Estrogen

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Video: Estrogen

Video: Estrogen
Video: Estrogen | Reproductive system physiology | NCLEX-RN | Khan Academy 2024, November
Estrogen
Estrogen
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Estrogen is a major female hormone that is produced in the ovaries. It is estrogen that determines the appearance of women. This is the hormone that is responsible for the characteristic female forms - breasts, figure, distribution of subcutaneous fat.

The latter is especially important for the structure of the body. Men also produce estrogen, but in significantly smaller quantities.

Estrogen functions

Estrogen is responsible for female forms and promotes the deposition of fat, suppressing their use as fuel and replenishing fat stores in the body. The effect of estrogen on the accumulation of excess fat explains its unusual effect on growth hormone, which helps the body oxidize and mobilize acids.

On the one hand, estrogen promotes the release of growth hormone, but at the same time interferes with the signals necessary for its activation, neutralizing the same effect of its enhanced release. Along with this the optimal levels estrogen contribute to insulin activity. Along with some other hormones, estrogen helps retain water.

Estrogen deficiency

Female hormones
Female hormones

The lack of estrogen in the female body is one of the main causes of emotional disorders. This is due to the fact that the periods in which women suffer the most from emotional disorders are immediately after childbirth, during menopause and before menstruation - in periods of decreased estrogen secretion.

If the female body is deficient in estrogen, the collagen fibers gradually begin to break down and the skin begins to dry out and wrinkle. It is estrogen that is responsible for cell renewal and the preservation of the youthful appearance of the skin. When its levels fall, the shine of the hair disappears and it begins to break easily.

Partial estrogen deficiency several years after menopause can cause the development of osteoporosis and potential bone fractures. In women over the age of 45, estrogen deficiency is a common cause of atherosclerosis, which in turn increases the risk of angina, heart attack and stroke. Excessive hair growth is not uncommon.

Foods that are rich in estrogen are very. These are dairy and soy products, flaxseed, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Fruits and vegetables rich in estrogen are potatoes, plums, pomegranates, tomatoes, pumpkin, cherries, beets, apples, olives, cucumbers, carrots, papaya.

Spices that increase estrogen levels are oregano, cloves, ginger, thyme, turmeric, parsley, clover and others. Of the legumes, the most useful in this regard are chickpeas, lentils, peas, red beans and common beans. Barley, brown rice and oats also contain good amounts of estrogen.

High estrogen levels

The high levels of estrogen is one of the main causes of accumulation and difficulty in removing stubborn skin fat. High estrogen helps retain water in the body, thus increasing fat levels. The redundant estrogen increases water by way of sodium retention. As a result, sodium is not eliminated from the body while potassium continues to be washed away.

The hormone estrogen
The hormone estrogen

Women who consume about 500 mg of caffeine a day in the follicular phase of the cycle have 70% higher estrogen levels than women who drink one cup of coffee. The bottom line is that caffeine intake should be limited as much as possible.

Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts help reduce estrogen levels.

Estrogen test

The estrogen test is a test that measures the levels of the most important estrogenic hormones in the blood or urine - estradiol, estrone and estriol. Estradiol is the most commonly studied sex hormone in women who are not pregnant.

Estradiol levels in the blood vary depending on the menstrual cycle. After menopause, estradiol levels fall and remain constant.

Estrone is usually tested in women who have entered menopause. Estrone can be tested in women and men with suspected ovarian, testicular or adrenal cancer. Estriol is usually tested during pregnancy.

Estrogen testing is done to detect defects during pregnancy; to evaluate estrogen-producing ovarian tumors; to assess deviation in secondary sexual characteristics in men.

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