es·tro·gen
Function: noun
Any of several steroid hormones produced chiefly by the ovaries and responsible for promoting estrus and the development and maintenance of female secondary sex characteristics.
Estrogen isn't only a single hormone, but it's a group of hormones. There are three major forms of estrogen including estradiol, estrone, and estriol. Each are used for different functions and are used in different times in a women's life. These hormones are mainly produced in the ovaries, but some are also produced in the adrenal glands.
Estrogens are located everywhere in your body and they affect a number of different functions in your body, from your heart beats to the way your skin feels.
The most active of the estrogens is estradiol. It plays a large part in your menstrual cycles, and while you are going through those monthly cycles it is the hormone doing most of the work. It is the most commonly mentioned hormone linked to estrogen.
In postmenopausal women, estrone is the one that is found in the highest amounts during these times. Your body mainly receives this hormone through the storage of it in body fat. Estrone is considered to do the same amount of work as estradiol, but is weaker in its effects.
In pregnant women, estriol is produced in the largest amount during this time. It is the weakest of the estrogens, and small amounts are still found in women that are not pregnant.
Estrogens are the most powerful hormones in the aging process of women. Researchers have recently discovered how powerful of an antioxidant it really is in protecting the body. Free radicals can attack and damage healthy cells in the women's body, and estrogen, an antioxidant, are what help to prevent this from happening.
Because it has been found that estrogen is such a powerful antioxidant, it helps protect the body in many ways. It helps to protect the linings of the arteries related to the heart which helps keep them healthy so blood can continue to flow through them. In younger women, estrogen is much more helpful to the body, and new research is beginning to prove that as a woman gets older and reaches menopause, estrogen and the other hormones relating to it may be more of a hazard than a help. This is where the bio-identical hormone replacement therapy is becoming more helpful in making this transition easier. In younger women researchers knew that estrogen helped to maintain healthy blood vessels for easier blood flow, but further research then showed that in older women, it could have the adverse effect, and constrict the blood vessels. The dosage and amount of estrogen in the woman's body can make a huge impact. The more estrogen in the body used as an antioxidant the better, but as with anything, too much can be extremely harmful. Estrogen and progesterone are two of the primary female sex hormones that need to remain in balance to allow women to comfortably go through the monthly cycles of menstruation. During the menstruation cycle, estrogen stimulates tissue growth in the uterus, and when not fertilized, progesterone off-sets this by breaking down the unused tissue allowing the process to begin again in the next cycle.
Estrogen is not to blame; rather the aging process is the main factor. Estrogen dominance comes into play when the progesterone levels are too low and PMS symptoms are highly noticed. Dr. John Lee claimed that estrogen dominance is actually the reason for menopausal symptoms. He suggests that the solution would be progesterone supplements would offset and equalize the high levels of estrogen, especially in younger women. This would prevent early pre-menopausal symptoms in young women. The use of bio-identical hormones in this case would be a good solution to help with this problem and the ease into a more natural and comfortable changes into an older woman.
Dr. Lee also discovered that when estrogen levels are too high in relation to progesterone levels, women may experience severe symptoms such as anxiety, breast tenderness, cyclical headaches or migraines, depression, digestive issues, fuzzy thinking, palpitations, food cravings, irregular bleeding, water retention, weight gain and more.
The hopes now are that with hormone replacement therapy, some of these symptoms can be controlled and minimized, allowing a much easier transition through a women's natural course of life.
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text provided by Megan
Bioidentical Expert:
Menses is a Latin word that means month (it has nothing to do with men!) and refers to a woman’s monthly blood flow. All menstruating women are linked to this hormonal cycle that waxes and wanes about every 28 days or so.
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