Estradiol: what is it?

Estradiol is a hormone that naturally occurs in your body. It’s the most common type of oestrogen found in your body (E2). Oestrogen is known as the female sex hormone and is important for many processes in your body including puberty and pregnancy. It plays a significant role in ovulation by helping mature an egg by increasing levels of luteinising hormone (LH). But if no egg is fertilised, the uterus lining breaks down and causes bleeding, which is your monthly period.

When you go through menopause, your periods start to decrease throughout the years until they stop completely. At this point, there are no eggs that need maturing so the production of oestrogen is decreased.

When you take synthetic estradiol, it elevates your oestrogen levels essentially reversing the effects of menopause. This helps relieve symptoms of menopause as the majority of the symptoms are caused by a drop in oestrogen and progesterone. One specific health concern it can help to address is lowering the levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) and increasing HDL (good cholesterol). This prevents the build-up of fats in your arteries near your heart, therefore, lowering your risk of getting strokes and heart attacks.

Additionally, oestrogen plays a significant role in regulating the process of bone-making and bone-breaking. The bones in your body contain oestrogen receptors, which inhibit the activity of osteoclasts, the cells responsible for breaking down bone tissue. As the level of oestrogen decreases, more bone tissue can be broken down, which can lead to lower bone density and fragile bones – a condition known as osteoporosis. When you take oestrogen, your bone density increases and consequently your risk of bone fractures lowers.