Oestrogen
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The main female sex hormone is oestrogen. It is synthesised in the ovarian tissue from a number of precursor hormones and plays many roles, helping the woman’s body through the important processes of ovulation, conception and pregnancy as well as - among other functions - helping to regulate cholesterol and maintaining bone density.
Once menopause has taken place, the oestrogen production from the ovaries declines to about one third. Precursor hormones from the ovaries are still circulated through the bloodstream and reach the fat cells in a woman’s body where they are converted into oestrogens. This explains why obese women with plenty of fat cells have higher levels of circulating oestrogen after menopause compared to skinny women.
Osteoporosis and a number of other disorders can be associated with this drop in oestrogen production, which can be alleviated by oestrogen replacement.
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