What Is Estrogen Therapy
Estrogen therapy, also known as hormone replacement therapy, is a treatment for alleviating the symptoms caused by menopausal transition . Menopause is when a woman has no periods for one year.
Estrogen therapy is also used for protecting menopausal women against potential diseases that low estrogen levels may cause.
Estrogen therapy is most beneficial for women under 60 years of age or when started early in menopause, within 10 years from menopause. Hormone therapy is unsuitable for breast cancer survivors. For women with an intact uterus, estrogen is usually combined with a progestogen hormone to reduce the risk of uterine cancer.
The Function Of Estrogen
Estrogen is the hormone that is primarily responsible for the sexual development in girls as they reach puberty age. Other functions of estrogen include:
- initiates changes in breast tissue during adolescence and pregnancy
- helps to regulate menstrual cycles
- regulates bodyweight by helping to control metabolism involved in the development and growth of healthy bone tissue
- may play a role in promoting healthy cardiovascular activity, according to the American Heart Association
What Are The Types Of Hormone Therapy
There are two main types of hormone therapy :
- Estrogen Therapy: Estrogen is taken alone. Doctors most often prescribe a low dose of estrogen to be taken as a pill or patch every day. Estrogen may also be prescribed as a cream, vaginal ring, gel or spray. You should take the lowest dose of estrogen needed to relieve menopause symptoms and/or to prevent osteoporosis.
- Estrogen Progesterone/Progestin Hormone Therapy : Also called combination therapy, this form of HT combines doses of estrogen and progesterone .
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Low Estrogen Levels And Weight Gain: Is There A Connection
Sex hormones, such as estrogen, influence the amount of fat in the body. Estrogen regulates glucose and lipid metabolism. If your estrogen levels are low, it can result in weight gain.
Research suggests that this may be why women approaching menopause are likely to become overweight. Being overweight can increase your risk for obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
If your estrogen levels are low and its affecting your weight, speak with your doctor. They can assess your symptoms and advise you on next steps. Its always a good idea to try to eat a balanced diet and exercise as often as possible. Talk with your doctor about developing a diet and exercise plan thats right for you.
Why You Need Estrogen

Estrogens main function is to control reproductive changes in women, but it serves other roles in both male and female bodies, including:
Each of these phytoestrogens has antioxidant properties. This means that in addition to the nutrients potential health benefits, they fight cell damage in our bodies linked to a wide range of chronic diseases.
The best dietary sources of phytoestrogens include:
1. Flaxseeds
Flaxseeds are the richest dietary source of lignans . Researchers believe they lower breast cancer risk. You can sprinkle flaxseeds on many dishes, bake them into bread and cookies, or blend them into smoothies and spreads.
2. Soy
Soy contains high levels of isoflavones, phytoestrogens that may mimic estrogens effects and reduce the risk of both breast and prostate cancer. Soy is also rich in a range of essential vitamins and minerals. It can support heart health as an alternative to red and processed meats. Its also extremely versatile you can include soy in your diet with foods like tofu, tempeh, edamame, and soymilk.
3. Peaches
Because of their high lignan content, studies show that eating two servings of peaches or nectarines a week reduces a womans breast cancer risk. Researchers find similar effects from consuming blueberries and strawberries.
4. Garlic
5. Red Wine
6. Sesame Seeds
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Buyer Beware: Unproven Nonscientific Treatments For Hot Flashes
You may have heard about black cohosh, DHEA, or soy isoflavones from friends who are using them to try to treat their hot flashes. These products are not proven to be effective, and some carry risks like liver damage.
Phytoestrogens are estrogen-like substances found in some cereals, vegetables, and legumes , and herbs. They might work in the body like a weak form of estrogen, but they have not been consistently shown to be effective in research studies, and their long-term safety is unclear.
At this time, it is unknown whether herbs or other “natural” products are helpful or safe. The benefits and risks are still being studied. Always talk with your doctor before taking any herb or supplement to treat your hot flashes or other menopausal symptoms.
Reduce Hot Flashes And Night Sweats
Low levels of estrogen in your body can cause hot flashes, a sudden intense flushed feeling accompanied by sweating, dizziness, nausea or weakness. These can occur during the day or night and disturb quality of sleep. Increased fatigue contributes to feelings of irritability and mood swings. According to a study published in the June 2010 issue of Menopause International, hormone replacement therapy is an effective treatment for hot flushes in 80 percent of cases 2. Non-hormonal treatments are available, but they do not provide the same degree of relief that estrogen does. Fears concerning elevated cancer risks associated with HRT, and the fact that not enough is known about the exact causes of hot flushes, limits development of additional alternative treatments.
- Low levels of estrogen in your body can cause hot flashes, a sudden intense flushed feeling accompanied by sweating, dizziness, nausea or weakness.
- Fears concerning elevated cancer risks associated with HRT, and the fact that not enough is known about the exact causes of hot flushes, limits development of additional alternative treatments.
