Estrogen-Regulated Hormones: Beneficial  For Controlling Obesity In Women

Hormones are referred to as chemicals synthesized by glands in our body that help control and regulate the activities of cells and organs. There are different types of hormones all responsible for some type of biological activity.

Estrogen-Regulated Hormones: Beneficial  For Controlling Obesity

Surprisingly, a fact was put forth by a team of researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine that a female hormone namely estrogen helps women in controlling obesity. Obesity happens to be a common and equally serious disease not only in the United States but among people around the globe. Though, it is prevalent in more than 40% of the population of the United States. 

While, the researchers carrying out the study on the female hormone – estrogen, explain that these anti-obesity benefits are loaded in estrogen because of its interaction with some specific regions of the brain.

The report also inferred that the midbrain neural circuit is an estrogen-sensitive region that is the key to controlling body heat production, thermogenesis, and physical activities. Hypothalamus marks the beginning of this estrogen-sensitive region, known as the ventrolateral subdivision of the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus.

The estrogen receptor helps in the interaction of neurons with Estrogen. This forms the bridge for communication between them and serotonin-producing neurons which are found in the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus. Apart from communication, it is also responsible for bringing about changes in temperature and nutrition in the body. Also, the functioning of the same circuit in males is found to be both astonishing and interesting.

Estrogen is known for balancing energy and regulating weight in women, but its use beyond that remains unknown. Though, it is quite possible that its uses extend up to various regions of the neural circuit. 

Researchers also found that the Estrogen Receptor neurons are responsible for stimulating Brown Adipose Tissue, temperature, thermogenesis, and physical activity. In the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus, ER neurons act as suppliers of monosynaptic glutamatergic inputs to the Hydroxytryptamine neurons. Furthermore, the Estrogen Receptor neurons are also needed for the maintenance of energy balance. This helps establish precedent to prove that Brown Adipose Tissues are activated by ER neurons upon the secretion of Hydroxytryptamine.

Yong Xu, MD, Ph.D., professor of pediatrics-nutrition at Baylor expresses the interest of their team which has been working for so long to understand sex differences in metabolic control. There are a lot of such differences which are yet to be justified scientifically. Xu and his team researched such neural circuits in both males and females. One such instance arises in women after menopause. It is observed that when compared to men of the same age, women have a tendency to deflect metabolic problems that promote weight gain. Though, they no longer possess this tendency once they hit menopause. This happens to be one of the benefits of Estrogen. 

Researchers have been successful in explaining the whole mechanism which helps control weight gain and energy expenditure. This has been majorly possible because of the availability of modern neuroscience technology that helped identify neural circuits which in turn form the pathway for ER alpha neurons in the Ventromedial Hypothalamic region. 

Xu and his team concluded that such neural circuits exist in men but are conserved naturally. They possess the same ER-alpha neurons which track to the same region in the brain. He also inferred that if these circuits are activated artificially in males then they might come bearing the same benefits as they do in women. Though, he also mentioned that its uses in the conserved nature are not known and it begs the need for a prolonged study in the near future. 

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