The Basics and Beyond: Empowering Women with Hormonal Insight
Before we delve into the intricate world of hormones, it's crucial to establish that this post is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult with a healthcare professional for personalized guidance on matters concerning your health.
Now, let's address a gap that many women around the world know exists—an absence of practical knowledge about our sex hormones, what they do for us, and how to attune to them. So, let's embark on a basic, Biology 101 lesson in hormones that ideally should have been part of our education many years ago.
Hormones, the body's chemical messengers, perform various tasks as they circulate throughout our body. But let’s start from the beginning–all hormones, for both men and women, start with cholesterol and a mix of vitamins and minerals. They are the ingredients needed to create hormones. The essential vitamins and minerals are sourced partly from the normal bacteria in our gut and partly from the food we consume. Once produced, hormones play a key role in various vital functions, however, in today’s post we are going to focus on reproduction, specifically the role of estrogen and progesterone during this process.
Estrogen and progesterone, the leading ladies in the hormone orchestra for us women, their roles are more distinct in women compared to men.
Meet Estrogen– her rise begins when the brain signals our ovaries to initiate production of estrogen, leading to the growing and thickening of the uterine lining. This hormone also stimulates collagen production, giving our skin that radiant glow, and supporting healthy joints and bones. It is also the precursor to serotonin (mood regulator) and dopamine (pleasure hormone), explaining those outgoing vibes and desires for pleasurable activities. Estrogen peaks around ovulation and gradually declines afterward.
Now onto Progesterone, the calm and collected heroine. When our brain signals the release of an egg from the mature follicle, our body kicks into gear to produce progesterone (a follicle is the sack that holds and releases a mature egg). Primarily created by the ovaries, progesterone matures the uterine lining—a vital process for maintaining a potential pregnancy–and has relaxing and rest supporting properties. If no fertilization occurs, the ovaries will stop progesterone production, initiating the menstrual period. This is a shedding of the uterine lining triggered by the drop in progesterone.
In a nutshell, estrogen rises to signal ovulation and then drops shortly after. Whereas progesterone begins to rise after ovulation and then drops, signaling our menstrual bleed. This cycle happens every 28-32 days (on average). That's a simplified overview of what estrogen and progesterone do in our bodies. However, it's important to acknowledge that the intricacies go beyond this brief explanation, but at the minimum this level of information should have been taught to us when we were learning about our bodies.
Another important detail we should have been taught is that because of this process we are not fertile 365 days in the year–meaning we cannot get pregnant every day of the year. The fertile window is more like a 3-7 day monthly affair. However, knowing when you are fertile is essential!
Now, let's talk about potential hormone hiccups—also crucial information, but possibly past the foundational learning we should have learned.
When estrogen is too high, you might find yourself dealing with estrogen dominance—this is when estrogen goes out of the normal range or is high in comparison to progesterone. Since these two need to dance in harmony for homeostasis, keeping an eye on both is essential.
Gut health plays a role too. Why? Because our gut's good bacteria helps maintain the vitamins and minerals needed for hormone production. Gut imbalances can be a leading cause for hormonal imbalance.
Progesterone's role in regulating gut transit time, meaning the time it takes food to pass before we have to use the bathroom, adds another layer of important balance required for proper digestive and detoxification functioning.
Nutrient breakdown and absorption is vital, as cholesterol from digested healthy fats and our liver's production, is the starting material for all hormone production. Therefore, if our gut is off we cannot breakdown the foods necessary to produce the ingredients our body’s need for hormone production.
The liver, responsible for clearing used hormones, plays an essential role, creating a group of proteins that render hormones bound or unbound. A bound hormone is unavailable for use, whereas an unbound hormone is not. An overwhelmed liver could lead to hormones being bound up too much or too little, or worse, get released back into the body in a more toxic form.
This serves as a “foundational plus” post to understanding of estrogen and progesterone roles and a brief exploration of potential consequences of imbalances. For diagnoses and comprehensive healthcare, consulting with a qualified medical professional is recommended. For insights on spotting patterns and potential healing opportunities, feel free to schedule a 15-minute discovery call with me!
Here's your cheat sheet to understanding how and why hormones may be imbalanced in your body:
With love and support,
Isabella
