As women, we innately know when our hormones are in harmony. We feel radiant, confident and energetic. Tasks, whether it’s a difficult conversation with a loved one or a seemingly-unmanageable workload, can feel like a breeze, while our emotions feel steady—even downright bright and buoyant.
Thank estrogen for this high. The sex hormone has an enormous influence on everything from the luster of your hair to the strength of your libido. Dr. Mithcell Creinin calls it “the mother of all hormones.” Others refer it to as “the magic bullet.” I call it the “Feminine Hormone”—and one of the keys to overall vitality.
And yet, few know the intricacies of estrogen and the power it holds over our lives.
With this in mind, I’ve put together this guide on understanding estrogen from the inside out, and what you can do to ensure you maintain optimal levels for a vibrant, brilliant life.
What is estrogen? The brass tacks
Fame aside, estrogen is a crucial hormone that’s generated by both men and women.
In females, it’s primarily produced in the ovaries, but it’s also secreted in the adrenal glands, adipose tissue (or fat cells), and the brain.
What’s more? Estrogen receptors are scattered throughout the entirety of your body. This underscores its importance in regulating a host of mental, physical, psychological, and sexual functions (more on this in a minute).
All told, there are three major forms of estrogen, and each plays a vital role in how you move, feel, think, and age:
- Estrone (E1): Estrone is dominant in post menopausal women. It is considered a “less friendly” estrogen because it can more easily convert into “unfriendly” estrogens that could promote DNA damage that could lead to cancer. It is slightly weaker than estradiol (another form of estrogen), the primary estrogen in young women. It’s also one of two types of estrogen produced in men.
- Estradiol (E2): Consider estradiol the queen of estrogen. Not only is it the strongest estrogen, it is the most robust and prevalent estrogen in the body. It’s also the “trigger” that ignites puberty and governs breast development and the onset of your period. Coupled with progesterone—what I refer to as your “age-defying hormone”—it has a hand in controlling your menstrual cycle, fortifying your uterine lining, and developing eggs during ovulation.
- Estriol (E3): This form of estrogen is the dominant estrogen that supports the vulva and vagina, and is the primary estrogen in pregnancy. It is a much weaker estrogen than estrone and estradiol. During pregnancy, it’s chiefly made in the placenta, and helps prep a woman’s body for labor and breastfeeding.
Together, these estrogens work tirelessly behind the scenes to manage a handful of biological functions—a topic we’ll turn to next.
What does estrogen do?
The question is, what does estrogen not do?
When you have a healthy level of estrogen, it’s easily one of your strongest allies in life. Let’s take a closer look:
Mental health and cognitive function
The link between balanced estrogen and your psychological well-being is, in a word, inextricable.
Estrogen enriches the synthesis of serotonin, an important neurotransmitter that has an enormous impact on your mood and emotional wellness. Indeed, when your estrogen levels are at their peak during your mid-follicular phase, you may feel estrogen’s most wonderful “side effects:” Increased energy, sharper thoughts, reduced anxiety, and even clearer, more luminous skin. On the flipside, when estrogen takes a nosedive—like right before your period starts, or at menopause—you may feel grumpy, irritable, or blue.
Why?
Estrogen stimulates the expression of tryptophan hydroxylase, the enzyme required for serotonin production. Further, estrogen influences the sensitivity and density of serotonin receptors. At the same time, serotonin also affects estrogen production and contributes to the timing of your menstrual cycle.
Additionally, the serotonin-estrogen connection directly impacts your cognitive health. It does so by exerting its influence on the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex—two imperative parts of the mind that pilot decision-making, attention regulation, and behavior (among other matters). Whether you’re generating an abundance or a scarcity of estrogen, the hormone impacts your memory, capacity to concentrate and ability to learn.
In sum, hormone equilibrium—which is contingent upon optimal estrogen levels—can lead to a sunnier outlook and a more nimble mind.
Vaginal health
Estrogen also plays a starring role in vaginal health by:
- Affecting the health and flexibility of vaginal tissues (your inner and outer labia, clitoris, and urethra)
- Promoting lubrication—and the more pleasurable sex that may arrive with it
- Thickening the walls of your vagina
- Offering protection against vaginal infections prompted by bacteria or yeast, in part by helping you preserve beneficial acidity (pH) levels
As you might imagine, when estrogen begins to plunge during perimenopause and beyond, you may notice it “down under” more than anywhere else, with symptoms ranging from thinning, weakening tissue to painful intercourse.
Skin and hair health
Estrogen also contributes to your skin’s suppleness and elasticity, as well as the pliability and thickness of your hair. How so? By enriching the production of elastin and collagen—fundamental proteins that dictate the strength and resilience of your skin and hair.
What’s more, estrogen naturally encourages bone health, provides support against urinary tract infections and magnifies breast sensitivity.
