Coffee and women's health

Nearly 80% of the population drinks coffee on a daily basis. There are 80-130 mg. of caffeine in just one cup of coffee. For many years the medical community has warned the public of the health risks to women from a simple cup of Java, yet there still is very little linking coffee to health problems except in a very few cases.

Coffee has been blamed for everything from indigestion to cancer at one time or another. It has had an almost constant role in the news pertaining to health in recent years. It seems that every few months there is a new blurb about coffee on the local news or radio. Most of these warnings and urgent reports clogging the airways are aimed at women. Even doctors have been very critical of the role of coffee in women's health.

Why has coffee been getting a bad rap?

1. Well of all drinks containing caffeine, coffee has the highest amount, far more than soda.

2. Since pregnant women must be cautious when carrying an infant, doctors advise against caffeinated beverages still today, despite there being no evidence of health risks. This stems from antiquated ideas and data, though.

While the caffeine in coffee can be connected to raising blood pressure and is responsible for increasing the incidence of cardiovascular disease and even high cholesterol levels, there is no connection that coffee poses more of a risk to women who consumes it than women who don't drink it. Women are not exposed to a greater risk from caffeine or coffee than men are.

While some reports contended that coffee causes an increased risk of gallstones in patients who drink the beverage regularly, other research shows that there is no correlation. Just recently there was a report that said coffee drinkers have less gallstones.

Let's dispel some of those myths about coffee and the health risks associated with its consumption. For many of us women, obstetricians and gynecologists discouraged our consumption of coffee during our pregnancies. While this was probably merely a precaution, it is a bit alarming that they have absolutely no scientific reason to do so. Does this anger you?

It seems that sometimes we don't know which study to believe. New research of late has also revealed that coffee is actually beneficial to a person's health. For example, the diuretic effect of coffee has proved that it lessens the incidence of bladder cancer in smokers, and drinking coffee regularly is also reported to lessen the onset of Parkinson's disease. Much of what we hear in the media is hype over a study that had only 200 or 500 people in it. The best advice that anyone can believe is the trusted advice of their doctor.

Let's go in search of answers that many women have about coffee. Many answers to your questions are listed below in the coffee health FAQ.

1. How much coffee is safe?

Well that depends on the brand and type of coffee. Some of the new, popular cappuccino and espresso brands are loaded with caffeine, while some of the other, more traditional brands, offer lower caffeine content. As long as your doctor does not restrict caffeine, it is safe to consume caffeinated coffee in moderation. Individuals with high blood pressure, heart disease, gall stones, high cholesterol, mental illness, drug interaction problems, or who are pregnant should not consume caffeinated coffee.

2. Does caffeine effect fertility?

Yes it can decrease a woman's chances of getting pregnant, but it is in no way unsafe to drink a moderate amount of coffee weekly or even daily. Even male coffee drinkers have a decrease in fertility.

3. Does drinking coffee contribute to or cause infertility and/or delayed conception?

No, there is no evidence of this.

4. Is it safe to drink coffee before conception?

Yes it is safe to consume coffee before trying to get pregnant, but as stated above, it can sometimes make it harder to conceive.

5. Does drinking coffee increase the chance of birth defects in your infant?

No, there is no evidence of this.

6. Does coffee consumption by pregnant women contribute to premature births?

No, there is no connection between birth defects and coffee consumption at this time. Some research has suggested this in the past, but it was never conclusive.

7. Does coffee make depression worse?

Yes it may. The medical community maintains that people with any psychiatric or emotional disorders should not have caffeine. For many years the mentally illness have been instructed not to consume any caffeine, and certainly not at high doses.

8. Does coffee cause cancer?

While there is no scientific proof that coffee and other drinks containing caffeine cause cancer of any kind, there is evidence that shows coffee actually helps to prevent bladder cancer. As briefly mentioned above, smokers who drink coffee daily have a much lower incidence of bladder cancer. This may be due to the fact that coffee drinkers urinate more frequently than non-coffee drinkers, so caffeine actually flushes out the bladder, which in turn lessens the smoker's risk of bladder cancer.

9. Does coffee help gallstones?

There is evidence that coffee can protect against gallstones.

10. Is osteoporosis caused or worsened by drinking coffee?

No. After extensive research, scientists agree that there is no link between cancer and osteoporosis. Even with extremely high doses of caffeine, this is not a factor.

11. Can coffee reduce the risk of Parkinson's Disease?

Yes, a recent study from the U.S.Department of Veterans Affairs in Honolulu states that parkinson's disease occurs less in people who drink caffeine on a regular basis. A Study of 8,000 men of Japanese ancestry were studied.102 of the men were diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Men didn't drink coffee had a two to three times higher rate of Parkinson's disease than the coffee drinkers did. Although it was men used in the study, reports suggest that it is likely that women would also benefit from drinking coffee where Parkinson's disease is concerned.

So, what should we ladies do? Question your doctor if he/she restricts coffee and follow their advice, but stay current on health news. Learn to tell the difference between the hype and the facts. Being educated about our health will always make us women feel better in the long run.

Sources:

CNN

BBC