Do You Have Morning Sickness? Are You Sensitive to Caffeine?
If you were sensitive to caffeine before pregnancy and now dealing with persistent morning sickness, there may be a connection most doctors have never considered.
In Dr. G’s experience, women who were slow to metabolize caffeine before pregnancy tend to have more persistent nausea. The reason involves an enzyme called CYP1A2 that clears caffeine from the body. During pregnancy, progesterone suppresses that enzyme even further while simultaneously relaxing the valve between the stomach and esophagus. For someone who was already a slow metabolizer, the first trimester becomes a perfect storm.
For decades, medicine has taught that pregnancy reflux is a mechanical problem. The baby pushes the stomach up. But morning sickness is often worst in the first trimester, when the baby is barely the size of a grape. The timing never made sense mechanically. It makes perfect sense biochemically.
There is more to this story, including a melatonin connection and a simple intervention that costs nothing.
Want to read the full article? Join our free community at itsmy.health to explore the Medical Mysteries series and dozens of health education videos from Dr. G.
Authored by Gerard Guillory, MD
Gerard Guillory, MD, is a board-certified internist who practiced for nearly four decades with a focus on functional, root-cause medicine. He is the author of three books on irritable bowel syndrome and the founder of It’s My Health, where he and his team put current health news in context and help members understand the underlying causes of chronic symptoms.
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