Sounds great. So, what does balanced estrogen look like?
Ideal estrogen levels manifest in the qualities expressed throughout this article. You may feel joyful and steady-minded, just as you may experience greater clarity and an uptick in energy.
When estrogen plummets—which can happen for a myriad of reasons, but is largely due to the inevitable hormonal fluctuations that occur throughout a woman’s life—you may encounter the following woes:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Sleep disturbances (such as insomnia)
- A low sex drive
- Memory complications
- Vaginal dryness
- Vasomotor symptoms, like hot flashes and night sweats
An excess of estrogen (or what’s known as “estrogen dominance”) can provoke equally-uncomfortable symptoms, including:
- Exasperation
- Anger
- Crankiness
- Mood swings
- Bloating
- Unintentional (and often easy) weight gain
- Fatigue
- Intensified PMS symptoms
- Uterine and breast fibroids
If any of these resonate, it’s important to get a comprehensive hormone test to assess your estrogen level as well your levels of progesterone, DHEA-s, testosterone and cortisol. Testing will give you a clear picture of where you stand on the hormonal scale—and shape the actions you can take to achieve balance.
What affects estrogen levels?
In addition to the most well-known culprits for off-kilter estrogen levels—that would be PMS and menopause—the mother of all hormones may get off track because of:
- Obesity
- Eating disorders (and nutritional deficiencies)
- Excessive exercise
- Ovarian failure
- Radiation therapy
- Autoimmune diseases
- Genetic conditions
- Premature menopause
- Birth control
- Chronic stress
- Liver complications
- Alcohol
- Synthetic xenoestrogens (namely, BPA and phthalates)
How to balance estrogen levels naturally
Luckily, there are dozens of ways to nail the right amount of estrogen, no matter if you’re in the throes of perimenopause or going through a stressful experience. Consider, then, adopting the following:
1. Reset your gut microbiome
The gut microbiome—or the complex ecosystem of microbes in your intestines—has received plenty of ink in recent years, primarily because a mounting body of research has revealed its position as the body’s “second brain.”
Other research points to the intimate connection between the gut microbiome and circulating estrogen levels. In fact, an imbalance in the gut microbiota (what’s known as dysbiosis), can profoundly affect estrogen homeostasis. In turn, you may face a series of health issues. Metabolic syndrome, reproductive complications, bone health and obesity are just a few.
To that end, consider concentrating on strengthening your gut microbiome. This entails:
- Revamping your diet to ensure it’s packed with a diversity of nutrient-rich food, particularly organic fruits and vegetables.
- Including more probiotic eats in your diet, such as kimchee, sauerkraut, yogurt, tempeh and miso, which will help “good” intestinal bacteria flourish.
- Curbing your intake of liver-damaging substances, including alcohol, refined sugar, and high-fructose corn syrup. Why? Your liver is partially in charge of keeping your gut microbiome (and your estrogen metabolism) in tiptop shape.
2. Strive to maintain your ideal weight
As discussed, your weight holds sway over estrogen secretion. Shifts in estrogen levels, for one, can impact both weight changes and water retention. At the same time, holding on to excess pounds—or weighing too little—can impact estrogen synthesis.
In light of this, reaching and sustaining the ideal weight for your particular build is paramount. This can be accomplished through filling your plate with nutritious eats (see a theme here?), obtaining just the right amount of exercise for your goals and prioritizing quality, restorative sleep.
More specifically:
- If your estrogen levels tip towards the higher side, shoot to boost your consumption of cruciferous vegetables, such as cauliflower, cabbage, kale, and broccoli. These veggies abound with indole-3-carbinol, a compound that helps regulate estrogen metabolism.
- If you have diminished estrogen, on the other hand, aim to ingest foods and drinks that contain phytoestrogens (substances that mimic estrogen in the body). These include edamame, flaxseeds, black cohosh tea, dried fruits, and sesame seeds.
3. Supplement with care
You might also want to turn your attention to augmenting your health-centered lifestyle with vitamins, minerals and supplements.
Chaste tree berry, for one, organically supports women’s health. Red clover—a superstar herb long used in traditional medicine—naturally promotes reproductive health (as well as women’s health during menopause). And don’t forget to “bone up” on vitamin D: The sunshine vitamin has been shown to support the biosynthesis of estrogen.†
4. Drive away stress
From hitting a traffic jam minutes before an important meeting to dealing with a breakup, stress is, alas, an inescapable part of life.
How you respond to stress, however, is critical to your hormonal health. In the absence of healthy coping strategies, you may precipitate an increase in the production of cortisol, a stress hormone that, in excess, can disrupt estrogen production. From vigorous exercise to yoga, meditation, nature walks and an evening out with your closest friends—all can temper your stress levels and contribute to what your brain and body desires: Greater hormonal harmony.
†These statements have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.
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