Insulin is a hormone that is essential to the metabolism of food. It helps the body's cells absorb nutrients and convert them into energy for the body to use. Insulin also plays a role in fat metabolism and storage. Estrogen helps insulin synthesis and function and protects against the adverse effects of elevated blood levels of insulin. High blood levels of insulin and high levels of stored fat, however, could lead to excessively high levels of estrogen.
Insulin
The pancreas secretes insulin in response to high blood levels of glucose, or blood sugar. When food components break down into glucose, insulin binds to insulin receptors on the surface of the body's cells. This causes glucose transporters to move from the inside of the cells to the cells' exterior. Upon embedding into the cell membranes, glucose transporters can transport glucose into the cells for use as energy or for storage.
Estrogen
The main role of estrogen in women is to help the body mature and release an egg for the purposes of fertilization. Estrogen also helps prepare the uterine wall for the reception of a fertilized egg. Estrogen is furthermore a key factor in protecting against insulin-resistance and diabetes. It helps cells in the pancreas adjust to higher insulin levels linked to conditions such as obesity. Excess insulin resulting from overeating, however, can cause an imbalance in estrogen levels. This may lead to irregularities in the menstrual cycle and could affect female libido.
Insulin Resistance and High Estrogen Levels
Insulin resistance is a condition that causes insulin receptors to be less responsive when insulin binds to them. As a result, glucose, or blood sugar, accumulates in the bloodstream, which can give rise to plaque formation in blood vessels. The pancreas produces additional insulin in response to this condition. The additional insulin may cause the body to store fat. While estrogen can protect against some of the adverse effects of excessive body fat, estrogen is produced not only in the ovaries but also in fat tissue. So, there is a direct correlation between excessive body fat and high levels of estrogen.
Treatments
The main ways to treat irregularities in estrogen and insulin levels consist in administering medications that can regulate the two hormones. Insulin injections, blood glucose medications or diet can help control insulin levels. The most popular diet to lower insulin and glucose blood levels is a low-carbohydrate diet. Carbohydrates are the main source of glucose. So, by cutting carbohydrates, you can control insulin levels. Estrogen can be targeted directly with birth control pills or by following a diet that increases testosterone levels and lowers estrogen levels. Aphrodisiac foods high in zinc, such as oysters, can help increase your testosterone levels.
References
- Women's Health.gov: Menstruation and the Menstrual Cycle Fact Sheet
- American Diabetes Association: Insulin
- National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse; Insulin Resistance and Pre-Diabetes
- National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse: Insulin Resistance and Pre-Diabetes
- "Gender Medicine"; Eliza B. Greer and Wei Shen; 2008
- Lund University: Female Hormone Protects Against Diabetes
