Coffee Contributes to Hormone Imbalance and Low Libido

Is it good for you? Or is it bad for you? Coffee is one of the most debated beverages when it comes to good health, but no matter which camp you're in, one fact is beyond argument: Coffee contributes to hormone imbalance, which can lead to low libido! Recent findings show that even two cups of coffee daily can increase estrogen levels, which is not a good thing when it comes to concerns like PMS and endometriosis, or if you're a woman with a higher risk of breast or ovarian cancer.

Study Shows Coffee Spikes Estrogen Levels

In a recent study that tracked the hormone levels of approximately 500 women between ages 36 and 45, just two cups of coffee daily caused a spike in estrogen levels regardless of the subject's age, physical condition, or other lifestyle factors like smoking. Amazingly, those who consumed four or five cups daily had nearly 70 percent more estrogen than women who drank less than a cup of coffee a day.

Researchers aren't exactly sure how coffee raises estrogen levels, but one theory attributes the phenomenon to coffee's acid-forming properties within the body. Your body must carefully maintain a specific acid/alkaline balance in order to function properly. If your body is consistently too acidic, it suffers from hormone imbalance, creating an excess of estrogen and too little progesterone. Although coffee is not the only factor that can disrupt your body's acid/alkaline balance (other contributors are carbonated drinks and too much protein in the diet, for example), just one cup of coffee can alter your body's pH so significantly that it creates an acidic environment that can last for hours.

Too Much Estrogen Can Lead to Low Libido

Maintaining healthy estrogen levels is important because too much estrogen upsets the delicate balancing act between estrogen and progesterone, creating overall hormone imbalance which may lead to low libido. When you have too much estrogen in relation to progesterone, you end up with "estrogen dominance," a state that can be an underlying factor in health concerns ranging from allergies to osteoporosis. Some conditions most commonly associated with estrogen dominance are low libido, increased PMS, fibroids, endometriosis, infertility and even breast cancer.

Other Dietary Contributors to Low Libido

Estrogen dominance is currently widespread in the U.S. In addition to coffee consumption, factors that contribute to elevated estrogen levels in American women are the prevalence of ingredients like refined sugar and refined flour in the American diet, eating plant phytoestrogens like soy, and the plethora of xenoestrogens in our environment. Petroleum-based chemicals that act like estrogen in the body and are found in many of our "modern" conveniences like plastics, computer chips and clothing made from synthetic materials.

So next time you need a morning boost, you might want to say no to that cup of Joe and go for a healthier alternative like black or green tea, or a delicious energy-boosting maca beverage like maca hot chocolate—especially if you are at risk for endometriosis, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, have low libido, or are experiencing any of the other conditions related to estrogen dominance and hormonal imbalance. If you must imbibe, stick to one or two cups a day to minimize any unwanted estrogen-boosting effects.

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