What Is Estrogen Good for?

The female sex hormone, estrogen, is responsible for the development of the female reproductive system, but also assists in multiple systems within the body. From maintaining lower cholesterol to increasing bone mass density, estrogen helps the female body remain healthy.

Reproductive System

• Estrogen is produced by the ovaries to help regulate the female sex organ development and menses. As estrogen levels increase, sex organs such as breasts and increases in hair growth will begin to develop.

Hypothalamus

• Estrogen assists the hypothalamus with the regulation of body temperature, metabolism and thirst.

Cardiac System

• Estrogen helps protect women from heart disease by regulating the liver's production of cholesterol. With cholesterol lowered, there is less chance that plaque will build up in the arteries, causing heart attacks in women.

Menses

• Estrogen is solely responsible for the regulation of the female menses. When the ovaries produce an egg, it gives off estrogen. If the egg remains unfertilized, the estrogen levels begin to drop, thereby causing the uterus to flush the lining and egg from the body. Then the cycle begins again.

Nervous System

• Research has shown that estrogen assists in the maintenance of the neural networks of the central nervous system. This maintenance protects women from the onset of Alzheimer's disease, a disease which results from the deterioration of neural networks in the brain.

Side Effects

• Too much estrogen in the body has been linked to breast and uterine cancer. Too little estrogen in the body could lead to menopause or various dysfunctions such as higher cholesterol and osteoporosis.