It would be chaos if people cannot relay messages between each other. Each one would do what he wants and there would be no order. Just imagine the world in that scene?
The same is true with the human body. As it is made up of many major organs and very small parts, they need to pass on messages between each other in order to work properly. Among the most important messengers in the body are hormones.
Hormones are made by very small glands and are moved throughout the body by blood and other flowing fluids. They make sure that there is a “teamwork” among the parts and nature of the systems.’
The Two Famous Steroid Hormones: Estrogen and Progesterone
There are plenty of hormones made and moving in the body. Estrogen and Progesterone are two vital steroid hormones that play a lot of roles in both men and women.
Estrogen
In females, the estrogen functions in many ways like the ones listed below:
- Makes the structures for child-bearing grow and mature like the ovaries and uterus.
- Promotes vaginal “wetting” needed especially during sexual contact.
- Raises the bone formation.
- Makes the skin soft and elastic.
- Balance of menstruation.
- Maintains sexual drive.
- Maintains and supports pregnancy.
- Makes the metabolism faster.
- Lowers the risk of heart disease like atherosclerosis because of its protection to the vessels.
There are even traces of estrogen moving in the bodies of men too. New studies showed that estrogen can prevent or treat Prostate Cancer.
Progesterone
Progesterone works in the female body in several ways. It works together with estrogen to balance the menstrual cycle. It is also vital in the support of pregnancy. In men, progesterone is a “heralds” testosterone. Its presence is healthy for the prostate as well.
In both male and female, progesterone functions in certain ways:
- Promotes health for the brain tissues, bones, breasts, and major organs like the heart and the liver.
- Improves the levels of fat in the body.
- Triggers the calming and feel-good receptors in the brain called GABA receptors.
- Plays many functions to govern the central nervous system.
What Happens When There is Too Much Estrogen or Progesterone?
All that is excess are not good for the person, right? Now, what happens when there is more than enough estrogen in the body?
- Person is more prone to breast cancer.
- Bleeding of the vagina that is not normal, irregular or no menstruation in women.
- Lower levels of testosterone in men.
- Men have mood swings
- Bigger breast size in males.
- Impotence in males.
On the other hand, too much progesterone in the body may cause the following symptoms in women:
Vaginal dryness- Absence of sex drive
- Sleepiness
- Bloating
- Breast tenderness
- Mood swings.
What Happens When There Is Too Little Estrogen or Progesterone In The body?
Women with low estrogen levels may suffer from any of the following signs and symptoms:
- Brittle Bones that may lead to osteoporosis
- Lower libido
- Hot Flashes and headache
- Higher risk for having Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
Low levels of progesterone affect the human body in many ways. In women, it may cause any of these conditions:
- Not able to get pregnant
- Higher risk for miscarriage or abortion
- Irregular menstrual cycle
- More Premenstrual syndrome symptoms
- Weight gain
- Depression
- Thyroid problems
- Fibrocystic breasts
Men suffer as well when there is too little progesterone in their system. They may endure:
Hair loss- Weight gain
- Fatigue
- Depression
- “Man-boobs”
- Little or no penile erection
- Low sex drive
- Bone and muscle loss
Dealing With Low Estrogen and Progesterone In The Body
It can be hard mainly for women if these steroid hormones are not balanced, especially at lower states. People dealing with the effects of low estrogen and progesterone levels in the body may turn to hormone replacement therapies.
On the other hand, there is an enjoyable and natural means of raising their levels in the body – eating. Hippocrates said let food be your medicine.
To increase estrogen in the body, one can feast on the following 11 kinds of foods:
- Fruits like apples, dates, papaya, cherries, tomatoes, olives, pomegranates, and plums
- Herbs and vegetables like alfalfa, baker’s yeast, chickpeas, celery, cucumbers, fennel, peas, beans, and rhubarb
- Root crops like potatoes, beets, carrots,
- Wheat, oats, rice, barley and yams
- Seeds such as flaxseed, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds
- Olive oil
- Dried and fresh spices and herbs like anise seed, red clover, licorice, parsley, thyme, verbena, turmeric, hops and sage
Those who want to increase their progesterone levels the natural and yummy way may help themselves to:
Poultry and dairy products like organic egg and chicken meat, milk, and cheese- Zinc-rich foods like red meat, turkey meat and shellfish
- Yams and sweet potato
- Foods rich in Vitamin B-6 like soy milk, fortified cereals, walnuts, and whole grains
Aside from eating these foods, there is also one great way to raise the levels of estrogen and progesterone in the body: relax. When one is too tensed or tired, the stress hormone called cortisol rises which makes the two steroid hormone drop.
It can be stressful especially for women when Estrogen and Progesterone stay at the “backstage”. Make them come out by serving foods they surely cannot resist.