Could caffeine be causing my joint pain? I’m only 43, but my joints ache so much that I feel 60! My doctor gave me a clean bill of health. So I started doing some digging of my own and read that my coffee habit (I’m up to four cups a day) could be a factor. Is that true?
Drinking too much coffee can indeed be a culprit behind joint aches. Excess caffeine raises cortisol levels and causes mild dehydration, two factors that worsen pain-causing inflammation. To get relief, drink no more than 8 oz of coffee daily and make sure you are well hydrated. (Calculate your hydration needs by dividing your body weight by two. This number, in ounces, is the recommended minimum daily water intake for your body.) One other point to consider: Is your forties perimenopausal hormone fluctuations could be behind joint pain. To counteract hormonal flux, take 1,000 to 2,000 mg of fish oil daily. Its omega-3s are proven to ease painful inflammation and help normalize female-hormone production. One to try: UNI KEY’s Super EPA Omega 3 support!
