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Oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone explained
What your three main sex hormones do, how your body makes them, the signs they may be out of balance, and how stress can affect your cycle.
Your three main sex hormones are oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Everyone makes all three, in different amounts. They're controlled by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland in your brain, which send signals to your ovaries or testes.
Oestrogen
Women make much more oestrogen than men. There are three forms: estrone (E1), estradiol (E2) and estriol (E3). They're made in the ovaries, testes, placenta, fat tissue, adrenal glands and other parts of the body. Estradiol is the strongest.
When oestrogen is too high, you might notice heavy or painful periods, PMS, fluid retention, weight gain, headaches, acne, tiredness, anxiety or low mood. When it's too low, as often happens around menopause, you might notice hot flushes and sweats, irritability and low libido.
Progesterone
Progesterone is made mainly in the ovaries. It rises in the second half of your cycle to prepare your body for pregnancy, and plays an important part in pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding. When it's in the right balance with oestrogen, it has a calming effect and can help steady your mood and support your sleep.
Testosterone
Testosterone is made mainly in the testes, and in smaller amounts by the ovaries and adrenal glands. Your body can also turn it into estradiol. In women, testosterone helps with muscle, libido, energy and motivation, so low levels can mean low sex drive, low motivation and trouble building muscle. High levels in women are linked with excess facial or body hair, thinning hair on the scalp, acne and PCOS, and can affect fertility.
How your body makes them
Your sex hormones are made from cholesterol, step by step. First cholesterol becomes pregnenolone, which then becomes progesterone or DHEA, and so on. Each step needs nutrients such as zinc, magnesium, iron, folate and vitamins A, B3, C and E. If you're low in any of these, hormone production can slow down.
Stress and your cycle
Have you noticed your periods get heavier or more painful when you're stressed? One explanation is sometimes called the "pregnenolone steal". When stress keeps your adrenal glands busy making cortisol, less may be left over to make progesterone. That can leave oestrogen relatively high compared with progesterone, which can bring on PMS-type symptoms and may also slow your thyroid.
If any of this sounds familiar, a practitioner can talk it through with you and help you decide whether hormone testing makes sense. If your symptoms are new, severe or getting worse, please see your GP.
Oestrogen
Women make much more oestrogen than men. There are three forms: estrone (E1), estradiol (E2) and estriol (E3). They're made in the ovaries, testes, placenta, fat tissue, adrenal glands and other parts of the body. Estradiol is the strongest.
When oestrogen is too high, you might notice heavy or painful periods, PMS, fluid retention, weight gain, headaches, acne, tiredness, anxiety or low mood. When it's too low, as often happens around menopause, you might notice hot flushes and sweats, irritability and low libido.
Progesterone
Progesterone is made mainly in the ovaries. It rises in the second half of your cycle to prepare your body for pregnancy, and plays an important part in pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding. When it's in the right balance with oestrogen, it has a calming effect and can help steady your mood and support your sleep.
Testosterone
Testosterone is made mainly in the testes, and in smaller amounts by the ovaries and adrenal glands. Your body can also turn it into estradiol. In women, testosterone helps with muscle, libido, energy and motivation, so low levels can mean low sex drive, low motivation and trouble building muscle. High levels in women are linked with excess facial or body hair, thinning hair on the scalp, acne and PCOS, and can affect fertility.
How your body makes them
Your sex hormones are made from cholesterol, step by step. First cholesterol becomes pregnenolone, which then becomes progesterone or DHEA, and so on. Each step needs nutrients such as zinc, magnesium, iron, folate and vitamins A, B3, C and E. If you're low in any of these, hormone production can slow down.
Stress and your cycle
Have you noticed your periods get heavier or more painful when you're stressed? One explanation is sometimes called the "pregnenolone steal". When stress keeps your adrenal glands busy making cortisol, less may be left over to make progesterone. That can leave oestrogen relatively high compared with progesterone, which can bring on PMS-type symptoms and may also slow your thyroid.
If any of this sounds familiar, a practitioner can talk it through with you and help you decide whether hormone testing makes sense. If your symptoms are new, severe or getting worse, please see your GP.
This video is general information, not advice about your own health. A practitioner can talk you through what it means for you.
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