Caffeine and PCOS

In women with PCOS, abnormal levels of androgens and glucose can cause oxidative stress in the ovaries. Oxidative stress is when an imbalance between the production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and the bodies antioxidant levels occurs. This can worsen PCOS leading to severe hyperandrogenemia and insulin resistance. Therefore interventions that can reduce oxidative stress (i.e. antioxidants) will usually improve PCOS.

Coincidentally, two of the most widely consumed psychostimulants globally, coffee and tea, also contain various antioxidant, anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory properties. This is mostly attributed to caffeine and phenolic compounds such as chlorogenic acid.

In fact, caffeine in its pure form is a potent antioxidant similar to glutathione, and significantly more effective than vitamin C, at protecting cells from oxidative stress.

In 2016, Schliep et al. reported that caffeine consumption was linked to reduced testosterone levels and improved menstrual cycles in healthy premenopausal women.

This result persuaded Wang et al. to perform a similar study strictly in women with PCOS. After adjusting for various confounding factors, advanced statistical analysis revealed that coffee consumption was associated with a reduced risk of PCOS, in a dose-dependent manner.

Around this time other experts began to test the effect of caffeine, green coffee and tea on PCOS in more controlled studies.

Is Caffeine Bad for PCOS

Excessive caffeine intake may make your PCOS worse by increasing the production of cortisol and disrupting glucose homeostasis, worsening hyperandrogenemia. This is most likely to occur in women with PCOS and adrenal androgen excess or hyperinsulinemia only.

On the contrary, studies show that moderate (i.e. average) caffeine consumption actually decreases oxidative stress, corrects ovarian dysfunction and lowers testosterone levels in both PCOS and non-PCOS cases.

Nevertheless, caffeine is a mild diuretic which naturally increases the loss of water-soluble vitamins and minerals. Several of these (e.g. vitamin B, C and magnesium) can significantly alter total antioxidant capacity and thus PCOS severity.

Does Coffee Worsen PCOS

Women with PCOS commonly report poor sleep quality due to altered circadian rhythms. To make matters worse, poor sleep quality aggravates PCOS which worsens sleep quality (i.e. a self-perpetuating cycle).

For this reason, coffee may also worsen PCOS if it consumed too late in the day that it interferes with your sleep. Therefore avoid coffee (or caffeine) after lunch whenever possible.

Best Coffee for PCOS

The best coffee for PCOS is green coffee. Green coffee is good at decreasing free testosterone, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels in women with PCOS.

Experts report this is because of green coffee beans higher caffeine, antioxidant activity and total phenol content compared to that of dark roasted beans.

These properties also make green coffee helpful for women with PCOS trying to lose weight. Studies show coffee has a direct appetite suppressing effect, whilst caffeine increases thermogenesis (i.e. heat produced) and daily energy expenditure.

Note that green coffee supplements (in capsule form) are generally low in caffeine and may not have the same effect as brewed coffee.

Is Black Coffee Good for PCOS

Black coffee can be good for some women with PCOS and sensitive cortisol levels since it contains less caffeine per gram than lighter roasts. Lower cortisol levels decreases androgen levels, improves insulin sensitivity and increases regular periods.

However, black coffee also contains significantly less antioxidants and phenolic acids which is beneficial for PCOS. Fortunately, this disadvantage can be completely offset by just choosing a larger brew of coffee such as American instead of Espresso (200mL vs. 25mL).

Starbucks Coffee for PCOS

The best Starbucks Coffee for PCOS is the Blonde Roast hot brewed coffee. This is Starbucks lightest roast, highest caffeine, traditional American brewed coffee.

In theory, this coffee should contain the highest concentration of antioxidants, phenolic acids and caffeine of all the Starbucks coffee range making it great for women with PCOS.

Is Cold Coffee Good for PCOS

Cold coffee is not as good as hot coffee for PCOS in theory. Research shows that cold brew coffee generally has lower concentrations of acidic compounds and antioxidant levels compared to hot brew coffee from the same beans.

