Nutrition - Holistic Nerd

If you are a coffee lover but you also suffer from PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) you may be wondering whether coffee is actually good or bad for your condition. Should you give up this liquid form of happiness or are there any benefits to drinking coffee for PCOS? That’s what you’ll find out in this article based on scientific evidence as well as my personal experience. As always, the answer to whether coffee is good or bad for PCOS is not so straightforward and there are so many different variables that need to be considered. In general, coffee appears to be good for women with PCOS due to its multiple health benefits. However, the effects of coffee largely differ between individuals, and therefore its consumption may not be suitable for all women with PCOS. Unfortunately, there is currently no research looking at the effects of coffee on PCOS specifically but coffee and caffeine have been studied multiple times before, only in different scenarios. Based on those findings, I’ll explain the potential advantages and disadvantages of drinking coffee for PCOS so you’ll be able to make an informed decision on including coffee in your diet. Benefits of coffee for PCOS: High antioxidant contentIncreased SHBGImproved insulin sensitivityReduced appetiteWeight lossImproved brain function & mental health Apart from the amazing smell, taste, and beautiful morning ritual related to making and drinking coffee, there are also many health benefits you could gain from its consumption. ✓ High antioxidant content What is coffee particularly known for is its high content of antioxidants, especially polyphenols and hydrocinnamic acids. In fact, coffee is the number one source of antioxidants in the modern western diet (which may be due to the lack of fruit and vegetable consumption). Antioxidants play an important role in your health since they can neutralize free radicals that are damaging to your body and responsible for aging. Diet rich in antioxidants can therefore protect you from oxidative stress and may prevent multiple health conditions including some types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. Oxidative stress (imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants in your body) is responsible for the development of many different disorders and PCOS appears to be one of them. Women with PCOS tend to have increased oxidative stress and decreased antioxidant status. So if you suffer from PCOS, you definitely want to include a lot of different antioxidant sources in your diet and coffee may be one of them. ✓ Increased SHBG In a few studies, regular consumption of caffeinated coffee has been also associated with increased SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin) levels in the body which is especially important for women with PCOS who tend to have low levels of SHBG. The role of SHBG is to bind to androgens (male hormones) and deactivate them which then lowers the overall androgen levels in the body. As you may already know hyperandrogenism (high levels of androgens) is one of the features of PCOS responsible for many of the common symptoms (such as acne, abnormal hair growth, irregular periods, hair loss). For this reason, dietary strategies that help to increase SBGH levels and decrease androgens in the body may be beneficial for managing PCOS and reducing its symptoms and coffee may help you do that. ✓ Improved insulin sensitivity According to the latest evidence, insulin resistance is not only one of the symptoms of PCOS but also one of the main drivers that leads to the development of other PCOS-related symptoms. If you want to learn more about the link between insulin resistance and PCOS you can read my previous article 'PCOS Insulin Resistance & How To Reverse It' where explain it in more detail. Insulin resistance is also the reason why women with PCOS are at increased risk of type 2 diabetes. In fact, the majority of women with PCOS are pre-diabetic and 50% of them develop type 2 diabetes before the age of 40. Habitual coffee consumption has been shown in multiple studies to significantly reduce the risks of type 2 diabetes (by 23-50%) and improve insulin sensitivity which suggests that women with PCOS may also benefit from regular coffee intake. However, it should be noted that findings from other research suggest that caffeine (found in coffee) may have some negative short-term effects on insulin sensitivity (decreased insulin sensitivity after acute caffeine consumption). The long-term benefits of coffee consumption may therefore be due to the other compounds found in coffee such as polyphenols, magnesium, and chromium (all associated with improved insulin sensitivity). ✓ Reduced appetite You may not be surprised to learn that coffee is a natural appetite suppressant which is also the reason why caffeine is commonly added to appetite suppressing supplements and weight loss products. While I personally do not recommend taking such supplements (dietary and lifestyle changes should be your primary strategy), I do believe that drinking coffee to decrease appetite may be useful for some individuals. If you suffer from PCOS you are probably very familiar with constant cravings and uncontrollable hunger (another common feature of PCOS). I’ve written a whole article on this topic called ‘PCOS Cravings: How to Reduce Appetite & Excessive Hunger’ explaining the cause of this problem and the most effective strategies to control it. In some situations (when you’re not really hungry), you could be just looking for something to satisfy your desire that could help you avoid unnecessary snacking between meals and overeating. Coffee has been shown to have an impact on appetite hormones and stomach emptying which then result in decreased appetite and increased feeling of fullness. So having a cup of coffee may be actually helpful for women with PCOS who struggle with cravings, constant snacking, and weight management problems. However, if you decide to consume coffee for this particular purpose, try to stick to a black unsweetened version since sugar and milk added to the coffee may have the opposite effect and induce even more cravings. ✓ Weight loss Apart from the appetite-reducing properties of coffee, there are other ways in which it may help you with weight management. Caffeine has been shown to increase metabolic rate (by 3-11%) and stimulate fat-burning abilities by up to 10-29% (depending on your body composition). Since women with PCOS tend to have decreased metabolic rate associated with weight gain and inability to lose weight, coffee could be a useful tool for an effective weight management strategy. However, keep in mind that a healthy diet and regular exercise are way more important for weight loss and long-term weight maintenance so you should consider coffee only as additional support. But there is another benefit to drinking coffee that may help you lose weight. It is well known that caffeine enhances physical performance by affecting your hormones, muscle, and brain (many ‘pre workouts’ contain caffeine). In fact, caffeine used to be banned in sports and prohibited in competitions until 2004 due to its performance-enhancing effects. Even if optimal sports performance is not your primary goal, you may still benefit from those effects. If you’re trying to lose weight and you exercise regularly, you’ll be able to practice harder and/or longer if you increase your physical performance. This means that you're likely to expend more energy (burn more calories) and build more muscle (increase metabolic rate), all leading to greater weight loss. I personally always drink coffee before my workout (when I exercise in the morning) which also works for me well as I like to exercise on an empty stomach but feeling fueled and energized (even though black coffee doesn’t provide any calories). ✓ Improved brain function & mental health It is no news that coffee (containing caffeine) is a psychoactive stimulant with the ability to increase your energy levels and make you less tired. Isn’t it the reason why we all drink it and love it so much? But there’s more. Multiple studies have shown that caffeinated coffee may improve brain function in many different areas including memory, focus, mood, alertness, and overall mental health. So coffee couldn’t only make you smarter and more productive but more importantly, it could make you happier. This is especially important for women with PCOS who are more prone to suffer from depression and anxiety according to research. Since coffee appears to reduce the risk of depression as well as suicide risks, it may play an important role in managing mental health in women with PCOS (although too much coffee could have the opposite effects). Risks of coffee for PCOS: Hormonal responseSleep disturbancesAddictionDehydrationDecreased fertilityWeight gain While regular coffee consumption appears to be quite beneficial to overall health and longevity, there may be some risks associated with coffee in relation to PCOS. ✕ Hormonal response One of the things to be aware of is that caffeine stimulates adrenal glands that are responsible for producing cortisol and adrenaline (the ‘stress’ hormones). It’s also one of the reasons why caffeinated coffee makes you more alert. Both cortisol and adrenaline are crucial for optimal body function especially in some situations (eg when you wake up in the morning, in life-threatening situations, or after exercise). However, having constantly too much cortisol can lead to chronic stress which can cause multiple health problems and PCOS seems to be one of them. Women with PCOS have been shown to have elevated cortisol levels which then contribute to other hormonal disruptions (such as insulin resistance, hyperandrogenism, and menstrual irregularities) responsible for most of the PCOS symptoms. For this reason, drinking too much coffee and constantly increasing cortisol levels may not be ideal for women with PCOS. However, the cortisol response to coffee appears to be very individual (dependent on your tolerance to caffeine) and with regular coffee consumption, those effects also seem to decrease suggesting that your body may build a tolerance to the caffeine-induced cortisol release. That’s why you should always consider your individual circumstances and see how your body responds. If you're someone who already suffers from chronic stress and pron-longed elevated cortisol levels, drinking more coffee could actually do you more harm than good. ✕ Sleep disturbances You’ve probably come across the advice to avoid coffee before bed since caffeine can seriously disturb your sleep. But the truth is