What causes low estrogen?
Low estrogen has five common causes. Ovarian aging or failure means the ovaries no longer have enough egg-containing follicles to produce estrogen. Hypothalamic dysfunction disrupts the brain signals that tell the ovaries to make estrogen. Undernutrition, insufficient body fat, and chronic stress can each interfere with estrogen production as well. Because these causes differ significantly, a healthcare provider should help identify which applies to you.
If you have low estrogen, there are a few reasons that might be:
1. Ovarian Failure
Meaning you've literally run out of eggs.
You need to have so many oocytes whose theca cells are able to produce enough androgens to convert into estrogen. Once you start losing those oocytes, you cannot produce enough estrogen.
Ovarian failure is typically called premature ovarian failure in women under the age of 40 and perimenopause or menopause over the age of 40. In order to check your ovarian reserve, your health care provider will order a serum anti-mullerian hormone.
To check if your estrogen levels are truly low, you can get a serum FSH on day three to five if you're still menstruating or anytime of the month if you're not. An FSH over 15 to 20 when you're still menstruating means your estrogen levels are too low for you. If your FSH is over 30, that indicates menopause.
2. Hypothalamic Dysfunction
You may have low estrogen because you have hypothalamic dysfunction.
We commonly see that with hypothalamic amenorrhea where your hypothalamus is not functioning normally so that you're not producing enough gonadotropin-releasing hormone and your pituitary does not stimulate your ovaries to produce estrogen.
Hypothalamic dysfunction is classic in perimenopause and menopause and can be mitigated with hypothalamic nutraceutical support with Genesis Gold®.
3. Poor Diet
Your estrogen can be low if you’re undernourished or malnourished.
Your hypothalamus is incredibly sensitive to your nutrition. A plant-based diet rich in healthy fats and adequate protein can help balance your hormones.
4. Not Enough Body Fat
You need body fat for the storage of estrogen.
Excessive exercise can cause hypothalamic dysfunction and hypothalamic amenorrhea. And that will cause lower levels of estrogen production as well. Decreasing excessive exercise and gaining some weight can help.
5. Stress
High levels of stress especially over time can over activate your HPA axis which will interfere with your hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis resulting in low estrogen.
Lowering your stress or mitigating your stress reaction with mind-body exercises can help. Getting enough sleep can reduce physiological stress and help balance your hormones.
To raise your estrogen levels naturally, you must support your hypothalamus nutraceutically. Your hypothalamus is not protected by the blood brain barrier so it’s sensitive to what you eat as well as nutraceuticals which is why Genesis Gold® is effective at treating hypothalamic dysfunction.
If you have questions, please join us in our Hormone Reboot Training.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the symptoms of low estrogen?
Low estrogen can cause irregular or absent periods, hot flashes and night sweats, vaginal dryness, disrupted sleep, mood changes, reduced libido, and difficulty concentrating. Because estrogen affects many systems, symptoms can be wide-ranging and easily attributed to other causes. If you're experiencing several of these, a healthcare provider can order appropriate testing to determine whether low estrogen is the underlying issue.
What lab tests check for low estrogen?
Two tests are commonly used. Serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) helps assess ovarian reserve — how many egg-containing follicles remain. Serum FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) helps indicate whether estrogen is truly low; it's typically drawn on day three to five of the cycle if you're still menstruating, or any time if you're not. An FSH over 15–20 while still menstruating can suggest estrogen is low for you, and over 30 generally indicates menopause. Your provider will interpret these alongside your symptoms.
What is hypothalamic amenorrhea?
Hypothalamic amenorrhea is the absence of menstrual periods caused by the hypothalamus not functioning normally. When the hypothalamus doesn't produce enough gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), the pituitary doesn't signal the ovaries to make estrogen, so cycles stop. It's often associated with undernutrition, very low body fat, excessive exercise, or chronic stress. It's a medical condition that warrants professional evaluation and care.
Can menopause be the reason for low estrogen?
Yes, declining estrogen is the defining hormonal feature of perimenopause and menopause. As ovarian follicles are depleted with age, the ovaries can no longer produce enough estrogen. When this happens before age 40 it's called premature ovarian insufficiency; after 40 it's typically described as perimenopause or menopause. A provider can confirm where you are in the transition using your symptoms and lab work.
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