Thyroid Disease

Caffeine, Calcium and the Thyroid

By Mary Shomon, About.com

Created: December 13, 2003

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board

Caffeine is a stimulant, and has an effect on your central nervous system, your digestive tract, and your metabolism
Anecdotal information from a number of site visitors points to the fact that caffeine can potentially be a factor that worsens symptoms of thyroid disease
Some of the symptoms of too much caffeine can mirror undertreated or untreated hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism
In addition to similarity of some symptoms, there is a suspected hormonal relationship between the thyroid and caffeine
If carpal tunnel syndrome or other nerve and swelling-related problems are plaguing you, you might want to consider cutting out the caffeine
It&#146s known that caffeine causes urinary excretion of calcium
It&#146s clear that most women with thyroid disease should already be paying special attention to fulfilling their calcium requirements in order to avoid the potential of an increase risk of osteoporosis
Just last month, groundbreaking new research reported in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology showed that calcium may ease premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms

More detailed information on the connections between caffeine, calcium and the thyroid can be found at a detailed article on Caffeine, Calcium and the Thyroid.

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Mary Shomon
Thyroid Disease Guide