ANOTHER FACE OF HORMONAL IMBALANCE: ESTROGEN DISRUPTION AND DOMINANCE
The complex circuits of hormones in the human body are extremely important to the overall functioning of the individual systems, total health and wellbeing. As you well know, hormones are chemical substances that serve as communicators between cells and organs, and serve to help these interact in a healthy way. Usually, hormones have specific landing sites where they are to cause an effect. These landing sites are called receptors. The endocrine system studies hormones and as such it is the study of how the body is communicating within itself.
When thinking in an integrative way, you can consider the inner language you have with yourself, and how you treat yourself. You can also consider how you react to your environment, circumstances and other people including those that are closest to you such as your parents, siblings, and loved ones. It has been well described in the medical literature how hormones can affect your mood, and I know it is no surprise to think about pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) as a clear example of how hormones in women affect their mood. Yet, you can also think the other way around, how mood could ultimately have an effect on the person’s health. So you can consider hormones like an intricate symphony, where each instrument needs to have a key role in the overall collection of sounds that as a group if working in synchrony can be quite beautiful, and on the contrary, when one is off beat, the whole melody is ruined.
In this new series of blogs, I wish to discuss the importance of each hormone Estrogen, Progesterone and Testosterone individually and what happens when there are imbalances of such. So far I have discussed the excess of androgens, but more recently attention has been also driven to try to understand when a woman has excess estrogen, or not enough of progesterone.
ESTROGENS IN THE FEMALE BODY
Estrogen is produced in the ovaries, and to a much lesser extent in the adrenals. Estrogen receptors are everywhere. Estrogens regulate the menstrual cycle, promote cell division and are largely responsible for the development of secondary female characteristics during puberty, including the growth and development of the breast and pubic hair. Estrogen therefore affects all female sexual organs, including the ovaries, cervix, fallopian tubes, vagina, and breast, but it also has effects on other organs in the body. As a general rule, estrogens promote cell growth. They cause the growth of tissue in the lining of the uterus during the first part of the menstrual cycle and stimulate the maturation of the egg-containing follicle in the ovary. They soften the cervix and produce the right quality of vaginal secretions to lubricate during intercourse and allow the sperm to swim towards the egg.
Estrogens in our body are not actually a single hormone but several hormones working together. The three components of estrogen are: estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3). In addition, there are at least 24 other identified types of estrogen, and their metabolites being produced in the woman's body, and more are being discovered every day. Of the three main estrogens, 15 percent is estrone, 15 percent is estradiol, and 70 percent is estriol. In non-pregnant, pre-menopausal women, only 100-200 micrograms (mcg) of estrogen are secreted daily. However, during pregnancy, much more estrogen is secreted.
Estrogen exists in high quantities in the brain, breast, uterus, vagina, ovaries, bladder, gut, bones, muscles, heart, blood vessels, and lungs, just to name a few.
In pre-menopausal women some of the most noticeable functions of estrogen include:
1. Brain:
a. Aids in the formation of serotonin, which in turn decreases depression, irritability, anxiety and pain sensitivity
b. Regulates temperature at the hypothalamus
c. Aids in memory, enhances the production of nerve growth factors, helps fine motor skills, increases reasoning by increasing the number of connections between brain cells thus reducing the risk of demetia
2. Breasts:
a. Enhances the growth of breast tissue and proliferation
3. Uterus:
a. Grows the uterine lining
4. Vagina:
a. Maintains the tissues of the vagina moist, and the cells supple and nurtured
b. Decreases the pH of the vagina, and promotes the growth of healthy bacteria (Lactobacillus)
5. Ovaries:
a. Estrogens serve as a feedback loop to maintain rhythm with egg maturation and ovulation
6. Bladder:
a. Estrogen helps bladder tone, and reduce inflammation and irritation and reduces the risk of an overactive bladder
7. Gut:
a. Estrogen balance is necessary for the proper gut motility, secretion of gastric acid, gallbladder function, secretion of digestive enzymes, and the proper balance between good and bad bacteria
8. Bones:
a. Estrogen stimulates the formation of new bone, helps bone density
9. Muscles:
a. Estrogen helps muscle relaxation and recovery time after exercise, and stimulates muscle repair and reduces inflammation and improves insulin sensitivity
10. Heart:
a. Estrogen reduces homocysteine a risk factor for heart disease, and reduces overall risk of heart disease by having a protective effect on the heart
b. Estrogen has an effect on cholesterol:
c. Estrogen reduces bad cholesterol (LDL) and lipoprotein A (risk factor for heart disease) and increases the good cholesterol (HDL)
11. Blood Vessels:
a. Estrogen reduces vascular tone, and blood pressure, inhibits the growth of smooth muscle, keeps arteries open, decreases accumulation of plaque that may occlude blood vessels, helps maintain elasticity of the blood vessels, increases blood flow
12. Lungs:
a. Estrogen helps keep airways open and reduce inflammation and asthma risk
13. Metabolism:
a. Estrogen can cause salt and water retention, promote loss of zinc and retention of copper, improves insulin sensitivity
14. Skin:
a. Increases water content in skin, maintains amount of collagen
15. Eyes:
a. Reduces the risk of cataracts, and macular degeneration
When estrogen gets imbalanced and there is excess estrogen there are many problems that may occur. So, it is not really about a value, but about BALANCE. Too much estrogen, unbalanced with not enough progesterone can be a problem in women’s health. In my next blog I will discuss the effects of progesterone.