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Foods That Increase Estrogen
Estrogen is essential for maintaining good health and plays a significant role in a womans body. Although research is ongoing on the effects of dietary estrogen, preliminary studies have indicated they can mimic or enhance estrogens natural effect, making foods that naturally increase estrogen a viable strategy for managing your hormone levels.
Some foods contain phytoestrogens naturally occurring nutrients derived from plants that are similar to estrogen. While the jury is still out, the majority of research has linked phytoestrogens to a variety of health benefits. Foods that increase estrogen levels in females may help offset health problems associated with low hormone levels.
The best dietary sources of estrogen can be found in the following foods:
How To Track Your Estrogen Levels At Home
Whether you are looking to achieve your fertility goals, or tap into valuable information about your health, tracking hormone levels at home can help you and your doctor uncover valuable information about your cycles and hormone levels.
The science of tracking fertility hormones at home can be difficult to grasp. A personalized lab-quality and data-driven solution such as Mira Fertility can allow you to identify your unique patterns and offer personalized fertility insights. With its clinically proven accuracy, the Mira Analyzer tracks luteinizing hormone and estrogen giving you real-world data you can track and use, not to mention share with your healthcare provider. Mira takes the guesswork out of tracking and can help you make informed decisions about your reproductive cycle.
Medically Reviewed by Banafsheh Kashani, MD, FACOG
Banafsheh Kashani, M.D., FACOG is a board-certified OB/GYN and specialist in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Eden Fertility Centers, and has been treatingcouples and individuals with infertility since 2014.
Dr. Kashani has conducted extensive research in female reproduction, with a specific focus on the endometrium and implantation.
Additionally, Dr. Kashani has authored papers in the areas of fertility preservation, and fertility in women with PCOS and Turners syndrome. She also was part of a large SART-CORS study evaluating the trend in frozen embryo transfers and success rates.
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How Low Estrogen Can Affect Your Body
Estrogen is a very busy hormone for women throughout their lives. Men have some too, but women have more. Estrogen is primarily active in reproductive development and health for women, but its role is far greater than that.
Estrogen is actually a group of sex hormones, each of them performing different roles in womens health and development. Estrogen helps make women curvier than men by making their pelvis and hips wider, and their breast grow.
Estrogen is part of your menstrual cycle, helps you get pregnant, and plays a role in helping you develop bones and grow hair. It also helps regulate your moods and impacts your brain development and structure.
Dr Marizas Supplements For Estrogen Dominance
I know looking at this list may feel daunting at first, so I want to do everything I can to make this as simple as possible. I know what it feels like to feel so desperate for a solution. I was in that place where I said every day, I just want SOMEONE to tell me what to do to make this better!If youre there too, heres a simple protocol you can follow to get your liver and gut back to working their best so you can get your estrogen dominance under control:
- Choline
- Essentially Whole®Magnesium RestorePLEASE NOTE: Not all magnesium supplements are the same. This dosage recommendation only applies to Magnesium Restores pure formulation of magnesium biglycinate and magnesium oxide. Magnesium citrate, chloride, malate, lactate, sulfate, etc. will NOT be as effective and may lead to digestive upset.
- Probiotics should be taken every day, whether in the form of food or a pure supplement. Some good food options are fermented vegetables , dairy-free yogurt , and coconut kefir.
- Digestive enzymes taken shortly before you eat, at least once a day . Make sure the enzymes you take include protease , amylase , and lipase so you cover all your bases!
If youre ready to fight back against estrogen dominance, this is where you start! By supporting your liver and gut, you can give your body what it needs to break down and remove excess estrogen from your body so you can get yourself back.
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How To Use Premarin
Read the Patient Information Leaflet if available from your pharmacist before you start using this medication and each time you get a refill. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Take this medication by mouth with or without food as directed by your doctor. You may take it with food or right after a meal to prevent stomach upset.
If you are taking the extended-release tablets, do not crush, chew, or dissolve them. Doing so can release all of the drug at once, increasing the risk of side effects. Also, do not split extended-release tablets unless they have a score line and your doctor or pharmacist tells you to do so. Swallow the whole or split tablet without crushing or chewing.
The dosage is based on your medical condition and response to treatment.
Take this medication regularly to get the most benefit from it. To help you remember, take it at the same time each day as directed. Follow your dosing schedule carefully. Do not increase your dose or take this medication more often or for a longer time than directed.
Tell your doctor if your condition does not improve or if it worsens.
What Are The Sex Hormones

The sex hormones comprise of oestrogen and testosterone. Oestrogen is known as the female hormone and testosterone as the male hormone this is due to the fact that women normally produce more oestrogen and men more testosterone. Nevertheless, both hormones play an important role in our bodies, regardless of our gender.As the name sex hormone suggests, these hormones are primarily responsible for sex drive and reproduction. If the hormone levels in our bodies decrease, then our libido also suffers at the same time.
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Why Is Insulin Important
Insulin, which is secreted from our pancreas, regulates our metabolism and provides the bodys cells with the energy it needs it does this based on blood sugar levels and other hormones in the body.
The hormone is responsible for allowing cells in the muscles, fat and liver to absorb sugar from our blood. These cells need sugar or glucose in order to have energy or it can be converted into fat, if required.
