Should You Drink Or Avoid Coffee?

When Should You Avoid Coffee?

Let’s face it, we live in a culture that praises and glorifies coffee, not only for its taste but for its benefits. One thought of quitting and the fact that coffee is rich in antioxidants and polyphenols will have you catapulting back to one or two cups of coffee a day.

Studies state that coffee helps lower the risk of developing type 2 Diabetes and Alzheimer’s, among other benefits. Then why would anyone want to quit drinking coffee on a daily basis, right? However, as beneficial as coffee can be, the fact remains that people react to it differently.

Factors such as age, habit and age influence how caffeine affects us. For some, caffeine causes them to experience mental alertness or an increase in energy for hours. For others, can either exhilarate the symptoms associated with an anxiety disorder or simply increase anxiety. More often than not, the anxiety caused by caffeine intake is often accompanied by feelings of nervousness.

Below we take a look at how it affects our bodies and the hormones it interacts with.

Caffeine Metabolism

Due to how widely caffeine is consumed, we tend to forget that it is a powerful stimulant that reacts and interacts with the hormones in our body. One of the factors that influence how caffeine affects our bodies is our caffeine metabolism. The speed at which your body metabolizes caffeine determines how it affects you. For instance, individuals that metabolize it slowly tend to have heart palpitations and get nervous or jittery. Additionally, the caffeine often lasts in the system for as long as 9 hours.

It’s different for fast caffeine metabolizers. This group of individuals tends to experience high levels of alertness and energy, but only for a couple of hours. How you react to caffeine will tell you whether you are a fast or slow metabolizer.

Below are a few hormones that caffeine tends to affect once consumed:

• Estrogen and T4 To T3 Hormones

Caffeine and estrogen are both chemicals that need to get detoxified by the liver. Usually, the liver has to detoxify the liver first before it can get to Estrogen. The more caffeine in your system, the longer it will take for the liver to detox Estrogen. This leads to Estrogen build up in the body.

If Estrogen does not get eliminated before your menstruation cycle rolls around, you are likely to experience exaggerated menstrual-related symptoms. Estrogen dominance has been found to inhibit the conversion of the T4 hormone into the T3 hormone. Those suffering from some kind of thyroid-related condition, lowering caffeine intake
would be advisable.

• Testosterone

Women do have a considerable amount of Testosterone in their bodies, which is necessary for proper libido, bone formation and even optimum metabolism. Caffeine, according to research, tends to increase Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG). This, in turn, lowers your libido considerably.

Caffeine has been found to lower the PH levels or the acidity in our bodies. This, coupled with the decrease in Testosterone levels, leads to the development of osteoporosis.

• The Adrenals

In a stressful situation, the adrenal glands in your body tend to react by releasing certain hormones. These hormones, which are adrenaline and cortisol, trigger your body’s flight and fight response.

However, even caffeine has been found to have the same effect on adrenal glands. In other words, when you drink coffee, your body tends to release the same hormones and trigger the same response. This causes overuse of your adrenal glands, which can in, turn lead to slow down your metabolism and lead to weight gain.

Below are a few ways caffeine affect you’re overall well- being:

• Dehydrates the body and may increase the formation of wrinkles
• Coffee can contribute to and even cause osteoporosis
• Depletes the minerals in your body
• Can cause insomnia and poor sleep

Depending on how you react to coffee and how fast you metabolize it, you might want to give it a break. If you are the type to get nervous, anxious, agitated and moody after consuming coffee, you can look for other healthier alternatives. They include:

• Herbal tea
• Dandelion tea
• Tulsi tea
• Nettle tea
• Matcha green tea

There above-mentioned alternatives are extremely rich in minerals and antioxidants just to name a few. Not only do they increase a person’s immune system, but they increase metabolism, curb cravings and even increase weight loss. Some, such as Tulsi tea, is known to help increase calmness and relaxation.

Do you want to know more? Book a session here: https://calendly.com/thrivinghormones-llc/15-minute-free-consultation

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