Estrogen is the primary female sex hormone. It is responsible for the development and regulation of the female reproductive system and secondary sex characteristics. There are three major endogenous estrogens in females that have estrogenic hormonal activity: estrone, estradiol, and estriol. The estrane steroid estradiol is the most potent and prevalent of these. In addition to their role as natural hormones, estrogens are used as medications, for instance in menopausal hormone therapy and hormonal birth control.
Where is estrogen made?
Estrogen is made primarily in the ovaries of cycling women, while smaller amounts can be converted from testosterone through aromatization. In menopause, estrogen production shifts almost completely to aromatization. The enzyme responsible for aromatization is found in fat tissue, the brain, gonads, blood vessels, skin, and bone.
In Men:
Men need far less estrogen than women, and it is aromatized primarily from testosterone. Women who are still cycling have much greater estradiol quantities than men, but it is important to note that men do make estrogen. In fact, the level of estrogen in men is actually higher than the level in a post-menopausal woman!
What does estrogen do?
- Growth and development of female secondary sex characteristics
- Thickens the uterus for implantation, increases vaginal acidity to protect against infection, important for vaginal lubrication (particularly E3)
- Necessary for bone health
- In the brain helps maintain body temperature, protects against memory loss, increases serotonin and serotonin receptors
- Important for collagen production, skin thickness, and getting blood supply to the skin
- Helps protect against atherosclerosis
Normal Ranges for Total Estrogen in pg/mL:
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Adult Female (depends on the menstrual phase) |
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Follicular Phase (1-12 days) 90-590 pg/mL Luteal Phase 130-460 pg/mL Postmenopausal 50-170 pg/mL Adult Male 60-190 pg/mL |
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Critical Range: anything outside the limits mentioned above.
The three primary estrogens:
Estrone (E1):
- Weaker compared to Estradiol
- Research says the estrogenic activity is about 4% of estradiol’s activity
- Most abundant in menopause
- Made via aromatization in several tissues like fat and muscle
- Converts into estradiol (E2)
Estrone (E1) is also made by the ovary but in fat tissue in lesser quantities. While not as abundant in circulation as estradiol, estrone excess can still increase the risk for estrogen dominant cancers and estrogen dominant symptoms such as breast tenderness, heavy menstrual cycles, headaches, and erectile dysfunction and breast development in men just like estradiol. Estrone is commonly thought to be more abundant during menopause.
Estradiol and estrone can interconvert into each other.
Estradiol (E2):
- Most potent
- Made primarily in the ovaries
The main and most potent estrogen is known as Estradiol (E2). It is made primarily in the ovaries or testes and in the fat, liver, and neural tissue.
Expected values for E2:
- 1.8 - 4.5 Premenopausal (days 19-22), not on birth control
- 1.0 - 2.0 Collecting right after menstruation
- 4.0 - 12.0 Collecting close to ovulation
- 0.2 - 0.7 Postmenopausal (and not supplementing) or on birth control
Estriol (E3):
- The ‘end product’ of estradiol/estrone metabolism
- 16-OH-E1 can convert into estriol
- Not made in the ovaries
- Very weak estrogen
- Elevated in pregnancy due to placental production
The third estrogen is known as Estriol (E3) and is produced in significant amounts during pregnancy. In men and women, Estriol is irreversibly produced by estradiol (estriol cannot make estradiol) or from estrone through 16-OH-Estrone, which makes it the largest circulating estrogen because both Estrone and Estradiol can make it. Despite this, estriol is not nearly as potent as estradiol (Estradiol is 80x more potent!).
Urinary Total Estrogen Levels:
Total estrogen levels in a female's Urinary Hormones Complete Report by Vibrant Wellness offer a comprehensive insight into the hormonal balance within the body. This report typically measures three major forms of estrogen: estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3). Estrone, being the predominant form of estrogen in postmenopausal women, is produced primarily in the adrenal glands and fat tissues. Estradiol, considered the most potent form of estrogen, is predominant during the reproductive years and is chiefly produced by the ovaries. Estriol, the weakest form of estrogen, increases significantly during pregnancy. In a non-pregnant state, it reflects the estrogen produced by the liver and other tissues. The total estrogen level in the urinary report is a critical indicator of overall estrogenic activity in the body. It is instrumental in diagnosing various conditions like hormonal imbalances, fertility issues, menopausal status, and potential estrogen dominance. Estrogen levels can be influenced by factors such as age, menstrual cycle phase, menopausal status, lifestyle, and certain medications. The urinary hormone report by Vibrant Wellness, by providing a detailed analysis of these estrogen forms, offers a valuable tool for healthcare professionals in personalizing treatment and recommendations for hormonal health. It is essential in understanding the comprehensive hormonal milieu and assists in making informed decisions regarding hormonal therapy, lifestyle modifications, and addressing specific health concerns related to estrogen levels.
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Why do Estrogen levels increase?
- Overweight/obesity
- Peri-menopause = surges of estrogen
- Diabetes
- PCOS
- Estrogen supplementation
- Steroid medications
- Poor liver clearance so estrogens build-up
- Dysbiosis/Estrobolome problems
- Over aromatization from testosterone
- Environmental estrogens (difficult to test, however)
- Alcohol (2 or more glasses/day shown to increase estrogen)
- Ovarian cysts
- Having elevated testosterone levels – testosterone gets converted to estrogen through the aromatase enzyme. Therefore, having Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), over supplementing with testosterone or DHEA, or generally having a high production of this hormone, can lead to more estrogen being produced as a byproduct.