that you should have your last coffee of the day (or other caffeinated drink) minimally 6-7 hours before going to bed (yes, it’s still in your system for that long). Even if you have no problem with falling asleep after a nice cup of coffee, the caffeine content can still negatively impact your sleep quality which is the last thing you want to do if you suffer from PCOS. There are so many important functions that happen during different sleep stages and hormone regulation is one of them. If you want to effectively manage PCOS and keep your hormones in balance, you should really make sleep your priority and avoid unnecessary sleep disruptors such as caffeine overconsumption. Studies have shown that sleep disturbances are very common amongst women with PCOS which might even worsen the symptoms. If you’re one of those people and you already suffer from sleep problems, you may want to avoid caffeine consumption altogether. I personally only drink coffee in the morning hours (2pm at the latest) and my sleep quality doesn’t appear to be affected. However, this won’t apply to everyone and you may need to find a different strategy that works with your own schedule and sleep patterns. ✕ Addiction If you’ve been drinking coffee every day for some time and you suddenly don’t get to have your regular cup of joy, you probably know exactly what a caffeine withdrawal feels like. It’s a real thing and it’s definitely not a pleasant feeling. That’s because caffeine (which is a psychoactive stimulant) is highly addictive and its regular consumption can actually change your brain chemistry. Your body then becomes dependent on it and your ‘caffeinated self’ becomes your new ‘normal self’. This means that once you stop having your regular dose of caffeine, you can quickly start experiencing withdrawal symptoms including headache, irritability, tiredness, and lack of concentration. While the worst symptoms usually only last for a few days and then start to disappear, you can still get yourself into a lot of inconvenient situations once you become truly addicted to this substance. So consider carefully, whether it’s worth the risks and how it may affect your life. Especially if you suffer from PCOS and drink coffee to combat low energy levels, fatigue and stress. ✕ Dehydration Even though drinking coffee may help you consume more fluids during the day, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will keep you well hydrated. In fact, caffeine has the opposite effect, and drinking too much coffee can actually negatively affect your hydration status. That’s because caffeine has diuretic properties (making your kidney exclude more water) which means that you’ll be going to the bathroom more often and losing more fluid than usual. If you then fail to sufficiently replace your fluid losses, you may start experiencing some early dehydration symptoms such as headache, dizziness, thirst, and dryness. However, according to studies you are unlikely to become dehydrated from drinking moderate amounts of coffee (less than 5 cups per day) so you might be just fine. On the other hand, you should still consider those risks since proper hydration status is one of the building blocks of a healthy diet and an effective PCOS management strategy. ✕ Decreased fertility Although very limited, there is little evidence suggesting that regular caffeine consumption (300-400mg/day or 4 cups of coffee) may decrease female fertility. Other studies also suggest that daily caffeine intake (200mg/day) may put you at a higher risk of miscarriage. If you suffer from PCOS you are already at increased risk of fertility problems. So if you are trying to get pregnant, you probably want to avoid any potential risk factors that may negatively impact your fertility and pregnancy. That’s why (despite the insufficient research on caffeine and fertility), you may still want to limit your caffeine intake anyway. If you’re already pregnant or breastfeeding it is recommended to limit your daily caffeine intake to no more than 200g/day since it can reach your baby through the placenta or through breastmilk. ✕ Weight gain Not all coffee is created equal and its effect on your health is also partly dependent on what you put into your coffee. If you compare the nutritional value of a black coffee and some fancy Starbucks coffee drink you will get very different results. In one case (black coffee) you’ll get almost zero calories and you can still consider it a drink, however, this is not true for most of the fancy drinks on the market that are nutrition-wise more similar to a dessert. Some of them can have up to 500 calories and 70 grams of sugar in one cup. This may lead to weight gain and contribute to insulin resistance if consumed on a regular basis. If you suffer from PCOS you want to be aware of what’s in your coffee since most of the products contain high amounts of added sugar, milk, cream, syrups, sweeteners, and other additives that may negatively affect your condition. Things to consider: ToleranceTimingDosageAdded ingredientsDigestionNutrients absorptionQualityPregnancyHydration status If you decide to include coffee in your diet, here are some of the most important things you should consider to minimize any potential risks related to caffeine and PCOS and gain the most benefits. 