Three kinds of estrogen are made in the female body:
Before Menopause
Estrone - made in the ovaries before menopause, and after that by the adrenal glands. Postmenopausal estrone is stored in body fat and muscle cells. Women who have more body fat will still experience hot flashes during menopause, even though their body is storing more estrone than slimmer women. Estrone production goes down during pregnancy, which reduces your lifetime exposure to estrogen.
Estradiol - like estrone, this is made in the ovaries, and less is created during pregnancy.
Estriol - made by the placenta during pregnancy. This kind of estrogen is produced in the greatest quantities (more than estrone or estradiol) during pregnancy. Estriol production is an indicator of the health of your baby.
During Menopause
As you approach menopause, your ovaries will shrink, and production of estrogen and progesterone will fluctuate during that process. It is the lower levels of these hormones that cause hot flashes, irregular periods, night sweats, mood swings, and other symptoms. Doctors may treat these symptoms with hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for a short period of time, but prolonged use has been associated with increased risk of breast cancer.
Three kinds of estrogen outside of your body - Plants, Environment, Synthetic
