The Surprising Connection Between Caffeine and Your Hormones

​One conversation that regularly comes up while I’m working with clients is the impact of caffeine on hormones. Most of us enjoy a cup of coffee or tea to start our day, but did you know, caffeine can actually have a really disruptive effect on your hormones?​

How does caffeine affect your hormones?

Whether it’s from natural sources such as coffee, tea, yerba mate, cacao, guarana berries or processed options like soft drinks and energy drinks, caffeine stimulates the production of cortisol, your stress hormones.

When cortisol is triggered, it puts your body in a state of “fight or flight”. You’ll feel more awake and alert for the day. Your heart rate increases so you can tackle your to-do list easier or it helps you focus by narrowing your vision.

However, it will also slow your digestion and metabolism. It’ll reduce your immunity, nervous system and reproductive functions (just to name a few) – because your body is prioritizing getting you through that “stressful” situation created by your cup of coffee or tea over everything else.

Effects of caffeine

The truth is, cortisol is a BIG player in your body and it essentially creates a domino effect on your overall wellness and health.

Here are just some of the ways caffeine can wreak havoc on your body:

• Magnify a magnesium deficiency
  ​leading to poor sleep, high blood pressure and exhaustion
  

• Interrupts nutrient absorption
  ​especially B vitamins, Vitamin D, calcium & iron
  

• Increase stress levels
  ​ adding additional strain on your adrenal glands and cortisol levels
  

• Reduces healthy periods & ovulation
  disrupting the balance of estrogen and progesterone, leading to painful PMS symptoms, irregular periods, poor-quality ovulation and even infertility
  

• Disrupt brain function & mood
  ​reducing the ability to concentrate and remember things, while increasing anxiety and irritability
  

• Creates hormonal imbalances - especially excess estrogen
  ​leading to heavier and more painful periods or worsening conditions associated with fibrocystic breast tissue, PCOS and endometriosis​
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Ways to balance the caffeine

But don’t worry, I’m not here to tell you to give up your beloved morning brew. Instead, I want to share three easy and manageable tips to help you support your hormones while you consume caffeine.

1. Quantity matters

I know it’s tempting to pour yourself a giant cup in the morning, followed by a couple more throughout the day. However, too much caffeine will overstimulate your body. Try sticking to one or two cups per day. That’s between 8 – 16 ounces.

2. Hydrate

Caffeine is a diuretic. So, not only does it create stress in your body, it also dehydrates it. The general rule is to replenish with one additional cup of water for every cup of caffeinated beverage. Eg. if you drink 2 cups of coffee per day and aim to drink 8 cups of water a day, you'll need to drink 10 cups instead.

3. With food

If there’s only one practice you incorporate, let it be this one! Because this one can make a GIANT difference! I know it’s very common to not feel hungry in the morning or to only have coffee in the morning. But caffeine on an empty stomach is probably the worst thing you can do for your hormones!

Try to enjoy your caffeine with breakfast, especially with some protein and healthy fats. This will help slow the caffeine in your system and prevent the dreaded blood sugar spike.

BONUS: Make the connection

This one will need some self-reflecting and time, but I encourage you to give it a try: understand why you’re consuming the caffeine. Is it because you need the energy boost? Because you love the taste? Because you enjoy the ritual around it? Because of societal conditioning?

This is NOT to judge, criticize or make yourself guilty. Rather, it’ll help strengthen your connection with your body and self, helping you make clearer and more confident decisions to support the area you need – whether it’s mind, body or heart.

Eg. if you're drinking caffeine for the energy boost - then we can support that with nutrition. If it's the lifestyle you're after - then let's talk about how it fills your heart and mind.

Knowing why you're choosing caffeine can help you consciously nourish the area that you're seeking support in - rather than just blindly reaching for the same thing, hoping it'll satisfy all your needs.

Trust me, these small changes can make a big difference in your overall-wellbeing AND you can still enjoy your caffeine fix! It'll help stabilize your energy level throughout the day, prevent insatiable cravings and help you have a more restful night's sleep.

DID YOU KNOW: Caffeine actually affects women differently than men? Get the details here!