[Lotus]

Why we need to care about aromatase!..... I would love to hear anybody's thoughts on this!

There's an enzyme in the bodies of both men and women called aromatase. Its primary action is to produce female sex hormones, or estrogens. It produces them from male sex hormones (androgens) such as testosterone and their precursors.
In the diagram below, the molecule on the left is the male hormone testosterone. The molecule on the right is the female hormone estradiol, an estrogen. The arrow in the middle represents the action of the enzyme complex aromatase.

Aromatase also converts androstenedione (a sex hormone precursor) to the female hormone estrone, another estrogen, although weaker than estradiol.
If you increase the activity of aromatase, you can increase levels of female sex hormones (estradiol, estrone).

If you decrease the activity of aromatase, you can decrease levels of female sex hormones, while increasing relative levels of male sex hormones, e.g. testosterone.
There are many things to say about aromatase. I'm presenting just a few here.

Men's bodies normally contain some level of estrogens, in addition to testosterone and their kind. Likewise, women's bodies contain some level of male androgens including testosterone. The ratio of male-to-female hormones contributes to our maleness or femaleness. Aromatase is one chemical that can tweak that ratio. It operates the same in both men and women, although an array of compounds can affect its activity.

Who Cares About Aromatase?
Bodybuilders have been capitalizing on the action of this enzyme for years. They know that aromatase inhibitors will lead to effects of increased testosterone such as a greater percentage of lean body mass, less body fat, improved bone mineral density, etc.

Some women with cancers of the breast (or ovaries, or uterus) benefit from treatment with aromatase inhibitors. Since some breast tumors (and other reproductive tissue tumors) are dependant upon estrogen for their growth, aromatase inhibitors can be employed to reduce estrogen production, improving patient outcome.

Women who experience problems associated with excess estrogen and/or low progesterone, such as those listed below, also benefit from decreasing the activity of aromatase:
Fibrocystic breast disease
Uterine fibroids
Ovarian cysts
Heavy menstrual bleeding
Endometriosis

Aromatase inhibitors are used as a fertility treatment for women who are having difficulty getting pregnant. They can stimulate ovulation.

The fall in estrogen output from the ovaries of women as they enter menopause can be partially compensated for by aromatase's production of estrogens which occur in liver, fat and muscle cells. (This is one reason why obese menopausal women can have higher levels of estrogens than their thinner counterparts. Unfortunately, although the extra aromatase-containing fat cells may be helpful in reducing menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, they can increase the risk for estrogen-dependant cancers.)

Men as they age experience a steady decline of male sex hormones, including testosterone. They also experience a relatively higher level of female sex hormones. These lower androgen/higher estrogen levels have been implicated in symptoms some men experience in middle age, including:
Decreased libido
Fatigue
Flushing and night sweats
Insomnia
Impaired memory and difficulty concentrating
Depression
Decreased muscle mass
Increased fat mass
Osteoporosis

This lower testosterone/estrogen ratio also seems to be linked to problems with male fertility and sperm count, enlarged prostate, and prostate cancer.

The Full Article: http://fanaticcook.blogspot.com/2007/09/...r-man.html