why are female sex hormones so important?

If you’re a woman or someone who menstruates I’m sure you’re aware that you have sex hormones, but do you know what they do? Why they are important? Or why having imbalanced hormones can effect your health?

Our hormones are the chemical messengers of the endocrine system. The endocrine system is one of two controlling systems of our body, the other being the nervous system. The endocrine system is a collection of glands that produce hormones to regulate sleep, mood, metabolism, tissue function, growth and development, sexual function and reproduction, among other things. I’m guessing that you’re already beginning to see how important these are.

The hormones of the menstrual cycle are regulated by a series of hormonally controlled ‘feedback loops’. These feedback loops serve as a hormonal communication between the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and ovaries. When one hormonal level increases, information is sent to inhibit the production of its hormonal partner and vice-versa. This carefully made system is how we regulate the cycle of menstruation

Need a refresher on the menstrual cycle? Read more here: let’s get to know the menstrual cycle

steroid hormones AKA sex hormones

The major hormones of the reproductive system belong to ‘steroid’ hormones aka sex hormones. Bear with me while I get a little nerdy for a minute. All steroid hormones are manufactured from cholesterol. The different biological activity of each steroid hormone is based on the subtle variations of cholesterols chemical structure. Steroid hormones are not stored in the body, but rather are produced and used on demand, and may be made and broken down any number of times. For example; a hormone will start out as a pregnenolone (a precursor of progesterone) then is converted to progesterone, then to testosterone and finally to oestradiol. This recycling may continue with hormones changing into different forms or types of hormones allowing it to be broken down and excreted out of the body. You’re probably thinking ‘that’s great, but I still have no idea what this means’. This means, or at least what I am trying to help you understand is that if a hormone is not able to flow through a series of events to do its designated job, it will not only upset one area but create an imbalance for all sex hormones, which can cause a range of health issues.

So what happens when your sex hormones are imbalanced?

Oestrogen

Oestrogen is actually the umbrella term for the three types of oestrogens; oestrone (E1), oestradiol (E2) and oestriol (E3). The majority of oestrogen is produced in the ovaries, while the adrenal glands and fat cells produce the remaining. The role of oestrogen in the body are numerous. Oestrogen receptors are found in almost every tissue in the body, it is also required for bone health, cardiovascular health and of course sexual health and the regulation of the menstrual cycle. In the menstrual cycle, oestrogen peaks at ovulation. E1 is responsible for oogenesis and ovulation by stimulating follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH) receptor formation. E1 thins cervical mucous to become more fertile and stimulates activity of fimbriae and uterine tube cilia to support fertilisation of the egg. As you can see oestrogen is important for a lot of things, and too much or too little can lead to some pretty nasty side effects.

Progesterone

The primary source of progesterone comes from the corpus luteum (a mass of cells that forms in the ovaries), which is formed from the ruptured follicle after ovulation. Progesterone not only plays an important role in menstruation and reproduction but also in a number of other metabolic processes. This is because progesterone is a hormonal precursor of many of the other steroid hormones including the glucocorticoids, oestrogen and testosterone. Progesterones role in the menstrual cycle is to prepare the body for pregnancy in the event the released egg is fertilised. When oestrogen is in a dominate state in the body it is likely that a progesterone deficiency will occur and vice-versa.

Testosterone

The ovaries and adrenal glands both produce testosterone, androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). In a balanced menstrual cycle we have low levels testosterone throughout the month and it peaks at ovulation to increase libido in hopes you will mate and fertilise an egg. When the secretion of androgens is inappropriately high, abnormalities of the menstrual cycle can occur along with some unfortunate side effects.

So hopefully by now you have a better understanding of the importance of your sex hormones. If you are having issues with imbalances or suffering from some of the symptoms listed in the charts above, don’t ignore them. Book an appointment with your health care practitioner and find our how you can balance your hormones and your life.