Caffeine and the pill
November 17, 2011
RESEARCHERS at the University of
Sydney are warning women about
the dangers of combining caffeine,
oral contraceptives and smoking.
According to Vidya Perera a final
year PhD student in the Faculty of
Pharmacy, a daily consumption of
two to three cups of coffee combined
with smoking significantly increases
the activity of the metabolising
enzyme known as CYP1A2.
This enzyme, found in the liver,
is responsible for processing a
number of chemicals ingested
when we eat or drink.
Perera found a 1.8 fold decrease
in the enzyme’s activity in women
who use oral contraception
compared to females not using the
pill, and also discovered increased
levels of CYP1A2 activity in women
who both smoke and drink caffeine.
“Use of the oral contraceptive
pill among young women inhibits
the enzyme CYP1A2 responsible
for metabolising caffeine and it can
be reduced in some women by up
to 5 fold,” Perera said.
“This means that caffeine is
staying in your body for a lot
longer than women not taking the
pill,” he added.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 17 Nov 11To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 17 Nov 11
