What Your Hormones Actually Do—And Why They Matter To Women’s Health

As a licensed medical technologist, I’ve spent years learning how the body works at a cellular and biochemical level. So when a friend reached for a tissue during one of our rom-com movie marathons and soon found herself in tears, I couldn’t help but wonder about the familiar explanation she gave: “Must be my hormones.”

Personally, nowhere in the two hours of Julia Roberts trying to ruin her best friend’s wedding did I find a tearjerker moment that warranted a stream of crying. But hormones are often the scapegoat for emotions and mood swings, becoming a catch-all explanation for why people feel a certain way.

An article published by Harvard Medical School recognizes the complexity of women’s health. “Women have many unique health concerns—menstrual cycles, pregnancy, birth control, menopause—and that’s just the beginning.” Beyond reproductive health, women’s health encompasses a range of conditions and physiological changes that can affect the body. Part of that broader picture is the endocrine system, which produces and regulates hormones throughout the body.

The Endocrine Society describes hormones as “the body’s chemical messengers, sending signals into the bloodstream and tissues.” These hormones, according to the article, are responsible for many different processes in the body, like “growth and development, metabolism, how your body gets energy from the foods you eat—sexual function, reproduction, and mood.”

So, what role do key hormones play in women’s health, and how can changes in them affect the body? Elaine Cunanan, MD, FPCP, FPCEDM, a board-certified endocrinologist and Associate Professor at the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, explains to Allure Philippines the five must-know hormones in the body and their roles in women’s health.

Estrogen

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Dr. Cunanan describes estrogen’s primary role as “the main female reproductive hormone.” In a study published at the National Library of Medicine, estrogen is defined as “a steroid hormone associated with the female reproductive organs and is responsible for developing female sexual characteristics.” Dr. Cunanan explains that one of the roles of estrogen is to “control pubertal growth,” which is why estrogen levels increase during puberty, promoting pubic and underarm hair growth and the development of breasts.

But aside from these, estrogen “regulates the menstrual cycle, protects bone strength, maintains healthy hair growth, and keeps skin hydrated and elastic,” Dr. Cunanan adds.

An article from Johns Hopkins Medicine further supports the encompassing role of estrogen beyond reproduction, as it also affects the urinary tract and many organ systems, like the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems.

But estrogen has more specific primary forms that are more prevalent in a woman’s reproductive timeline. In a study titled “Are All Estrogens the Same,” it was explained that “estradiol is the predominant estrogen during the premenopausal period, and is mainly secreted by the ovaries. After menopause, the main estrogen is estrone. Estrone is synthesized in adipose tissue from adrenal dehydroepiandrosterone. During pregnancy, estriol is produced in large quantities by the placenta.” 

This can matter for those who are consulting an endocrinologist and tracking their hormone panels to diagnose women’s health issues, including Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS), fertility, and perimenopause.

Progesterone

In a study published in the National Library of Medicine, progesterone is defined as “a steroid hormone traditionally linked with female fertility and pregnancy.” Dr. Cunanan describes this hormone as the “‘calming’ hormone that prepares the body for pregnancy.” What progesterone does, she explains, is “prepares the uterine lining for a fertilized egg, stabilizes mood, aids sleep, and balances estrogen levels to prevent excessive growth of the endometrial lining.”

In another study about the physiology of progesterone, it is defined to be important in the maintenance of the uterus during pregnancy. “As such, an important issue of concern regarding the loss of this steroid hormone correlates with miscarriage and pre-term labor.” Moreover, the study discusses that the “loss of progesterone during the menstrual cycle also gives rise to the setting of unopposed estrogen on the uterus, which is a common risk factor for endometrial hyperplasia, potentially resulting in endometrial cancer.” 

With this hormone’s involvement in various stages of the reproductive cycle, understanding progesterone levels and their effects is best done with guidance from a healthcare professional, particularly when addressing symptoms or concerns related to fertility, menstruation, or pregnancy.

Thyroid hormones

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Dr. Cunanan also points to thyroid hormones as vital to not just women’s health, but men’s as well. She describes them as “the body’s main metabolism controller.” As such, Dr. Cunanan explains that thyroid hormones “regulate energy levels, body temperature, weight, heart rate, and hair growth cycles.”

In a study published in the National Library of Medicine, thyroid hormone is further described as affecting “virtually every organ system in the body, including the heart, CNS, autonomic nervous system, bone, GI, and metabolism.” Thyroid hormone levels in the body can affect the body in many ways, as Dr. Cunanan explains that, for example, “low levels can cause sluggishness and hair loss, while high levels cause anxiety, weight loss, and rapid heart rate.”

In a study discussing the physiology of thyroid hormones, they are linked to endocrine disorders like hypothyroidism, which is “caused by an underactive thyroid gland” and is manifested by cold intolerance, constipation, fatigue, and weight gain. Meanwhile, hyperthyroidism is “caused by increased thyroid gland function.” Common signs include weight loss, heat intolerance, diarrhea, fine tremor, and muscle weakness.

Since thyroid hormone levels affect multiple systems, common signs like weight loss alone are not diagnostic and should be evaluated by a doctor alongside laboratory results, rather than attributed to these hormones alone.

Cortisol

One of the common hormones often mentioned in the wellness sphere is cortisol, which Dr. Cunanan describes as the “primary ‘stress hormone.’” She explains that this hormone “helps handle physical and emotional stress by raising blood sugar, regulating blood pressure, and controlling inflammation.” 

Its effects extend beyond the body’s immediate response to stress. In a study published in the National Library of Medicine, cortisol is defined to be a hormone that “exerts extensive influence over numerous physiological processes throughout the body.” 

The study further identified that cortisol “functions as the primary glucocorticoid synthesized and released by the zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex.” When this regulatory system is disrupted, the study notes that it can result in “cortisol excess disorders such as Cushing syndrome or deficiency disorders such as Addison disease.”

When it comes to more common symptoms, Dr. Cunanan explains that chronically elevated cortisol levels can cause “weight gain, insomnia, anxiety, and hair shedding.” But rather than immediately assuming that symptoms like weight gain are caused by cortisol levels, consulting an endocrinologist can help determine whether hormonal imbalances may be contributing to these changes through proper evaluation and testing.

Insulin

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Dr. Cunanan also identifies insulin as a hormone that plays a huge role in regulating the body’s blood sugar levels. She defines it as “the ‘energy (glucose) delivery’ hormone produced by the pancreas.” With this, she explains that the role of insulin is to “help cells absorb sugar (glucose) from food to use for energy.”

Dr. Cunanan explains that in women’s health, “high levels (insulin resistance) can trigger excessive androgen production, leading to conditions like PMOS.” That is why, as mentioned in a study, prescription medications  like metformin are used to treat insulin-resistant conditions.

This is one of the reasons why the name change from Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) to PMOS is important in furthering women’s health: it emphasizes the key metabolic aspects of the condition rather than framing it solely as a cyst-induced, reproductive issue. This development, including consultations with healthcare professionals, can help women better understand how metabolic and hormonal changes like insulin resistance may be affecting their health and determine the needed evaluation and care.

The bigger picture

Women’s health is shaped by a complex interplay of systems working together. That interconnectedness is what makes women’s health a subject that extends far beyond reproduction, with hormonal changes capable of influencing different aspects of the body throughout a person’s life. Seeing these connections can encourage a more informed approach to understanding and caring for oneself, as well as a clearer sense of when to seek guidance from a healthcare professional.