Oestrogen also protects the heart, she keeps bones strong and helps with the production of the "feel good", relaxing hormones serotonin and GABA. She is anti inflammatory, keeps our skin plump and cheeks full and (very importantly)
increases libido. She encourages subcutaneous storage of fat as opposed to the much unwanted deep belly fat.... so she really is the star of the show here.....and by looking at all of these benefits, you'd think tonnes of oestrogen would be great!! But not necessarily so...
The Story of Oestrogen....
So where does oestrogen come from?:
Endogenous Sources
- Most oestrogen comes from the ovaries in the form of oestradiol to help thicken the uterine lining in preparation for a pregnancy.-
- Human fat cells also make and excrete oestrogen (oestrone) via an enzyme called aromatase. This happens primarily
in the fat cells stored around the midriff and because aromatase levels increase with age, increased fat mass, alcohol intake and insulin it could very well be a driver behind why it gets harder to lose fat when you are older and "heavier".
Exogenous Sources
- Xeno oestrogens" - or "environmental oestrogens" e.g. plastic, pesticides, HRT, oral contraceptive pills
etc.
- Animal foods - dairy, meats, eggs etc.
- Phyto oestrogens - or "plant oestrogens" e.g. soya and flaxseeds etc .
So what happens with all of this oestrogen floating around?
Well, that's where the liver and it's good health are just so important because it owns the big job of
breaking down and preparing excess oestrogens for excretion via its various detoxification pathways and enzymes.
Oestrogen (oestradiol) can be broken down into:
2-hydroxyoestrone (2-OHE1) - a very weak oestrogen, she is gentle in nature just likes to sit there on the oestrogen receptor sites, behaving herself while blocking the more
potent 4 and 16-OHE-1 from joining the party.
and/or
4-hydroxyoestrone (4-OHE1) and 16-hydroxyoestrone and (16-OHE1) - a very potent oestrogen, these bad girls are bullies, they push the weaker oestrogens off and bind strongly to the receptor sites giving it all that. They actually cause lots of breakups of cells so more DNA damage which in turn
encourages tumour and cancer growth research suggests.
What exactly determines which hydroxyoestrone the parent oestrogens are broken down is beyond my knowledge, however a multitude of nutrients, including enzymes and amino acids, and their availability (or lack thereof) is involved in the breakdown and removal of any excess metabolites.
Oestrogen Dominance.
As its name suggests, this is when oestrogens action is stronger than that of progesterone - another hormone crucial to balancing the menstrual cycle and maintaining a pregnancy.
Progesterone's balance is dependent upon oestrogen's balance and vice versa as they both enhance the action of the other as well as offset the action of the
other. With excess 4 and 16-hydroxyoestrone and low amounts of 2- hydroxyoestrone you can easily see how this could happen.
Genetic factors are huge- some women might naturally be more oestrogenic than others, I know in my family it's all big boobs and hips (and that is fine as long as the waist stays trim).
Environmental factors are also huge. We live in an environment that
is swimming in oestrogens. Phytoestrogens (plant estrogens) and xenoestrogens are now ubiquitous (i.e. found everywhere).
Could this be driving the ever increasing number of cases of early puberty in children, prostate and male bust growth and breast cancer...?
Menopause and Oestrogen.
(Peri)menopause symptoms such as hot sweats, mood swings and dryness to name a few are a result of fluctuating oestrogen levels.
Funnily enough, menopause is rarely experienced by our East Asian sisters , probably because they consume plenty of properly fermented tofu, soya beans and vegetables which contain isoflavones: genistein and daidzein.
These
increase 2-hydroxyoestrone levels. Having a weaker effect, 2-hydroxyoestrone allows for the oestrogenic activity to decrease slowly rather than suddenly dropping down resulting in symptoms many of us are all too aware of in the Western world.
So, taking all of this into account, the name of the game should be to:
- Increase 2-hydroxyoestrone
and decrease 4 and 16-hydroxyoestrone by supporting the liver and it's detoxification pathways
- Minimising exposure to xeno oestrogens.
- Ensuring bowel movement is regular and gut flora is balanced as certain bacteria can release a special enzyme which "deconjugate" the oestrogens ready to be excreted and so causes them to reabsorbed back into circulation
