{"id":16526,"date":"2021-01-09T09:55:53","date_gmt":"2021-01-09T14:55:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/macarthurmedi1.wpengine.com\/?p=16526"},"modified":"2021-01-09T09:55:53","modified_gmt":"2021-01-09T14:55:53","slug":"understanding-hormones-the-roles-of-estrogen-and-progesterone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expioconsulting.com\/macarthur\/blog\/2021\/01\/09\/understanding-hormones-the-roles-of-estrogen-and-progesterone\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Hormones: The roles of Estrogen and Progesterone"},"content":{"rendered":"
How Estrogen and Progesterone levels affect women and men.<\/p>\n
Estrogen and progesterone are hormones that are important for sexual and reproductive development in women. Estrogen and progesterone help to regulate a woman\u2019s menstrual cycle and play an important role in pregnancy. While they are often thought of as \u2018female hormones\u2019, both estrogen and progesterone are also found in men.<\/p>\n
To understand how these hormones are manufactured we need to look more closely at the ovaries, the site of production of estrogen and progesterone in women. The ovaries produce and release the two groups of sex hormones \u2014 progesterone and estrogen.<\/p>\n
Estrogens<\/h4>\n
Estrogens are broken down into three groups, known as<\/p>\n
\n
Estradiol (E2): the most common type in women of childbearing age<\/li>\n
Estrone (E1): the only estrogen your body makes after menopause (when menstrual periods stop)<\/li>\n
Estriol (E3): the main estrogen during pregnancy<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
These substances work together to promote the healthy development of female sex characteristics during puberty and to ensure fertility. Estrogen also has other functions:<\/p>\n
\n
Keeps cholesterol in control<\/li>\n
Protects bone health for both women and men<\/li>\n
Affects your brain (including mood), bones, heart, skin, and other tissues<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Estrogen (estradiol, specifically) is instrumental in breast development, fat distribution in the hips, legs, and breasts, and the development of reproductive organs. The ovaries also release two other hormones, relaxin (released prior to giving birth) and inhibin (used to inhibit follicle-stimulation hormone secretion)<\/p>\n
Progesterone and estrogen are necessary to prepare your uterus for menstruation. The hypothalamus, a small region located at the base of your brain, triggers their release. Once you reach puberty, the ovaries release a single egg each month \u2014 this is called ovulation.<\/p>\n
If a woman is pregnant, the pregnancy will trigger high levels of estrogen and progesterone, which prevent further eggs from maturing. More hormones are released during pregnancy than at any other time of a woman\u2019s life, but during menopause \u2014 which marks the end of fertility \u2014 estrogen levels fall fast. This can lead to a range of menopausal symptoms.<\/p>\n\n
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