Estrogen is crucial for maintaining the reproductive health of women. It is also partially responsible for the development of secondary sex characteristics (hips, breast, etc.) as well as menstruation, menopause, and pregnancy.
Where Is Estrogen Produced?
Most of the female body's estrogen is produced by the ovaries during reproductive years. Aside from the ovaries, the adipose tissue and adrenal glands also secrete estrogen. During pregnancy, the placenta also produced estrogen.
When released, estrogen flows through the bloodstream until it arrives as the body part that requires an action spur. In this area, estrogen then binds with a specific protein, known as an estrogen receptor, that enables the facilitation of the process. The body contains estrogen receptors all over it.
The Role of Estrogen
Like other hormones, estrogen serves as a chemical messenger that tells the body when to begin and stop specific processes related to reproductive and sexual health. These processes lead to significant bodily changes.
It is also normal for estrogen levels to fluctuate over time.
During puberty, estrogen levels go up. This leads to the development of secondary sex characteristics and affects body composition.
Estrogen also plays a crucial part in the menstrual cycle of women. Along with brain produced hormones LH and FSH, estrogen aids in maintaining balance necessary for keeping periods regular. The hormone also has a role to play in ovulation. It also thickens the uterine lining in preparation for pregnancy.
Levels of estrogen are at their highest during the days that lead up to ovulation. This is when women are most fertile. Simultaneously, estrogen also makes the cervical mucus thinner. This cervical mucus is the fluid that sperm cells need to swim through in order to reach an egg and fertilize it. Because of these estrogen-induced bodily changes, it becomes easier for a woman to get pregnant during this fertile period.
These levels plummet in perimenopause, which is the period that happens right before menopause hits. Perimenopause lasts a couple of years. The start of menopause typically happens when a woman does not have a period for a full 12 months, usually around the age of 51.
During menopause, estrogen levels go down and ovulation stops. The estrogen decrease may result in certain symptoms, including mood changes, vagina dryness, hot flashes, and night sweats. The body's primary estrogen also changes during menopause, converting into estrone (E1) from estradiol (E2).
Estrogen also plays non-reproductive roles. Levels affect blood glucose, cholesterol, muscle and bone mass, blood flow and circulation, skin moisture, collage production, and even brain function.
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