News Story On Caffeine And Women's Estrogen Levels When Consumed

[Butterfly Spirit]

The story was on caffeine consumption in women. They said that in white women it decreases estrogen, and in african american women it increases it! I've learned this in the past two days. To sway PINK, we need to avoid ALL caffeine period. Yikes! This will be the hardest thing for me..harder than giving up sodium rich foods LOL because I Love Coca Cola!!!!!!!

[wilma_five]

I'm curious what atomic has to say about this.....

[wilma_five]

Caffeine Increases Estrogen in Women

According to the researchers, women who drank the most coffee had higher levels of estradiol, a naturally occurring form of estrogen, during the early follicular phase, or days 1 to 5 of the menstrual cycle.

Higher estrogen levels would not be beneficial for women who for example have endometriosis, breast pain and family histories of breast or ovarian cancer, especially arising premenopausally.

The study included nearly 500 women aged 36 to 45 who were not pregnant, breast-feeding or taking hormones. All women answered questions about their diets, smoking habits, height and weight. Researchers measured the women's hormone levels during days 1 to 5 of their menstrual cycle.

Women who consumed more than one cup of coffee a day had significantly higher levels of estrogen during the early follicular phase of their menstrual cycle.

Caffeine intake from all sources was linked with higher estrogen levels regardless of age, body mass index (BMI), caloric intake, smoking, and alcohol and cholesterol intake.

Women who consumed at least 500 milligrams of caffeine daily, the equivalent of four or five cups of coffee, had nearly 70% more estrogen during the early follicular phase than women consuming no more than 100 mg of caffeine daily, or less than one cup of coffee.

[HopeandDreamG]

Interesting.... I really enjoy the one cup I have in the am. It helps get me to 12pm or 1pm to eat. Would like to hear atomics opinion too!

[atomic sagebrush]

hi Butterfly, thanks for posting this. I did see it when it came out but hadn't had a chance to post and comment on it.
Caffeine Alters Estrogen Levels in Younger Women - NYTimes.com (nice writeup)
Caffeinated beverage intake and reproductive hormones among premenopausal women in the BioCycle Study (the study itself)

It's an interesting study but a very small sample size and the effects in African American women were not statistically significant. In fact, the changes in estrogen levels were not very big overall for any race. "The effects of caffeine on estrogen are so minimal that in healthy women, it has no impact on ovulation or overall health, at least in the short term." The researchers are concerned about things like cancer that ~might~ respond to very slight increases in estrogen over the course of many years. For swaying, we want BIG increases/decreases for a short time. It's two totally different scenarios. We can do plenty to lower estrogen via diet, weight loss, and supps, that is much stronger and more effective than having a Coke here or there.

Real life application - The fact is that we don't even KNOW that we want lower estrogen levels. Maybe we do, maybe we don't. We know tons of girl moms who drink coffee, tea, pop all day long and have girls. If you go into the "how we got our girls" thread you can read about them, and the same was true on IG. My mom, stepmom, and MIL drink coffee by the pot all day every day and always have, between them they have 4 g and 2 b. Caffeine is too ubiquitous for it to be having much, if any swaying power at all. Everyone is drinking it and yet they keep right on having both boys and girls in 50-50 amounts.

Not only that, but caffeine very well may have other benefits to swaying entirely outside of estrogen and that cannot be overlooked. This study DID NOT say - "people who drink coffee have more boys or more girls" and until THAT study is done, let's take this as some info we did not have before regarding estrogen. BTW, the Oxford study found no correlation between caff intake and gender of baby conceived.

if I was Asian I ~might~ consider dropping caff as part of my pink sway, but I wouldn't bother if I was white or African American.

[sis4O]

It is an interesting study. Yet, if you read about women who've had lots of girls they love their diet Coke!!

[atomic sagebrush]

The study that wilma posted is not the same study, just so people are aware.

[suregena]

For the record, my mother drank and drinks obscene amounts of coffee! I am her only daughter and I have three brothers. The standout with me was that she went on the slim fast diet whereas she ate whatever with all of my brothers. So... coffee or coke, anyone?

[Hobbermittens]

I have no scientific anything to add here, just anecdotal stuff, but just wanted to pass on that my two friends who drink the most caffeine have girls. One is addicted to Coke and the other is a coffee drinker.

[zanacal]

I drank way more caffeine than usual while swaying for my girl - two strong coffees a day and gallons of diet coke!