How Coffee Can Affect Hormones
Ahh coffee. The rich, soothing smell that fills the house, drawing you into the first sip of the bold, creamy liquid that awakens your tired body in the morning is a part of most people’s daily ritual. However, is coffee a bad choice for someone with hormonal imbalances or chronic fatigue? A question I get more often than not.
My answer? Yes and no.
The Stress Response
Coffee contains a fair amount of caffeine. The stimulant effect of coffee acts on adenosine receptors in the neural membrane. Adenosine is a central nervous system neuromodulator that has specific receptors. When adenosine binds to its receptors, neural activity slows down, leading to sleepiness. Adenosine thus facilitates sleep and dilates the blood vessels, ensuring good oxygenation during sleep.
Caffeine acts as an adenosine-receptor antagonist. This means that it binds to these same receptors, but without reducing neural activity. This activation causes the pituitary gland to secrete specific hormones that cause the adrenal glands to produce adrenalin (the “fight or flight” hormone) so it increases your attention level and gives you a burst of energy.
Caffeine increases epinephrine and cortisol levels (aka the stress hormone). Cortisol is the hormone that wakes us up in the morning after a good night’s sleep. It is recommended that people get a MINIMUM of 7-8 hours of sleep each night, 8-10 preferably. However, in this day in age people are not meeting the minimum hours of sleep, therefore, they reach for the second or third cup of coffee in the afternoon to keep them alert and somewhat oriented.
Ideally, our bodies know how to deal with acute stressors thanks to the HPA axis. The problem begins to arise when acute stressors become chronic and cortisol remains elevated. This is a picture of a normal cortisol curve should look throughout the day. As you can see, cortisol is highest in the morning and lowest before we go to bed. Cortisol begins to rise during the night and peaks in the early morning.
When we are chronically stressed out (physically, emotionally, spiritually, etc.) cortisol levels may be lower in the morning and higher at night, or remain elevated 24/7 leading to insomnia in some people as well as other symptoms.
That is not to say that coffee or caffeine should be avoided at all times. Heck, I definitely love a good boost before a workout or if I had a rough night’s sleep. It’s when you RELY on coffee because you are consistently lacking to prioritize self care in other areas of your life that is when it becomes a problem. Not meeting the sleep minimums? Go to bed an hour earlier or sleep in an extra hour. Always busy and on the go? Spend an hour, a day, or even a week to slow down. Not eating enough? Eat more!
Benefits of Coffee
I thought I should mention, there are several benefits to drinking coffee. New research is finding the beneficial effects of coffee on brain activity. A number of meta-analyses have been investigated to support the view that coffee consumption is associated with a reduced risk of Parkinson’s Disease. (1,2,3,4) Coffee beans contain EHT (Eicosanoyl-5-hydroxytryptamide), a fatty acid derivative of serotonin. Caffeine and EHT work synergistically in protecting brain cells from the accumulation of harmful proteins associated with Parkinson’s and dementia. Coffee is also a great source of antioxidants which may reduce the risk of chronic degenerative disease by maintaining sharp neurons in the brain. (5) Similar effects can be found within the antioxidant activity of specific types of tea. (6)
The Bottom Line
Hormonal imbalances are complex and completely individualized. I do not think the effects of caffeinated coffee are so profound to contribute to a hormonal imbalance. There is almost always a deeper issue that needs to be addressed. My best advice is to test it out and see if you can live without coffee for a few weeks. Take note on if your energy levels improve over time. If you genuinely enjoy the flavor but don’t want the caffeine, switch to decaf! Ask yourself how you feel when you drink coffee, are you more tired? Then it might be a time to cut back and look at the bigger picture. As with most things, moderation is key.
References:
1 Yan, R., Zhang, J., Park, H.-J., Park, E. S., Oh, S., Zheng, H., . . . Mouradian, M. M. (2018). Synergistic neuroprotection by coffee components eicosanoyl-5-hydroxytryptamide and caffeine in models of Parkinson's disease and DLB. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(51), E12053-E12062. doi:10.1073/pnas.1813365115
2 Hernan M.A. et al. (2002) A meta-analysis of coffee drinking, cigarette smoking, and the risk of Parkinson’s disease.Ann Neurol, 52:276-84.
3 Costa J. et al. (2010) Caffeine exposure and the risk of Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.J Alzheimers Dis, 20 Suppl 1:S221-38.
4 Qi H. et al. (2014) Dose–response meta-analysis on coffee, tea and caffeine consumption with risk of Parkinson’s disease.Geriatr Gerontol Int, (2):430-9.
5 Yashin, Alexander et al. “Antioxidant and Antiradical Activity of Coffee.” Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 2,4 230-45. 15 Oct. 2013, doi:10.3390/antiox2040230
6 Li, F. J., Ji, H. F., & Shen, L. (2012). A meta-analysis of tea drinking and risk of Parkinson's disease. TheScientificWorldJournal, 2012, 923464. doi:10.1100/2012/923464
