Beer Polyphenols and Menopause: Effects and Mechanisms—A Review of Current Knowledge

Figure 3

Mechanism of phytoestrogens. Like estrogen, phytoestrogen molecules travel through plasma and diffuse into the target cells, where they bind to cytoplasmatic estrogen receptors (ER). The new molecule-ER complex then dimerizes and is translocated into the nucleus, where it binds to specific promoters that decrease the expression of genes translating hormones such as follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) and promote the translation of prolactin. The use of estrogen receptors by 17-b-estrogen and molecules such as 8-prenylaringenin, 6-prenylaringenin, and isoxanthohumol explains why these molecules can be used to decrease the intensity of many classical symptoms of menopause.