Nutrients, Vol. 18, Pages 825: Dietary Caffeine, Cold Exposure, and the Estrogen–TRPM8 Axis: A Nutri-Environmental Model for Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in the Menopause Transition: A Narrative Review
Nutrients doi: 10.3390/nu18050825
Authors:
Dong Hee Lee
Jeong Jun Park
Background/Objectives: Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTSs), particularly nocturia and urgency, often intensify during the menopause transition and may worsen with caffeine intake and cold exposure. This review aims to synthesize evidence relevant to a hypothesized caffeine–cold interaction in transitional menopause, focusing on water homeostasis and the estrogen–transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8) cold-sensory axis, and to propose potentially actionable, nutrition-centered intervention candidates for future testing. Methods: Structured narrative review of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and citation tracking (inception–January 2026). Evidence was mapped into a mechanistic framework distinguishing established from hypothesis-generating links; no formal systematic-review study selection or meta-analysis was performed. Results: Caffeine can increase urine output via renal mechanisms (adenosine receptor antagonism and natriuresis) and may lower bladder sensory thresholds. Because half-life is long and variable, afternoon intake can extend into sleep, potentially increasing awakenings and nocturnal voids. Human studies link colder indoor environments to nocturia/overactive bladder, and passive pre-bedtime heating is associated with fewer nocturnal voids. We propose that repeated nighttime cold may amplify caffeine-related diuresis and may shift urine production toward the night, while estradiol decline may heighten TRPM8-mediated cold sensory gain, potentially contributing to urgency/frequency flares. A testable 2 × 2 cold × caffeine framework can operationalize dose, timing, and metabolism, pairing voiding diaries and bedroom temperature sensing with copeptin profiling. Conclusions: Transitional menopause may represent a susceptibility window in which endocrine instability and estradiol decline could plausibly increase sensitivity to indoor cold exposure and caffeine intake, potentially contributing to nocturia and urgency. The hypothesis label ‘dual hormone suppression’ (attenuated nocturnal AVP signal plus estradiol decline) may provide a mechanistic substrate for cold-exacerbated nocturnal polyuria, while an estrogen–TRPM8 axis may amplify cold-evoked urgency. Potentially actionable candidates include chronobiological caffeine timing/management and low-burden thermal strategies; nevertheless, menopause-stage-specific epidemiologic and clinical evidence for a caffeine × cold interaction remains limited and several mechanistic links are extrapolated, so prospective diary- and biomarker-enabled studies and controlled trials are needed to validate mechanisms and refine cold-sensitive endotypes.
Background/Objectives: Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTSs), particularly nocturia and urgency, often intensify during the menopause transition and may worsen with caffeine intake and cold exposure. This review aims to synthesize evidence relevant to a hypothesized caffeine–cold interaction in transitional menopause, focusing on water homeostasis and the estrogen–transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8) cold-sensory axis, and to propose potentially actionable, nutrition-centered intervention candidates for future testing. Methods: Structured narrative review of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and citation tracking (inception–January 2026). Evidence was mapped into a mechanistic framework distinguishing established from hypothesis-generating links; no formal systematic-review study selection or meta-analysis was performed. Results: Caffeine can increase urine output via renal mechanisms (adenosine receptor antagonism and natriuresis) and may lower bladder sensory thresholds. Because half-life is long and variable, afternoon intake can extend into sleep, potentially increasing awakenings and nocturnal voids. Human studies link colder indoor environments to nocturia/overactive bladder, and passive pre-bedtime heating is associated with fewer nocturnal voids. We propose that repeated nighttime cold may amplify caffeine-related diuresis and may shift urine production toward the night, while estradiol decline may heighten TRPM8-mediated cold sensory gain, potentially contributing to urgency/frequency flares. A testable 2 × 2 cold × caffeine framework can operationalize dose, timing, and metabolism, pairing voiding diaries and bedroom temperature sensing with copeptin profiling. Conclusions: Transitional menopause may represent a susceptibility window in which endocrine instability and estradiol decline could plausibly increase sensitivity to indoor cold exposure and caffeine intake, potentially contributing to nocturia and urgency. The hypothesis label ‘dual hormone suppression’ (attenuated nocturnal AVP signal plus estradiol decline) may provide a mechanistic substrate for cold-exacerbated nocturnal polyuria, while an estrogen–TRPM8 axis may amplify cold-evoked urgency. Potentially actionable candidates include chronobiological caffeine timing/management and low-burden thermal strategies; nevertheless, menopause-stage-specific epidemiologic and clinical evidence for a caffeine × cold interaction remains limited and several mechanistic links are extrapolated, so prospective diary- and biomarker-enabled studies and controlled trials are needed to validate mechanisms and refine cold-sensitive endotypes. Read More