4 Types of Estrogen

The hormone story is certainly a very complicated one. Barraged by misinformation, myths and propaganda, it’s no wonder that so many women are confused about matters relating to their bodies and their health.

It is time for women to take even greater responsibility for their health, their choices and their lifestyles. The greatest weapon against compliance, ignorance and conformity is knowledge.

This blog will give greater understanding of the different types of estrogens as well as alternatives for safe, effective and natural ways of balancing estrogen.  It is hoped that you will be able to use this information to ask serious questions of your health provider, to demand answers and to willingly investigate safe alternative approaches.

4 TYPES OF ESTROGEN

There are four types of estrogen: those naturally occurring in the body, those synthesized for ingestion as medications, “xeno” or foreign estrogens from modern industrial and household chemicals, and phytoestrogens from food plants, many of which provide important health benefits.

1. NATURAL ESTROGEN

Estrogen is actually the name given to a group of hormones. There are at least twelve different estrogens, but only three are naturally present in significant quantities: estradiol, estrone, and estriol.  Both estradiol and estrone are present in large quantities in the venous blood from the ovaries, while estriol is an oxidative product derived from estrone metabolism. The conversion occurs mainly in the liver. The estrogenic potency of estradiol is 12 times that of estrone and 80 times that of estriol. As a result, estradiol is considered to be the major estrogen.

Estrogen hormones are steroids. They are synthesized in the ovaries from cholesterol or acetyl coenzyme A. It is particularly interesting that progesterone and testosterone are synthesized first, and then converted into estrogens.

2. SYNTHETIC ESTROGEN

Synthetic estrogens are made by the pharmaceutical companies. They have had their molecular structure altered so they can be patented. They tend to be more potent than the body’s own estrogens and more toxic.

The Pill: Oral contraceptives are made with synthetic estrogen and synthetic progestins (known as the combined Pill). In the early 1960s, the Pill was widely marketed as an effective, safe and convenient method of birth control. However, the initial trials were flawed and inadequate. Nonetheless, the Pill was promoted with all the enthusiasm the pharmaceutical companies could muster. Dr. Ellen Grant, author of The Bitter Pill and Sexual Chemistry, was an early researcher of synthetic hormones and their effects on health. Back in the 1960s she was shocked when synthetic hormones were not withdrawn from the market due to their known serious side effects.

So, just what are the effects of suppressing natural hormones with synthetic ones? The Pill literally stops menses, and bleeding occurs each month only because the synthetic hormones are not taken for seven days of the cycle. The bleeding that occurs would be more accurately termed “withdrawal bleeding,” not menstruation.

Estrogen Replacement Therapy (Hormone Replacement Therapy – HRT) Perhaps there’s no topic of greater confusion to woman than the highly publicized introduction of HRT for the menopausal woman. Hormone replacement therapy was the next great discovery to arrive following the advent of the Pill. The pharmaceutical companies had found another lucrative market for their synthetic hormones: the menopausal woman!  It is because HRT is given at lower doses than the Pill, the side effects are often more subtle and are slower to show up.

3. XENOESTROGENS (PSEUDOESTROGENS)

They are given the name “xenoestrogens” since, although they are foreign environmental chemicals, they are taken up by the estrogen receptor sites in the body and seriously interfere with natural biochemical changes.  These estrogen-like mimics have an uncanny ability to mimic natural estrogen. Xenoestrogens are fat-soluble, not biodegradable or well excreted, and accumulate in fat tissue of animals and humans.  They are also dangerously toxic. Remember that the principle function of estrogens is to cause cellular proliferation and growth of tissues of the sexual organs and other tissues related to reproduction. So the union of hormone mimics to receptors, triggers genes that stimulate the production of proteins that accelerate cell division. This cell division is leading to a host of health challenges. Please see the last blog for more information on this and the safe estrogens.

4. PHYTOESTROGENS – SAFE ESTROGENS

Plant estrogens, called phytoestrogens, compete with natural and xenoestrogens for binding to receptors in the body. The phytoestrogens protect us from the toxic, synthetic petrochemical estrogenic compounds. They act as weak estrogens and appear to produce estrogen effects in postmenopausal women and anti-estrogen effects in premenopausal women.  Phytoestrogens thus have this ability to act as “balancers” – by raising low levels of estrogen and by lowering high levels by replacing a strong estrogen with a weaker one.

Significant amounts of phystoestrogens are found in many foods including soy products, flaxseeds, chickpeas, cashews, oats, corn, apples, and almonds.  One of the best sources of phytoestrogens are soy products. The phytoestrogens are called isoflavones, which have been isolated in two forms: genistein and daidzein.

Reversing Estrogen Dominance

So what is happening today is that women are being exposed to too many types of estrogens and ending up with what is labeled “estrogen dominance”. Stress, nutritional deficiencies, xenoestrogens, and synthetic estrogens cause an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone.  This estrogen dominance means that estrogen has begun to overshadow the other players, creating biochemical dissonance.

There is another way to balance the estrogen-dominance effect through the use of transdermal natural progesterone cream. Natural progesterone, a cholesterol derivative, is made from wild Mexican yams or soybeans whose active ingredients are an exact molecular match of the body’s own progesterone. Make sure if a cream says “wild yam extract”, that there is actually progesterone in the cream. Supplementation with natural progesterone corrects the real problem: progesterone deficiency.  Natural progesterone is not known to have any side effects. It is non-patentable and inexpensive.

So even though there is a challenge here with over exposure, there are safe alternatives to help us get back into balance. Please take time to educate yourself and please contact me if you have any more questions.

