6 Important Hormones Affected by Estrogen & Menopause

6 Important Hormones Affected by Estrogen

You probably know already that hormones are vitally important to your body and regulate every function in your body.
Balanced hormone levels are crucial for overall health, especially when you are going through menopause.
We will focus on 7 hormones that can mostly affect your health during menopause.

1.Cortisol

It is the main stress hormone within your body and is created by the adrenal glands which are situated above the kidneys.
It plays a vital function in metabolism, helping to establish the source of energy protein, carbohydrate, or fat for your body to use.
Cortisol is a contributing factor in your body’s fight or flight response

What are the effects of high cortisol levels?

If you are regularly exposed to stress, the levels of cortisol can increase substantially:

Symptoms of high cortisol include:

• Mood swings
• Food cravings
• Brain fog
• Interrupted sleep
• High anxiety 

High levels of cortisol can lead to:

• Diminished bone density
• Imbalanced blood sugar
• High blood pressure
• Breakdown of muscles
• Raised cortisol levels also lead to visceral abdominal fat deposition otherwise known as belly fat
• Increased cortisol levels can lead to an increase in insulin resistance and as such greater disposition of fat
• Higher levels of stress have also been associated with overeating resulting in fat gain

How do you maintain healthy levels of cortisol?

The most optimal way to maintain healthy levels of cortisol is to reduce the amount of stress in your life and healthy eating habits.

Try out some of the following anxiety and stress management techniques:

• Going for daily walks
• Listening to relaxing music
• Spending time with your pet
• Gardening
• Meditation
• Practicing yoga
• Therapeutic massage
• Breathing exercises
• Dancing
• Cycling
• Pilates

Supplements that can aid in healthy cortisol levels

• Omega-3 fatty acids
• Ashwagandha

Foods that may help to better manage cortisol levels

• Whole grains
• Dark chocolate
• Legumes and lentils
• Fruits and vegetables
• Nuts and seeds
• Fatty fish
• Yoghurt
• Sauerkraut and kimchi
• Green tea
• Drink plenty of water

Avoid foods high in added sugar, refined grains, and saturated fats.
Sources
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov – physiology, cortisol
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov – chronic stress, cortisol dysfunction
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov – stress and obesity
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov – cortisol and sleep quality
healthdirect.gov.au – the role of cortisol in the body

 

2.Insulin

Why is insulin important?

Insulin is a hormone that is made by beta cells in your pancreas and helps sugar move from your blood into your cells.
The cells in your body need sugar for energy, however, if not all of the sugar is absorbed into the cells, it will cause blood sugar levels to go up.

There is also another hormone made in the pancreas called Glucagon, which tells the liver to release stored sugar if your blood sugar gets too low or if you have not eaten for many hours.
GLP -1 also helps to regulate your appetite
Diabetes is a condition in which blood sugar levels are too high and
Type 1 and Type 2 are the most common types of diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes happens when the body makes little or no insulin. People with Type1 diabetes must take insulin every day and is usually diagnosed more often in children and young adults.

The body may make some insulin but not enough, either because it cannot keep up with the demand or it cannot use the insulin it produces.

Type 2 diabetes frequently occurs in older people or in those that are overweight.

What causes type 2 diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes usually begins with insulin resistance, when the cells can’t use insulin properly.
The body may make some insulin but not enough, either because it cannot keep up with the demand or it cannot use the insulin it produces.

The body constantly checks how much sugar is in the bloodstream and when blood sugar levels rise beyond a certain point, the body signals the pancreas to release insulin, thereby helping the cells use sugar.
Insulin helps to carry the glucose into the cells to be used as energy or to be stored as fat, thereby maintaining the glucose levels in the blood. Eating too much-processed food, unhealthy snacks, alcohol or artificially sweetened drinks can lead to the body developing a resistance to insulin.
This causes the muscle cells not to recognize glucose-bound insulin, resulting in glucose remaining in the bloodstream.
This causes a spike in blood sugar levels leading to weight gain and Type 2 diabetes.

How to avoid getting diabetes 2

• Eat plenty of green leafy vegetables, seasonal fruits, and seasonal vegetables
  To improve your omega-3-fatty acid levels, include fatty fish, nuts, olive oil and flaxseeds in your diet
• Drink enough water every day to stay hydrated
• Start a regular exercise routine
• Avoid alcohol, late-night snacks, artificially sweetened drinks

Sources
webmd.com – how secreted insulin works in your body
medicalnewstoday.com – insulin functions and types
mayoclinic.org – diabetes treatment using insulin to manage blood sugar

3.Luteinizing and follicle-stimulating hormone

Your menstrual cycle is regulated by two hormones manufactured in the pituitary gland.
They are the luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone.
Their function is to stimulate the ovaries to produce estrogen and progesterone.
Perimenopause and menopause cause these hormones to fluctuate.