You probably are aware that insulin is connected with diabetes whether its type 1 or type 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes, which occurs during pregnancies. Apart from some differences in symptoms, all forms of diabetes are caused by the body not being able to secrete enough insulin or the body not being able to effectively use the insulin it produces.
This causes the sugar to remain in the bloodstream and overall blood sugar levels to rise. The rise in this long-term blood sugar level triggers many health problems, such as deafness or impaired vision. At the same time, kidneys can be affected, and the risk of strokes increases. The good news is that you can test your long-term blood sugar levels with a health test either at your doctors or at home.
Are Estrogen Blockers For Women A Good Choice
Absolutely not! Medical experts do not recommend estrogen blockers for females because it can cause several medical health issues in their body.
Some of the most critical side effects associated with estrogen blockers on female body are:
- Joint pain
- It causes reduction in bone density and they become prone to breakage
- It can also cause endometrial cancer
Instead of thinking about estrogen blocker gnc, females must concentrate on right diet that can manage proper balance of hormones in their body.
The best sources are:
- Oats as they can easily block production of harmful estrogens in body
- Kale, Cabbage and Broccoli that helps to reduce risks of breast cancer by almost 20 to 24% if consumed twice a day in routine
- Carrots can assist in reduction of estrogen levels
Estrogen blockers are recommended only for men because they do not have major link with the normal development of male body. Still, medical health experts recommend consumption of estrogen blockers for short duration of time otherwise it can also lead to harmful effects. You can find several solutions for estrogen blocker vitamin shoppe.
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What Will Taking Estrogen Supplements Do
Fact Checked
If you are a woman, you may be considering estrogen supplements to prevent bone loss, keep your mood stable or relieve discomfort related to menopause. Estrogen production can start to diminish in perimenopause, the years leading up to menopause, and extend into postmenopausal years, often causing symptoms severe enough to seek medical help.
Estrogen supplements prescribed in HT, or hormone therapy, often combined with progesterone, restore hormonal balance that could improve your quality of life.
What Do Estrogen Pills Do
In fact, it is necessary to go back to the basics of estrogen pills. One should know that doctors do not prescribe them as the only possible solution. Usually, gynecologists insist that forehanded care of your body is key to comfortable living. Nevertheless, such a thing as a genetic or predisposition can radically disappoint you with the results. So, what are the estrogen pills benefits and functionalities?
The synthesis of estrogens in the female body usually starts during puberty. And, it may last until the onset of menopause or else called perimenopause. Estrogens are responsible for a womans youth and beauty, her emotional state and, of course, libido. Besides, estrogens are responsible for bone strength, good memory, blood cholesterol, skin condition and more. Accordingly, the use of estrogen pills for menopause will be directed on helping memory, overall health condition, and preventing any injuries.
The use of estrogen and progesterone pills for menopause helps to keep the skin and mucous membranes moist. Moreover, estrogens support the functioning and integrity of the stratum corneum.
At last, estrogen pills for menopause, acting on receptors, promote faster growth of vascular endothelial cells, help the endothelium to recover faster after damage. When estrogen is low, endothelial function is impaired. And as you know, the good blood supply is the key to beauty and youth.
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What Are Estrogens Used For
The most common indication for estrogens is to alleviate menopause symptoms, such as vaginal dryness and hot flashes. The specific indications for menopause include:
- Treatment of moderate/severe vasomotor symptoms due to menopause.
- Treatment of moderate/severe symptoms of vulvar and vaginal atrophy due to menopause. It is recommended that topical vaginal products are used when the indication is solely to treat vulvar and/or vaginal symptoms due to menopause.
Estrogens have other indications as well. Specific indications vary by individual medications and formulation. Other indications for estrogens include:
- Treatment of painful intercourse due to vulvar and vaginal atrophy
- Treatment of low estrogen due to hypogonadism, castration, or primary ovarian failure
- Treatment of breast cancer in certain women and men with metastatic disease
- Treatment of advanced androgen-dependent prostate cancer
- Prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis
Some estrogens are also used as fertility treatments in cases of infertility. In these cases, estrogens are used to prepare the uterine lining for pregnancy.
Estrogen may also be used as part of transitioning from male to female, in combination with other drugs.
Birth control pills contain estrogen and progesterone, or progesterone alone.
Your healthcare provider can give medical advice on the different estrogen types and if any of them are appropriate for you.
What Exactly Does Melatonin Do
While serotonin brightens your mood, melatonin makes you feel sleepy. Especially towards the evening, the concentration of this hormone in your body increases and makes you tired. But thats not all melatonin also affects other important processes that take place in your body, including:
- Body temperature
- Secretion of other hormones
- Immune system
Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland in our brain, and its production in our body is strongly dependent on light. You are tired earlier in winter than in summer because the days are also shorter. As you might already know, the artificial light from smartphones and laptops can keep you awake in the evening because it stops your brain from producing melatonin.
Melatonin supplements can help you relax and improve the quality of your sleep if you regularly find that you are struggling to nod off.
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