Oestrogen also plays an important role for the central nervous system in the brain. It controls the production and action of important hormones that greatly affect how we feel; serotonin and dopamine hormones.
This is why scientists associated high oestrogen levels with emotional regulation and low oestrogen levels with depression.
The change in mood is also more apparent with the menstrual cycle, the mood is always more negative during the premenstrual and menstrual cycle.
During menstruation, the oestrogen released by the ovaries have been significantly been reduced at a point in their cycle called the low oestrogen phase. When the level of oestrogen and progesterone that circulates in the blood is low, women also tend to be more anxious.
You might also notice that as girls reach puberty they start experiencing mood swings and other changes in their mental health. Their body is getting used to the new hormonal changes, the high and low cycles of oestrogen and progesterone in the blood.
After childbirth, there is a danger of women also going into depression and in some cases develop a form of mental illness called psychosis with suicidal tendency. This is because there a sudden drop of oestrogen and progesterone, which is released in high levels during the pregnancy.
Women should be aware of their cycles and take note of how their menstrual cycle affects their mood. If you notice that the mood-swing has lasted way beyond the “low tide” in oestrogen of your menstrual cycle, see a doctor.
Eat a healthy diet during menstruation, especially breakfast. Healthy eating and exercising helps a great deal with the mood swings.
