A hormone is a chemical substance secreted by one tissue and travels by way of body fluids to affect another tissue in the body. Hence, it plays the role of a “chemical messenger.”
The amount and levels of hormones change daily. The sex hormones, estrogen and testosterone are produced in different quantities for men and women, in short bursts of minutes or hourly basis. The amount can vary between night and day and especially in different stage of a woman’s menstrual cycle and that explains why they are more under the influence of their hormones.
Estrogens are a group of steroid compounds, functioning as the main female sex hormone. They are produced primarily by developing egg follicles in the ovaries and the placenta – ready for the reproductive process.
Physical characteristics displayed include breasts, a widened pelvis, high body fat in the buttock, thigh and hip region. Other features are less facial hair and smoother skin than men.
As for men, the testis has a dual function of producing sperm and the hormone, testosterone. Their estrogen levels are generally low but tend to increase whilst testosterone levels decrease with increasing age. This hormonal imbalance can lead to prostate problems and exhibition of some women’s physical attributes.
Basically estrogen works by binding to and activating estrogen receptors which in turn allows the expression of many genes. As such, it is frequently used as part of some oral contraceptives, in estrogen replacement therapy for post-menopausal women, and in hormone replacement therapy for trans women.
Why do estrogen levels fall?
There are many reasons why estrogen levels fall, including:
- Hypogonadism (sex glands produce little or no hormones)
- Hypopituitarism (pituitary glands produce little or no hormones)
- Pregnancy failure
- Surgical removal - decline can happen abruptly in younger women whose ovaries are removed, resulting in a surgical menopause
- Menopause – suffer uncomfortable symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, dryness or itching in the vagina, loss of libido, weak bones
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome – an endocrine condition that at time is seen in women of childbearing age who have difficulty getting pregnant
- Eating disorder – may experience a cessation of menstruation
- Extreme exercise or training – women with low body fat often do not produce sufficient amounts of sex hormones
- Women immediately after childbirth and also during breastfeeding
Why do estrogen levels rise?
+ During puberty, it is natural for estrogen levels to rise. This hormonal change results in developing breasts, better shape, fuller hips, pubic and underarm hair.
+ Estrogen levels rise during a healthy pregnancy
+ On the wrong side, high levels of estrogen are observed in women:
- who are obese
- with high blood pressure or diabetes
- with tumors of the ovaries, testes or adrenal glands.
- on drugs, such as steroid medications, ampicillin, estrogen-containing drugs, phenothiazines and tetracyclines
+ Isoflavones present in soy can cause a surge in estrogen known to protect cells against free radical oxidative damage. There are reported cases of young women who took high amount of soy products continuously for prolonged periods and developed cancer of the thyroid, breast and womb. However, for menopausal or postmenopausal women, soy is beneficial as it produces phytoestrogens which are good substitute for body’s own estrogen.
Points to note -
+ In cases of menstrual cycles being out of order, medical practitioners are fond of prescribing birth control pills. For some users, it can cause painful periods, weight-gain, depression, hot flashes, difficulty in movement etc.
+ On prolonged use, estrogen drug increases the risk of developing endometrial cancer (cancer of the uterus lining) or gallbladder disease that may need to be treated with surgery. To overcome this problem another medication – progestin is prescribed but can worsen the situation resulting in an increase in the risk of breast cancer, heart attack, stroke, blood clot in the lungs/legs and dementia. It is advisable to take estrogen only when necessary and go for the lowest dose that controls your symptoms.
Source: http://women.webmd.com/normal-testosterone-and-estrogen-levels-in-women
More comments
+ Study showed that an undernourished female body is linked to a deficit in estrogen metabolism and thus cannot neutralise the hormone completely, giving rise to abnormal cell growth. It has been discovered that indoles abundantly present in cruciferous vegetables (especially broccoli) activate certain protective enzymes to help in eliminating certain toxins such as ‘bad’ forms of the estrogen.
+ As liver breaks down estrogen and other hormones after they have performed their needed functions, keeping it healthy at all times is of paramount importance.
+ As compared to synthetic estrogens, the natural ones are safe and effective. They can be derived from plants like dong quai, fennel, fenugreek, ginseng, licorice, primrose oil, red clover and wild yam.
+ Estrogen receptor-positive (ER-positive) breast cancer is the most common type of breast cancer diagnosed today. According to the American Cancer Society, about 2 out of every 3 cases of breast cancer are hormone receptor-positive. Most of these cases are ER-positive, meaning that there are estrogen receptors on the surface of the cell that bind to estrogen.
By having ER-positive breast cancer, cancer cells grow in the presence of the hormone estrogen which occurs naturally in the body. Thus, drugs that interfere with estrogen’s ability to promote cancer cell growth can be used to treat ER-positive breast cancers.
VIVA corner
* Royal Jelly - revives the endocrine system and energises a weakened constitution
* Evening Primrose Oil – contains gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) that easily converts into prostaglandins which is helpful in supporting overall health
* Soy powder – protects cells against free radical damage and boosts levels of the body’s own antioxidants
* Wheat germ powder – alleviates problems like hot flushes, premature aging, breast tenderness
* Black cohosh root extract – helps relax muscles, relieves hot flashes, regulates menstrual flow, reduces fatigue, mood swings and night sweats
* Dong quai extract – relaxes uterine muscles, promotes calmness, strengthens reproductive system
* Vitamin B – increases energy, reduces irritability and calms PMS symptoms
* Raspberry leaf powder – relaxes and strengthens the uterus and normalises hormone levels
* Blueberry powder – strengthens collagen and supports neurological health
No comments:
Post a Comment
This is a blog created to provide and share information for the benefits of everyone into physical and spiritual health. Some information are extracted from unknown sources or the internet superhighways and edited for public viewing. If you happened to be the source provider and do not like such display, please write in and I will remove the materials as soon as possible. As I reiterate this is a free sharing blog, it is only meaningful if all engaging parties have access to the information presented in the most unbiased manner. Thus, please be more accomodating and participative if you wish. Sure you have more to gain than lose. Happy reading!
Administrator
Leonard