What Does Estrogen Do: Functions, Benefits & More

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Estrogen is the primary female sex hormone that brings physical changes in girls and turns them into women. These changes or secondary sex characteristics include:

• Reproductive organ growth
• Breast development
• Start of menstruation
• Changes in voice
• Body shape changes

Known mostly for its role in reproductive health, estrogen is involved in a wide range of functions throughout the body. It helps with the development and protection of the heart, brain, skin, and bone.

Interested in learning the roles of estrogen in men and women? Keep reading the article to learn all that and even more, such as the causes and symptoms of estrogen level fluctuations.

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What are the types of estrogen?

The first thing that you will want to know about estrogen is that there are actually three different types of estrogen. Each plays specific roles for women’s health during different stages of life.

Estradiol

It is the type of estrogen that is found in women during their peak reproductive ability or childbearing age. So, as women age, the level of estradiol in their bodies will naturally decline.

Estriol

Estriol is unique because it is a variation of estrogen that is typically produced during pregnancy.

Estriol has a huge role in helping the uterus grow and prepare the female body for the delivery of a child. Estriol levels can be expected to peak just before birth and then taper off to a barely noticeable level.

Estrone

Estrone is a type of estrogen that is most commonly produced by adipose tissue (fat cells) following menopause. Menopause usually occurs in the 40-50 age range in females.

Estrone is basically a weaker form of estrogen, and your body can convert it into other types of estrogen if needed.

This provides women with the means to continue healthy body function following menopause – the end of their reproductive years.

Functions of estrogen: What does estrogen do for women?

Here are some of the important functions that estrogen performs and areas of the body in which it has a heavy presence.

Ovaries

During the follicular stage of the menstrual cycle, estrogen is responsible for stimulating the growth of follicle (a sac in the ovaries that contains a developing egg).

This is an incredibly important part of the pregnancy and birth process. Without estrogen, it would not be possible.

Besides this, estrogen also supports ovulation and maintains the menstrual cycle.

Vagina

Estrogen maintains the thickness of the vaginal wall, providing a good environment for growing a child. It also promotes lubrication, which is a key factor in a healthy vagina.

Estrogen helps maintain a slightly acidic vaginal pH that prevents harmful bacteria growth.

Uterus

One of the characteristics of a healthy uterus is a mucous membrane (called endometrium) that lines the uterus. With the right amount of estrogen, this membrane is maintained for better vaginal and reproductive health.

Breasts

Estrogen also plays a very important and central role in the health of female breasts. The body will draw upon estrogen to form new breast tissue when necessary.

In addition, estrogen (along with progesterone) prepares breasts for milk production during pregnancy.

What does estrogen do to men?

Although estrogen is a female hormone, it is equally important for men but in smaller amounts.

Estrogen is produced mainly by the testes, adipose tissue (body fat tissue) and brain in men. It influences multiple reproductive health aspects, including:

• Sperm maturation and production
• Fertility
• Testosterone levels regulation
• Libido (sex drive)
• Erectile function

Additionally, it performs many other roles in men; some of these are (estrogen performs all these roles in women as well):

• Maintaining bone mineral density (BMD)
• Regulating mood and cognitive function
• Regulating cholesterol levels
• Protecting the heart and improving cardiovascular health
• Regulating metabolism and body fat distribution
• Supporting skin and hair health

How does estrogen work?

Like any other hormone, estrogen is a chemical messenger that exerts its effect by binding to its specific receptors.

Once your body produces estrogen (or you take it from an external source – estrogen medication), estrogen enters into your bloodstream and reaches its target tissue/organ.

There it binds to estrogen receptors and triggers cellular responses, affecting growth, reproduction and metabolism.

Once estrogen reaches its adequate serum levels and has performed its function, it sends signals to the brain to slow down further estrogen production.

What causes fluctuations in estrogen levels?

If you are a woman, one thing that you should be aware of is that estrogen levels can vary wildly, and they often do.

Natural estrogen level fluctuation during a menstrual cycle or different stages of life is totally normal. This is nothing to worry about.

But if you have too little or too much estrogen because of something other than the body’s natural cycle, it can cause various health problems.

Here are the most common causes of fluctuations in estrogen levels:

• Going through a pregnancy
• Breastfeeding children
• Going through puberty
• The menopause process
• Natural aging
• Overweight and obesity
• Extreme dieting habits or anorexia
• Very strenuous exercise or physical activity
• Stress
• Certain medications
• Certain congenital conditions
• High blood pressure and cholesterol
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Diabetes
• Underactive or defective pituitary glands
• Ovarian disorders like PCOS

What are the symptoms of estrogen imbalance?

A key part of preventing and reversing estrogen imbalance is knowing what to look for and how to identify estrogen imbalance when it is occurring. Here are some of the symptoms of estrogen imbalance in women and men:

• Irregularity in menstrual patterns or no menstruation at all
• Light and heavy bleeding during menstrual cycles
• Severe symptoms during menstrual periods
• Menopausal symptoms like hot flushes and night sweats
• Vaginal dryness
• Benign lumps in the breasts and within the uterus
• Wild mood swings
• Sleep disturbances
• Weight changes
• Skin issues like hormonal acne
• Breast tenderness
• Infertility
• Hair loss
• Osteoporosis
• Muscle weakness
• Low libido
• Dryness of the vagina and vaginal atrophy
• Increased fatigue
• Lower energy
• Mental health issues such as depression and anxiety

If you are suffering from these symptoms, you may have an estrogen imbalance and should seek treatment from a trained professional.

