Estrogen - The Good, Bad and Ugly

Estrogen can protect against dementia and other neurological disorders by decreasing inflammatory responses and by enhancing cells' ability to survive damage. It's a natural way for the brain to protect itself, since the brain normally makes neuroprotective estrodial in response to injury.

But there also are risks. The Women's Health Initiative found that taking estrogen plus progestin increased women's risks of heart disease, blood clots, stroke and breast cancer.