Can coffee increase estrogen levels?

Moderate coffee consumption generally does not lead to a significant increase in estrogen levels, but excessive intake may cause other health problems.

The main component of coffee, caffeine, is a central nervous system stimulant. Its effects on the endocrine system are mainly reflected in the inhibition of adenosine receptors, thereby influencing the release of adrenaline and noradrenaline; however, these effects are not directly related to estrogen secretion. Moreover, coffee primarily contains substances such as caffeine and tannic acid, which mainly serve to enhance alertness and do not directly contain estrogen. Although coffee may, via stimulation of adrenal corticosteroid secretion, indirectly promote the conversion of androgens into estrogens, this process is transient and requires high concentrations of coffee to occur. However, caffeine intake during the ovulatory period might cause a slight increase in estrogen levels. Nevertheless, this does not imply that coffee is a direct cause of elevated estrogen levels, and further research is needed to clarify its mechanism of action.