Coffee May Block Thyroid Hormone Absorption

In this study researchers took women whose blood tests showed a low thyroid despite therapy. Six of those who reported taking their thyroid with coffee were studied as were 9 volunteers. They measured absorption of a 200 mcg thyroid dose on 3 different days when the thyroid was taken with:

1. expresso/coffee,
2. water, or
3. water, followed 60 minutes later by coffee.

Taking the thyroid with coffee decreased the absorption by 36% in the hypothyroid women and 27% in the healthy volunteers.

I applaud the researchers for doing the 3rd part of the test above, where they gave the thyroid and then let them drink their coffee an hour later. Unlike many researchers who seem content to take away everything pleasurable, they were considerate enough to check if it was safe to have your coffee an hour after taking the thyroid.

It was. ;-)

Reference:

Altered Intestinal Absorption of L-Thyroxine Caused by Coffee Salvatore Benvenga, Luigi Bartolone, Maria Angela Pappalardo, Antonia Russo, Daniela Lapa, Grazia Giorgianni, Giovanna Saraceno, Francesco Trimarchi. Thyroid. March 1, 2008, 18(3): 293-301. doi:10.1089/thy.2007.0222.