Estrogens are a class of hormones produced in the ovaries, or made from other hormones in fat cells. There are three estrogens: estradiol, estriol and estrone. These natural hormones work more efficiently compared to synthetic estrogens or, even worse, animal estrogens.
These are prescription drugs, but soy products can act as a surrogate for estrogen.
The most common (though cruelly-produced) animal product is Conjugated Equine Estrogens (Premarin).
Although estrogen may be good for men, according to studies it is generally recommended only to women.
The proper dose is titrated against the pituitary hormones of LH and FSH.
Using estrogen alone in women, with their uterus still present, could, in a few percent, cause cancer of that organ.
Complications are more likely to develop in aging skin, such as the progression of a wound to a chronic non-healing state. This is related to an increased amount of elastase in the wound. Elastase is an enzyme that breaks down elastic proteins and is upregulated in impaired wound healing states. In a study [Ashcroft et al. 1999] involving 36 patients over the age of 70, half male and half female, topical estrogen was found to decrease delays in wound healing in both the male and female patients. Wound size, collagen levels, and fibronectin levels all improved with topical estrogen, indicating improved wound healing.
In this study, estrogen was delivered to the wound site for 24 hours as a patch routinely used in female estrogen replacement therapy. Fibronectin levels have been found to be deficient in chronic wounds of the aged, such as venous ulcers in humans or laboratory wounds in aged animals [Herrick et al. 1997]. Later studies have confirmed that estrogen can improve the age-related impairment in healing in both men and women [Gilliver et al. 2007].
There are essentially no reasons during pregnancy why any woman would be advised to take hormones.
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