This is mostly because the standard cold brew coffee fails to dissolve as much of the coffee beans as the standard hot brew method. However, experts have since shown that it is possible to cold brew coffee with similar health properties to hot brew with higher caffeine content which is great for women with PCOS.

This was achieved using water temperature of 4 °C, 1:14 coffee to water ratio, 0.71 mm coffee mesh size, and 24-hour extraction time. Not surprisingly, commercial interests managed to short cut this process down to just 20 minutes with the HardTank extraction process. Stanek et al. reported this process performed as well (if not better) than both hot brew and 24-hour cold brew methods pending more studies.

Is Tea Bad for PCOS

Consuming tea may make your PCOS worse if it is sweetened with sugar, contaminated with pesticides, or you are otherwise healthy (specifically metabolic profile and body weight).

Likewise, the health benefits of black tea is much more limited compared to that of green tea. Black tea has significantly less total antioxidant capacity but double the caffeine of green tea. Unfortunately this means black tea (i.e. excess caffeine) may not be suitable for some women with PCOS.

However, excess amounts of green tea is also known cause gastrointestinal side effects for women more so than black tea. These side effects include nausea, adnominal pain or discomfort, diarrhea, indigestion, constipation, and flatulence or burping.

In extreme cases elevated liver enzymes and liver damage has also been reported. Experts recommend a maximum of 3 cups per day of green tea (or equivalent green tea extract).

Green Tea for PCOS

Green tea is considered a complementary medicine for PCOS. Studies show long-term consumption of green tea increases weight loss and indirectly or directly improves hormone and insulin levels in women with PCOS.

Unrelated studies suggest matcha, a high-grade green tea, may be the best form of green tea for PCOS. Even though the shaded growth of matcha tea leaves naturally decreases the polyphenol content, its powdered form means it is completely absorbed into water (compared to loose-leaf green tea) resulting in a drink with significantly higher levels of bioactive compounds (amino acids, catechins and caffeine).

When you drink your tea is equally important. The best time to drink tea is at least 1 hour after or before a meal. This maximizes the appetite suppressant effects of tea and minimizes its negative effects on absorption of essential micronutrients (such as iron).

Spearmint Tea for PCOS

Spearmint tea is not as well studied as green tea for PCOS. In the limited studies thus far, two standard cups of spearmint tea a day for 30 days significantly decreased both free and total testosterone levels in women with PCOS, but worsened the LH:FSH ratio. This result suggests spearmint tea is only suitable for some women with PCOS (i.e. hyperandrogenism and a 1:1 LH:FSH ratio).

Spearmint or Green Tea for PCOS

Overall studies show that green tea is more effective than spearmint tea at improving both hormone and insulin levels in women with PCOS. Experts attribute these results to the significant differences in phenol content and antioxidant activity between the two types of tea.

Spearmint or Peppermint Tea for PCOS

Spearmint tea is proven to have a positive impact on women with PCOS unlike peppermint tea. Unfortunately, peppermint tea has only been studied in animals to date. Amoura et al. reported that peppermint tea has significant anti-androgen effects and corrects ovarian dysfunction similar to spearmint tea. This result is somewhat expected given the peppermint plant is closely related to spearmint (i.e. hybrid cross of spearmint and watermint).

Chai Tea for PCOS

Unfortunately, the effect of chai tea on PCOS has not been studied. This is most likely due to a lack of standardization (i.e. number of recipes available for chai tea).

A Final Word from Fertility SCIENCE

Although coffee and tea in moderation has more pros than cons, human studies involving women with PCOS are still too few and far between.

More studies are needed to confirm if coffee (or caffeine) should be avoided in women with PCOS and vitamin D deficiency, or during pregnancy to decrease the risk of pregnancy loss, as reported in non-PCOS studies.

In short, drinking coffee and tea daily is a natural way to boost your body’s antioxidant levels and improve your PCOS. However, it should not be considered a substitute for healthy lifestyle modifications and or medically accepted treatments.

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