In today’s health environment, physicians are seeing a significant increase in female-related illnesses. This comes as no surprise if you do some simple math. The age at which women are reaching puberty is younger and younger. Having the first period at age 10 is now considered normal. Approximately 100 years ago, the average woman started her menses at age 16. There were more pregnancies, and there was more time spent breastfeeding. Today, women start menstruating sooner, therefore increasing the total number of periods a woman can have twofold. Breastfeeding has decreased and the average pregnancy rate per woman is less than 2. This total hormonal effect has its toll on fertility, cancer, fibroids and uterine health, anemia, migraines, mood problems, gut problems, and endometriosis to name a few. Endometriosis is now a disabling disease that affects 10% of women of child bearing age. Premenstrual syndrome is rising and affects nearly 30% of women. Uterine fibroids and fibrocystic breast disease can affect close to 25% of women between the ages of 35 and 50, and last but not least Breast Cancer affects nearly 10% of women and the age at which it is being diagnosed is younger not older.
What is the problem?
HORMONAL IMBALANCE AND HORMONE DISRUPTION.
Stay tuned for our next blog on Estrogen Dominance….
Margarita Ochoa-Maya, MD
www.AdvancedHealthNH.com
www.FreedomToHeal.org
The complex circuits of hormones in the human body are extremely important to the overall functioning of the individual systems, total health and wellbeing. As you well know, hormones are chemical substances that serve as communicators between cells and organs, and serve to help these interact in a healthy way. Usually, hormones have specific landing sites where they are to cause an effect. These landing sites are called receptors. The endocrine system studies hormones and as such it is the study of how the body is communicating within itself.
When thinking in an integrative way, you can consider the inner language you have with yourself, and how you treat yourself. You can also consider how you react to your environment, circumstances and other people including those that are closest to you such as your parents, siblings, and loved ones. It has been well described in the medical literature how hormones can affect your mood, and I know it is no surprise to think about pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) as a clear example of how hormones in women affect their mood. Yet, you can also think the other way around, how mood could ultimately have an effect on the person’s health. So you can consider hormones like an intricate symphony, where each instrument needs to have a key role in the overall collection of sounds that as a group if working in synchrony can be quite beautiful, and on the contrary, when one is off beat, the whole melody is ruined.
In this new series of blogs, I wish to discuss the importance of each hormone Estrogen, Progesterone and Testosterone individually and what happens when there are imbalances of such. So far I have discussed the excess of androgens, but more recently attention has been also driven to try to understand when a woman has excess estrogen, or not enough of progesterone.
ESTROGENS IN THE FEMALE BODY
Estrogen is produced in the ovaries, and to a much lesser extent in the adrenals. Estrogen receptors are everywhere. Estrogens regulate the menstrual cycle, promote cell division and are largely responsible for the development of secondary female characteristics during puberty, including the growth and development of the breast and pubic hair. Estrogen therefore affects all female sexual organs, including the ovaries, cervix, fallopian tubes, vagina, and breast, but it also has effects on other organs in the body. As a general rule, estrogens promote cell growth. They cause the growth of tissue in the lining of the uterus during the first part of the menstrual cycle and stimulate the maturation of the egg-containing follicle in the ovary. They soften the cervix and produce the right quality of vaginal secretions to lubricate during intercourse and allow the sperm to swim towards the egg.
