In belly fat, cortisol makes both men and women’s fat cells make more estrogen, but it boosts it way more in men than in women.

38

Pro

0

Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

38

Community contributions welcome

38

Glucocorticoid regulation of p450 aromatase activity in human adipose tissue: gender and site differences.

Cross-Sectional Study

Human

2002 Mar

The study found that when cortisol is added to fat tissue from the belly area, it makes men’s tissue produce much more estrogen-making enzyme than women’s — exactly what the claim says.

Contradicting (0)

0

Community contributions welcome

No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

Glucocorticoid regulation of p450 aromatase activity in human adipose tissue: gender and site differences.

Score: 38

DOI: 10.1210/JCEM.87.3.8288

Similar Assertions

In women, a stress hormone called cortisol makes fat tissue produce more estrogen, but in men, it does the opposite—this might help explain why women store more fat under the skin than men.

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After menopause, belly fat becomes more responsive to stress hormones by making more estrogen than before menopause.

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Belly fat naturally makes less estrogen than fat under the skin, no matter if you're a man or a woman.

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Insulin by itself doesn’t change estrogen production in fat, but when it’s with cortisol, it makes the difference between men and women disappear.

38

0

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In people with obesity, fat tissue that makes more estrogen seems to be linked to having more total body fat.

28

0

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