Learn how caffeine and fertility can play a role on the path to parenthood
Our Tennessee fertility clinic helps patients understand the connection between caffeine and fertility. Consuming too much caffeine has been found to potentially have negative effects on fertility. This is because caffeine is a stimulant that can narrow the blood vessels and increase heart rate, blood pressure, metabolism and urine output.
What to know about caffeine and fertility health
If you’re worried that you’ll have to give up all caffeine, you can take a sigh of relief. While too much caffeine and fertility issues can go hand in hand, it’s safe to consume less than 200 mg of caffeine a day. This is equivalent to about two eight-ounce cups of coffee.
If you need to cut back your caffeine intake, here are some ways to make the shift a little easier.
Slowly reduce caffeine intake. Bypass caffeine withdrawal symptoms, including headaches, fatigue and irritability, by gradually reducing caffeine consumption each week. For example, if you typically drink four espressos every day you can cut that by one cup each week.
Make a beverage swap. Ease into this lifestyle by swapping drinks like coffee or black tea for decaf coffee or low-caffeine tea. But don’t forget that these beverages still contain some caffeine.
Increase water intake. You can reduce the intensity of caffeine withdrawals, especially the headaches, by drinking more water.
Adopt a healthy diet. Eating foods rich in protein, iron and healthy fats as well as fresh produce can support your fertility and stabilize your energy and mood as you cut back on caffeine.
Exercise. Instead of using caffeine to get an energy boost, aim to get 30 minutes of light to moderate exercise most days.
In addition to utilizing these practices to reduce caffeine consumption, the specialists at our Tennessee fertility clinic often recommend fertility testing for those trying to build a family. This can provide valuable information about reproductive potential.
Take the next step towards parenthood
If you’re trying to conceive, an important first step is learning more about your fertility health. Our Tennessee fertility clinic provides comprehensive testing that supports women and men in discovering whether there are any health concerns that could make it difficult to conceive.
When testing reveals fertility challenges, our doctors help patients create an effective treatment plan that can support them in building a healthy family. Contact us for more information.
