As we walk through life, molecules are constantly being formed, causing actions, then degraded, which might also cause actions.
It’s the same with hormones.
They are produced. Signal. Get metabolized. Have diverse actions.
Health partially depends and unfolds depending on how safely we process or metabolize these molecules.
Take estrogen.
Estrogen has been very misunderstood.
Partly because “she” has so many potential actions in the body.
Partly due to what estrogen is broken down into inside the body. Or not.
Most of what estrogen does, most of her downstream molecules, are protective.
Younger women have less heart issues than older women.
That’s because classically younger women have more estrogen.
Estrogen relaxes blood vessels (endothelium) and reduces vascular contraction.
This protects us from heart attacks and strokes.
Ill hearts come from stiffening of blood vessels along with excessive contraction of blood vessels. Leading possibly to enhanced vulnerability to heart attack and strokes.
DES (diethylstilbestrol) is the most potent synthetic estrogen every invented.
Still, it is our natural estrogen, 17 Beta-estradiol, that is the most protective of our precious bloody highways and arteries. Even more so than DES.
Why? Natural estrogen is broken down into metabolites. Which are mostly protective.
Estradiol, estrone and estriol, called “parent compounds” of estrogen, are processed in the liver into the next generation of estrogen metabolites, called the estrogen “kids” or catechol estrogen series.
These can protect DNA. Or if their balance goes wonky, damage DNA.
Therein lies estrogen’s rub.
Does estrogen get broken down into protective molecules? Into “good kids”? Or DNA damaging molecules? Worse kids.
For the last two decades, one single initially wrongly interpreted NIH-based study, turned medicine away from estrogen.
Away from one of the most protective molecules we have against heart disease. Against gut disease. Against brain disease.
And now estrogen has even been shown to even be protective against multiple cancers ( per the re-analysis of Women’s Health Initiative and 10 Million Study by our own NIH).
But how might estrogen actually be morphed into a “bad” player?
What is a mechanism in which estrogen might make us more prone to cancer?
And how to protect ourselves.