Estrogen is the female hormone, and it influences female body characteristics, such as breasts, hips, pelvis and even facial shapes. Estrogen also keeps the skin smooth and unwrinkled, prevents excess hair growth, and promotes vaginal moisture. It enhances sexual desire, increases physical endurance, promotes a positive mood (happiness, enthusiasm, zeal, etc.) and prevents depression. Amazingly, estrogen affects about 400 functions of the body.
The word “estrogen” really refers to a family of three hormones. The major one is called Estradiol. Another estrogen hormone, called Estriol, protects agains breast cancer, as well as increasing the good cholesterol, HDL, and helps maintain the gastrointestinal tract and a healthy, moist vaginal lining. To counter the effects of aging caused by decreased hormone levels, patients should replace both Estradiol and Estriol. Estrogen deficiency causes fatigue, hair loss from the top of your head, wrinkling of the skin (especially around the eyes and mouth), sagging breasts, dryness in the vagina, decreased libido, and feelings of depression or discouragement.
Unfortunately, some recent research projects, including a study called the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), have been erroneously interpreted by both the media and most doctors, and this has led to unjustified fears about estrogen replacement therapy and un-necessary suffering. The fact is the WHI study used equine (horse) estrogens and synthetic progestin instead of natural estrogen and progesterone. Given the vast difference in the structure between natural and synthetic substances, the finding that synthetic hormones could have a detrimental effect on the body is really not very surprising. Indeed, the authors of the study concluded that if natural estrogen and progesterone had been used in their study, the results likely would have been very different. The sad result of this confusion is that far too many women are suffering the consequences of hormone imbalance needlessly because of an unsubstantiated fear of estrogen. Natural Estrogen and Progesterone are safe and healthy, so my advice to women is: Do not let fear stop you from being healthy, explore ALL options before deciding on a course of treatment.