Department of Human Epigenetics, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 Pawinskiego Street, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.
Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Medical Centre of Postgraduate Education, 61/63 Kleczewska Street, 01-826, Warsaw, Poland.
Nutrients. 2020 Feb 23;12(2):582. doi: 10.3390/nu12020582.
In the assessment of the health risk of an obese individual, both the amount of adipose tissue and its distribution and metabolic activity are essential. In adults, the distribution of adipose tissue differs in a gender-dependent manner and is regulated by sex steroids, especially estrogens. Estrogens affect adipocyte differentiation but are also involved in the regulation of the lipid metabolism, insulin resistance, and inflammatory activity of the adipose tissue. Their deficiency results in unfavorable changes in body composition and increases the risk of metabolic complications, which can be partially reversed by hormone replacement therapy. Therefore, the idea of the supplementation of estrogen-like compounds to counteract obesity and related complications is compelling. Phytoestrogens are natural plant-derived dietary compounds that resemble human estrogens in their chemical structure and biological activity. Supplementation with phytoestrogens may confer a range of beneficial effects. However, results of studies on the influence of phytoestrogens on body composition and prevalence of obesity are inconsistent. In this review, we present data from in vitro, animal, and human studies regarding the role of phytoestrogens in adipose tissue development and function in the context of their potential application in the prevention of visceral obesity and related complications.
在评估肥胖个体的健康风险时，脂肪组织的含量及其分布和代谢活性都是至关重要的。在成年人中，脂肪组织的分布存在性别依赖性，受性激素的调节，尤其是雌激素。雌激素影响脂肪细胞的分化，但也参与调节脂肪组织的脂质代谢、胰岛素抵抗和炎症活性。其缺乏会导致身体成分的不利变化，并增加代谢并发症的风险，而激素替代疗法可部分逆转这些风险。因此，补充具有类雌激素作用的化合物以对抗肥胖及其相关并发症的想法是有说服力的。植物雌激素是天然植物来源的膳食化合物，其化学结构和生物活性与人雌激素相似。补充植物雌激素可能会带来一系列有益的影响。然而，关于植物雌激素对身体成分和肥胖患病率影响的研究结果并不一致。在这篇综述中，我们呈现了来自体外、动物和人体研究的数据，这些数据涉及植物雌激素在脂肪组织发育和功能方面的作用，以及它们在预防内脏肥胖和相关并发症方面的潜在应用。