LH (Luteinizing hormone) is also known as a gonadotropin and affects the ovaries in women and the testes in men.
It is produced in the pituitary gland and plays a role in puberty, menstruation, and fertility.
It works together with FSH (Follicle-stimulating hormone), also a gonadotropin produced in the pituitary gland.

FSH triggers the production of estrogen in the follicle and is responsible for stimulating the ovarian follicle, causing an egg to grow.
A rise in estrogen triggers the pituitary gland to stop making FSH and to make more LH, resulting in the egg being released from the ovary.

During menopause, a decline in estrogen leads to an increase in FSH, because there is not enough estrogen being produced to tell the pituitary gland to stop making FSH.
During menopause, your LH and FSG levels will rise because your ovaries have stopped production and fewer ovarian follicles remain.

A blood test can be done to determine stage if you have passed menopause

A blood test measures the amount of LH and FSH in your bloodstream.
A blood test can help determine if you have passed menopause.

LH post-menopause levels will be between 15.9 to 54.0 IU/L
FSH post-menopause levels – 25.8 to 134.8 IU/L

Sources
yourhormones.info – follicle-stimulating hormone
yourhormones.info – how is luteinising hormone controlled
webmed.com – luteinizing hormone test
medicineplus.gov – follicle-stimulating hormone test

 

4.Progesterone

Progesterone is a hormone produced in the ovaries.
It has a number of functions but one of its most important functions is to cause thickening of the lining of the womb or the endometrium to prepare the womb for a fertilized egg.
If the egg is not fertilized the endometrium breaks down and a period occurs.

Progesterone plays a role in the regulation of the menstrual cycle and it also plays a key role in the maintenance of pregnancy.
It starts in the hypothalamus where the gonadotropin hormone is released.
This causes LH to be released from the anterior pituitary gland and allows for progesterone to be produced in the ovaries.
For proper body functioning the level of progesterone and estrogen need to be balanced.
Progesterone levels can drop due to a variety of reasons like stress, use of contraceptive pills, menopause and can result in:

• Headaches
• Mood swings
• Depression
• Fibroids
• Breast tenderness
• Decreased sex drive
• Vaginal dryness
• Fibrocystic breasts
• Irregular periods
• Low blood sugar

Sources
healthywomen.org – progesterone
yourhormones.info – progesterone you and your hormones

5.Thyroid hormones T3 and T4

Thyroid hormones affect all cells and organs of your body.

The thyroid gland is situated at the front of the neck below the Adam’s apple and has two butterfly-shaped lobes on either side of the windpipe.

What controls the release of thyroid hormones?

The hypothalamus produces TRH which causes the anterior pituitary gland to produce TSH and this allows for the production of T3 and T4 in the thyroid gland.
T3 and T4 are responsible for maintaining the body’s metabolism.
However, there can be problems with the production of thyroid hormones.
The thyroid gland can overproduce hormone (called hyperthyroidism).

Alternatively, your thyroid doesn’t produce enough hormone (called hypothyroidism).
Both of these can result in an imbalance in your body’s metabolism, making your body use energy faster or slower than it should.
The underproduction of these hormones leads to hypothyroidism.
Hypothyroidism is often associated with weight gain which is mostly due to the accumulation of water in the body.

Hypothyroidism can increase menopausal symptoms.
As estrogen levels decrease during menopause they may also affect thyroid functions.
Research has shown that women with severe menopause symptoms in conjunction with a thyroid disorder, showed less severe symptoms after having been treated for the thyroid disorder, but more research is needed to fully understand the relationship between estrogen and thyroid hormones.

Thyroid hormones also control other functions in the body including:

• Growth and development
• Heart function
• Brain function
• Muscle function 
• Digestion
• Bone maintenance

Sources
endocrineweb.com – how your thyroid works
healthline.com – thyroid and menopause

6.Testosterone

Testosterone is an androgen, a male sex hormone important not only for sexual function but also for the production of estradiol, a form of estrogen.

Combined with estrogen it is important for the growth, maintenance, and repair of a woman’s reproductive tissues, bone mass, muscle strength, and human behavior.

The ovaries produce both testosterone and estrogen.
Small quantities of testosterone are released into the bloodstream through the ovaries and adrenal glands.
The change women experience in testosterone, occurs at menopause and the decline may be correlated to a reduced libido, loss of bone density, loss of muscle mass, and obesity.

Sources
webmd.com – normal testosterone and estrogen levels in women
everydayhealth.com – testosterone and womens health

Understanding the Importance of Estrogen

Estrogen is responsible for a woman’s physical features and reproduction:

• Growth of the breasts
• Development of the endometrium
• Growth of pubic and underarm hair
• Start of menstrual cycles
• Estrogen contributes to:
• Affects the brain (including mood)
• Heart
• Skin, and other tissues
• Bone health
• Cardiovascular functions, and other essential bodily processes

Your body makes different types of estrogen:

Estrone
This type of estrogen is a weaker form of estrogen and is present in the body after menopause.

