Estrogen

October 15, 2009 - 7:36 PM

Estrogen is a group of steroid compounds important in the female’s ovulation and reproduction cycle, and is their primary sex hormone. Estrogen hormone therapy can be used for women, who are postmenopausal, or for sexual reassignment for transwomen.

The function of estrogen is primarily that of the female body, however it is still present in the male, and is important in the maturation of the sperm. Estrogen will form the female secondary sex characteristics, like breasts, and thickening of the vaginal walls. The female will also experience an increase in uterine growth, and reduced muscle mass, and height growth.

Estrogen is also important for vaginal lubrication, and can low levels of estrogen can hindrance a woman’s sex drive, however estrogen may not be the only cause of a female’s low libido. Androgen is the hormone concerned with sex drive in females, more so than the commonly mistaken estrogen hormone.

Estrogen plays a vital role in the female’s overall mental health, and well being. Postpartum, postmenopause depression have been studied, and shown that when recipients receive estrogen therapy have been shown to treat the aforementioned conditions. As well as a sudden withdrawal, or fluctuating estrogen levels, or sustained insufficient level of estrogen has been shown to drastically alter the mood, as level or balanced amounts of estrogen have been shown to be the best for the female’s mental health.

Breast cancer is affected by estrogen as 80% of all breast cancers depend upon the continued growth of estrogen. Thus suppressing the creation of estrogen is a treatment option to halt the continued advance of the cancerous cells.

It has been noted that the common table mushroom has shown in a 2009 study of 2’018 women who ate them that they had a 50% lower chance of cancer. Those who ate mushrooms, and drank green tea regularly, had a 90% reduced incidents of breast cancer. Soy is also known to suppress the effects of estrogen. In the case of the male, it may be appropriate in the use for treatment of prostate cancer.

Other medical uses of estrogen are to treat bulimia nervosa, which is believed to be as a result from hormonal imbalances in the brain. Studies have also shown that estrogen can be helpful in traumatic liver injuries of male and females alike.