Anctherapist:
http://anctherapist.com

What is estrogen balance?[url][/url][url][/url]

Estrogen stimulates breast cell to  multiply. An imbalance of estrogen is a precipitating cause of breast cancer. Maintain and restoring balance to this class of hormones is essential to female health.  There are many factors affecting the balance of estrogen, including the function of the ovaries in producing estrogen, the impact of phytoestrogen and xenoestrogens in the food and environment, the onset of menses and menopause, the use of birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy, and the influence cortisol, growth hormone, and melatonin.

After a brief explanation of estrogen balance, let's examine estrogen production.

Estrogen production

The ovaries begin to produce estrogen during puberty—when the girl is anywhere between 10-14 years of age. The pituitary hormone, FSH, signals the ovaries to produce estrogen from puberty onward. During a single menstrual cycle, the ovaries produce increasing amount of estrogen from the first day of the period leading up to the day of ovulation in an effort to prepare the uterus for a possible pregnancy.

Estrogen levels pick  up before ovulation. After ovulation, estrogen level drop for a few days and then increase less dramatically between day 18-23, followed by a gentle decline until the end of the menstrual cycle. The monthly rise in estrogen level is the link that puts some women at high risk for breast cancer. Women with ovarian failure who produce little or no estrogen or whose ovaries have been removed reduce their breast cancer risk by 70-90%. Men also have little breast cancer because their estrogen levels are low.

let us look into another important topic. kinds or types of estrogen.

kinds of estrogen

The body produces three main types of estrogen namely:

estrone (E1)
estradiol (E2)
estriol (E3)
Estrogens can be categorized as either strong or weak estrogen. Strong estrogen are estrone and estradiol while weak estrogen is estriol.

strong estrogens: Estradiol and estrone

Over 50% of female body's estrogen is a form of estrone, produced in the ovaries and fat cells. Estrone is made in turn a storage form called estrone sulphate.  Breast cancer cells tend to accumulate large amount of estrone sulphate, which can convert back to estrone or estradiol as required. Drugs and supplements that block the conversion of estrone sulphate to estrone may become promising breast cancer treatment.

Estradiol, produced in the ovaries, is the strongest of the three estrogens, being 12 times more active than estrone  and 1,000 times more potent in its effects on breast tissue than estriol.

The ovaries shut down the production of  estradiol and estrone during menopause. After menopause, the adrenal glands produce the hormones testosterone and androstenedione in higher amount, which can be converted to estradiol and estrone in fat cells through the action of the enzyme, aromatase. If we block the aromatase enzyme, we can decrease the production of estradiol and estrone after menopause. we can block the aromatase enzyme by using chrysin (a flavonoid from passion flower), ground flaxseed, genistein in soy, the mineral zinc, and natural progesterone.

Weak estrogens:  estriol

Estriol is a short-acting weak estrogen, is produced by the placenta during pregnancy and is otherwise a breakdown production of estrone, synthesized in the liver. estriol matures breast cells during pregnancy, making them less vulnerable to damage from radiation and chemicals. The liver can convert estradiol and estrone to estriol. Women who excrete more estriol in their urine may have a lower risk of breast cancer. Cancer remission in patients receiving endocrine therapy occurs when estriol levels increase. estriol may protect the breast from the tumor-producing effects of estradiol and estrone.

In pregnancy, estriol is produced in large quantities and becomes the dominant estrogen as ovarian production of estradiol  and estrone decreases.  Estriol is produced in mini gram quantities, while estrone and estradiol are made only in microgram amounts. Nature maY have engineered this to protect the fetus from over-stimulation via estradiol and estrone.

All estrogens compete for the same receptor sites, so estriol exerts its productive effect when it binds to breast cell receptors, preventing the attachment and action of estradiol and estrone. Few women are diagnosed with breast cancer while pregnant.

After menopause estrone continues to be made when a hormone from the adrenal glands called androstenedione is converted in body fat and muscle cells to estrone with the help of the aromatase enzyme. The more fat cells we have after menopause, the more estrogen we are exposed to "in house". Some obese women produce more estrogen after menopause than thin women make before menopause. You can also  Check out this amazing list of 36 unknown weight losing tips

The type of food we eat can eat can facilitate or block the conversion of estradiol and estrone to estriol. improving liver function with specific nutrients, like indole-3-carbinol ( or DIM) assists this conversion. the use iodine compounds or sea vegetables may increase estriol levels in pre-and post. menopause women. this is however, a risk in too much estriol. if we were to take high amounts from external sources, it can act like or convert to estradiol, causing increased division of breast cell, possibly promoting cancer.

sources of estrogen

estrogen comes into the body through four main sources:

food and herbs: the body gets estrogen from a class of foods ans herbs called phytoestrogens. Certain plants such as soy, flaxseeds, legumes, mung bean and clover sprout, pumpkin seeds, wil indigo, licorice root, mandrake, bloodroot, thyme yucca, hops, verbena, turmeric, yellow dock etc contain components that act like weak estrogens.  phytoestrogens generally protect women from breast cancer by displacing the body's estrogens from their receptor sites.

ovaries, placenta, fat cells, adrenal glands: Three types of estrogens are made by the ovaries. Estrogen is also made by the placenta during pregnancy (estriol) and the fat cells after menopause(estrone) from the andrenal hormones precursor, androstenedione.
synthetic estrogens:  women are being exposed to these when they take the birth control pill, fertility drugs, and/or hormone replacement therapy during menopause. their effects also promote breast cancer.

[i]On the final note[b]

Of all the three forms of estrogen, estradiol and estrone are linked with increase breast cancer risk, particularly in post-menopausal women. estriol is associated with decreased risk except when given at very high concentrations. You can also check for Health Benefits of Soursop and Its Potential To Fight Cancer