Too much caffeine can increase the risk of osteoporosis

Researchers at the University of South Australia have a choice to make when it comes to drinking too much coffee, as new research reveals that too much caffeine may be linked to an increased risk of osteoporosis.

By studying the effects of coffee on how the kidneys regulate calcium in the body, researchers found that large doses of caffeine (800 mg) consumed over a six-hour period almost doubled the amount of calcium lost in the body. urine.

This is the first study to report the impact of high-dose, short-term caffeine intake on renal clearance of calcium, sodium, and creatinine in healthy adults.

UniSA’s Dr Hayley Schultz says that as a growing “coffee culture” emerges, it’s important for people to understand the impacts of what they put into their bodies.

“Caffeine is one of the most widely used recreational drugs in the world, with 80% of adults consuming at least one caffeinated beverage per day,” says Dr. Schultz.

“It’s a common stimulant, consumed by professionals, parents, shift workers and teens to start their day and stay alert – even military personnel use caffeine to combat drowsiness.

“But while coffee has its benefits, it’s also important to recognize its drawbacks, one of them being the way our kidneys handle calcium.

“Our research found that people who consume 800 mg of caffeine in a typical workday will have a 77% increase in calcium in their urine, creating a potential deficiency that could impact their bones.”

Osteoporosis is a chronic, painful, and debilitating disease that makes your bones less dense and more likely to fracture. More common in women, it occurs when the bones lose calcium and other minerals faster than the body can replace them.

In Australia, an estimated 924,000 people suffer from osteoporosis.

The double-blind clinical study saw participants chew caffeine or a placebo gum for five minutes to two hours apart over a six-hour treatment period (total caffeine 800 mg). While the main objective of the research was to examine the impact of caffeine consumption on arousal and other factors, this substudy aimed to assess the impact of caffeine consumption on renal clearance. calcium.

Co-researcher Dr Stephanie Reuter Lange of UniSA says understanding the long-term impacts of high caffeine consumption is especially important for high-risk groups.

“The average daily intake of caffeine is about 200 mg, or about two cups of coffee. While drinking eight cups of coffee might sound like a lot (800 mg of caffeine), there are groups that would fit into this category, ”says Dr Reuter Lange.

“Those at risk could include teens who binge on energy drinks are at risk because their bones are still developing; professional athletes who use caffeine to improve their performance; as well as postmenopausal women who often have low levels of calcium in their blood due to hormonal changes and who lack an adequate daily intake of dietary calcium.

“Increasingly, we are also seeing high levels of caffeine in shiftworkers who must remain vigilant at night, as well as in military personnel who use caffeine to combat sleep deprivation in operational settings.

“Caffeine in moderation certainly has its benefits. But understanding how binge drinking could increase your risk for a highly preventable disease such as osteoporosis is important. “

From there, researchers will explore and predict the impact of different levels of caffeine consumption on short and long-term bone health, with the goal of informing dietary guidelines in Australia.

Reference:

This article has been republished from the following documents. Note: The material may have been modified for its length and content. For more information, please contact the cited source.