Estrogen is a hormone commonly associated to women. So, is testosterone only produced by men, and estrogen by women? For the most part yes, but there is estrogen found in all men, and women do need small amounts of testosterone. There is a growing need to understand the effects of estrogen in men. Like all hormones, estrogen needs to be kept in balance in both men and women. Chronic health conditions are more likely to occur in men as a result of estrogen levels becoming too high.
How do men produce estrogen naturally??
As men age, they tend to make increasing levels of estrogen with decreased production of testosterone. Estrogen can be made in the liver, muscle and brain, as well as the fat cells. This is actually where much of the concern lies. As obesity rates go up in this country and around the world, the production of estrogen will also increase from the fat cells. This is known to be a bad combination of decreasing testosterone and increasing estrogen.
Testosterone and estrogen are actually very closely related in the body. A look at their chemical structure reveals only subtle differences. Yet, the differences of the effects of these two hormones on the body are substantial. Testosterone affects nearly every cell in the male body; Improving muscle mass and bone density, and also has a positive affect on the heart, brain, and blood vessels.
For an appointment or consultation with Dr. Gary Bellman, please contact the office or call 818-912-1899