Anyemi Mohee (Welcome brother/sister)
Oestrogen, many of us know, is a hormone that gives girls their hips and breasts during puberty. But it does so much more than that. Oestrogen plays a part in many processes including Skin elasticity, bone strength, keeping your vagina juicy. This hormone is even important in men.
Now how oestrogen is created, moves around and works in the cells is a complex process which we won’t go into here. What you do need to know is that for the body to work optimally we need the right amount, at the right ratio and at the right time. Too much or wrong ratio and you may have Fibroids, endometriosis, really bad PMS or erectile dysfunction, and too little and you may get osteoporosis or irregular periods.
Another thing to note is that oestrogen isn’t a single thing, it’s a group of hormones that behave in a way that we associate with ‘oestrogens’. So with this article I want to introduce you to the 5 types which are either natural, not produced by the body but generally good, and foreign wahala causing so avoid if possible:
1) Oestradiol (american spelling is Estradiol) – is one of the naturally occurring oestrogens and is the predominant one during our reproductive years. This is also the most active and most potent of the naturally occurring oestrogens.
2) Oestriol (american spelling is Estriol) – This is the predominant oestrogen during pregnancy and again natural.
3) Oestrone (American spelling is Estrone) – This is another naturally occurring oestrogen and is the predominant oestrogen during menopause. This is created through a process called aromatisation, and occurs outside the ovaries, mainly in peripheral tissues like adipose tissue (fat cells) – one of the reasons why during menopause it’s hard to lose the fat.
4) Phytoestrogens – These are a group of oestrogens present in plants eg soy, flaxseed and tend to be weaker than the other types of oestrogen. These can be used in treatments where there is too little oestrogen eg Menopause or too much. The effectiveness of the latter depends on the body’s ability to fully and effectively get rid of the stronger oestrogens that are unable to attach to receptors (attaching to receptors is how they do their work on a cell). This is where your herbalist comes in. They know what to do when it comes to treating conditions where the regulation of oestrogen is a contributing factor.
5) Xenoestrogens – These are what I call the Gangsta oestrogens. They are foreign oestrogens often found in the environment and exert a very strong, often hazardous influence in the body – essentially they take things too far and cause drama. Sources of these types of oestrogen are plastics, pesticides and chemicals input into our foods and cosmetics – which are literally everywhere. This is the strongest type of oestrogens overall and we could benefit from avoiding where we can.
Now lets get a little big sciency: The body’s ability to regulate oestrogen levels relies on several factors, including its responsiveness to positive/negative feedback signals, the efficiency of the production process, and the elimination of excess oestrogen through the digestive system. Proper nutrition, a healthy lifestyle, and effective digestion (you need to try pooing every day) play vital roles in supporting this process. It’s crucial to recognize that the body functions as a unified system. When dealing with issues related to hormone regulation, you cannot ignore other systems, such as the digestive or nervous systems. For example you get too stressed – your periods could stop, your liver struggling? then oestrogen clearing is a problem.
Now if you want more details (don’t worry I wont intentionally confuse you in an attempt to sound smart) you can contact me here about hosting a workshop. I do “What does your period say about you?” and “Fibroids, Endometriosis and how to manage these conditions.”
If you want to learn more about the incredible human body and how to maintain good health, make sure to follow me on Instagram and YouTube (@Tsofanye)…yeah i’m begging you to follow me – but i’ll make it worth your while!