Women are renowned for having mood swings. Researchers believe that estrogen, the primary female hormone which is responsible for regulating our menstrual cycle, plays a big part in the manipulation of our moods and may very well be the reason why women have acquired such a reputation. Here we explain the role estrogen plays in our moods and determine whether an imbalance of this hormone could be the primary reason for our sometimes unpredictable disposition.
How Does Estrogen Affect Your Mood?
Estrogen is a powerful chemical that has many effects on the female body and all of the systems that work within it. It is the hormone that influences all female traits and makes women what we are, which is why it is easy to believe that it manages our mood swings. Continue reading to find out what its role is in regard to our temper tantrums, our moments of utter happiness and all of the moments which linger in between these two extremes.
Estrogen and serotonin
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is produced in the brain and is one of the key contributors to a person's feeling of well-being; it is sometimes referred to as "the happiness hormone", despite it not actually being a hormone. One of its many roles is to regulate mood. Any disruption to normal production of this neurotransmitter can have an effect on a person's mood, in a negative or positive way.
For serotonin to be produced, estrogen is needed in the body which explains the relationship between the two. Estrogen is the hormone that impacts the serotonin; it increases the production of serotonin and increases serotonin receptor levels. Therefore, when estrogen is low in the body, serotonin is too. This can put a woman in a bad, angry, or depressed mood. Similarly, when estrogen is high, the production of serotonin rises and puts women in a good mood. Therefore, estrogen is responsible for our emotional well-being. [http://www.natural-hormones.net/pics/estrogen-plays-mind-games-with-our-mood-2.jpg*|*Estrogen is responsible for our emotional well-being.]
During a woman's monthly cycle and during menopause, the estrogen levels are constantly shifting which will always affect serotonin levels. Therefore, our moods are bound to be more unpredictable than a man's, because their level of estrogen is low and rarely fluctuates.
Estrogen and endorphins
The amount of endorphins, the "feel-good" chemical that is released in the brain, is also affected by the amount of hormones that are being produced. Estrogen modifies the production of this chemical and its quantity; it will increase if there is more estrogen or decrease if estrogen production is low. Endorphins are primarily linked with the emotions of joy and pleasure.
It is easy to understand why it is difficult for women to always control their moods, because of the constant hormonal imbalances and metabolic reactions that are happening within the body. It is important for to remember that a woman's cycle lasts for the entire 28 days, not just whilst they bleed. Therefore, our moody moments during the other three weeks of the month won't always occur, because we want to shout at someone for no reason; a woman's emotions are always linked to the complexity of the estrogen hormone.
More Information about the Role of Estrogen
Estrogen and its role within the female body is very complex, because it affects so many different systems within the body. Click on the following link to find out more about estrogen roles and effects.
