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Estrogen

Ah, estrogen. Without it, I guess we’d all be walking around with hot flashes all day! It is also the hormone most responsible for breast growth. Actually, estrogen is not a single substance. There are sixty hormones with estrogenic properties swirling through your body at this very moment! The three main estrogen hormones include: estradiol, estrone, and estriol. Estradiol is the strongest. It is produced by the ovaries and it is the hormone that is responsible for breast development. Estrone is a weaker estrogen produced by the ovaries and in fatty tissue. Estriol is the weakest of the three and is made in the body from other estrogens. A girl first begins secreting estrogen between the ages of eight and thirteen, once enough body fat has accumulated. This marks the beginning of puberty. Estrogen causes the uterus, vagina, and Fallopian tubes to grow. It gives us underarm and pubic hair (banishing us to a lifetime of bikini waxes) and encourages fat stores in the lower body to increase. Last but not least, estrogen makes our breasts grow! Once estrogen levels are high enough, ovulation occurs for the first time. This happens when a mature egg is released from an ovary, signifying the start of the menstrual cycle. As an adult, your estrogen levels rise and fall with your periods. At the beginning of the menstrual cycle, hormone levels are very low. When the hypothalamus gland senses that hormones are low, it stimulates the ovaries to begin producing more estrogen. Estrogen is responsible for maturing an egg during the first two weeks of the menstrual cycle. When estrogen levels peak around day twelve, ovulation occurs. As far as natural breast enlargement goes, estrogen is the most important hormone involved. As I’ve already explained, increased amounts of estrogen (or estrogenic substances) lead to breast growth. However, more is not always better. Too much estrogen can overload the body, shutting down estrogen receptors. This process is known as down-regulation.3 If too many estrogen receptors are shut down, your breasts won’t get the message to grow!


Testosterone
Estrogen and testosterone seem about as different as, well, women and men - yet they are intimately connected. The ovaries produce a small amount of testosterone, which is necessary for strong muscles and a healthy sex drive. While men produce around seven milligrams of testosterone per day, a woman normally produces 3/10 of one milligram per day. About 75% of the testosterone that your ovaries produce is converted into estrogen. This conversion process is called aromatase and takes place in your body’s fat cells. Your fat cells create a special substance, called an aromatase enzyme, that converts excess testosterone into estrogen. Finding the right balance between estrogen and testosterone is crucial. Many women actually produce too much testosterone, which can definitely sabotage breast growth. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to balance testosterone levels so that your breasts are free to grow.


Progesterone
Progesterone is another important breast enlargement hormone. Specifically involved in the formation of the glands, it works alongside estrogen to keeps your female system humming along happily. Progesterone is secreted after you ovulate for the first time - about two years after the onset of puberty. Your body gets the message to produce progesterone each month after an egg is released. Progesterone causes a lining to grow in the uterus; if the egg is not fertilized, the uterine lining breaks down and you get your period. Progesterone is known as the “pregnancy hormone.” During pregnancy, progesterone is produced in very large amounts. It protects and nourishes the growing fetus, strengthens the pelvic walls in preparation for labor, and makes your breasts grow really huge! (Alas, temporarily.) Progesterone and estrogen are considered antagonists, meaning they tend to work against each other. If the level of either hormone gets too high, it will cause the opposite hormone level to fall, just like a seesaw. Your body tries to keep balance by increasing its sensitivity to the lower hormone. This means that high levels of progesterone will cause the body to become more sensitive to the effects of estrogen - and vice versa. Just as the estrogen/testosterone balance is crucial for breast enlargement, so, too, is finding the right balance between estrogen and progesterone. Both hormones are essential, but there is a definite time and place for each one.


Prolactin
Your body generally only secretes prolactin at two specific times: during puberty and during pregnancy. Because it plays such a key role in breast development, though, prolactin is one hormone that you definitely want to get to know. During puberty, prolactin works with estrogen to develop the mammary glands, while increasing the number of estrogen receptors in the breasts. Prolactin also causes the breasts to store fat by increasing the production of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) in your breasts.5 LPL is a “fat storage” enzyme. During pregnancy and while nursing, prolactin controls the production of milk. It is first secreted around the eighth week of pregnancy and peaks at birth. After that, prolactin is only produced according to stimulation - namely, a baby suckling at your nipple. Interestingly enough, you don’t actually have to be pregnant to produce prolactin. Any kind of regular stimulation is usually enough to trigger it. Normally, prolactin is inhibited by a “prolactin inhibiting factor” (PIF), known as the brain chemical, dopamine.6 You’ve probably heard of dopamine before. Besides suppressing prolactin, this chemical is connected to emotions and addictions. Nicotine, cocaine, and other stimulants produce feelings of euphoria by increasing dopamine levels in your brain. But be warned: these drugs are no good for the boobies! Adequate prolactin levels are absolutely crucial for triggering breast growth.


Growth Hormone
Growth hormone, as the name implies, triggers the growth of your body. It also plays a special role in breast development. Growth hormone is so important that it is one of your body’s most plentiful hormones. It is produced by the pituitary gland during the first two hours of sleep. Almost immediately after it’s secreted, growth hormone is converted in the liver into a new, more usable substance known as Insulin like Growth Factor (IGF). Growth hormone could be thought of as your body’s “Master Hormone” since it regulates every other hormone you’ve got. Growth hormone is produced in massive amounts during puberty, promoting the growth of cells, tissues, and organs. Without enough growth hormone, your body - and your breasts - simply wouldn’t grow. As an adult, growth hormone is involved in tissue repair and cell replacement. Unfortunately, growth hormone levels start to plummet after the age of thirty. By the time you hit sixty, your growth hormone level could be 75% lower than it was when you were twenty! Low growth hormone levels are directly responsible for the aging of the body. Breast enlargement requires a lot of growth hormone. You had a ton of it at your disposal during puberty, but if you’re over the age of eighteen, you’re going to have to boost it back up in order to get your breasts to grow again.