Estrogen is a powerful hormone and a lack of it can cause many problems. It is one of our sex hormones, along with progesterone and testosterone. Estrogen is actually comprised of three parts: estradiol, estriol and estrone.
You may think of estrogen as just a female hormone, but it is actually also present in males, just as we have some testosterone in our bodies. While we have high levels of estrogen and low levels of testosterone, men have just the opposite.
Estrogen must always be balanced with progesterone. And it is not a “one size fits all” situation. Every woman has different needs and your needs will be different from all the other women you know.
When a woman is in perimenopause, her estrogen fluctuates. One day it is sky high and the next day it drops drastically. This is when women are at their greatest risk for cancer.
Our bodies have plenty of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone in our reproductive years. Once your hormone levels start to decline, you will need to replace your estrogen and progesterone in the amounts that you need, which can be determined by a blood test.
Some of the symptoms of estrogen deficiency are unexplained weight gain, bloating, itching, sweating and hot flashes, bladder infections, depression and fatigue and heart palpitations.
Estrogen is one of our sex hormones and when it is deficient it affects our libido. When estrogen is put back into a womans body in the proper balance it helps restore her sexual feelings.
For many years the only options available to women were to use synthetic hormones prescribed to her by her physician. These have now been shown to have serious side effects. They are not the optimum treatment for declining estrogen levels.
Bioidentical hormone replacement (BHRT) can easily rectify the effects of hormonal decline. A qualified doctor who specializes in BHRT can work with you to find what your needs are and to help you feel great again.
Estrogen is actually a collective term that refers to three main hormones: estradiol, estrone, and estriol. Estradiol is the most potent estrogen and is reversibly converted to estrone; both estradiol and estrone can be irreversibly converted to estriol.
Ideal estrogen levels play a very important role in heart health by dilating blood vessels and increasing HDL (good) cholesterol. Estrogen also builds and preserves bone in women and men. Skin elasticity, thickness, and moisture are maintained by estrogen—this is the reason declining estrogen production in women can lead to dry or sagging skin and wrinkles. Adequate estrogen also ensures healthy vaginal pH to prevent infections, and normal lubrication to inhibit vaginal dryness.
One of the most crucial roles estrogen plays is in the health of your brain. Estrogen helps regenerate and preserve brain cells, and may prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s.
For additional information about Estrogen and bioidentical hormones, as well as ways to slow the aging process, visit my website at
http://www.hormonesynergy.com
or purchase copy of my new book, HormoneSynergy, Optimal Aging and Hormone Balance at
http://www.hormonesynergy.com/ProductCart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=93