In men – over aromatization from testosterone to estrogen due to inflammation and blood sugar/insulin issues, environmental/xenoestrogen exposure (this does not show up on DUTCH testing, but they can cause symptoms), moderate alcohol use, and obesity
Common symptoms of elevated estrogen:
- In women – mood swings, weight gain, breast tenderness, fibrocystic breasts, heavy menses, fibroid/polyp development.
- In men – breast development, weight gain, and mood swings.
Common ways to lower estrogen:
Please consult with your health care provider about advice/treatment/diagnosis. The following statements are general informational statements.
- In women - address the cause, avoid alcohol, avoid environmental/xenoestrogens, DIM/I3C supplementation, calcium-d-glucurate, increased fiber (especially ground flax seeds), increased detoxification support, and weight loss
- In men – address the cause, avoid alcohol, avoid environmental/xenoestrogens, DIM/I3C supplementation, calcium-d-glucurate, increased fiber, decrease blood sugar and insulin, increased detoxification support, weight loss, and things that block aromatase (Chrysin, Damiana, Zinc and pharmaceutical aromatase inhibitors)
Other general interventions to keep in mind that can be beneficial for everyone if you don’t know the status of your hormones includes:
- Avoiding xenoestrogen exposure. Here is a great link to the top endocrine disruptors to avoid your environment [L]:
- Eat more cruciferous vegetables from the Brassica family- broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, etc.
- Support your liver on-going – from the basic lemon water to increasing consumption of dandelion or dandelion tea, doing a liver cleanse twice a year, and reducing consumption of sugar and alcohol.
- Make sure your bowels are going – lots of fluids and high fiber in your diet will help regulate your bowel movements and make sure your hormones are properly detoxified rather than sitting in your body and recirculating back in the system.
Anthony
Unlimited Plan Member since 2021
I have been using Healthmatters.io since 2021. I travel all over the world and use different doctors and health facilities. This site has allowed me to consolidate all my various test results over 14 years in one place. And every doctor that I show this to has been impressed. Because with any health professional I talk to, I can pull up historical results in seconds. It is invaluable. Even going back to the same doctor, they usually do not have the historical results from their facility in a graph format. That has been very helpful.
Karin
Advanced Plan Member since 2020
What fantastic service and great, easy-to-follow layouts! I love your website; it makes it so helpful to see patterns in my health data. It's truly a pleasure to use. I only wish the NHS was as organized and quick as Healthmatters.io. You've set a new standard for health tracking!
Paul
Healthmatters Pro Member since 2024
As a PRO member and medical practitioner, Healthmatters.io has been an invaluable tool for tracking my clients' data. The layout is intuitive, making it easy to monitor trends and spot patterns over time. The ability to customize reports and charts helps me present information clearly to my clients, improving communication and outcomes. It's streamlined my workflow, saving me time and providing insights at a glance. Highly recommended for any practitioner looking for a comprehensive and user-friendly solution to track patient labs!
Why does estrogen decrease?
- Age (peri-menopause and menopause)
- Irregular cycles/skipped cycles/anovulation
- Hysterectomy with ovaries removed
- Anorexia
- Low cholesterol (backbone to hormones)
- Extreme exercise or training
- Extreme stress resulting in skipped menses
- Under appropriate body weight percentage for height/age (Mixed research: suggested <15% body fat = amenorrhea)
- Hypogonadism (ovaries fail)
- Hypopituitarism (pituitary not communicating)
- Decreased blood flow to the ovaries (Ex. Surgery or smokers)
- Breastfeeding
- Hypothyroidism
- PCOS
- Fertility medications
- Opioid pain medications (in last 6 months)
- Hormonal birth control – pill, patch, ring, implant, injection
Common symptoms of low estrogen:
- In women - fatigue, depression, hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, pain with intercourse, low libido, joint pain, brain fog, migraines/headaches, fertility issues, dry skin
- In men - not generally considered symptomatic, but in very extreme cases, men may have similar symptoms as in the list above for women
Common ways to raise estrogen:
In women - address the cause, phytoestrogens such as Red Clover, Dong Quai, Kudzu, soy, diosgenin, genistein, fennel, and Black Cohosh (although studies are mixed on whether it acts as a phytoestrogen or not), Maca, and bioidentical estrogen replacement.
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I have been using Healthmatters.io since 2021. I travel all over the world and use different doctors and health facilities. This site has allowed me to consolidate all my various test results over 14 years in one place. And every doctor that I show this to has been impressed. Because with any health professional I talk to, I can pull up historical results in seconds. It is invaluable. Even going back to the same doctor, they usually do not have the historical results from their facility in a graph format. That has been very helpful.
Karin
Advanced Plan Member since 2020
What fantastic service and great, easy-to-follow layouts! I love your website; it makes it so helpful to see patterns in my health data. It's truly a pleasure to use. I only wish the NHS was as organized and quick as Healthmatters.io. You've set a new standard for health tracking!
Paul
Healthmatters Pro Member since 2024
As a PRO member and medical practitioner, Healthmatters.io has been an invaluable tool for tracking my clients' data. The layout is intuitive, making it easy to monitor trends and spot patterns over time. The ability to customize reports and charts helps me present information clearly to my clients, improving communication and outcomes. It's streamlined my workflow, saving me time and providing insights at a glance. Highly recommended for any practitioner looking for a comprehensive and user-friendly solution to track patient labs!
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