Estriol - Safest Natural Estrogen
Estriol is one of the three major estrogen hormones produced by a woman's body. In the average young healthy woman it makes up about 90% of her body's total estrogen levels; estradiol makes up another 7%, and the remaining 3% is estrone. In addition it has been found that during pregnancy a woman's production of this hormone frequently jumps by as much as 1,000%, and remains elevated after the pregnancy.Although both estradiol and estrone have been found to promote cancer due to the fact that they stimulate cell growth, estriol seems to protect against cancer, although researchers don't yet know exactly why. They suspect it may be because it fills estrogen receptor sites in the cells so the stronger estrogens can't use them.
At any rate, for whatever reason, one study of 15,000 women over a forty year period, showed that the women who had the highest rates of estriol during pregnancy had the lowest rates of cancer. Specifically, those with the top 25% of estriol production during pregnancy had a 58% lower rate of breast cancer in the following forty years.One womens' cancer specialist named Dr. Lemon came up with what he called the Estrogen Quotient (EQ) which is the ratio of estriol to the sum of the other two main estrogens, estradiol and estrone. You add the last two types together and then divide them into the total amount of the first. The higher your number the better.
Estriol's Benefits
- It lowers signs of risk for heart disease
- Its use improves bone density
- It makes brain lesions disappear in multiple sclerosis patients
- In menopausal women it promotes urinary tract health
- A high ratio compared to estradiol and estrone protects against breast cancer, as mentioned above.
- When used as a vaginal cream it resolves atrophic vaginitis, although many times using a progesterone cream will make estrogen supplementation unnecessary.
Further Research Opportunities
Although specific information on the value of this hormone isn't particularly easy to find, there are reliable sources available. Two books I've mentioned previously What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause (TM): The Breakthrough Book on Natural Hormone Balance and What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About(TM): Premenopause: Balance Your Hormones and Your Life from Thirty to Fifty (What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About...) are available from Amazon by clicking on the preceding links, or you can also find them through libraries or local book stores. I also found detailed information from a magazine article published by Life Extension in August 2008 titled "Estriol Its Weakness is its Strength" . If you click on the link it will take you to their website where you'll find similar information under their women's health topics. A third source of valuable information was this article about its benefits by Dr. Jonathan Wright.
Beware of FDA Propaganda
In January of 2008 the FDA sent warning letters to some compounding pharmacies telling them that they couldn't tell women that bio-identical hormones were safer than conventional drug hormones. They claim that the drugs are "safer" because studies have been done on them and their side effects are "known". They say that natural hormones are not FDA approved to treat menopausal symptoms. Of course the last statement is true. Since hormones are natural substances made in our bodies, there isn't a high enough profit margin for anyone to be able to pay to get them approved by the FDA. Nevertheless, estriol is obviously safe for women since our bodies have been making and using it since creation. In addition, there are absolutely no reports of adverse side effects from its use, and all the studies I'm aware of have shown it to be beneficial. Finally, it is widely prescribed and used for the treatment of menopausal symptoms in both Europe and Japan. Since drug companies fund the FDA in large measure, there is an obvious conflict of interest in their position on this matter.
Conclusions
You will have to draw your own conclusions. The authors of the two books I've recommended above obviously believe it would be best to use a natural progesterone cream exclusively, if possible, to control menopausal symptoms. But when symptoms of estrogen deficiency persist, they clearly believe this type to be the safest estrogen to supplement. Although I am not a doctor, if I should develop signs of estrogen deficiency, I would follow their advice. I trust I've been able to provide you with the resources you need to make a wise and health boosting decision as well.
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