6 Examples of Hormones for Females
Hormones are substances produced in one part of our body that provide functions in another part of the body. Almost every part of the body is impacted by hormones and almost all hormones are related together. They work in a balancing system. When one is low, another will become high. Over time, hormone imbalances can cause chronic issues that can lead to diseases or even cancer.
Source: NIH
Here are 6 examples of hormones in females:
1. Estrogen
One of the most well known examples of hormones in females is estrogen. Estrogen is a growth hormone responsible for the development and maintenance of the female reproductive system. Estrogen reaches its peak during the first 2 weeks of the menstrual cycle (the follicular phase) that lead up to ovulation. Estrogen is released from the ovaries, fat tissue, and adrenal glands and it, therefore, is regulated with stress and body composition. The main functions of estrogen are to build up the uterine wall for the menstrual cycle, stimulate the growth of the egg follicle, help breast tissue grow, stabilize bone density, and control the metabolism of glucose and lipids.
Estrogen needs to be balanced for optimal health. When estrogen becomes too elevated, this can cause estrogen dominance. Estrogen dominance refers to the ratio between estrogen and progesterone. If estrogen is higher in relation to progesterone, this is considered estrogen dominance. Here are the three patterns of estrogen dominance: high estrogen and normal progesterone, high estrogen and low progesterone, normal estrogen, and low progesterone.
To get estrogen back to normal, we need to make sure that we are detoxing estrogen at a safe level, not too much and not too little. If detoxification is slow, then not enough estrogen is leaving the body excess will recirculate in the body leading to elevated estrogen levels. Symptoms for high estrogen are cramps, breast tenderness, insomnia, irritability, heavy periods, and migraines. If the detoxification process is too fast then estrogen levels are too low and you can see symptoms like bone loss, fatigue, vaginal dryness, night sweats, low libido, light periods, and infertility.
2. Progesterone
Another one of the examples of hormones in females is progesterone, which is a steroid hormone released from the ovaries and the adrenal cortex. Progesterone plays a strong role in ovulation, fertility, and healthy pregnancy. The hormone can be broken down as ‘pro’ meaning to promote and ‘gesterone’ meaning gestation or pregnancy.
During ovulation, the egg is released from a follicle and is sent into the fallopian tube. The remains of the follicle will turn into a corpus luteum if successful conception occurs. During the pregnancy, the corpus luteum will secrete progesterone to help maintain growth of the fetus. If conception does not occur then progesterone will decrease after ovulation until the next cycle.
Problems can arise when progesterone levels are too low regardless if you are attempting to conceive. Symptoms of low progesterone are PMS, cyclical headaches, bloating, ovarian cysts, irregular periods, and miscarriage. Low estrogen levels can cause progesterone to rise. Symptoms of high progesterone include low libido, breast swelling, and granulosa cell tumors.
3. Prolactin
Prolactin is another one of the examples of hormones in females. Prolactin is a protein hormone released from the brain in the pituitary gland, and its main functions are to produce milk for lactation and to develop the mammary glands in the breast tissue. A way to remember the definition is that ‘pro’ meaning to produce, and ‘lactin’ meaning lactation or milk. Outside of this, prolactin also has multiple other functions that increase homeostasis and balance in the body. Levels should be highest during lactation, although some women experience high prolactin when they are not lactating. High prolactin levels interfere with ovulation, and without ovulation, this causes irregular cycles and infertility. Some factors raise prolactin levels slightly while others can raise it more dramatically.
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4. Testosterone
Testosterone is another one of the examples of hormones in females. Testosterone is an androgen hormone produced in the ovaries and the adrenal glands. Androgen hormones are identified as hormones we typically associate with males, though females produce have them in small amounts in the body. Just like the other female reproductive hormones, testosterone aids in the menstrual cycle, bone health, mood, libido, and breast development. Of course, these are all functions of testosterone when it is at optimal production. As females, we need a moderate production of testosterone, anything too high or too low can cause dysfunctions in our body because all hormones work together and if one is imbalanced, this can cause imbalances in the rest to compensate. Specifically, if your testosterone is too low you can experience symptoms like fatigue, difficulty building muscle, low libido, and depression. If testosterone is too high you can experience symptoms like PCOS, hair loss, hirsutism, acne, insulin resistance, rough skin, and infertility.
Source: 28522926
5. Insulin
Another one of the examples of hormones in females is insulin. This is an peptide hormone which has anabolic functions in the body. Insulin promotes building protein, giving energy to the cells, and fat accumulation. Like all hormones, you do not want peaks and steep drops in insulin throughout the day. Levels should oscillate between high and low, but overall the levels of insulin should stay in a narrow range. This is because if you have really high insulin levels in the blood, your blood sugar will be cleared way too quickly and you may experience symptoms like intense cravings, headaches, and weight gain. Overtime, if you have high insulin levels then your cells will eventually develop insulin resistance and the sugar will remain in the bloodstream leading to diabetes. Opposite of this, if you have low insulin levels this means you have too much sugar in the blood that is not being used for energy, this can lead to weight loss, fatigue, hunger, and sweating.
Insulin is so important to female health because insulin resistance is one of the three diagnostic criteria in polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS. This is because high levels of insulin the blood can send a signal to the ovaries to compensate by producing more testosterone. As a result the body will have higher androgen levels and lower estrogen and progesterone levels. Not having enough of the female hormones will result in lower ovulation.
Source: 16278749
6. Melatonin
Another one of the examples of hormones in females is melatonin. This hormone is produced by the brain in the pituitary gland, and it has a role in the circadian rhythm to improve sleep. The circadian rhythm is our daily body changes that occur to indicate awakeness and sleepiness. These body changes are based on our sensory reactions to light and darkness. Bright light indicates awakeness and darkness indicates sleepiness. Another one of these changes is our cortisol levels. In the morning, we get a burst of cortisol to motivate us to get out of bed, and as the day goes on our cortisol levels will decline so we feel calm and sleepy. When you get a low amount of sleep, or if your sleep schedule is shifted (meaning you go to sleep late into the night and wake up later into the morning) this can delay your cortisol levels, causing low cortisol in the morning and then a gradual increase in cortisol as the day continues.
