{"id":10922,"date":"2020-11-14T09:31:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-14T15:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/naturalwomanhood.org\/?p=10922"},"modified":"2025-11-21T10:08:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T16:08:10","slug":"razones-por-las-que-las-mujeres-necesitan-la-regla-el-papel-del-ciclo-menstrual-en-el-desarrollo-de-la-salud-cerebral","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/naturalwomanhood.org\/es\/reasons-women-need-periods-the-role-of-the-menstrual-cycle-in-brain-health-development\/","title":{"rendered":"Razones por las que las mujeres necesitan la regla: El papel del ciclo menstrual en la salud y el desarrollo del cerebro"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Earlier this year, we started a “Reasons Women Need Periods<\/a>” series putting a spotlight on how women’s periods play a crucial role in other elements of women’s health. We talked about the importance of endogenous (i.e., naturally occurring) hormones and healthy cycles for immune system<\/a> maturation, bone<\/a> health, and heart<\/a> and blood pressure regulation. Today we\u2019re turning to the biggest and baddest organ of all\u2014the brain.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our noggin uses over 20% of our energy, making it the most \u201cexpensive\u201d organ we have. And, you guessed it, our reproductive hormones (especially estrogen and progesterone) have really important effects on the brain. Brain health is another reason why you need a period\u2014and therefore ovulation, and the healthy hormone production that makes your cycle possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your brain and your hormones need each other <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first important thing to note is that steroid hormones (primarily estrogen and progesterone) are present in the central and peripheral nervous system. This means they cross the blood-brain barrier and have organizational effects on the brain. Estrogen generates plasticity in the brain and improves cognitive function while progesterone regulates glial cells and promotes mood stabilization<\/a> [1]. Before you think about these two hormones as independent players, they are anything but. If the effects of these hormones are not experienced in a balanced and cyclical way, the neuroprotective factors they are supposed to provide vanish.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the first portion of our cycle (the follicular phase), estrogen is king. Or should I say\u2014queen. As the dominant follicle in your ovary gears up for ovulation and grows, it produces increasing amounts of estrogen. This estrogen increases serotonin receptor levels as well as dopamine synthesis. This boils down to an increase in neuron excitability. These stimulated neurons increase structural plasticity of dendritic spines in the hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex. Neuron excitability often translates to general feelings of an upbeat mood, increased energy levels, and improved verbal and lingual skills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the second portion of our cycle (the luteal phase), progesterone sweeps in and takes the stage. Progesterone is estrogen\u2019s foil character. Instead of stimulating brain cells, it heals and maintains them by inhibiting dopamine-induced glutamate release. In this therapeutic phase, women often report mellowness in mood, decreased anxiety, and even more maternal tendencies. This is all thanks to GABA, the most inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. Progesterone (and allopregnanolone, which comes from progesterone) potentiates GABAergic synapses<\/a> [2]. And interestingly, GABA has been shown in early studies<\/a> to be an effective treatment for premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) [3].   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teens need their cycles for proper brain development <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Have you ever wondered why teenagers and young adults seem to make more brash decisions and seem less grounded with risk assessment? It\u2019s because quite literally, their brains\u2014or more accurately, their prefrontal cortices\u2014can\u2019t process risk until they have fully matured. This full maturation usually occurs in the mid-twenties. Exposure to endogenous and balanced hormones (which occurs through regular ovulation and menstruation) throughout the teenage and young adult years helps develop and protect the brain. Without ovulation, the brain doesn\u2019t have the same chance to mature. And even better, maturation under healthy endogenous hormones can help retain brain plasticity<\/a> better for women after menopause.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brain fog and depression: Birth control\u2019s effects on the brain <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You may think that the hormones in hormonal contraception have the same effect on brain health as endogenous hormones do. Unfortunately, the synthetic alternatives of estrogens and progesterone found in birth control have been shown to decrease serotonin concentrations and increase hepatic sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). In effect, this makes your naturally occurring sex hormones harder for your body to utilize.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This could be also why women on hormonal contraception have been shown to have a decreased hypothalamus<\/a>, \u201cwhich helps regulate essential bodily functions including body temperature, mood, appetite, sex drive, sleep cycles and heart rate [4].\u201d A smaller hypothalamus is connected with increased irritability and depression symptoms. Additionally, \u201csynthetic estrogen and progestins in OCs may decrease cortical thickness bilaterally in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex, and in the posterior cingulate cortex<\/a>\u201d [5]. It is unclear what the long-term effect of OCs on women’s cognitive function may be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s well documented that the pill (and any of its relations, including the patch, the vaginal ring<\/a>, the implant<\/a>, the shot<\/a>, and the hormonal IUD<\/a>) comes with an increased risk of depression and mood disorders. Additionally, many women report \u201cfoggy brain\u201d as a side effect of hormonal birth control. Some women don\u2019t realize the symptom of brain fog until they get off birth control, and many women report feelings of \u201cseeing in color for the first time\u201d after returning to their cycles post-birth control. This is all related to the way the endocrine system acts on the brain. When you look at the bigger picture of how these synthetic hormones not only alter brain organization, but also rob the brain of exposure to endogenous hormones, these risks start to make sense. