 Women's LifecyclesReproductive YearsFrom her late teens to early 30s, a woman’s ratio of sex hormones is usually optimal. She is in hormone balance, with estrogen rising in the first half of the menstrual cycle, peaking at ovulation, then falling in the second half. At this point, progesterone, released by the rupturing egg follicle, rises (in the case of a pregnancy, it will remain high). For the most part, if periods occur on a normal 28-day cycle, it can be inferred that the body, and particularly the ovaries, are producing plenty of all the required hormones. Some young women may experience premenstrual syndrome, or PMS. Bloating, anxiety, irritability, back pain, nausea, cramping, and lethargy are some of the most common PMS symptoms. Women in their late teens and twenties can suffer from estrogen dominance, especially if high stress levels result in a lack of ovulation (anovulatory cycles) – recall that without ovulation we are without progesterone. Other common culprits of hormone imbalance in what should be our peak hormone producing years, are body fat and environmental estrogens, the so-called xenoestrogens that are foreign to the body. Unfortunately, fat cells have a built-in ability to churn out estrogen, so if you have been 10 pounds or more overweight for one or more years, your body fat could be causing your estrogen levels to escalate to an unhealthy high. And, if you live in the United States or any other industrialized nation, you are frequently exposed to xenoestrogens through hormone-injected meats and poultry, pesticides, pesticides, fumicides, plastics and general hygiene products – creams, cosmetics, shampoos, hair colors and deodorizers - containing petrochemicals.
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