Current:Home > MarketsTaking estrogen can be important for some people, but does it cause weight gain?-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Taking estrogen can be important for some people, but does it cause weight gain?
View Date:2024-12-23 19:51:32
Estrogen has a host of important health benefits. The sex hormone plays a critical role in reproductive health, sexual development, muscle development, and bone strength. In women, it also helps with menstrual cycle regulation and benefits the urinary tract, reproductive tract and breast tissue.
Though estrogen is produced naturally in the body, some people seek to increase estrogen levels by improving their diet, getting more vitamins and minerals, or by taking natural estrogen supplements. Other times, doctors recommend estrogen hormone therapy. "At the time of menopause, when menstrual cycles end, some women elect to take a small dose of estrogen therapy to reduce symptoms such as hot flashes, sleep and mood disruption and vaginal dryness," explains Cynthia Stuenkel, MD, a clinical professor of medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine.
Such therapy comes with some risks, however, that the experts say people need to be aware of.
Can you take estrogen supplements?
While a natural first step to increase estrogen levels is improving one's diet by eating more grains, fruits, vegetables and soy products, some people also use supplements to improve estrogen levels. Though supporting research is limited, supplements such as red clover, black cohosh and DHEA are all believed to be helpful.
Other people take vitamins and minerals known to help the body produce and use estrogen more effectively. These include vitamin E, vitamin B, vitaminD, and the mineral boron.
Though such vitamins and minerals are considered safe when taken within recommended limits, it's important to note that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate supplements the same way it regulates food and drugs, so it's recommended to consult with a registered dietician or primary care physician before taking estrogen supplements.
What is estrogen hormone therapy?
For people with especially low estrogen levels or for women experiencing menopause, hormone therapy may also be prescribed. It can be administered topically through a cream or patch, taken orally as a pill or tablet or implanted under local anesthetic.
Though estrogen hormone therapy used to be routinely recommended, some large clinical trials showed health risks associated with it including breast cancer, blood clots and heart disease, so it is now recommended less often, according to Mayo Clinic.
Certain people still benefit from hormone therapy, however, and individual conditions, health history, and one's age are all known to affect risk. "Estrogen should be prescribed by a physician who has knowledge and experience of potential risks," advises Andrew Greenberg, MD, director of the obesity and metabolism lab at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. He adds that if such risks aren't determined and if not given in the proper setting, "hormone therapy may promote certain detrimental health effects."
What's more, Stuenkel notes that estrogen hormone therapy "is not currently approved for prevention of chronic disorders related to aging" the way some people think it is, "though the FDA allows that prevention of bone loss can be a reason to choose estrogen therapy in women at risk if other bone strengthening agents are not appropriate."
Does estrogen cause weight gain?
One of the side effects or risks some people worry about when taking estrogen is whether it contributes to weight gain. "Contrary to popular thought, estrogen in combined oral contraceptives and postmenopausal therapy preparations does not cause weight gain," Stuenkel reassures. She notes that in several randomized clinical trials, when estrogen was compared with placebo (non-medication) treatment, "estrogen therapy did not increase weight."
It's important to note, however, that in most such cases, estrogen was used to restore or improve estrogen levels. Because estrogen (and testosterone) do impact where and how the body stores fat, "excess estrogen could cause weight gain in females, particularly in the waist, hips and thighs," says Disha Narang, MD, an endocrinologist at Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital. "Estrogen levels are also often elevated in people with increased body fat and during the first half of pregnancy," she adds.
On the other side, Greenberg notes that decreased levels of estrogen associated with women entering menopause have also been linked to weight gain.
In other words, balance is key. Too much or too little estrogen can affect one's weight, the experts say, so consulting with one's primary care physician is important to determine current estrogen levels and whether supplementation or hormone therapy could be helpful.
More:Estrogen is one of two major sex hormones in females. Here's why it matters.
veryGood! (2168)
Related
- All the Ways Megan Fox Hinted at Her Pregnancy With Machine Gun Kelly
- Sonya Massey's family keeps eyes on 'full justice' one month after shooting
- Olympics track highlights: Quincy Hall wins gold in 400, Noah Lyles to 200 final
- Texas school tried to ban all black attire over mental-health concerns. Now it's on hold.
- FBI raids New York City apartment of Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan, reports say
- SUV crash that killed 9 family members followed matriarch’s 80th birthday celebration in Florida
- 'Stranger Things' prequel 'The First Shadow' is headed to Broadway
- Your Wedding Guests Will Thank You if You Get Married at These All-Inclusive Resorts
- Kyle Richards Shares an Amazing Bottega Dupe From Amazon Along With Her Favorite Fall Trends
- Your Wedding Guests Will Thank You if You Get Married at These All-Inclusive Resorts
Ranking
- Up to 20 human skulls found in man's discarded bags, home in New Mexico
- Boxer Lin Yu-Ting, targeted in gender eligibility controversy, to fight for gold
- Steve Martin turns down Tim Walz impersonation role on ‘SNL,’ dashing internet’s casting hopes
- Boxer Lin Yu-Ting, targeted in gender eligibility controversy, to fight for gold
- Why Amanda Seyfried Traded Living in Hollywood for Life on a Farm in Upstate New York
- Organizers cancel Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna over fears of an attack
- St. Louis lawyer David Wasinger wins GOP primary for Missouri lieutenant governor
- Debby Drenched the Southeast. Climate Change Is Making Storms Like This Even Wetter
Recommendation
-
Shawn Mendes Confesses He and Camila Cabello Are No Longer the Closest
-
Hampton Morris wins historic Olympic weightlifting medal for USA: 'I'm just in disbelief'
-
The seven biggest college football quarterback competitions include Michigan, Ohio State
-
'1 in 100 million': Watch as beautiful, rare, cotton candy lobster explores new home
-
Dwayne Johnson Admits to Peeing in Bottles on Set After Behavior Controversy
-
Top US health official acknowledges more federal money for utility help is needed for extreme heat
-
Utah man who killed woman is put to death by lethal injection in state’s first execution since 2010
-
Former Milwaukee hotel workers charged with murder after video shows them holding down Black man