysteroid_dehydrogenase), making it ideally suited to function like an estrogen battery within the body. -->
雌酮在體內的作用一直是醫學研究中的一個謎，因為與雌二醇相比，它的結合親和力要低得多 (0.6%)，而且反式啟動能力也很低 (4%)。這種荷爾蒙似乎沒有 *做* 任何事；它只是存在於血液中。然而，它具有一種獨特的能力，可以透過一種稱為[17β-HSD](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/17%CE%B2-%E7%BE%9F%E5%9F%BA%E7%B1%BB%E5%9B%BA%E9%86%87%E8%84%B1%E6%B0%A2%E9%85%B6)的酵素群與雌二醇相互轉化，使其非常適合在體內充當雌激素電池的作用。

<!-- New research is starting to suggest that the body may regulate total estradiol levels by releasing HSD17B1 to turn estradiol into estrone, and releasing HSD17B2 to convert it back, but this is a very early study. Both enzymes are produced in breast tissue, and may play a role in the presence of cyclical period-like symptoms in estrogenic individuals who do not have ovaries, such as trans women. -->
新的研究開始表明，身體可能透過釋放 HSD17B1 將雌二醇轉化為雌酮，並釋放 HSD17B2 將其轉化回來，從而調節雌二醇的總水平，但這還是一項非常早期的研究。這兩種酶都在乳房組織中產生，並且可能在沒有卵巢的雌激素個體（例如跨性別女性）出現週期性類似經期症狀中起作用。

{!{ <div class="gutter"><div class="card"><div class="card-body"><h4 class="card-title">For Your Information</h4> }!}

<!-- **Why aren't AFAB trans people prescribed estrogen blockers alongside testosterone?** -->
**為什麼出生指定性別女性(AFAB)的跨性別者在服用睪固酮的同時不用服用雌激素阻斷劑？**

<!-- There are two separate sources for estrogens within the female reproductive system. Ovaries contain thousands of follicles: cell structures which produce eggs. The pituitary gland produces luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which encourages the follicles to grow into luteal cells. Theca cells within the follicle produce testosterone, and granulosa cells produce the enzyme [aromatase](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aromatase), which converts that testosterone into estradiol. This is the first source of estrogen, but it is not the largest source. -->
女性生殖系統中有兩個不同的雌激素來源。卵巢包含數千個濾泡：產生卵子的細胞結構。腦垂腺產生黃體生成素 (LH) 和促濾泡激素 (FSH)，促進濾泡生長成黃體細胞。濾泡內的膜細胞產生睪固酮，顆粒細胞產生[芳香酶(aromatase)](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%8A%B3%E9%A6%99%E5%8C%96%E9%85%B6)，將睪固酮轉化為雌二醇。這是雌激素的第一個來源，但不是最大的來源。

<!-- Note: This is why PCOS causes ovaries to produce testosterone; the ovarian cysts disrupt the aromatase production, so the testosterone does not get converted. -->
注意：這就是為什麼多囊卵巢症候群(PCOS)會導致卵巢產生睪固酮的原因；卵巢囊腫會擾亂芳香酶的產生，因此睪固酮不會被轉化。

<!-- Two weeks into the period cycle the hypothalamus tells the pituitary gland to produce an LH and FSH spike three to four times stronger than earlier in the cycle. That surge causes the follicles to swell until one pops, releasing an egg, at which point the remains of the follicle become a structure known as the corpus luteum. That corpus luteum then begins to produce progesterone and significantly more estrogens in order to prepare the womb for a fertilized egg. This is the second source. -->
月經週期的兩週後，下視丘會指示腦垂腺產生比週期早期高三到四倍的 LH 和 FSH 激增。這種激增會導致濾泡腫脹，直到一個濾泡破裂，釋放出一個卵子，此時濾泡的殘餘部分變成一種稱為黃體的結構。然後，黃體開始產生黃體酮和更多的雌激素，為子宮準備受精卵。這是第二個來源。

<!-- Taking testosterone causes the hypothalamus to deactivate the genes that initiate this LH and FSH spike, so the follicles never reach maturity, ovulation never occurs, and the corpus luteum is never formed, removing a significant source of estrogen within the ovaries. -->
服用睪固酮會導致下視丘關閉啟動 LH 和 FSH 激增的基因，因此濾泡永遠不會成熟，永遠不會排卵，也不會形成黃體，從而去除了卵巢內雌激素的一個重要來源。

<!-- *So no, Reddit, it isn't just "because testosterone is stronger", it's because ovaries are a hell of a lot more complex than testes and are easier to disrupt. Please stop spreading this falsehood.* -->
*所以，Reddit，這不只是「因為睪固酮更強」，而是因為卵巢比睪丸複雜得多，更容易受到干擾。請停止散播這種不實之詞。*

{!{ </div></div></div> }!}

<!-- ### Progestogens -->
### 孕激素 (Progestogens)

