Could Coffee Be Bad For Your Adrenal Health?

Coffee used to be an obsession for me: The morning mug, an afternoon pick-me-up, and the post-dinner perk to get me through my evening work routine. That was all before I realized the chronic stress load that my body fought against daily, which was not at all supported by the steady drip of caffeine that I supplemented with during my waking hours. And therein lies our problem: It isn’t necessarily the coffee that's the problem but the caffeine—one of the most commonly used stimulants in the world.

While some argue that the term “adrenal fatigue” is not yet a diagnosable condition, the persistence of chronic cortisol levels found in patients shows that this issue does exist and is a serious problem well-recognized by those who practice holistic, functional, or integrative medicine medicine. When the adrenal glands are constantly plagued by perceived stressors in our environment, they cause raging, unrelenting levels of cortisol in our bodies that create a domino effect of symptoms and issues. Our bodies perceive a constant state of danger, throwing us into full-fledged fight-or-flight mode, which shuts down our nonessential systems—namely the digestive and reproductive systems—in favor of basic survival. Chronic levels of stress cause our body to go into a survival state, where we maintain our guard at all times, even when the stress may be just a commercial reminding us we haven’t planned for retirement. When cortisol levels remain high, emotional reasoning makes us panic about even the smallest things in life.

So does coffee cause adrenal fatigue? No. But chronic stress does. Does coffee add to the chronic stress issues in a survival-mode-driven person? It did for me, and I think it does for a lot of other people too—just not for everyone.

In general, caffeine prevents the neurotransmitter adenosine from telling your body that you are tired, but your brain also has the ability to anticipate when these effects are coming. If you are a habitual coffee drinker, supplying your body with smooth roasted goodness at the same times each day, your body knows it’s coming and prepares to counteract the effects. Even the smell of coffee or the sound of the coffee maker can trigger your body’s regulating response.

This conditioning happens with many things in our lives as our bodies become used to routines and rituals. While these can be incredibly beneficial in regulating your body’s natural responses to help lower stress levels or prepare your mind and body for sleep, it can also be detrimental when dealing with harmful substances such as drugs or alcohol. That said, habitual coffee drinkers seem to experience less of a response to the caffeine than do those who don’t consume it regularly because their bodies haven’t adjusted.

Coffee by itself has shown some amazing health benefits, such as lowering the risk for chronic diseases and cancers, reducing risk of suicide, and lowering your chance of developing a brain-related disease such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. Consumed in lower doses, it can give your body a boost of energy and motivation without the side effects of headaches or insomnia. The problem comes when you are already chronically stressed and you add highly caffeinated coffee to the mix; for many people, this only adds to your elevated cortisol levels.

Suggested caffeine consumption per day for adults is 300 to 400 mg, or about three to four cups, but, if you're in the group of people who don’t tolerate caffeine well, I recommend less. What are the other alternatives? Drinking water infusions with citrus and mint will give your body a natural boost of energy without any harmful side effects. Or, one of my personal favorites is matcha green tea made from the entire leaf rather than just herbs brewed in water. Easily added to green smoothies, it contains high levels of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, as well as healthy levels of caffeine for your body. In addition, it contains L-theanine, which helps to reduce stress levels in the body while boosting memory and concentration.