Survey study, 1990
Does drinking caffeine make premenstrual syndrome worse?
Yes. The more caffeine a woman drinks, the more likely she is to have premenstrual symptoms. Women drinking 8 to 10 cups a day were about 7 times more likely to have severe symptoms than those drinking very little.
What they did
Researchers mailed a questionnaire to female university students in Oregon asking about their periods and how much caffeine they drank daily. 841 women answered.
What they found
Women who drank caffeine had a much higher rate of premenstrual syndrome than non-drinkers. For women with more severe symptoms, the relationship was dose-dependent. Women drinking one cup of caffeine a day had an odds ratio of 1.3 for premenstrual syndrome. This increased steadily to 7.0 for women drinking 8 to 10 cups a day. The pattern was the same whether the caffeine came from tea, coffee, or soda. Daily total fluid consumption was also related to symptoms, but only at the highest levels (13 to 19 cups per day).
What it means for you
Cutting back on caffeine might help reduce premenstrual symptoms, especially if symptoms are severe. The study was done only with university students, mostly in one place, so results may not apply to all women.
841
women who responded
1.3
odds ratio for 1 cup caffeine per day
7.0
odds ratio for 8-10 cups per day
About the study
- Original title
- Caffeine-containing beverages, total fluid consumption, and premenstrual syndrome
- Authors
- Rossignol AM, Bonnlander H
- Journal
- American journal of public health
- Year
- 1990
- Study design
- Survey study
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.2105/ajph.80.9.1106
Topics
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