If you’re like many people with PCOS, you probably limit how much caffeine you take in on a daily basis.
However, if you’ve been diagnosed with the condition and are looking to cut back on drinking black coffee and other caffeinated drinks due to its impact on your blood sugar levels and insulin production, then read on.
Reducing the amount of coffee and other caffeinated drinks may actually have a negative impact on your health.
That’s because these beverages tend to have an inverse relationship with the hormone cortisol.
Cortisol is produced by the body in response to stress.
It has various effects including increasing blood pressure and stress, lowering immune function, reducing fat storage (i.e., glucogenesis), and breaking down protein (i.e., proteolysis).
What Is Black Coffee?
Black coffee is exactly as it sounds - coffee that has been ground, roasted (often to a very dark roast), and brewed without any additives.
It may also contain some caffeine-free decaffeinated coffee beans to enhance the flavour.
While there are plenty of health benefits associated with drinking coffee, it’s only the purest form of the beverage that will provide you with these benefits.
Other coffee beverages, such as frappuccinos, lattes, and espresso shots, are not pure coffee and therefore don’t contain the same health benefits.
Coffee is a complex beverage made from the roasted seeds of a tropical evergreen shrub called the coffee plant.
It has long been a favourite beverage of people around the world and is one of the most heavily consumed drinks in the world, with an estimated 2.25 billion cups consumed daily.
The Impact of Caffeine on PCOS
The positive relationship between cortisol and caffeine was first discovered in 2001 by a team of researchers at Yale University.
Since then, a vast number of studies have shown that caffeine has a significant influence on cortisol, particularly during times of stress.
Cortisol is a hormone that is produced during times of stress to help your body deal with the situation.
For most people, this is not a big deal, since they are generally able to deal with those situations.
For people with PCOS, however, cortisol can cause a number of issues, such as insulin resistance and glucose intolerance, which can lead to diabetes.
Caffeine has been shown to reduce cortisol levels in the body.
This is especially true when someone is under physical or mental stress. While this might sound like a good thing, it can actually be harmful for people with PCOS.
Because cortisol is what causes the body to break down excess glucose and turn it into energy, a reduction in cortisol can lead to high blood sugar.
How Is Coffee With PCOS Different?
As mentioned above, drinking pure coffee is associated with a reduction in cortisol levels.
However, caffeine is also known for its ability to increase production of the hormone ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone), which is responsible for stimulating the production of cortisol.
Although coffee is rich in caffeine, studies suggest that it may actually reduce the overall production of cortisol, particularly in people with a higher level of cortisol in their system.
This may be because caffeine has been shown to compete with cortisol for the same receptors in the body.
Coffee vs. other caffeinated drinks with PCOS
Like most things, there is a difference between drinking coffee and consuming other caffeinated drinks, such as soda.
While soda might taste better, it also contains a lot more sugar, which can have a negative impact on blood sugar levels in people with PCOS.
Coffee, on the other hand, can actually help reduce blood sugar levels due to its caffeine content.
That being said, if you’re struggling with high blood sugar levels, it’s best to avoid all caffeinated beverages.
Coffee also contains a lot of antioxidants, which can be beneficial for people with PCOS.
Benefits of Coffee for PCOS Sufferers
- Mental health: Coffee is rich in B vitamins, which are crucial for managing stress.
Studies have shown that consuming caffeine-containing beverages is an effective way to reduce stress.
- Weight control: Studies have shown that coffee can promote weight loss by increasing the metabolic rate.
Coffee is rich in both caffeine and chlorogenic acid, which is known for its metabolism-boosting properties.
- PCOS-related infertility: A 2005 study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found that drinking four cups of coffee a day can reduce the risk of PCOS-related infertility by up to 50%.
How to Make Your Coffee Healthier
Although coffee is an excellent beverage for managing PCOS, there are a few ways you can make it healthier.
First, try to minimize added sugars, particularly when brewing your coffee.
It’s also recommended to use less milk, as milk can increase insulin levels.
To further reduce your intake of sugars, you can try to reduce the amount of sugar you add to your coffee, or even consider switching to stevia, which is a natural sweetener.
Second, you can switch to a lighter roast coffee, which has been shown to have a lower amount of caffeine.
Third, you can drink your coffee black, since adding milk, cream, and sugar can significantly increase the caffeine content in your coffee.
Tips to Reduce the Negatives of Black Coffee and PCOS
- Find a time to drink coffee when you’re not stressed out. Drinking coffee when you’re stressed is not beneficial for PCOS.
Instead, wait until you have less stressful times of the day, such as after work, to drink your coffee.
- Choose a lighter roast coffee. Roasted beans that are darker in colour contain more caffeine than beans that are roasted lighter.
- Avoid adding extra sugar and switching to stevia. Like milk, sugar can significantly increase the amount of caffeine in your coffee.
- Limit coffee intake to one cup per day. While coffee can be beneficial for PCOS, drinking too much can actually be harmful.
- Avoid grinding coffee beans at home. Coffee beans are extremely porous and can become contaminated easily.
Why You Should Not Cut Out Coffee from Your Diet
It’s important to note that despite the potential health benefits of drinking coffee, people with PCOS should not drink coffee excessively.
This is because excessive caffeine intake can actually lead to insulin resistance.
Additionally, coffee should be consumed in moderation by everyone, as it also contains high levels of caffeine, which can be harmful for people with high blood pressure or heart conditions.
Despite these potential issues, coffee can actually be beneficial for PCOS sufferers.
While it’s important to remember to drink coffee in moderation, it’s also important to remember that coffee can actually help reduce the symptoms of PCOS.
How Much Black Coffee Should You Drink?
While it can be difficult to determine how much caffeine is too much, there are several things you can do to help you keep track of how much coffee you consume each day.
First, you can keep track of how many cups of coffee you drink each day. You can also keep track of how much caffeine is in your coffee by looking at the nutritional information on the side of the cup.
Lastly, you can use a caffeine calculator to determine how much caffeine you consume each day from other sources, such as certain foods and drinks.
When it comes to PCOS, one of the best things you can do for your body is drink more coffee, but only the purest form of the beverage.
It’s easy to get caught up in the hype of other caffeinated beverages, but the best way to reduce the symptoms of PCOS is to drink pure black coffee.
Conclusion
The caffeine in coffee can affect your body in many different ways.
Depending on how much coffee you drink, it can lower your risk of certain diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, or increase your blood pressure and heart rate.
You should drink coffee in moderation, and avoid adding sugar to it.
Drinking coffee on an empty stomach can negatively affect your body, and you should also not drink it too late in the day.
If you’re concerned about the effect coffee has on your PCOS, talk to your doctor about cutting down on caffeine or switching to decaf.
They may also recommend that you switch to lower caffeine content drinks, such as green tea.
About the Creator
Samson Williams
Hey there, I'm Samson Williams, and I'm all about helping folks like you tap into your full potential through the magic of astrology-based transformation. Ever since I can remember, I've been fascinated by the connections between
Enjoyed the story? Support the Creator.
Subscribe for free to receive all their stories in your feed. You could also become a paid subscriber, letting them know you appreciate their work.
Comments
There are no comments for this story
Be the first to respond and start the conversation.