How do estrogens affect a woman's weight?
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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How do three types of estrogens affect your health?
There are 3 types of estrogens: estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), estrol (E3). The level of these hormones in the female body depends on the amount of fatty deposits, their density, genetic predisposition to obesity, and age features. Of course, not the least role in the hormonal background is played by the woman's way of life, her habits and the food system.
Since every year the hormonal balance becomes weaker, shaky, you simply have to monitor the level of hormones, so as not to make irreparable mistakes and not grow fat. The consequences can be irreversible.
It is important not to miss the moment when estradiol becomes less and the level of other hormones from the estrogen group fluctuates, and their effect on the body is completely different. Let's clarify the influence of each of the hormones in detail, so as not to get confused in the information.
The positive hormone beta-estradiol, or E2
Beta-estradiol is one of the most active estrogens, which is secreted in the body from the day when the girl has the first menstruation, and until the moment of the beginning of menopause. E2 controls more than 400 different functions of the body.
This is the vision, skin condition, strength of muscles, and a good bone system. This hormone also responds to a normal sexual desire.
How does a woman with a low level of estradiol look?
Imagine how a woman can feel at the moment of onset of menopause. This means that the ovaries now produce less and less sex hormones. Accordingly, beta-estradiol too. Because of this, a woman's skin can look pale and flabby, her hair grows dull, her nails break.
They suffer not only they, but also the heart, and the vessels, and the bone system. The circulatory system also bears losses, the blood flow slows down, the blood is much slower and gets worse with oxygen.
If beta-estradiol in the body is small, other hormones can not replace its absence. True, in adipose tissue, another female hormone, estrone, is produced. But he can not fully cope with the role of estradiol.
If during the menopause you need to make up for the loss of estrogen in the body, then it is worth to choose from three types of estradiol, and not the other two. This will make it possible to replenish the chemical elements that, before, from the day of the first menstruation and until the menopause, actively developed the ovaries.
Negative hormone estrone (E1)
This hormone will help a woman for whom it's time for menopause. Fat tissue of the female body can produce it even when the ovaries lost their functions. The production of beta-estradiol is inhibited or completely discontinued, so the production of estrone makes it possible to somehow compensate for the loss of estrogen.
But do not rush to rejoice. Studies show that estrone can provoke diseases such as cervical cancer, breast cancer. Especially in those women who are prone to fullness and which are more than 45 years old.
Where is estrone formed?
It is synthesized by the liver, ovaries and adrenals, as well as fatty tissue. Estrone is used in the body to reproduce estradiol. True, these processes occur in the body even before menopause.
After menopause, estrone is converted to estradiol is no longer so active and not in such quantity. The reason - almost complete cessation of the ovaries. Although, as before, the source of estrone can be fatty tissue, and in very small amounts it is synthesized by the adrenal glands and liver.
Conclusion: Estrone, which is called bad estrogen because of its ability to destroy the body, is produced more by those who have fat stores. That is, full of women. More fat - more estrogen hormone called estrone.
One of the weakest female hormones estriol (E3)
Why do doctors call this sex hormone one of the weakest? It is very small in non-pregnant women. It is much more in pregnant women, since estriol is synthesized in the placenta.
Information about the estrolet is very controversial. Many medications instructions write that estrol helps to lose weight, improve eyesight, memory, hearing and other functions of the body. In fact, this is far from the case.
First, estriol in non-pregnant women is negligible, so it can not affect women's well-being. Secondly, it differs from estradiol in that it does not affect positively on memory, on hearing, on attentiveness, or on the work of the heart or blood vessels. It can be considered a neutral hormone - not as good as beta-estradiol, not as bad as estrone.
Estrogen receptors: how and why?
Hormones are not just substances that affect your health and appearance. This is an excellent method of communication. Information on how the work of organs and systems in the body - by themselves and how they interact with each other. To take a hormonal message, as on a telegraph, between the hormones there are special paths - receptors. On them, the authorities accept and deliver information and work according to it.
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Where are hormone receptors?
In all organs: heart, lungs, brain, muscles, blood vessels, bladder, intestine, uterus. And even the eye muscles are the place of passage of the hormonal receptor traces. In particular, estrogenic.
But it is worthwhile to know that each organ has a different amount of hormonal receptors, and they are dispersed in different ways.
How are hormone receptor signals transmitted?
In order for organs and systems to understand these complex and often weak signals of hormones, there must be enough beta-estradiol in the body. Especially in those parts of the body where the hormonal receptors are concentrated.
Is there a substitute for estradiol?
According to studies, it is beta-estradiol that can activate and strengthen signals from other hormones. And, as a result, to facilitate their proper transfer between bodies. When a woman approaches the climacteric period, estradiol in her body becomes much less, and then the ovaries completely cease to produce it. This leads to violations of organs. In particular, to the violation of metabolism and as a consequence - obesity.
Sometimes in the press we read information that estrone could replace the work of estradiol, because even during the menopause the body can produce it. But, unfortunately, this is not so. Estrone is too weak to take on all the functions of estradiol.
Therefore, you need to see a doctor-endocrinologist for examination and administration of hormone therapy.