Caffeine Update: What You Need to Know

©All articles are copyright of Dr. Susan Mitchell and Practicalories, Inc. and cannot be reprinted or used without permission. To obtain permission, please contact Dr. Mitchell.

If you’re trying to get pregnant, just found out that you’re pregnant or your wife wants to get pregnant, listen up. You know that alcohol and smoking are taboo during pregnancy but have you given much thought to caffeine? Overall, caffeine is considered safe and may even be beneficial. But recommendations on how much caffeine is safe during pregnancy vary among health care professionals. Typically the range suggested is 8-16 ounces of coffee per day. However, new research suggests that there may be a link between caffeine, pregnancy and miscarriage, a compelling reason to look closely at how much you consume.

Researchers with Kaiser Permanente in California, whose study is published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, analyzed information about caffeine consumption in over 1000 women early in their pregnancy. Guess what they found? Women who consume 200 milligrams or more of caffeine per day may double their risk of miscarriage. Two hundred milligrams of caffeine is about 10-12 ounces of coffee, about 16-25 ounces of tea depending on the type (remember black tea has more caffeine than green tea) or 5 soft drinks. Different coffees and teas can vary quite a bit in their caffeine content so it’s hard to say that one cup contains an exact amount.

Since there is no consensus on how much caffeine to consume during pregnancy, some doctors suggest switching to decaf or cutting caffeine from the diet at least during the first three or four months. Others suggest one cup a day and cut it off. The best bet is to discuss your personal health with your physician or health care provider and decide together the best course of action for you and your pregnancy.

Another study reported in the journal Cancer suggests that an increase in caffeine consumption may have a protective benefit against ovarian cancer. Decaf coffee didn’t appear to have any benefit, just in case you’re wondering. The mechanism as to why caffeine seems to have a protective benefit is unknown so expect to hear about additional research in the future. Does this mean that you should consume more caffeine? At this point no. The research indicates that caffeine may have an effect on personal health but it’s a smart move to weigh where you are in life, your medications, your current health conditions and then discuss your personal situation with your health care provider for specific direction.

Another piece of good news for you caffeine connoisseurs is that caffeine does not appear to have the dehydration effect during a workout as once thought. In fact, caffeine may give you the boost you need to exercise a little longer. An article in the journal, Exercise and Sports Sciences Review, found that moderate caffeine consumption (in this review, up to 500 milligrams per day) did not adversely affect exercise in terms of dehydration, assuming that adequate hydration and replacing lost fluids is a given in your workouts.

Want more information on caffeine? Listen to the podcast from March, 2007 located in the Internet Show Archives.