Does fat produce estrogen?

[Buttoneska]

I just saw this on the biggest loser? That fat cells produce estrogen and that estrogen is what in the pill. That in effect, being fat can have the same effects on your fertility as being on the pill?

True? not true?

[Buttoneska]

what effect does estrogen actually have on your fertility? how does it intervere with body? does it stop you o'ing or stop implant or what??? I have never been on the pill so don't really know much about it

[Chew the Mintie]

Yes, it's absolutely true.

It will also impair the functioning of testosterone in men (and sperm quality) if the proportion of fat to muscle is too high.

But yes, this is why weight loss can often jumpstart fertility in a woman previously unable to conceive. I believe even a small loss can help.

[Rose&Aurelia&Hannah]

Progesterone, Testosterone and Oestrogen are all made from cholesterol molecules so yes... fat cells can produce oestrogen but other factors are necessary.

Oestrogen is made by the converstion of testosterone by ovarian follicles, corpus luteum (ovaries), adrenal cortex and placenta in healthy women. There are 20 different types of oestrogens and their composition in the blood stream varies depending on stage of life ie puberty, pregnancy, menopause etc. But the majority of oestrogens is produced by the ovaries (non pregnant) and placenta (pregnant). Even testes produce minute amounts of oestrogen.

Oestrogen is a steroid molecule and is easily stored in fat cells and is called upon when production reduces. What happens when overweight - oestrogen is in a molecular formation thats not that useful.

"Tietz -The Fundamentals of Clinical Chemistry" 5th Edition, Saunders p884

[Chew the Mintie]

Your body needs ot switch to progesterone dominance to O & to establish pregnancy

[Shoopuf]

So just a side question, if anybody knows ...

What reason could a person with a low BMI (20) potentially have higher estrogen levels? I'm assuming there are other factors as well?

[Rose&Aurelia&Hannah]

you can have high oestrogen levels due to a variety of ways. every step in the pathway between cholesterol --> progesterone-->testosterone-->oestrogen involves multiple steps using various enzymes and hormones.

If you have a hypothalmus, pituitary gland or ovaries that arent working exactly as they should ...

[Chew the Mintie]

Is this your line of work Izzys Mummy? (sticky beak )

[Chew the Mintie]

Also just for interest's sake, the reverse is true - I am really overweight (must I use the o-b-e-s-e word) and my estrogen and progesterone levels are spot-on (I am tracking with an ovacue fertiltiy monitor) and I conceive really easily and ovulate regularly, including shortly after birth despite breastfeeding, etc etc.

So I am unsure of what process but my body is compensating for its *cough* fatload and managing the reproductive thing without issue.

(ps of course if i wasnt so fertile i wouldnt be so bloody fat i blame the pregnancies )

[je11ybean]

it's a known fact that if you lose weight you have a higher chance at falling pregnant. It happened to me