Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Estrogen - How It Effects Your Body

Among some of the most well known hormones in the human body is estrogen. Estrogen is commonly associated with women, but men also produce a small amount of estrogen as well. Often times, estrogen is referred to as if were a single hormone. However, the name actually refers to a group of three different hormones that work together to produce the effect attributable to 'estrogen.' These hormones are estrone, estradiol, and estriol.
All three are produced by the ovaries and, to some extent, by the adrenal glands. They are not present in the blood in the same amounts and do not have the same degree of biological activity.
The exact ratio of each hormone varies, depending on the time of the menstrual cycle, but the level of estriol is usually eight to nine times higher than that of either estrone or estradiol. Of the three, estradiol is the most potent and potentially harmful. It is also primarily responsible for the 'estrogenic' effect on the body. Estriol has the weakest estrogenic effect and is considered 'protective' and anti-cancerogenic, which is probably the reason why it is present in such high quantities. The function of the estrone is not quite clear. It can serve as a precursor of estradiol and may have other functions as well.
The estrogen level is quite low before puberty, but it starts going up rapidly around age 11 to 13. For young females, this leads to the appearance and growth of breasts, pubic and underarm hair, and eventually the first menstrual period, which is also known as menarche. Ovaries continue to produce estrogen in increasing amounts, reaching a peak about the age of 25 to 30. After age 30 to 35, the production of estrogen gradually slows down, eventually becoming too low to sustain continued menstrual cycles. This is known as menopause.
The effect of estrogen is not limited to just reproductive organs. Practically every cell of the body has estrogen receptors, from brain cells to muscle cells. That is why abnormal changes in estrogen production or imbalance with other hormones can lead to great changes in the body.
It may be easier to understand some of the effects of estrogen if you keep in mind the main purpose of estrogen, which is to prepare the body for pregnancy. Some of the effects of estrogen include thickening of the lining of the uterus (endometrium) to prepare it for pregnancy, stimulating breast tissue growth in preparation for making milk, and reducing the activity of thyroid hormone to reduce fat burning and conserve calories and nutrients to help the fetus grow. Two unfortunate effects of estrogen for the woman, but a benefit to the fetus, is the increased fat production and reduced overall metabolism. The estrogen also helps the body retain fluid and salt to assure sufficient liquid reserves in the body, which can make a woman feel heavy and bloated.
Estrogen is also responsible for keeping bones stronger by reducing the activity of bone-destroying cells (osteoclasts), reducing total cholesterol level and improving HDL ('good' cholesterol), which reduces the risk of heart disease and strokes. This hormone is also responsible for relaxing the muscles of arteries, reducing blood pressure and the work load of the heart, growth of underarm and pubic hair, pigmentation of the nipples, and protection of brain cells from age-related deterioration.
This powerful group of hormones can be a great help to the woman's body throughout her growing and child-bearing years. The body functions at optimum performance when estrogen is present in the right amount. Without too little or too much of it, the body is susceptible to harm or injury.

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