Menopause: caffeine increases hot flashes

While hot flashes plague some women’s lives during menopause, reducing their coffee intake would help alleviate them. At least that’s what shows a study published a few days ago by the American magazine Menopause.

Caffeine and menopause don’t mix

The role of caffeine in the amplification of vasomotor symptoms, the famous hot flashes, has long been debated within the scientific community. But a study conducted by the Mayo Clinic located in the city of Rochester (United States), published on July 21, confirms that caffeine can exacerbate these unpleasant symptoms of menopause.

It is estimated that a third of women suffer from these flashes, and that in some cases, this can continue for up to ten years after the onset of menopause.

1806 women over 40, who suffered from various disorders linked to menopause, therefore participated in this work. They responded to Menopause Health Questionnaire, a very complete interview, which covers all the health issues linked to this moment in female life.

Thus, 85% of them had a regular consumption of caffeine, whether by drinking tea, coffee or soda. The researchers then determined, based on the responses to the questionnaire, that there was a positive correlation between exacerbation of hot flashes and caffeine consumption, in 65% to 79% of cases.

A double-edged sword

However, the study also points out that caffeine is a substance that may have a beneficial effect on other symptoms of menopause, including improving mood and focus. Banning her completely from her diet would therefore not be the solution either, according to the scientists. All the more so as the researchers point out, “for the moment, these are only preliminary results. “

So, as Stéphanie Faubion advises, the director of the Mayo Clinic, the best thing to do for the moment is “to reduce your consumption a little, and to observe the effects, positive or not, on a case by case basis. . “And finally,” to see your doctor if hot flashes ruin your life, “she concludes.