Estrogen & Immunity: Why Menopause Increases Inflammation and Lowers Your Immunity
Introduction: The Hidden Link Between Menopause and Immunity
Menopause is one of the most important phases in a woman’s reproductive lifecycle. It is the permanent end to their reproductive life cycle. This end phase is characterized by symptoms such as mood swings, brain fog, hot flashes, and sleep problems. But menopause is not only about these symptoms. One of the least talked about effects of menopause is how it affects the immune system. When estrogen levels decline, women face increased risk of infections, irritability, menopause inflammations, and autoimmune flare-ups. It also leads to long-term health issues like cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, bladder problems, and weight gain.
Better knowledge about the role of estrogen for menopause in immune balance provides the ideas that can protect long-term health.
The Body in Transition: Difficulties Caused During Menopause
Menopause signifies the end of reproductive cycles, but it has large effects throughout the body. These symptoms are primarily due to the declining estrogen and progesterone levels. Immunity, cardiovascular health, and metabolism are impacted during this stage.
Common difficulties during menopause include:
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Sleep problems: Fatigue, cognitive problems, and other concerns might result from having trouble sleeping or staying asleep.
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Vasomotor symptoms: Night sweats, hot flashes, and palpitations
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Musculoskeletal issues: Common issues like joint aches and muscle pain
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Bone health decline: Bone loss due to estrogen level decline increases the risk of osteoporosis.
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Immune system: Promotes inflammation and worsens autoimmune diseases.
Even while these changes are normal, if they are not controlled, they can have a serious negative influence on one's general health and quality of life.
Why Menopause Causes Inflammation in the Body
When estrogen levels decline, women experience low-grade inflammation and an increase in inflammatory markers. (1) During menstrual cycles, estrogen concentrations vary, but these variations are minor in comparison to the hormonal fluctuations that occur during pregnancy.
How does it happen?
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Stress and Sleep Disturbances: Lack of sleep and stress during menopause can induce inflammation and disrupt hormonal patterns.
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Estrogen Decline: Estrogen naturally has strong anti-inflammatory properties. When estrogen levels decline during menopause, the body is more susceptible to infections.
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Oxidative stress: Antioxidant defenses are weakened by declining estrogen, which lets free radicals harm tissues.
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Metabolic changes: Inflammatory molecules are released during menopause due to weight gain and changes in fat distribution.
This change explains why women's menopausal inflammation levels are higher, which raises their risk of cardiovascular disease and causes joint discomfort and exhaustion.
Estrogen and the Immune System: The Missing Shield
Estrogen for menopause is important for more than just reproductive health; it also helps regulate immunity.
Estrogen’s Role in Immunity:
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Regulates Inflammation: It supports anti-inflammatory signaling.
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Gut immunity: Estrogen impacts the gut microbiota, which is important for immune resistance.
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Enhances antibody production: Estrogen has been reported to stimulate the production of antibodies (immunoglobulins) by B cells.
When estrogen levels decrease, women face low immunity, slower wound healing, and a higher risk of chronic inflammation. That’s why menopause inflammation is seen as a serious health condition.
Hormone Therapy: Does It Weaken the Immune System?
The main focus of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), also referred to as menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), is to alleviate symptoms such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and bone loss by replacing the hormones progesterone and estrogen that decrease during menopause. HRT is only used for menopausal symptom relief and to support bone health. It is not supported for use in preventing cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, dementia, or other chronic diseases. (2)
Does HRT decrease immunity, then? The answer is not always because, with the right care, it can help rebuild immune function that has been weakened by estrogen loss.
How to Boost the Immune System During Menopause
Women can improve their immunity levels and reduce inflammation with the proper life, diet, and supplements.
The Best Supplements for Menopause Inflammation:
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Vitamin D: It regulates innate and adaptive immune responses. It supports bone health. (3)
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Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Oily fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which help the immune system by reducing inflammation.
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Curcumin: Boost your immune system with its anti-inflammatory properties.
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Probiotics: Probiotic supplements improve gut health and boost overall immunity.
Adding them to your regular routine can help with menopausal inflammation and provide you more energy and strength.
Conclusion: Reclaiming Health Beyond Menopause
Even though menopause is a natural process, it has adverse effects on immunity and inflammation. Women can take control of their lives by knowing the protective role of estrogen for menopause, supportive supplements, and hormone therapy.
It's not about how women cross the menopausal stage smoothly, but how they manage their immune system during the transition.
References:
1. The Impact of Estrogens and Their Receptors on Immunity and Inflammation during Infection - Feb 2022-https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8870346/
2. Hormone Replacement Therapy - Oct 2024 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493191/
3. Vitamin D and the Immune System in Menopause: A Review - Dec 2021 - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8738846/