1. Tolerance The first thing to consider is your personal tolerance to caffeine and how it makes you feel. We are all different and our bodies respond differently to different substances including caffeine. How you respond to caffeine is dependent on many different factors including your history with coffee consumption (for how long), your habits (how much and how often) but also your genetic predisposition (how it’s metabolized). Researchers have identified genes that are responsible for metabolizing caffeine (either slowly or faster) which may be one of the reasons why some people feel more affected by caffeine than others. For this reason, you shouldn’t always rely on general advice and rather take into account your own unique characteristics. Pro tip: Try having different amounts of coffee and record your subjective feelings after the consumption. Does it make you anxious and jittery or are you more focused and energized? If you don’t have your regular dosage, do you experience severe headaches and low energy levels or are you just a little bit more tired? All of this may help you identify your personal tolerance to caffeine and find a perfect balance of how much is healthy for you but not addictive. 2. Timing Another thing to consider is when you actually drink your coffee. As I’ve already discussed, caffeine consumption can seriously disturb your sleep quality and so strategic planning of your coffee intake during the day is really important. It is generally recommended to stop drinking coffee 6-7 hours before bedtime or even earlier if you have difficulty falling or staying asleep. Pro tip: Set yourself a specific time (eg 2pm) at which you’ll have your last coffee of the day and try to stick to it every day. Once you make it a habit it’ll be easier for your body to adapt and you’ll naturally stop craving coffee after that hour. 3. Dosage How much coffee you drink or how strong you make it is also an important factor that may either positively or negatively impact your health. While drinking coffee may have a number of benefits, more doesn’t always mean better. Evidence suggests that 300mg of caffeine per day (3-5 cups) is the maximal limit before it starts causing more harm than good, however, the safest limit appears to be 200mg of caffeine per day. I suggest you stick to the maximal limit of 200mg per day since you don’t want to drink large amounts of coffee in a short period of time (considering you stop drinking early enough to avoid sleep disturbances). I personally drink 2 cups of coffee per day which works for me well, however, there also may be differences in the type of coffee you actually drink since they all come with slightly different caffeine content. Here is an average caffeine content in different types of coffee drinks but keep in mind that they also differ between individual brands: Brewed coffee (1 cup) = 95 mg Instant coffee (1 cup) = 30-90 mgEspresso (1 shot) = 63 mgDecaf (1 cup) = 3 mg Pro tip: Keep in mind that coffee isn’t the only drink containing caffeine so be mindful of other things you consume during the day that will count towards your total daily caffeine intake. Other foods and drinks containing caffeine include: black tea, green tea, coke, cacao, chocolate, energy drinks, energy bars, pre-workouts. 4. Added ingredients Be aware of what’s actually in your coffee as it can be easily overlooked (especially when store-bought). Try to minimize adding sugar or other sweeteners into your coffee and if you like adding milk into your beverage you may want to choose some of the more PCOS-friendly types. You can read my article 'What Type Of Milk Is Best For PCOS? (The Ultimate Guide)' to help you choose the best one for you. Pro tip: If you really enjoy having some of the tasty iced frappuccino drinks you get from a coffee shop, you can try making it at home. You can easily create an equally delicious but healthier version at home. Try putting some black coffee into a blender with a bit of ice, vanilla-flavored (or other) protein powder, some plant milk, and a frozen banana or dried dates for the sweetness. You’ll get a beautiful creamy texture with an even better taste and a higher nutritional value.Read more: 'What Protein Powder Is Best For PCOS? (The Ultimate Guide)' 5. Digestion How you drink your coffee will also affect your digestion process and energy release so it’s important to choose your coffee accordingly. Black coffee (no milk no sugar) will naturally get quickly absorbed into your bloodstream which will rapidly make you feel energized. However, due to the fast release, you may also experience the ‘caffeine crash’ and become really tired and sleepy short afterward. You can reduce this crashing effect by adding some high-quality fat into your coffee (you may know this method as bulletproof coffee). I personally like adding a teaspoon of either virgin coconut oil (taste great) or pure MCT oil into my morning coffee which also keeps me satisfied for longer. If you practice intermittent fasting (you can read about its effects on PCOS here: 'Is Intermittent Fasting Good Or Bad For PCOS & Why?') it can help you feel more fueled and focused in the morning if you decide to skip breakfast. If you suffer from an acidic stomach, black coffee may not be ideal for you since it has a very high PH (it’s acidic). However, by adding some milk into your coffee, you actually