In previous posts I’ve explained the real dangers of coffee (and all caffeinated drinks) for women and told you exactly how to detox from your coffee habit. There’s no way around it – coffee is toxic for women. All those studies that hit the headlines about the positive benefits of coffee, seem to pale in comparison to the latest findings. When it comes to one important issue, both men and women need to listen up – and that’s how coffee impacts fertility.
If you’re trying to conceive, and especially if you’re dealing with the kind of issues that impair your fertility like irregular periods or PCOS, then you need to put down that Starbucks cup. Whether you want to get pregnant this month or next year, this is too important to ignore. If healthy regular ovulation, hormone balance, perfect periods, and having a baby one day are essential to you, then research says you need to ditch the coffee.
Look, I know how hard that sounds. I used to love my coffee. But I realized it was not worth it and that, in the end, I didn’t need it like I had been told. I stepped out of the coffee culture and felt so much better for it – better sleep, better periods, less PMS. It was vital, because as a PCOS sufferer I knew that any external hormone-hampering was only going to cause me health issues, both short and long term.
For some women, coffee is the only endocrine disruptor they haven’t yet expelled from their lives – the chemical-laden shampoos are gone, the cleaning products are all-natural, they say no to plastics – but coffee is hard to give up, it’s become as all-American a ritual as baseball and Thanksgiving.
How coffee increases infertility
- 3 cups of coffee a day consumed by women or men increases the risk of miscarriage dramatically – by 74%
- Caffeine is associated with sub-optimal or suppressed fertility and, therefore, difficulties conceiving
- Drinking caffeinated beverages during early pregnancy (before you may know that you’re pregnant) increases the risk of early pregnancy loss
- Caffeine is considered an impairment to fertility alongside alcohol and smoking
- Men who drink 2 of more cups of coffee a day had a lower chance of conception via IVF
- Coffee disrupts ovulation by increasing cortisol levels and stressing the adrenals
- Coffee depletes vital vitamins and minerals needed for ovulation and healthy fertility (including absolutely necessary B vitamins and folate) and coffee’s acidity causes gut health problems
Rather than waiting until you want to conceive, you might as well detox from coffee starting today. You’ll see a rapid improvement in your whole cycle experience – including less PMS symptoms, less cramping, easier periods, more regular cycles, and better moods, all as a positive consequence of leaving your hormones and ovulation undisrupted and unharmed by caffeine.
Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this – the science of your body is on your side!
to your FLO,
Alisa
Good things come in threes:
I want to hear from you!
First, are you a coffee addict?
Second, are you struggling to conceive?
Third, everyone you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social 😉
How to get pregnant over 35
In my special report, Getting Pregnant Over 35, you’ll learn:
- The 7 most common things that compromise your fertility and why they block pregnancy.
- Why IVF and egg freezing do not guarantee success and how to improve your conception chances with both.
- Which tests, beyond the hormone levels, you need to take to know if you’re ready to conceive.
I have been drinking a mix of maca and matcha in the morning instead–is this an ok swap?
Hi Ali, please see my responses above RE this question!
Alisa
Thanks Alisa. Are there caffeine alternatives that you would recommend? I like to have a morning cup of something energizing!
I am still working on making the switch from decaf coffee to herbal tea (I really enjoy the flavor of coffee!) but I can honestly say that giving up caffeine was worth the 2 weeks of headaches and grogginess it took to ditch it. Some immediate effects of giving up caffeine (for me) were: alertness in the morning, more regular bowel movements, less of an afternoon slump, better quality sleep, and best of all, WAY LESS PERIOD CRAMPS!
That last one was GOLDEN. I never made the connection before, but on period days when I had 1-2 cups of coffee, I would almost immediately get horrible cramping that would oftentimes put me on the floor. Since I gave up caffeine 6+ months ago, I no longer have that issue. My cramping is mild and minimal, which I can totally handle.
Seriously, give up caffeine. You’ll thank yourself later 🙂
What about other caffeine sources such as matcha or black tea? Are they just as bad?
Thank you for writing this Alisa. During my second round of failed infertility treatment I listened to a live stream where you recommended giving up coffee for getting pregnant. After just receiving the results from 23andme that I was a slow meteabolizer of caffeine, it really hit me hard that I had to give up caffeine (even just my one cup a day) to get pregnant. I gave it up cold turkey and my next round of fertility treatment worked. I’m now 7 monthes pregnant! I personally believe giving up coffee helped this one stick.
Angie!!! OMG, I am SO happy for you! Congratulations!!! Sending love <3
Alisa
Thank you for the article but upon reading the studies that you quoted, they say specifically that any negative effects of coffee are dose dependent and that drinking only small amounts of caffeine have not been proven to have a negative effect.
I just feel like I need a coffee every morning! It’s part of my routine especially since the wether is getting cold! Please help! Now that I think of it, I do feel more stressed and anxious with coffee. I feel slumped without it though… Any tips for getting out of the morning slump? Thanks!
Hi Jess,
Do it slowly! First start having a coffee that is 1/2 caf 1/2 decaf, and after a few days reduce the caf portion more. Eventually just have the decaf for a week or so, and then you can try weaning off to green teas, and then off completely!
Good luck, I know you can do it!
Alisa
How about the caffeine in Matcha? I was told that is ok for PCOS.
Hi there,
Caffeine in general has a specific action that can contribute to adrenal stress, and therefor hinder hormonal health.
Alisa
After reading one of your articles on caffeine recently, I completely ditched it and I can’t believe how fast I’ve noticed results.
I started following your WomanCode protocol this Spring and I gave up the coffee (among other things). I immediately noticed that my anxiety went way down and I saw lots of positive cycle improvements.
Lately, however, I had been noticing that I always felt tired. Like I had nothing left in the gas tank, even first thing in the morning. I’m working and completing a grad program, and just functioning every day was starting to feel like a real struggle. I felt like I had no energy to do the healthy things I wanted: spending time with my husband, doing yoga, playing with the dog, etc. My way of handling it was drinking 1-3 cups of black tea or kombucha a day to try and have enough energy to get my stuff done and focus. I even considered going back to coffee, just to make it through the next two months…
Then, after reading your article, I ditched caffeine completely. Within days, I was waking up before my alarm!!!! I’ve never done that before. I feel fully awake minutes after getting up and I feel good enough to start the day with yoga and a dog walk. The key for me has been really focusing on eating a big breakfast and lunch. I’ve also been taking ashwaganda, maca, and rhodiola to assist with my depressed energy levels as I heal from adrenal fatigue (and post-pill hormone issues).
I really couldn’t be more grateful for your recommendations. I feel like I’ve gotten my life back and I can’t imagine going back to caffeine. I just feel too good. Thank you, Alisa!!!!
This is one area of the WomanCode protocol I feel confident about! I avoid caffeine in all forms and always have. I got through undergrad and grad school without a single drop of caffeine. I’m so grateful for that! Cold water in the morning is so refreshing to me and really gets me going. I’m slowly working on other aspects of the protocol. Even though I’m not perfect at it now, I’m so grateful for all I’ve learned.
I am not trying to conceive, but gave up coffee earlier this year. One of the biggest changes I’ve noticed is significantly less acne! I always had the big cysts along my jawline (I’m 30, so well past the acne phase). Now I very rarely get them. It’s so nice to no longer feel a need to bury my face in concealer. Many other benefits, too, but that alone has made it worth it!