Hormones are tricky chemical messengers. They travel in your bloodstream throughout your entire body. They work slowly, over time, and affect many different processes such as: growth and development, metabolism (how your body gets energy from the foods you eat), sexual function, reproduction, and mood.

Having just the right level of any hormone is very important to living our best lives. The actions and choices we make every second of every day can impact our hormone levels.

Estrogen is primarily produced in the ovaries, but a little is made by DHEA. Women have estrogen receptors over their ENTIRE body: brain, muscles, bone, bladder, gut, uterus, ovaries, vagina, breasts, colon, eyes, heart, lungs, and blood vessels, to name a few. A woman’s body makes three main types of estrogen: estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3).

Males make estrogen from DHEA. Just like women, they make three types of estrogen: estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3). Estradiol has a protective effect on the brain in older males and serum estradiol levels have been shown to be lower in men with Alzheimer’s.

Causes of estrogen deficiency include:

Maybe those don’t sound like your issues but heavy painful periods, PMS, anxiety, mood swings, breast pain and headaches sound like your symptoms?

If you are ready to find out what your estrogen (and other hormones) levels are, sign up for our hormone lab testing package and talk with a functional pharmacist about YOUR specific levels.