Estrogen Receptor–Phytoestrogen Interactions in Health and Aging: A Review on Estrogen Receptor Vascular Actions with Proof-of-Concept Data

TL;DR

This paper explores how estrogen and phytoestrogens interact with nutrition to support healthy aging, particularly in women's cardiovascular health.

Contribution

The study introduces new experimental evidence of sex-specific vascular responses to GPER activation in aging rats.

Findings

GPER agonism enhances contractile and vasodilatory responses in female rat aortas but not in males.

Phytoestrogens may support cardiovascular resilience in aging women by activating GPER-dependent pathways.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: The menopausal decline in estrogen levels accelerates age-related changes, including visceral adiposity, insulin resistance, sarcopenia, osteoporosis, and endothelial dysfunction. While nutrition independently influences these outcomes, the interactive role of estrogen signaling and nutrient metabolism in healthy aging remains underexplored. This article evaluates these interactions. Methods: We conducted a narrative synthesis of studies examining estrogen’s effects on energy balance, adipose regulation, muscle, bone, and cardiovascular health, with an emphasis on estrogen-like nutritional modulators and phytoestrogens. In addition, we present original experimental data from our laboratory investigating sex-specific vascular responses to G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) activation using functional myography in isolated rat aortic rings from young adult and middle-aged rats (n = 6–8 per group) to assess responses to the GPER agonist G-1 (1.0 μM). Results: Literature evidence demonstrates that estrogen supports macronutrient utilization, suppresses adipose inflammation, preserves bone density, and promotes endothelial function. Phytoestrogens may engage estrogen-responsive pathways to mitigate age-related physiological decline. Our original findings show that GPER agonism enhances both contractile and vasodilatory responses in female (p < 0.05) but not male rat aortas, providing mechanistic evidence of sex-specific vascular estrogen signaling. These results suggest that dietary phytoestrogens and nutrient-rich dietary patterns may, in part, activate GPER-dependent pathways to support cardiovascular resilience in aging women. Conclusions: Estrogen–nutrition interactions are central to metabolic adaptation and healthy aging. Our findings highlight GPER as a functionally resilient pathway in aging vasculature, offering a putative mechanistic link for nutritional modulation. However, direct translation of these findings to human clinical outcomes remains to be established. Precision nutrition strategies targeting GPER represent a promising framework for healthy aging, though large-scale human trials are necessary to confirm these receptor-specific effects.

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