What Is Estrogen? | HealthInfi

Overview

Estrogen is probably the most widely known and discussed of all hormones. The term “estrogen” actually refers to any of a group of chemically similar hormones; estrogenic hormones are sometimes mistakenly referred to as exclusively female hormones when in fact both men and women produce them. However, the role estrogen plays in men is not entirely clear.

To understand the roles estrogens play in women, it is important to understand something about hormones in general. Hormones are vital chemical substances in humans and animals. Often referred to as “chemical messengers,” hormones carry information and instructions from one group of cells to another. In the human body, hormones influence almost every cell, organ and function. They regulate our growth, development, metabolism, tissue function, sexual function, reproduction, the way our bodies use food, the reaction of our bodies to emergencies and even our moods.

Estrogens are hormones that are important for sexual and reproductive development, mainly in women. They are also referred to as female sex hormones. The term “estrogen” refers to all of the chemically similar hormones in this group, which are estrone, estradiol (primary in women of reproductive age) and estriol.

Estrogen’s function

In women, estrogen is produced mainly in the ovaries. Ovaries are grape-sized glands located by the uterus and are part of the endocrine system. Estrogen is also produced by fat cells and the adrenal gland. At the onset of puberty, estrogen plays a role in the development of so-called female secondary sex characteristics, such as breasts, wider hips, pubic hair and armpit hair.

Estrogen also helps regulate the menstrual cycle, controlling the growth of the uterine lining during the first part of the cycle. If the woman’s egg is not fertilized, estrogen levels decrease sharply and menstruation begins. If the egg is fertilized, estrogen works with progesterone, another hormone, to stop ovulation during pregnancy. During pregnancy, the placenta produces estrogen, specifically the hormone estriol. Estrogen controls lactation and other changes in the breasts, including at adolescence and during pregnancy.

Estrogen is instrumental in bone formation, working with vitamin D, calcium and other hormones to effectively break down and rebuild bones according to the body’s natural processes. As estrogen levels start to decline in middle age, the process of rebuilding bones slows, with postmenopausal women eventually breaking down more bone than they produce. This is why postmenopausal women are four times more likely to suffer from osteoporosis than men, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Estrogen also plays a role in blood clotting, maintaining the strength and thickness of the vaginal wall and the urethral lining, vaginal lubrication and a host of other bodily functions. It even affects skin, hair, mucous membranes and the pelvic muscles, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. For example, estrogen can make the skin darker. Some researchers hope to use this information to create safe fake tanning lotions by activating the skin darkening reaction in estrogen, without triggering other changes in the body due to the hormone.

“If you expose melanocytes to estrogen, they respond by making more melanin, but they don’t have the classic estrogen receptor,” Dr. Todd Ridky, senior author of a 2016 study on estrogen and skin color and an assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania. The hormone also affects the brain, and studies also show that chronically low estrogen levels are linked with a reduced mood, according to the National Library of Medicine.

Men produce estrogen as well, but at lower levels than women. Estrogen in males is secreted by the adrenal glands and by the testes. In men, estrogen is thought to affect sperm count. Overweight men are more commonly affected by low sperm count due to estrogen because there is more adipose tissue in the obese, which can set off the creation of excess estrogen, according to a 2010 paper published in the Asian Journal of Andrology.  In 2011, researchers at American University in Washington, D.C., found a link between estrogen and the ability to control excessive inflammation in the brain. This research is hoped to help those with neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.

Estrogen can also help with ovarian cysts. “Most of the time nothing needs to be done to treat or prevent functional cysts,” said Dr. Antonella Lavelanet, an obstetrician at Boston Medical Center. “However, for women who are prone to ovarian cysts, an estrogen-containing birth control may help reduce the risk of developing certain types of functional cysts, in particular cysts that occur after ovulation. Oral contraception pills and the patch or ring, which have similar mechanisms of action, can help suppress ovulation.”Read More