decrease the acidity and balance the PH levels which will be more gentler on your stomach. Pro tip: If you decide to add some coconut oil or other fat source into your coffee, make sure you properly blend it (in a food processor or blender) so you get the nice creamy and silky texture and amazing taste 6. Nutrients absorption It’s been shown that caffeine and some types of polyphenols (such as tannins) may interfere with the absorption of some essential vitamins and minerals. Coffee is an especially strong inhibitor of iron and calcium which may result in nutrient deficiencies if not properly managed. For this reason, you want to be strategic with your coffee consumption and its timing around meals. According to evidence, if coffee is consumed at least 1 hour before or after a meal, it doesn’t decrease the absorption of those minerals from the meal. Pro tip: Try to always have your coffee separately from your meals (especially if your meal is high in vitamins and minerals) to maximize its absorption. The same rules apply to tea (also high in tannins) and other caffeinated drinks. 7. Quality When choosing and buying your coffee you really want to pay close attention to its quality for a number of reasons. Firstly, if you consume coffee every day (oftentimes first thing in the morning) you really want to make sure that you’re not doing your body more harm than good. To minimize your exposure to harmful chemicals from coffee (such as synthetic fertilizers and other industrial chemicals commonly used during growing, processing, and storing) you want to look for coffee certified as organic. I personally don’t buy all of my groceries organic but coffee is one of the things that I’m always happy to pay a little extra for. I like: Cameron’s Coffe Organic Coffee Beans (best flavor/budget-friendly)Kicking Horse Coffee Organic Dark Roast (best quality/taste) Coffee is also known to contain some amounts of mycotoxins (mold toxins) which can negatively impact your health, however, only a small number of coffee brands test for its content which makes it challenging to find completely mycotoxin-free coffee. Here are some high-quality third-party tested brands I like: VitaCup Perfect Coffee Ground (low acid/mycotoxin-free)Bulletproof The Original Coffee Beans (high-quality/mycotoxin-free) For the optimal freshness and taste of your coffee, choose whole coffee beans (freshly roasted when possible) and ground it yourself at home. Pre-grinded coffee beans are not only less fresh and not as tasty but they usually end up being way more expensive in the end. Arabica coffee beans are considered better quality (they’re also more expensive) and they have a milder taste in comparison to Robusta that taste more bitter and ‘stronger’ (it’s also higher in caffeine). Depending on your taste preferences you can find coffee beans with different ratios of Arabica and Robusta, however, I suggest you buy single-origin coffee beans to get the highest quality. Pro tip: If you are a regular coffee drinker it’s definitely worth investing in a good-quality coffee machine with a built-in coffee grinder (I would never go back due to its practicality and most importantly the taste). It can also save you a lot of money if you’re used to buying your coffee every day in a coffee shop (although it has its own magic). I use:Delonghi Magnifica S Coffee Machine (still one of my best investments)It’s also good to keep your pre-grinded coffee beans in the fridge to keep it more fresh and flavorsome (once ground it starts to oxidize). 8. Pregnancy The next thing to consider is your current situation and future plans regarding pregnancy. As I’ve already mentioned, pregnant and breastfeeding women are recommended to decrease their caffeine intake to a maximum of 200 mg per day. However, if you’re currently trying to get pregnant, you may also want to limit your coffee consumption to increase your chances of a healthy pregnancy. But going cold turkey and cutting out coffee completely may not be the best approach for everyone since it can lead to caffeine withdrawal symptoms and make it really challenging or unrealistic to do. For this reason, you want to start looking for some coffee alternatives that can help you with changing your current habit and also benefit your overall health. Pro tip: If you want to find the best coffee alternative for you, you can check out my article 'Best Coffee & Coffee Alternatives for PCOS’ where I explain their advantages and disadvantages and share my own experience with different types 9. Hydration status Don't rely on coffee as your primary fluid intake of the day to keep you hydrated. Always make sure that you drink enough water to replace any fluid losses induced by coffee consumption. It's a good practice to drink a glass of water with any cup of coffee you have (in some restaurants it's a standard to serve coffee with a glass of water) so it doesn't negatively affect your hydration status. Pro tip: Try creating a habit of carrying your favorite water bottle wherever you go to remind you to drink enough water during the day. I always keep it in my bag or next to my computer when I'm working to have it constantly in my sight. It's also easier to drink enough water if you choose a 'cool' water bottle you enjoy drinking from. 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