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Low Estrogen... Low Serotonin?
07/22/2025

Estrogen isn’t just about hot flashes—it’s also your brain’s best friend. Studies reveal its powerful role in boosting serotonin and protecting memory during menopause.

What the research investigated: How estrogen fluctuations affect serotonin pathways and brain structure—specifically hippocampal neuroplasticity—in menopausal women, and their implications for mood and cognitive health.

Study type and participants: A comprehensive review (2022) summarizing multiple preclinical and clinical studies, focusing on estrogen’s impact on the central nervous system during menopause—including human imaging and biochemical data sourced from women aged 40–65.

Key findings:

  • Serotonin regulation: Estrogen boosts the enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase (which produces serotonin), reduces monoamine oxidase A (which breaks serotonin down), and suppresses the serotonin reuptake transporter—ultimately increasing serotonin availability.
  • Neuroplastic changes: Imaging studies in menopausal women show reduced hippocampal volume and dendritic spine density during estrogen decline. Supplemental estrogen was linked to restoration of hippocampal volume and improved synaptic markers .
  • Mood implications: These estrogen-mediated changes in serotonin and brain structure help explain why declining estrogen can contribute to mood disorders, memory issues, and depression during the menopausal transition.

Study insight: This review highlights that maintaining estrogen levels in midlife—and thus its positive effects on serotonin and neural plasticity—may help prevent depressive symptoms and support cognitive function in women over 40.

🔗 Read the full review here.