Estradiol
Is the most common type of estrogen for women during their reproductive years.
Too much estradiol may result in:

• Acne
• Loss of sex drive
• Osteoporosis
• Depression
• Uterine and breast cancer

Too little estradiol can result in weight gain and cardiovascular disease.

Estriol
Estriol levels rise during pregnancy and help to grow the uterus and prepare the body for delivery.
They reach their peak just before birth.

Estrogen and your menstrual cycle

Your estrogen levels change throughout your menstrual cycle and are highest in the middle of the cycle and lowest during your period.

How do you know what your estrogen level is and what phase of menopause you are in?

Your doctor will need to take a sample of your blood to test for FSH levels.
Sources
healthline.com – low estrogen symptoms
endocrine.org – hormones – estrogen

Symptoms of lower estrogen

The most common reason for low estrogen in women is menopause.
It could also be due to the surgical removal of ovaries.

Symptoms include:

• Menstrual periods that have become less frequent or have stopped.
• Hot flushes and night sweats
• Trouble sleeping
• Dryness and thinning of the vagina
• Low sexual desire
• Mood swings
• Irritability
• Depression
• Decrease in libido
• Anxiety
• Nausea
• Palpitations
• Dry skin
• Osteoporosis
• Heart disease
• Diabetes

Do hay fever & allergies increase with Menopause?

Although a more obscure menopausal symptom, occurrences of allergies can occur during menopause.
Women do have a higher incidence of allergies and allergic-type of reactions, when compared to men.

The exact link between menopause and allergies is not known, but it is believed that hormonal fluctuations, particularly with estrogen, can increase the production of a body chemical, called histamine, which can trigger an allergic response.
This is why women who have never suffered from allergies before, can do so, during menopause.
Source
positivepause.co.uk – can menopause make allergies

Allergies explained

Allergies occur when your immune system reacts to a foreign substance or allergens, such as pollen or bites or a food that does not cause a reaction in most people.
Allergies are a hypersensitivity of the body’s own immune system to external allergens, when inhaled, exhaled or come into contact with.
Your immune system makes antibodies that identify a particular allergen and assumes that it is harmful, even if it isn’t.

Research suggests that when estrogen peaks in the menstrual cycle, symptoms of allergies tend to be exacerbated.
This could be related to increased inflammation during this time due to higher estrogen levels and as a result, exacerbating the immune system response.
Source
allergy.org.au – what is allergy

What is histamine?

Histamine is a chemical that the body releases when there is some kind of irritant or injury to the body.
Too little histamine can cause major problems and your body can’t function properly without it.
Conversely, too much histamine can cause many different types of symptoms.

It has been discovered that histamine can also play a big part in other menopause symptoms.
Because women have more estrogen than men, they also tend to have more histamine.
Estrogen, progesterone, and histamine are all closely linked in the body and estrogen stimulates mast cells to make more histamine.

 

Why does menopause cause problems with your immune system?

Menopause stresses your nervous system and if the nervous system is overstressed, it will have a possible corresponding effect on your immune system.

Menopause causes fatigue
Falling estrogen and all the hormonal changes that go with it can make you very fatigued, and fatigue will have an effect on your immune system.

Menopause affects your sleep
We know that menopause can affect sleep, due to night sweats or hot flushes and that can have a profound effect on how efficient and effective your immune system is.

Menopause upsets your digestion
Menopause can also affect your digestion, more specifically your absorption of nutrients that you need in order to support your immune system.
It also affects the friendly bacteria in your digestive system and you need these healthy bacteria in order for the immune system to function properly.

Dehydration & liver function
Dehydration can be a big factor in your immune system and liver function.
Changing hormones can also stress your liver which plays a part in deactivating histamine.
Histamine can also trigger other allergies such as skin rashes and you can end up being allergic to things that you were not allergic to before.

What can you do to help yourself?

You may lack certain nutrients that are important in breaking down histamine.
A lack of these nutrients can result in your body having trouble producing those histamine-busting enzymes.

• B2, B5, B6, B12
• Folate (as methyl folate)
• Vitamin C
• Magnesium – not having enough magnesium can affect your nervous system which in turn affects your immune system.
• Valerian helps to improve sleep, reduce stress, fatigue and anxiety all of which can affect the proper functioning of the immune system.

The importance of drinking enough water

The more histamine in your system and the more dehydrated you are, the stronger the histamine becomes, and therefore, your reactions to it increase, causing more swelling and inflammation.

Sources:
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov – estrogen affects in allergy
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov – hormonal link to autoimmune allergies