The Cortisol Coffee Connection:
Is Your Morning Cup of Coffee
Aging You?

Once you know a little bit more about the cortisol coffee connection, you may elect to switch your a.m. beverage of choice from black coffee to green tea. (Or at the very least, cut back significantly on your coffee consumption!)

What is Cortisol?
But first, let's talk a little bit about cortisol and its role in the body. Cortisol is a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands and it is necessary for functions such as regulating blood pressure, metabolizing glucose, releasing insulin into the blood stream, immune system function, etc.

It's also responsible for the body's fight or flight response to stress, allowing highly useful reactions such as a quick burst of energy, a lowered sensitivity to pain and heightened memory function, among other things.

Cortisol, the one hormone that increases as we age, becomes toxic, however, when there's too much of it circulating in our system, indicating we are in constant stress mode. Over a prolonged period of time, this can cause brain cells to die and can impair proper functioning of the immune system. Increased cortisol levels can also affect thyroid function, cause a decrease in muscle mass and bone density, increase blood pressure, cause blood sugar imbalance and a burst of inflammation, and thin the skin. Ultimately, too much cortisol ages us rapidly.

The Cortisol Coffee Connection
Coffee has been shown to elevate cortisol levels, increasing feelings of stress and anxiety and even result in an increase in body fat. And we're not talking about drinking an entire pot of coffee -- just two cups of coffee can elevate cortisol levels for up to 14 hours.

Green tea, on the other hand, promotes a calm and balanced mood, and contains antioxidants that increase metabolism and slow the aging process.

Can't make the switch all at once? Don't worry. Start by alternating days... coffee with breakfast one morning, green tea the next.

After you're comfortable with this routine, try 2 days of green tea and then coffee on the third day. This is far more doable than going cold turkey and much more likely to stick. And now that you know more about the cortisol coffee connection, you'll be even more motivated to curb your java intake!

As for myself, I have a cup of coffee on weekends only, usually on Sunday when I can really sit down and savor it. I don't miss it the other mornings, and I'm happy that it's now a treat instead of an everyday habit!

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