A man in a long-sleeved white shirt with short hair clutches his fist to his mouth, pondering a difficult idea, possibly the role of estrogen in men." width="1000" height="667" /> Men are often unaware that estrogen (estradiol) plays a critical role in their day-to-day health.
Estrogen is found in small-but-critical concentrations in men. It needs to be in balance with the rest of your hormones, especially testosterone, for you to feel well.
A man in a long-sleeved white shirt with short hair clutches his fist to his mouth, pondering a difficult idea, possibly the role of estrogen in men." width="1000" height="667" />
Estrogen levels and testosterone levels are closely related. In fact, one of the primary causes of low estrogen is actually low testosterone.
Men’s bodies produce estradiol, a form of estrogen, as a byproduct the breakdown of testosterone through an enzyme called aromatase. Aromatase is found in estrogen-producing tissue, such as the adrenal glands, the brain, fatty tissue, and even the testicles.
Estradiol is often referred to as E2 and is one hormone in a class of hormones called “Estrogens.” This class includes estradiol, estriol, and estrone, among others.
Estradiol is likely the main estrogen you need to worry about.
The production of estrogen in a male body is a completely normal and necessary process. Estrogen is required for the healthy physiologic functions of your brain and other important organs, including:
Since the necessary level of estradiol that men require is derived from testosterone, a correlation develops.
If your testosterone is low, your body doesn’t have the raw materials needed create more estradiol. If you have low testosterone, you may have low estrogen (estradiol) too, probably leading to the symptoms of hormone imbalance.
That’s why low testosterone symptoms and low estrogen symptoms often look so similar: they’re occurring at the same time, and it’s hard to determine what’s causing what.
