Caffeine & Cramps

But first coffee.

Many of us feel half human until caffeine hits our bloodstream, otherwise dozens of t-shirts would not be all the rage.

But what if caffeine was the source of rage in your uterus?

What does caffeine do to our body?

The average person consumes 165mg of caffeine per day; equivalent to approximately 2 cups of joe. Caffeine is effective at its day job of shocking the system into go mode by blocking adenosine; an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain that acts as a central nervous system depressant. What this means is, caffeine competes with adenosine’s receptors, that would normally signal your bodies need for sleep, as well as adenosine’s neuroprotection to areas of ischemia, hypoxia, or oxidative stress (in other words - areas of lack of blood, oxygen or imbalanced free radicals).

Now wait - you can’t expect me to kick my precious caffeine to the curb so fast! We know and love caffeine for its stimulating properties, which often translates into peak performance; whether in the office or the gym. Who can deny a good buzz, am I right? Be it coffee, tea, chocolate, soft drinks or energy drinks, caffeine acts a bit tricky, however, depending on how we engage with this psychoactive substance in frequency and quantity. In the gym, it triggers a vasodilator effect in increasing blood flow, boosting our workout output. However in chronic headaches, caffeine acts like a vasoconstrictor and can be an excellent source of pain relief - hence why it is in many over-the counter pain medications. But what if it is the source of pain to begin with?

In the ring,

ready to pack a punch -

we have the resounding,

the unstoppable -

Electric Uterus!!

Caffeine increases estrogen. Increased estrogen enhances the intensity or experience of PMS. While studies are varied on caffeine’s direct correlation to gut-curling uterine cramps, it is clear that it is connected to shorten period cycles (eg. 25 days), delayed conception, anxiety, mood changes, irritability, insomnia, headaches, heart palpitations, and effects sex hormones and hormone receptors. It has been long linked in studies of breast tenderness and fibrocystic disease. Caffeine amps up the hormones that elevate your heart rate and blood pressure (norepinephrine, epinephrine and cortisol). Which is great for that “high” feeling, except that our body designs these needs for necessary situations that call upon the sympathetic arousal of fight or flight. When these hormones elicited by external consumption are not necessary for the totality of our bodymind experience, they can leave us feeling tense or anxious. It’s a lot of ramping up to the system, often lacking an equal measured down-regulation.

And as the saying goes - what goes up, must come down.

And this is the potential of caffeine’s impact on period cramps. Inflammation.

Debilitating menstrual cramps, otherwise known as dsymenorrhea, the ones that force you to call out of work or cancel your night out with the girls, affects 20% of women. Many who are told period cramps are normal. Cramping is an indication of inflammation in the uterine lining. While prostaglandins trigger the natural contractions of the uterus to facilitate the shedding of this lining, anything over a mild sensation of this, is your body communicating an SOS smoke sign. With constriction of blood vessels within the womb and diuretic effects, caffeine potentially may be a criminal at large on your lady parts.

If you experience excruciating cramps, book an appointment with your Doctor, or perhaps a Naturopath specializes in reproductive health. And in the meantime, try backing off the caffeine and see how it impacts your inflammation, particularly in the luteal phase, the second have of your menstruation cycle, just after ovulation has passed. This tends to be when women’s cognitive functions slow down, and we are more tempted to resource that good ol’ buzz to get us through. And if you notice in your luteal or your follicular phase fatigue and lethargy, try reaching for iron-rich foods such as grass fed lean red meat, chicken, tuna, leafy greens or lentils.

We hope this has been helpful or encouraging, that cramps are a bodies way of signaling for some restorative TLC. Explore nurturing your uterine needs by backing off the caffeine, and perhaps leaning into energy-producing foods to help the curve.
Listen to your body. Her wisdom knows the way.