<!-- The primary progestogen is [progesterone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progesterone), which plays numerous roles in the body and has been found to be [an important component for feminizing hormone therapy](https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/104/4/1181/5270376). -->
主要的孕激素是[助孕酮(progesterone)](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%AD%95%E9%85%AE)，它在體內扮演著許多角色，並且已被發現是[女性化賀爾蒙療法的重要組成部分](https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/104/4/1181/5270376)（英文）。

<!-- One of the largest roles that the progestogen receptor plays is in the regulation of gonadal function (ovaries and testes). The hypothalamus is positively *littered* with progestogen receptors and responds strongly to their activation, downregulating the production of [GnRH](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonadotropin-releasing_hormone), which then reduces the production of [luteinizing hormone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luteinizing_hormone) by the pituitary gland. -->
孕激素受體扮演的最大角色之一是調節性腺功能（卵巢和睪丸）。下視丘中 *充滿* 了孕激素受體，並且對它們的活化反應強烈，下調[促性腺激素釋放激素(GnRH)](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%BF%83%E6%80%A7%E8%85%BA%E6%BF%80%E7%B4%A0%E9%87%8A%E6%94%BE%E6%BF%80%E7%B4%A0) 的產生，從而減少腦垂腺產生[黃體生成素(LH)](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%BB%84%E4%BD%93%E7%94%9F%E6%88%90%E7%B4%A0) 。

<!-- LH is what tells the ovaries and testes to produce estrogen and androgens. LH and its sibling hormone [FSH](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Follicle-stimulating_hormone) both play central roles in ovulation, which is another large source of estrogen in ovary-havers. Thus, synthetic progestogens (chemicals that fit into progestogen receptors) are often included in birth control in order to prevent ovulation. In AMABs, progestogens are a useful tool for blocking testosterone production. -->
LH 是指示卵巢和睪丸產生雌激素和雄激素的物質。LH 及其姊妹荷爾蒙[促濾泡激素 (FSH) ](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%BF%83%E5%8D%B5%E6%B3%A1%E6%BF%80%E7%B4%A0)都在排卵中起著核心作用，排卵是卵巢擁有者的另一個主要的雌激素來源。因此，合成孕激素（能與孕激素受體結合的化學物質）通常被包含在避孕藥中，以防止排卵。對於出生指定性別男性(AMAB)的人來說，孕激素是阻斷睪固酮產生的一個有用工具。

<!-- Another type of cell that is full of progestogen receptors is mammary tissue. Progesterone plays a major role in the growth and maturation of milk ducts within breast tissue. While little formal research has been conducted into progesterone's effect on breast development, anecdotally it has been seen widely across the transfem community to provide significant improvements in breast fullness. Progesterone has also been demonstrated to increase blood flow to breast tissue, and encourages fat deposits in the breasts, both of which increase breast size. -->
另一種類型充滿孕激素受體的細胞是乳腺組織。助孕酮在乳腺組織中乳腺管的生長和成熟中起著重要作用。雖然很少有正式的研究來探討助孕酮對乳房發育的影響，但坊間證據表明，它在跨性別女性群體中廣泛使用，可以顯著改善乳房的豐滿度。助孕酮也被證明可以增加流向乳房組織的血液，並促進乳房中的脂肪沉積，這兩者都會增加乳房的大小。

<!-- Additionally, progesterone promotes better sleep, improves cardiovascular health, increases ketogenesis (reducing triglycerides), increases metabolic function, and has been found to reduce breast cancer risk. -->
此外，助孕酮還能促進更好的睡眠，改善心血管健康，增加生酮作用（降低三酸甘油酯），增強代謝功能，並且已被發現可以降低患乳腺癌的風險。

<!-- ### Mineralocorticoids -->
### 鹽皮質素 (Mineralocorticoids)

<!-- Mineralocorticoids play no role in transition, but they are worth mentioning because of one major hormone: [aldosterone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldosterone). -->
鹽皮質激素在轉變過程中不起作用，但由於一種主要的荷爾蒙：[醛固酮(aldosterone)](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%86%9B%E5%9B%BA%E9%85%AE)，它們值得一提。

<!-- Aldosterone is what instructs the kidneys to *stop* extracting water from the bloodstream. It is produced by the adrenal glands in order to regulate body hydration. Why is this significant? -->
醛固酮是指示腎臟*停止*從血液中提取水分的物質。它由腎上腺產生，以調節身體的水分。為什麼這很重要？

<!-- Because one drug that is very commonly used in trans hormone therapy is an extremely powerful aldosterone antagonist: spironolactone. Spiro binds to mineralocorticoid receptors more strongly than aldosterone does, but does not activate the receptor. It just clogs it, preventing the kidneys from receiving the signal to stop extracting water. -->
因為一種在跨性別荷爾蒙治療中非常常用的藥物是一種極其強大的醛固酮拮抗劑：螺環固醇內酮(spironolactone)。螺環固醇內酮與鹽皮質素受體的結合力比醛固酮更強，但不會激活受體。它只是堵塞受體，阻止腎臟接收停止提取水分的信號。

<!-- This is why spiro makes people pee so much. -->
這就是為什麼螺環固醇內酮(spiro)會讓人這麼容易頻尿的原因。