Charged with (among other things) developing female secondary
sex characteristics, estrogen is the collective term for the
female hormones estradiol, estrone and estriol. Estrogen plays a
key role in menstruation and in maintaining osteal (bone),
cardiac, and endocrine health; for these reasons, it is
imperative to preserve normal estrogen levels. However, as women
approach and enter menopause it becomes increasingly more
difficult to maintain normal levels of estrogen. Both too-high
and too-low estrogen levels can cause a bothersome array of
symptoms. High levels of estrogen, a condition also known as
estrogen dominance, are common in women who are obese, pregnant,
have diabetes or high blood pressure, or take medication
containing estrogen. Because many cases of high estrogen levels
are reported in (otherwise healthy) women over 35, very often
women who experience high estrogen levels chalk it up to
menopause or simply the natural effects of approaching middle
age, leaving the problem untreated. In other in