Estrogen, sometimes also called the “female” sex hormone, is a hormone that is involved in many reproductive processes such as menstruation and pregnancy, and is also important for the development of female characteristics of the body. Estrogen also has other effects in the body, such as on the lipid metabolism, bone health, mood and tissue function. Estrogen is mainly produced in the ovaries, but also by the adrenal glands, fat tissue and other non-reproductive tissues in smaller amounts. There are three types of estrogen: Estrone (E1), Estradiol (E2) and Estriol (E3). Estrone (E1) is produced after menopause. Estradiol (E2) is the most common type of estrogen in women of reproductive age, and Estriol (E3) becomes important during pregnancy. Your Estrogen levels change during your menstrual cycle, depending which phase of the cycle you are in.
Sources:
- Hormone Health Network. What is Estrogen? https://www.hormone.org/your-health-and-hormones/glands-and-hormones-a-to-z/hormones/estrogen (accessed 2. August 2020)
- Delgado B.J. et al. Estrogen. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538260/ (accessed 2. August 2020)
- Cui J. et al. Estrogen synthesis and signaling pathways during ageing: from periphery to brain. Trends Mol Med. 2013 Mar; 19(3): 197–209. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3595330/ (accessed 2. August 2020)
