Estrogenic fat
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Estrogenic fat is a form of adipose tissue (or subcutaneous fat) which develops under the influence of estrogen, and particularly estradiol, in women.
Natural physiology
Estrogenic fat is a feminine secondary sex characteristic which develops at puberty and is maintained by estradiol throughout a woman's fertile years.
A special form of estrogenic fat is the iliac (hip) fat layer, which normally occurs below the iliac crest in females of childbearing age. Its cells contain a wider variety of fatty acids than most adipose tissues do. During the middle trimester of fetal development, when certain long-chain fatty acids are needed for organ development, the mother's iliac fat layer supplies these acids. Women who lack this normal layer are at increased risk of giving birth to underdeveloped newborns.[1][2]
Estrogen Levels Pre- and Post-Menopause
There is a correlation between estradiol and estrone presence in adipose tissue in both pre- and post-menopausal women. Pre-menopausal women have higher levels of hormones including estrogen. After menopause, estrogenic fat diminishes, and lower levels of both estradiol and estrone are found in breast adipocytes, with a more pronounced decrease in estradiol levels.[3]
References
- ^ Kellas, 1996. Surviving the Toxic Crisis.[full citation needed]
- ^ Ms. Magazine, 2008.[full citation needed]
- ^ Yaghjyan, Lusine; Colditz, Graham A. (2011-04-01). "Estrogens in the breast tissue: a systematic review". Cancer Causes & Control. 22 (4): 529–540. doi:10.1007/s10552-011-9729-4. ISSN 1573-7225. PMC 3652894. PMID 21286801.