CAUSES OF OSTEOPOROSIS: HOW MUCH COFFEE DO YOU DRINK?
And how much is too much? When you have a cup of coffee, your body reacts to the caffeine by stimulating the nervous system, increasing heartbeat, basal metabolism and the secretion of stomach acid and an increase in urine. And studies have shown that heavy coffee-drinkers lose more calcium from their bodies than noncoffee-drinkers. As coffee may be a contributing factor in bone loss, it would be prudent to reduce consumption to no more than one cup a day. The key word is ‘moderation’. Health authorities advise pregnant women to avoid caffeine altogether because studies indicate it could cause skeletal defects in unborn children. Other studies are now focused on the effects of caffeine on children because of the large quantities of soft drinks, iced tea and chocolate they may consume. The problem is that caffeine is not only in many drinks but also in many common foods and drugs, both prescription and non-prescription.
Caffeine in coffee and tea can vary because of different methods of brewing, and whether it is from standard ground beans, instant or decaffeinated. Black tea has high caffeine, green tea very low; completely caffeine-free teas have recently been introduced. The effect of caffeine in tea is less than in coffee because tea has other ingredients that slow down the release of caffeine. Lovers of chocolate can change to carob powder to avoid caffeine, reduce phosphorus and boost calcium.
Herbal teas have not yet been studied extensively in Britain, so if you drink herbal tea to avoid the known effects of caffeine, you could expose yourself to other chemicals about which far less is known. Although the vast majority of herbs are safe in normal amounts, you should not conclude that all herbal teas are safe, nor that it is safe to drink large amounts of any herbal teas, for a length of time.
Because of growing concern, an increasing number of soft drinks are now produced without caffeine, but they can be high in phosphorus. Read the labels on cans and bottles carefully.
Discuss caffeine with your doctor before taking any drugs, including simple over-the-counter medicines such as painkillers and sleeping preparations. Similar products without caffeine are usually available.
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