Get to know 'Estrogen,' an important hormone for women and mothers.

What is Estrogen?"

Estrogen is a female sex hormone that plays a crucial role in expressing feminine traits in the body, such as glowing skin and a smooth complexion.
Estrogen significantly affects the female reproductive system, including the regulation of ovulation, menstruation, and preparing the body for pregnancy.
As women age, the levels of estrogen in the body decrease, leading to menopause, or the "change of life," which impacts various parts of the body, such as causing osteoporosis, dull skin, and mood swings.
If there is too much estrogen in the body, it can also affect the body, such as causing easy fat accumulation, mood swings, and inhibiting egg cell development. Estrogen can also be used for contraception.

Estrogen helps women have smooth and soft skin, wider hips, enlarged breasts, and a higher-pitched voice.

It stimulates the functioning of the uterus and ovaries, regulating ovulation and menstruation.

It helps thicken and soften the uterine lining, making it ready for the implantation of the embryo to grow into a fetus.

Estrogen controls the uterus' ability to prepare for pregnancy, allowing it to expand and receive adequate blood supply.

It increases the flexibility of muscles, ligaments, and joints, especially in the pelvic joints, to facilitate expansion during childbirth.

It slows down the digestive system, which can lead to bloating during pregnancy.

Estrogen inhibits bone breakdown, helping to reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

Estrogen Hormone
Estrogen is a female sex hormone that plays a role in developing the female reproductive organs. It is primarily produced by the ovaries, but during pregnancy, it is also produced by the placenta. This hormone helps prepare the mother's body for pregnancy and supports the proper growth and development of the fetus.

Progesterone Hormone
Progesterone is a hormone produced by the ovaries and placenta during pregnancy. It plays an essential role in stimulating the thickening of the uterine lining, allowing the fertilized egg to implant and grow into a fetus.

The levels of estrogen hormone vary among different groups of individuals, measured in pg/ml (picograms per milliliter).

• For premenopausal women, estrogen levels range from 26 – 149 pg/ml.

• For postmenopausal women, estrogen levels range from 0 – 34 pg/ml.

• For pregnant women, estrogen levels range from 2 – 30 pg/ml.

• For children under the age of 6, estrogen levels range from 3 – 10 pg/ml.

An imbalance in estrogen levels can occur due to several causes, such as weight gain, chronic stress, diet, chemicals exposure, the use of birth control pills, or medications containing estrogen hormones, leading to abnormalities such as:

• Irregular menstruation

• Abnormal premenstrual symptoms, such as bloating, craving sweets, overeating, rapid weight gain, easy fat accumulation, migraines, and breast tenderness, which are known as PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome)

• Mood swings, frequent irritability, and difficulty sleeping

• It may lead to tumors or cysts in the breasts, uterus, or ovaries.

Symptoms of Low Estrogen Levels

• Insomnia: When estrogen levels are low, serotonin levels also decrease, which may lead to sleep problems.

• Lack of concentration at work: Due to insufficient sleep, it can result in poor focus, forgetfulness, and difficulty being effective in tasks.

• Mood swings: This is a common symptom of hormonal imbalance, and it may worsen when combined with insufficient sleep.

• Depression: Estrogen is linked to serotonin, which helps reduce depression. When estrogen levels are low, serotonin levels drop as well, potentially leading to depression.

• Brittle bones: Estrogen helps maintain bone density, so when estrogen levels are low, bone density decreases.

• Pain during intercourse: When estrogen levels decrease, vaginal dryness increases, and the vaginal walls become thinner, which can lead to pain during sex.

• Vaginal atrophy: Low estrogen levels can cause the vaginal walls to narrow and lose elasticity, resulting in slower lubrication production.

For those with low estrogen levels who are planning to get pregnant, it is recommended to consult with a doctor about IVF (in vitro fertilization) or ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) to address infertility issues.

Soybeans or Foods Containing Soy, such as Tofu or Soy Milk,
are foods rich in high-quality protein and contain phytoestrogens, which act similarly to estrogen. Consuming soy-based foods helps balance hormones in women who may have a deficiency. It also helps reduce hot flashes and provides other essential nutrients, such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, B vitamins, and zinc.

Fresh Fruits
are rich in bioflavonoids, which help support antioxidants in the body. Fruits with high bioflavonoid content include tamarind, grapefruit, sweet orange, and lemon. You can also choose fruits like strawberries, avocados, bananas, and guavas. These antioxidants help maintain body balance, reduce hot flashes, night sweats, and regulate estrogen levels. In addition to bioflavonoids, these fruits also provide vitamin E, which helps keep the skin radiant and prevent premature aging.

Flaxseeds
Consuming flaxseeds helps counteract the effects of excessive estrogen in the body, allowing it to produce estrogen at appropriate levels while also reducing the risk of breast cancer, urinary tract cancer, and ovarian cancer.

Vitamin B
Vitamin B plays an essential role in producing and stimulating estrogen in the body. If the body is deficient in vitamin B, estrogen levels may decrease as well.

Vitamin D
Vitamin D and estrogen work together to reduce the risk of heart disease and vascular conditions. The link between these two hormones comes from vitamin D’s role in synthesizing estrogen, indicating the potential benefits of supplementing vitamin D for those with low estrogen levels.

Coconut Water
Coconut water is high in estrogen, which is important for collagen and elastin production, helping to tighten and firm the skin, thus delaying the appearance of wrinkles. Additionally, it helps detoxify the body through a process similar to detoxification

The use of estrogen hormones should be closely monitored by a doctor and should not be taken without a prescription. It must only be used under medical supervision. There are two methods for hormone replacement therapy, as follows:

Oral Medication

• To treat low female hormone levels, take 0.3–0.625 milligrams per day every month. The dosage may be adjusted during 6-12 months. It is used in combination with progestin to maintain bone density when the bone structure is stable.

• To treat vaginal atrophy, which causes dryness, burning, and itching of the vaginal area, take 0.3 milligrams per day.

• To prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women, start with 0.3 milligrams per day, either daily or monthly, depending on the patient’s symptoms. The dosage adjustment is based on bone density and the patient's response to treatment.

• To treat ovarian failure, take 1.25 milligrams per day every month. Adjust the dosage based on the patient’s response, and maintain the lowest effective dose.

Injectable Medication

• To treat abnormal uterine bleeding, inject 25 milligrams intramuscularly. The dose may be repeated every 6-12 hours if necessary. After treatment, low-dose hormonal birth control should be used.

Estrogen is one of the most important female hormones. Its role in the body is essential, and therefore, taking care of your health can help produce and regulate hormones in balance, which can also increase the chances of pregnancy.

If any women have questions or would like to inquire about fertility, feel free to add Line @beyondivf for more information and guidance in preparing for pregnancy."