Coffee and hormonal health: and individual approach.
Drinking coffee has become a beloved morning ritual for many people, providing a much-needed energy boost to kickstart the day. Beyond its ability to wake us up, coffee offers a range of health benefits, including potential effects on hormone health. However, the relationship between coffee and hormones is complex and varies from person to person. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the impact of coffee on hormone health, so you can work out whether it is working for you or not.
Understanding the Nuanced Relationship Between Coffee and Hormones
Coffee, with its main active ingredient caffeine, is a stimulant that affects each person differently based on various factors such as genetics, health status, and individual metabolism. The impact of caffeine on hormones is complex due to the intricate nature of hormonal balance, which can vary throughout a person's life. While some individuals can tolerate daily coffee consumption without significant effects on their hormones, for others coffee may exacerabate symptoms . The key lies in paying attention to how coffee makes you feel and understanding the situations when caffeine may be problematic for hormone health, and why.
Cortisol and Coffee: Managing Stress Hormones
Cortisol, commonly known as the stress hormone, plays a vital role in the body's fight-or-flight response. While cortisol is essential in short-term stress situations, chronic stress can lead to imbalances and negatively impact hormone health. Coffee, particularly its caffeine content, has been shown to increase cortisol levels. This increase can be more significant if a person is already experiencing stress. Therefore, if you are dealing with chronic stress or adrenal fatigue, it is worth considering the impact of coffee on your cortisol levels and overall hormone balance. Feeling jittery, anxious or having heart palpitations after coffee are all big clues that it’s not serving you. If you rely on it for energy, or to suppress your appetite, these are also warning signs. Try taking it out for a while and see how you feel. Elevated stress hormones are also one of the biggest drivers of sex hormone disruption I see in clinic.
The Effects of Coffee on Estrogen Levels
Estrogen, a crucial hormone for women, can be influenced by caffeine intake. Research suggests that caffeine may impact estrogen levels differently based on factors such as genetics and ethnicity. In one study, white women who consumed more coffee had lower estrogen concentrations, while Asian women showed higher estrogen levels. This discrepancy may be attributed to the metabolism of caffeine and estrogen by the same enzyme, CYP1A2, which can vary among individuals. If you have symptoms that suggest an estrogen dominant state, such as heavy, painful periods, headaches and acne around your period and PMS, you might want to consider whether coffee is working for you currently.
The Connection Between Coffee and Progesterone
Research on the direct impact of caffeine on progesterone levels is limited. However, it is important to consider the indirect effects of coffee and caffeine on progesterone production. Chronic stress, combined with caffeine consumption, can disrupt the body's ability to produce sex hormones, including progesterone. When the body is under stress, it prioritizes energy allocation for dealing with stressors rather than supporting reproductive functions. Therefore, while coffee may not directly impact progesterone levels, chronic stress and caffeine consumption can contribute to imbalances in overall adrenal health, potentially affecting progesterone levels.
The Benefits of Coffee
It’s not all bad, coffee is a rich source of antioxidants. Including polyphenols Polyphenols are known for their antioxidant properties, which can help to protect the body from damage caused by free radicals.
In addition to their antioxidant properties, polyphenols have also been shown to have a number of other health benefits, such as:
Reducing inflammation
Improving blood sugar control
Protecting against heart disease
Reducing the risk of cancer
Improving brain health
The polyphenols in coffee are thought to play a role in many of the health benefits of coffee, such as the reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and liver disease.
Coffee is a particularly good source of chlorogenic acids, a type of polyphenol. Chlorogenic acids are thought to be responsible for many of the health benefits of coffee, such as its ability to improve blood sugar control and reduce inflammation.
The Type of Coffee Matters
Coffee is one of the most heavily sprayed crops, so buying it organically if you can is really important. If you drink decaffinated coffee, its worth being aware that the conventional process to remove the caffeine uses a lot of unpleasant chemicals, look out for swiss water method filtered decaf instead.
The amount of polyphenols in coffee can vary depending on the type of coffee beans, the roasting process, and how the coffee is prepared. For example, light roast coffee beans tend to contain more polyphenols than dark roast coffee beans. I drink and recommend Exhale coffee to my clients. I love that it is organic, mycotoxin free (coffee is also prone to contamination with mould), optimised for antioxidant status and roasted to retain the highest possible polyphenol content. The higher levels of chlorogenic aicds also seem to give a smoother caffeine effect without the ‘jitteriness’ some people can experience. Their decaf is also great. You can use the code HANNAHNG for £10 off your first bag. (This has to be in a subsciption, but the subscription is fully flexible and you can cancel at any time)
If coffee works for you, and you enjoy drinking it, it makes sense to choose a brand that offers the benefits too.
My top tips for making coffee work for you
Always have coffee after breakfast, drinking it on an empty stomach can be depleting as you are asking your body to make energy without providing the nutritional fuel to do so.
Don’t drink coffee or caffeine in the afternoons or evenings, it can impair sleep quality.
Don’t overdo it, 1-2 cups a day should be an upper limit. You can always have decaf or a ‘half caf’ instead.
If you’d like more support with your hormonal health, just drop me a message via the contact page to discuss working together.