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re not crazy\u2014your thoughts and feelings are very much tied to your hormones!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pill and your stress response\u2014or lack thereof <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Another glaring contrast in pill-taking brains as opposed to non-Pill-taking brains is the stress response<\/a>, or rather the lack thereof. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the author of the 2019 book This is Your Brain on Birth Control<\/a><\/em>, Dr. Sarah Hill<\/a> puts it:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor almost three decades now, researchers have been documenting that women on the birth control Pill lack the cortisol response to stress<\/a>. Pill-taking women exhibit higher than average <\/a>levels of total cortisol, high levels of corticosteroid binding globulins (CBGs<\/a>), and dysregulated responses<\/a> to exogenously administered cortisol. This is significant because these patterns are typically only observed when the body becomes so overwhelmed with cortisol<\/a>, signaling that it has no choice but to shut the signal down, altogether.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cWe should all be alarmed by the fact that the stress hormone profiles of women who are on the birth control pill <\/strong>look more like those belonging to trauma victims<\/strong><\/a> than they do like those belonging to otherwise healthy young women [6],\u201d Hill exhorts.<\/strong> <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

When women\u2019s bodies naturally ovulate and menstruate, women\u2019s brains are enabled to mature, improve, and maintain cognitive function, and even protect their future neuroplasticity. When they take synthetic hormones that disrupt these natural reproductive processes, these brain developments are inhibited. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, do you need a period? The answer lies in how much we care about women\u2019s overall health as the interconnected ecosystem that it is\u2014where hormone health affects heart<\/a> health, immune system<\/a> health, bone<\/a> health, and now we can add brain health to the list. Since ovulation and menstruation have lifelong effects on cognitive function\u2014which can affect how you interact with yourself and others in the world\u2014there is a compelling case that these are vital aspects of women\u2019s health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

References: <\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n[1] Del R\u00edo J, Alliende M, Molina N, Serrano F, Molina S, Vigil P. Steroid Hormones and Their Action in Women’s Brains: The Importance of Hormonal Balance. Front Public Health<\/em>. 2018;6. doi:10.3389\/fpubh.2018.00141 <\/p>\n\n\n\n[2] Boero G, Porcu P, Morrow A. Pleiotropic actions of allopregnanolone underlie therapeutic benefits in stress-related disease. Neurobiol<\/em> Stress<\/em>. 2020;12:100203. doi:10.1016\/j.ynstr.2019.100203 <\/p>\n\n\n\n[3] Hantsoo L, Epperson C. Allopregnanolone in premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD): Evidence for dysregulated sensitivity to GABA-A receptor modulating neuroactive steroids across the menstrual cycle. Neurobiol<\/em> Stress<\/em>. 2020;12:100213. doi:10.1016\/j.ynstr.2020.100213 <\/p>\n\n\n\n[4] Study finds key brain region smaller in birth control pill users. ScienceDaily. https:\/\/www.sciencedaily.com\/releases\/2019\/12\/191204090819.htm. Published 2020. Accessed November 11, 2020. <\/p>\n\n\n\n[5] Petersen N, Touroutoglou A, Andreano J, Cahill L. Oral contraceptive pill use is associated with localized decreases in cortical thickness. Hum Brain Mapp<\/em>. 2015;36(7):2644-2654. doi:10.1002\/hbm.22797 <\/p>\n\n\n\n[6] <\/em>Hill S. This Is Your Brain <\/em>On<\/em> Birth Control<\/em>. New York, NY: Avery; 2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additional Reading:<\/em><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reasons Women Need Periods: The Role of the Menstrual Cycle in the Immune System<\/strong><\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reasons Women Need Periods: The Role of the Menstrual Cycle in Bone Health & Development<\/strong><\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reasons Women Need Periods: The Role of the Menstrual Cycle in Heart Health<\/strong><\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pill and Stress: How Hormonal Contraception Might Make it Harder for You to Cope<\/strong><\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Link between Depression and Birth Control<\/strong><\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Woman\u2019s Depression and Mental Illness Symptoms Disappear After Getting Off the Pill<\/strong><\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo by Etty Fidele<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Y por qu\u00e9 los ciclos son tan importantes para el desarrollo cerebral de los adolescentes","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":10928,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","csco_page_load_nextpost":"","csco_post_video_location":[],"csco_post_video_url":"","csco_post_video_bg_start_time":0,"csco_post_video_bg_end_time":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5177,5330],"tags":[4104,5929,6061],"class_list":{"0":"post-10922","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-know-your-body","8":"category-reasons-women-need-periods","9":"tag-fertility-awareness-methods","10":"tag-health-benefits-of-charting","11":"tag-reasons-women-need-periods-5","12":"cs-entry","13":"cs-video-wrap"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nReasons Women Need Periods: The Role of the Menstrual Cycle in Brain Health & Development - 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