How to check estrogen levels?

Estrogen levels are easy to check.

You simply have a serum estrogen blood test in which your blood sample is drawn and sent to a laboratory where its composition is analysed. You receive your blood test results in a few days. Reach out to an endocrinologist if you find out that you have low or excess estrogen.

Estradiol test is the most frequently used test that assesses estrogen status in both men and women.

You can have an estrogen test through the NHS, a private hormone testing service or simply an at-home finger prick test.

Hormone replacement therapy (estrogen therapy) for low estrogen levels

Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT), also called hormone replacement therapy (HRT), is exactly what it sounds like – a therapy that is designed to bring your low estrogen levels back to normal.

With estrogen hormone therapy, thousands of women have been able to avoid the side effects that come along with estrogen deficiency, hormone imbalance and menopause.

Estrogen hormone replacement therapy works by directly affecting the levels of estrogen in the body to ensure proper levels are reached. This can be done by a number of means such as injection, patches, implants, gels, and oral estrogen.

ERT involves the administration of only estrogen. But some women also need progesterone along with estrogen, so they receive a combination therapy in which both estrogen and progesterone medications are given simultaneously.

HRT comes with its own potential side effects like increased risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and cardiovascular disease. So, make sure you evaluate HRT pros and cons before choosing it for your hormonal issues.

If you wish to explore the possibility of estrogen therapy for your situation, then you need only speak with an estrogen therapy expert, who can advise you on the best path forward.

How to balance estrogen naturally?

While estrogen therapy has shown to be very safe and effective over many years of testing and trial, some people prefer to do things more naturally.

There’s nothing wrong with that, but oftentimes, it can mean a great deal of personal discipline and patience.

One of the most common reasons for estrogen imbalance, outside of natural ageing, is poor personal health and fitness.

A body that is not in good shape and is not consuming high-quality food is much more prone to an estrogen imbalance. You should be wary of this and be sure to eat good foods as well as get exercise when possible.

Another pathway that you can take to naturally balance your hormones is to eat foods that promote the regulation of hormones.

Besides this, you should maintain a healthy body weight, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep every night to improve your overall health and bring hormonal balance naturally.

While natural methods can be the solution for some women, they are not the end solution for many others. It is likely that if you are experiencing some sort of hormone imbalance, you may need to pursue treatment that is specifically designed to address that problem.

What foods are high in estrogen?

Some fruits have phytoestrogens (dietary estrogen) that may mimic estrogen in the body. Adding these estrogen-rich foods to your diet may help you increase your low estrogen levels.

Here are the foods high in estrogen:

• Soy and foods that contain soy protein
• Berries
• Peaches
• Seeds (flaxseeds, sesame seeds, etc.)
• Legumes
• Grains
• Nuts
• Garlic
• Tofu and tempeh

Does birth control contain estrogen?

Many people think of the oral contraceptive pill as exclusively a product to prevent conception and avoid pregnancy.

However, women may know that birth control is actually a much more complex product than that and has some other applications that you may not have considered.

One of those potential applications is birth control as an estrogen supplement. Birth control contains either synthetic estrogen or progestin-only.

The type that has estrogen could contribute to raising estrogen in the body, but it is usually not used as a standalone supplement. Rather, it is a side effect of the pill.

FAQs about estrogen functions & benefits

Why is estrogen important?

Like any other hormone, estrogen controls specific functions in the body. Having an estrogen imbalance can disturb your mental, emotional and physical health in countless ways.

That’s why estrogen is a crucial hormone for both men and women.

Can estrogen cause weight gain?

High estrogen levels, as well as HRT, can cause weight gain in some individuals (in the case of HRT, it happens when the treatment is not properly managed).

What do estrogen and progesterone do in the menstrual cycle?

During a menstrual cycle, estrogen develops the uterine lining and triggers the release of an egg from the ovary. After ovulation, increased progesterone levels further prepare the uterus for a potential pregnancy.

What happens to estrogen during menopause?

During menopause, estrogen hormone levels decline sharply, leading to unwanted menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, mood changes, etc.

If you are suffering from these unpleasant symptoms, our menopause clinic can help you tackle this issue effectively.

What is the function of estrogen during pregnancy?

Estrogen plays multiple roles during pregnancy to well-maintain this critical life stage. It supports fetal development, increases blood circulation in the uterus and prepares breasts for lactation.

How Balance My Hormones can help

If you believe you are suffering from a hormone imbalance and have symptoms mentioned in this article, please book an appointment with one of our specialist hormone doctors.

They will run through your health history and symptoms with you.

If they believe your symptoms warrant further investigation, they will most likely ask you to have a blood test at one of our partner centres, where we will check your overall health and hormone markers to help diagnose your condition.

After the diagnosis is made, you will be offered a treatment which could be natural improvements in your lifestyle or some form of hormone replacement therapy (gels or pills), along with ongoing monitoring of your overall health condition.

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References

Patil, A. and Daniel, H., 2024. Estrogen. Encyclopedia of Sexual Psychology and Behavior, pp.1-12.

Cameron, C.R., Cohen, S., Sewell, K. and Lee, M., 2024. The art of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in menopause management. Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 37(3), pp.736-740.

Chen, P., Li, B. and Ou-Yang, L., 2022. Role of estrogen receptors in health and disease. Frontiers in endocrinology, 13, p.839005.

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