caffeine and bladder leakage In other words, too much caffeine can cause some women to feel the urgency more and more frequently and to be unable to hold it causing a condition known as leaky bladder .
That's what researchers at the University of Alabama are saying. Women who consume a lot of caffeine are 70% more likely to develop incontinence.
While this is great for companies like Depend, it's not that great for the women who accidentally pee their pants in public. Incontinence can be extremely stressful and embarrassing for those that suffer with the condition.
Starbucks Veranda Blend Blonde Roast Single Cup Coffee for Keurig Brewers, 32 Count
The Caffeine and Leaky Bladder Study
Dr. Jon Gleason who conducted the study found that women who consume more than 329mg of caffeine daily are the most likely to develop incontinence. While this disorder can be caused by many factors, women who are high caffeine consumers might want to consider cutting back a bit if they want to avoid this potentially embarrassing situation in the future.
The research did not indicate if the caffeine will stop incontinence or if the caffeine just aggravates a condition some women are prone to develop. Moderate caffeine intake of around 182mg a day did not show any correlation to bladder leakage , so for women who love their daily cup of coffee, tea, or energy drink they need not fear as long as they do not increase their daily consumption.
Caffeine's Diuretic Effect
It is a fact that caffeine acts as a mild diuretic . This causes the kidneys to release more water from the bloodstream, which causes the bladder to fill up more quickly.
However, when caffeine is consumed in beverages that contain a lot of water, there is not a dehydrating effect. But, it is not hydrating either . If the body is already in a dehydrated state , drinking a caffeinated beverage will not remedy this.
As most who drink coffee can attest, during the period of coffee and urination increases drastically in both women and men.
I personally know that I need to have a bathroom during my morning work, which is when I'm drinking my coffee.
So, for those women and men alike who feel that they are running to the bathroom when they drink coffee, this is pretty normal. Just remember to drink plenty of water also because coffee is not providing the hydration your body needs.
For women with incontinence issues, cutting back on caffeine may effective managing the disorder more effectively.
Does Caffeine Affect Women Differently Than Men?
Caffeine may indeed effect the bodies of women differently than it does men.
It is not mystery that a woman's body has different chemistry to that of a man's body. This is primarily the result of the differing hormone levels in each sex.
These hormone differences may just influence how the caffeine molecule works while metabolizing in a woman or a man's body .
Below are some research studies that have looked for differences in caffeine's effects when comparing the results recorded by both men and women.
Caffeine May Help Women Better During Stressful Situations
Stress and caffeine
It appears that women in stressful situations are benefited by caffeine while men under the same amounts of stress are actually hindered by the caffeine.
Researchers at Bristol University, UK put male and female subjects in stressful situations where they had to solve complex problems and present their findings to their peers. Some were given decaf coffee while others were given regular coffee.
The females that consumed the caffeine performed much better than the females without caffeine, while the evils that consumed caffeine actually performed worse than the drinking drinking decaf.
- Caffeine and Women and Men's Blood Pressure
- caffeine blood pressure men and women
A study published in the American Journal of Cardiology found that caffeine elevated blood pressure of both men and women similarly. But, the reason this happened was different.
- In men caffeine caused increased vascular resistance.
- In women caffeine caused increased cardiac output.
Women Show Higher Post Meal Cortisol Levels After Caffeine
caffeine and cortisol
A study published in Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior looked at how caffeine influences cortisol levels, stress, exercise, and meals.
- During stressful situations caffeinated men released more cortisol than caffeinated women.
- During exercise caffeine elevated both men and women's cortisol levels.
- After a meal, caffeine elevated to woman's cortisol level greater than it elevated to man's.
Researchers said that cortisol is elevated in men as the result of caffeine's effect on the central nervous system, while in women this occurs from caffeine interacting with peripheral metabolic mechanisms.
Caffeine and Pain Tolerance
caffeine and pain relief
Caffeine has long been touted for its pain relieving properties , but this may be different for men and women.
A study published in Psychophysiology looked at caffeine's pain relieving effects in both men and women. They said that caffeine did increase pain threshold, but this effect was greater in men than it was in women.
Perhaps Excedrin may work better on men than it does on woman?
What About Teen Boys and Girls?
A recent study from the University of Buffalo looked at how caffeine affects teen boys and girls and found some differences.
They found that they have a greater response to caffeine, but a girl's response changes depending on which stage of her menstrual cycle she is in.
This was indicated by heart rate and blood pressure changes. Src.
In any event, men and women may not be equal to the effects of caffeine, but the differences are pretty subtle according to the research we have to date.