Do you have a story to share? I’d love to get your feedback.  Here on my blog, you’ll get commentluv.  That’s great for all bloggers out there. If you leave a comment, you can provide a link back to your own blog.  But you don’t have to be a blogger to leave a comment; I’m looking forward to hearing from all of you!

In a few weeks I will write about the law of attraction in terms of what I have learned through a recent car accident.

Stay tuned,

Charlene

Honouring Women on Mother’s Day

This month in honour of Mothers’ Day, I am going to address some women’s health issues for the next few posts.  This will be addressing some physical aspects of healing, but ones that have a profound effect on our mental, emotional and spiritual fields as well. When we are in the flow of good energy physically, then it is easier to be in harmony on all levels.

Healthy Soul-utions is all about being healthy in all areas. This is called the holistic model – looking at the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of healing.

Our bodies consist of trillions of cells that need vitamins, minerals, essential fats, carbohydrates and proteins (amino acids) to stay healthy.  Optimum levels of health require optimum nutrition and equally optimum cell performance.  Deficiencies produce problems like PMS symptoms, osteoporosis, menopausal and menstrual problems, and even birth defects, just to name a few.

Let’s start with the hormones of the endocrine system as they are an essential part of all our womanly functions. The major endocrine glands are the pituitary, pineal, thymus, thyroid, adrenal glands and pancreas. Also men produce hormones in their testes and women produce them in their ovaries. In addition to the specialized endocrine organs mentioned above, many other organs such as the kidney, liver, and heart have secondary endocrine functions.

The endocrine system is one of the body’s main systems for communicating, controlling and coordinating the body’s work. It works with the nervous system, reproductive system, kidneys, gut, liver, pancreas and fat to help maintain and control the following:

• Growth and development such as preparation of the body for a new phase of life, such as puberty, parenting, and menopause
• Metabolism – digestion (including hunger cravings), elimination, breathing, blood circulation and maintaining body temperature (homeostasis)
• Sexual function and reproduction
• Mood swings and body energy levels
• Activation or inhibition of the immune system

Endocrine glands and endocrine-related organs are like factories. When the body needs these substances, the bloodstream carries the proper types of hormones to specific targets. These targets may be organs, tissues, or cells.

Most hormones initiate a cellular response by initially combining with either a specific intracellular or cell membrane associated receptor protein. Complicated I know, but I mention this so you see the importance of protein here.

Protein means “of first importance”.  All the cells in the body need amino acids from protein. Hormones included. Amino acids are the building blocks for all life. Protein is one of the biggest components of our bodies. Our bodies use amino acids to form the proteins which build everything from muscles and bones, skin and hair, to internal organs and fluids. Besides building cells and repairing tissue, they form antibodies to combat invading bacteria & viruses; they are part of the enzyme & hormonal system; they build RNA & DNA; they carry oxygen throughout the body and participate in muscle activity.

Hormones need lots of nutrients besides protein including vitamin B, vitamin E, GLA (gamma-linolenic acid), and zinc. These nutrients are all depleted by stress, sugar, alcohol, caffeine, junk foods, and medications (including birth control).

For example if you are deficient in Vitamin B, that affects the brain and nervous system (you can’t think, feel up tight, etc.) and the lack also affects the hormones thus creating PMS symptoms, menopausal and menstrual problems, and even birth defects. The lack of B can also affect the immune system, the health of your skin, and cause junk food cravings.

GLA (gamma-linolenic acid) is essential for hormones as that essential fat is a necessary raw ingredient for prostaglandins to be produced within the body. Prostaglandins are hormone-like substances that play a part in many of the biochemical and metabolic processes of the body. A good fatty acid metabolism benefits some very important aspects of our health such as maintaining a good blood pressure, low cholesterol levels, preventing inflammatory and immune system conditions such as arthritis, allergies and some skin diseases such as eczema and psoriasis, and also improving the strength of the keratin-dependent tissues such as our nails and hair.

A deficiency in essential fatty acids also seems to stimulate the overproduction of a hormone in women called prolactin that can lead to the severe mood changes commonly referred to as pre-menstrual syndrome, or PMS. GLA appears to have a beneficial effect in the treatment of PMS, and some other conditions such as breast discomfort and preventing osteoporosis.

Vitamin E acts like an estrogen antagonist and has progesterone-like properties. Vitamin E regulates prostaglandin production and can alleviate menstrual cramps.  Vitamin E is reported to alleviate many of the symptoms of menopause, from vaginal dryness and hot flashes, to breast tenderness and nervousness. Vitamin E is a hormone normalizer. It appears to have a stabilizing effect on estrogen levels, increasing the hormone output in women who are deficient and lowering it in those who are prone to excess.  Vitamin E protects cells, including the cells of the immune system and boosts immune activity. Vitamin E lowers blood glucose, is an energy promoter, and acts as an anti-inflammatory.

Zinc, an essential trace mineral, is required for the metabolic activity of 300 of the body’s enzymes, and is considered essential for cell division and the synthesis of DNA and protein. These enzymes are involved with the metabolism of protein, carbohydrate, fat and alcohol. Zinc is also critical to tissue growth, wound healing, taste acuity, connective tissue growth and maintenance, immune system function, prostaglandin production, bone mineralization, proper thyroid function, blood clotting, cognitive functions, fetal growth and sperm production. Adequate zinc can help pre-menstrual syndrome, pregnancy and lactation and post-menopausal health.

Hope all you mothers out there have a wonderful, healthy Mother’s Day.

Do you have a story to share? I’d love to get your feedback.  Here on my blog, you’ll get commentluv.  That’s great for all bloggers out there. If you leave a comment, you can provide a link back to your own blog.  But you don’t have to be a blogger to leave a comment; I’m looking forward to hearing from all of you!

Next week I will cover some more feminine issues.

Stay tuned.

Charlene