I'm taking the time to make sure I go through each thing that I have either sworn off or try to limit in my diet. Today's topic, caffeine! Because, honestly, I've been consuming TONS of it lately!I wasn't able to find anything on the ncbi.nlm.nih.gov website, I did find this article on the PCOS Diet Support Website by Tarryn. There are both pros and cons to consuming caffeine not just with PCOS but in general as well.
The article had some interesting information. "Sex hormone binding globulin or SHBG is an important protein that is produced by the liver and is of particular interest for women with PCOS. It’s role is to pick up and bind to testosterone, dihydrotestosterone and estradiol (estrogen) in the blood. (3) As soon as these hormones have been bound to SHBG, they become inactive and don’t have any affect on us.
Women with PCOS tend to have low levels of SHBG. This means that there is more active testosterone and estrogen in our body than we need or should have, resulting in hormone imbalances. So, we need to try to raise those levels of SHBG so that there is less testosterone and estrogen to wreak havoc on our symptoms.
Conveniently, one of the ways to raise levels of SHBG is by, you guessed it, drinking caffeinated coffee (4)."
However, if trying to become pregnant the article states that "There is some research that suggests that caffeine consumption (>300 – 500 mg or about 4 cups of coffee per day) is linked to decreased fertility although researchers aren’t sure why this is the case (6). Bearing in mind that PCOS directly impacts on our fertility already, I’m not sure that we need to be adding to our fertility problems with our coffee addiction."
Tarryn suggests "So, those are the main things to consider when it comes to caffeine and PCOS. While it may help prevent Type 2 Diabetes and increase SHBG, it can also lead to adrenal fatigue and fertility issues (which we already have)."
In general it's a good idea to cut back on caffeine when you are actively trying to conceive but maybe a few cups every now and again, won't hurt. Check with your care provider before making official decisions about what to add or cut in your diet when trying to conceive as well as trying to lose weight.
Blessings,
A
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