Let's talk about estrogen. With 400 functions in the body, it's no wonder that when this part of your hormonal symphony is out of tune, there are many consequences! Hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, anxiety, mood swings, irritability, depression, and memory problems, just to name a few; the consequences can drastically affect your life.

Pre-menopausal symptoms can start as early as 30 in some women, and are often written off as just being stressed out. However, it is also important to note that not all women lose estrogen as they age. Thus it is very important to have lab tests performed to accurately measure your levels.

While all 400 functions cannot be discussed in this article, I am discussing some of them because it is good for women who are afraid to take estrogen to know at least something about what estrogen does. Estrogen:

• Maintains bone density.

• Stimulates the production of an enzyme called choline acetyltransferase to prevent Alzheimer's disease.

• Increases metabolic rate.

• Improves insulin sensitivity.

• Helps prevent muscle damage and maintain muscle.

• Improves sleep.

• Helps maintain the elasticity of arteries and dilates the small arteries, increases blood flow.

• Inhibits platelet stickiness, decreases the accumulation of plaque in arteries.

• Maintains the amount of collagen in the skin.

• Lowers blood pressure, decreases LDL cholesterol levels and increases HDL cholesterol by 10-15 percent.

• Reduces the overall risk of heart disease by 40-50 percent.

• Enhances energy, improves mood, and increases concentration.

• Increases sexual interest, decreases wrinkles.

• Lowers risk of developing colon cancer.

• Aids in the formation of neurotransmitters in the brain, such as serotonin, which decreases depression, irritability, anxiety, and even pain sensitivity.

Many women have estrogen excess (estrogen dominance) as a result of taking too much estrogen, impaired elimination of estrogen, lack of exercise, eating a diet low in grain and fiber, and environmental estrogens. A lack of exercise is probably the number one reason women in the US have too much estrogen. Excess can also result in anxiety, and agitation as well as weight gain, water retention, headaches, poor sleep, panic attacks and swollen breasts.

As an anti-aging specialist, I suggest the replacement of estrogen transdermal or via subcutaneous pellet insertions only. Oral estrogen is hard on the liver, it increases blood pressure, increases triglycerides and increases estrone levels - the estrogen that increases the risk of breast cancer. The metabolism of estrogen also changes after menopause. We check women's estrogen metabolism to see if the wrong kinds of estrogen metabolites are made.

Estrogen deficiency or excess can disrupt your hormonal symphony and take the joy out of life. Next week, I will discuss progesterone and its importance in the balancing act. Remember, your hormones were designed to work together for your own personal hormonal symphony to live life optimally!

For more information, contact Jan Nelson at Balanced Wellness Medical Clinic, (509) 919-4575 or email at [email protected].