Long term coffee consumption increases cortisol? Expert reminder: avoid this time

Interviewed expert: Zuo Xiaoxia, Director of the Nutrition Department of the Eighth Medical Center of the People's Liberation Army General HospitalGlobal Times Health Client Reporter Ren LinxianToday, "Drinking coffee for a long time can really lead to high cortisol levels," became a hot topic on Weibo. Netizens have stated that they have been drinking at least one cup of coffee a day since March this year, and now their lower abdomen cannot continue to decrease

Interviewed expert: Zuo Xiaoxia, Director of the Nutrition Department of the Eighth Medical Center of the People's Liberation Army General Hospital

Global Times Health Client Reporter Ren Linxian

Today, "Drinking coffee for a long time can really lead to high cortisol levels," became a hot topic on Weibo. Netizens have stated that they have been drinking at least one cup of coffee a day since March this year, and now their lower abdomen cannot continue to decrease. Therefore, they speculate that coffee increases cortisol hormones, which in turn causes obesity. Is this really the case?

"Long term coffee drinking may indeed lead to an increase in cortisol levels, but it depends on many factors." Zuo Xiaoxia, director of the Nutrition Department of the Eighth Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital, told the reporter of the "Global Times Health Client" that the caffeine in coffee can stimulate the Adrenal cortex to produce cortisol. If people drink caffeinated coffee frequently and in large quantities, especially during stressful times of the day, such as waking up in the morning or feeling anxious, it may lead to high levels of cortisol in the body.

Cortisol is often colloquially referred to as a "stress hormone", and the body releases cortisol when facing stress. Under normal circumstances, cortisol is beneficial for regulating stress, breaking down fat, stabilizing blood pressure, and combating inflammation. However, if a person is in a state of high cortisol level for a long time, it will bring many health problems, including insomnia, anxiety, dyspepsia, decreased immune system function, increased risk of cardiovascular disease, etc.

Zuo Xiaoxia stated that everyone's reaction to caffeine varies, so not everyone will be affected to the same extent. Some people are very sensitive to caffeine, and drinking coffee can cause symptoms such as faster heartbeat, headache, insomnia, and fatigue. It is necessary to consider reducing coffee intake or trying other non caffeinated drinks. However, for most people, drinking coffee in moderation is usually safe and does not cause health problems. It is generally recommended that healthy individuals limit their daily intake of caffeine to around 210 milligrams. If calculated based on the 75 milligrams of caffeine per 150 milliliters of coffee, they can drink 2-3 cups per day. Children and adolescents, pregnant women and lactating women, patients with osteoporosis or gastrointestinal diseases, those sensitive to caffeine, and those with insomnia should try to avoid or consume less coffee.

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