Estrogens in our body are not actually a single hormone but several hormones working together. The three components of estrogen are: estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3). In addition, there are at least 24 other identified types of estrogen, and their metabolites being produced in the woman's body, and more are being discovered every day. Of the three main estrogens, 15 percent is estrone, 15 percent is estradiol, and 70 percent is estriol. In non-pregnant, pre-menopausal women, only 100-200 micrograms (mcg) of estrogen are secreted daily. However, during pregnancy, much more estrogen is secreted.
Estrogen exists in high quantities in the brain, breast, uterus, vagina, ovaries, bladder, gut, bones, muscles, heart, blood vessels, and lungs, just to name a few.
In pre-menopausal women some of the most noticeable functions of estrogen include:
1. Brain:
a. Aids in the formation of serotonin, which in turn decreases depression, irritability, anxiety and pain sensitivity
b. Regulates temperature at the hypothalamus
c. Aids in memory, enhances the production of nerve growth factors, helps fine motor skills, increases reasoning by increasing the number of connections between brain cells thus reducing the risk of demetia
2. Breasts:
a. Enhances the growth of breast tissue and proliferation
3. Uterus:
a. Grows the uterine lining
4. Vagina:
a. Maintains the tissues of the vagina moist, and the cells supple and nurtured
b. Decreases the pH of the vagina, and promotes the growth of healthy bacteria (Lactobacillus)
5. Ovaries:
a. Estrogens serve as a feedback loop to maintain rhythm with egg maturation and ovulation
6. Bladder:
a. Estrogen helps bladder tone, and reduce inflammation and irritation and reduces the risk of an overactive bladder
7. Gut:
a. Estrogen balance is necessary for the proper gut motility, secretion of gastric acid, gallbladder function, secretion of digestive enzymes, and the proper balance between good and bad bacteria
8. Bones:
a. Estrogen stimulates the formation of new bone, helps bone density
9. Muscles:
a. Estrogen helps muscle relaxation and recovery time after exercise, and stimulates muscle repair and reduces inflammation and improves insulin sensitivity
10. Heart:
a. Estrogen reduces homocysteine a risk factor for heart disease, and reduces overall risk of heart disease by having a protective effect on the heart
b. Estrogen has an effect on cholesterol:
c. Estrogen reduces bad cholesterol (LDL) and lipoprotein A (risk factor for heart disease) and increases the good cholesterol (HDL)
11. Blood Vessels:
a. Estrogen reduces vascular tone, and blood pressure, inhibits the growth of smooth muscle, keeps arteries open, decreases accumulation of plaque that may occlude blood vessels, helps maintain elasticity of the blood vessels, increases blood flow
12. Lungs:
a. Estrogen helps keep airways open and reduce inflammation and asthma risk
13. Metabolism:
a. Estrogen can cause salt and water retention, promote loss of zinc and retention of copper, improves insulin sensitivity
14. Skin:
a. Increases water content in skin, maintains amount of collagen
15. Eyes:
a. Reduces the risk of cataracts, and macular degeneration
When estrogen gets imbalanced and there is excess estrogen there are many problems that may occur. So, it is not really about a value, but about BALANCE. Too much estrogen, unbalanced with not enough progesterone can be a problem in women’s health. In my next blog I will discuss the effects of progesterone.
In today’s health environment, physicians are seeing a significant increase in female-related illnesses. This comes as no surprise if you do some simple math. The age at which women are reaching puberty is younger and younger. Having the first period at age 10 is now considered normal. Approximately 100 years ago, the average woman started her menses at age 16. There were more pregnancies, and there was more time spent breastfeeding. Today, women start menstruating sooner, therefore increasing the total number of periods a woman can have twofold. Breastfeeding has decreased and the average pregnancy rate per woman is less than 2. This total hormonal effect has its toll on fertility, cancer, fibroids and uterine health, anemia, migraines, mood problems, gut problems, and endometriosis to name a few. Endometriosis is now a disabling disease that affects 10% of women of child bearing age. Premenstrual syndrome is rising and affects nearly 30% of women. Uterine fibroids and fibrocystic breast disease can affect close to 25% of women between the ages of 35 and 50, and last but not least Breast Cancer affects nearly 10% of women and the age at which it is being diagnosed is younger not older.
What is the problem?
HORMONAL IMBALANCE AND HORMONE DISRUPTION.
Stay tuned for our next blog on Estrogen Dominance….
Margarita Ochoa-Maya, MD
www.AdvancedHealthNH.com
www.FreedomToHeal.org
No comments:
Post a Comment