We love our coffee, don't we?

That burst of aroma, that kick of caffiene is a great way to wake up the body and having black coffee just before we go out or a work out is a perfect energy booster.However, if you’re a thyroid patient and suffer specifically from hypothyroidism, I’m sorry guys, your coffee is making you sicker day by day.

Coffee may negatively impact adrenal function, sleep quality, increased acidic ash in your gut, causing it to breakdown more regularly, messing up your intestinal activity, hormone balance, and absorption rates of thyroid medication, surprise, surprise, you iron levels as well!

All of these elements are important for maintaining a healthy thyroid activity.

What’s more is that it increases your TSH levels as your cortisol levels increase due to all that caffeine being pumped into your body in the guise of energy.

Let’ look at how exactly all of these pan out, on coffee.

‍Coffee Triggers Blood Sugar Spikes and May Encourage Adrenal Fatigue

‍Many thyroid patients struggle with maintaining balanced blood sugar levels.

Drinking caffeinated beverages such as coffee can exacerbate this issue. Studies show that caffeine significantly increases blood sugar, which can trigger the body’s stress.Stress response and prompt the release of cortisol.

These factors can contribute to or trigger flare ups of hypoglycemia, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and adrenal fatigue.

Worse still, the resulting crash following the blood sugar spike can trigger the release of additional cortisol, which further promotes adrenal fatigue and thyroid malfunction.

‍Coffee affects your sleep quality

‍Caffeine consumed late in the day or at night can impede sleep and reduce sleep quality. Drinking coffee triggers the body’s stress response which may cause the drinker to feel wired, fidgety, or restless.

These qualities can significantly reduce sleep quality and limit your ability to fall asleep. Poor sleep quality compounds the effects of stress which can disrupt the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.

The HPA axis plays a direct role in the regulation of thyroid activity. Any disruptions in this frequently leads to thyroid malfunction.

‍Coffee is the cause behind most intestinal Issues

‍Regularly having acidic substances like coffee can irritate intestinal tract causing discomfort and later, leading to intestinal malfunction.

The acidic nature of coffee promotes the release of gastrin and bile, which can compromise the intestinal lining of those with autoimmune conditions.

Because the gut is closely related to thyroid function and overall wellness, intestinal issues can trigger thyroid malfunction or worsen already extant thyroid issues.

‍Coffee May Cause Hormonal Imbalances

‍Studies show that women who regularly consume large amounts of caffeine in one sitting (at least 500mg or the equivalent to 5 cups of coffee) are far more likely to experience estrogen dominance, which may contribute to thyroid dysfunction.

Estrogen is an important hormone in both men and women. If estrogen levels increase and become imbalanced with other hormones, various issues can develop including inhibited conversion of T4 to T3.

Poor conversion of thyroid hormones is a common contributor to hypothyroidism.

‍Coffee Impedes Absorption of Thyroid Medication

‍Perhaps the greatest problem with coffee, regarding thyroid activity, is that it impedes the absorption of thyroid medication.

Studies have repeatedly shown that drinking coffee negatively affects the absorption rate of thyroid medications.

Drinking coffee in close proximity to taking your dose may negate virtually all the benefits of the medication.

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For this reason, thyroid patients should wait at least one hour, some experts say up to three or four hours, after taking their medication before drinking coffee or other caffeinated beverages. Appropriately timing your thyroid medication and morning coffee may significantly improve the efficacy of the treatment.

Hmm, so how do we tackle this?

Simple.

Ok, no, it will be tough in the beginning, but we think that now that we’ve shown you how coffee impacts your body, you will be more aware of how much it affects your health.

If you feel the need to drink coffee during the day at work or at home, you can choose from a variety of non caffeine drinks from my recipes here.

Make sure you have more iodine rich foods every day like eggs, green leafy vegetables and sea weed, pumpkin seeds and dairy.

These are easy to incorporate into your busy schedule. Boil eggs and have them as part of a meal or as a late evening snack.

Yogurt and ashwagandha tea will keep you full and relaxed.

This is necessary in maintaining your stress and cortisol levels.

Cut down on coffee and if you’re trying to lose weight on hypothyroidism, you will actually reduce much more kilos, faster.

If you need more guidance on how to manage your hypothyroidism naturally, sign up for our Thyroid Wellness Program here.

This is a no deprivation, all natural therapeutic program that will change how you view your health and help you manage your thyroid in a more sane manner.

Cheers,

Lovneet