Most people turn to coffee in the morning or early afternoon to get a boost of energy for their workday. You might even feel you can't function without your caffeine. But if you are also battling cellulite, your favorite beverage might be one cause of your dimpled skin. And in addition to its cellulite link, coffee has been tied to other problems -- so consume it in moderation.
Effects of Coffee
Caffeine is the main ingredient in coffee. It acts as a stimulant in your body. This stimulating effect affects your cardiovascular and nervous systems. It can increase alertness, decrease tiredness, increase heart rate and breathing, cause jitters and make you feel restless. Much like other drugs, caffeine can become addicting and cause withdrawal symptoms such as headache and fatigue. Coffee is also a diuretic, which means it causes water retention and can dehydrate your body.
Cellulite Anatomy
Cellulite occurs when body fat works against naturally occurring connective tissue cords in the body. Your skin is pulled downward by connective tissue cords that bind your skin to underlying tissue. As fat accumulates, it groups together between these cords and pushes upward against the skin. The more body fat you have, the more likely it is to protrude and create cellulite.
Causes of Cellulite
The potential for you to develop cellulite is based on your gender, body composition, medications, genetics and diet. Women tend to have more cellulite because their connective tissues are grouped into looser structures, which allows for more protruding fat. According to MayoClinic.com, hormonal medications can also increase the likelihood of cellulite. If your diet is low in water and high in caffeine and fat, you increase your chances of cellulite. Dehydration causes your body to hold on to any amount of water, causing fat cells to swell and skin texture to suffer.
Treatment
Topical products, surgical methods and at-home treatments promise to get rid of cellulite. The truth is that the only way to reduce cellulite is to improve your diet and increase your physical activity. Even with these measures, it is likely you will still have cellulite somewhere on your body. Combine daily aerobic exercise, strength training and a more natural diet to get the best results. A natural diet is made up of fruits, vegetables, lean protein, grains and calcium-rich foods.
Potential
Drinking coffee may perk you up in the morning, but it can also be damaging your skin and making your cellulite more pronounced. As you drink coffee, you slowly dehydrate your body and tell your fat cells to retain liquids. The fat cells become swollen, push against your skin and create hills and valleys known as cellulite. If you can't give up caffeine, try drinking more water in between cups of coffee and eating fruits that help rehydrate your body.
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