You can't imagine your life without coffee, and suddenly the doctor comes in with an order that you'll have to break this strong bond because of osteoporosis. Do you really have to give up coffee completely?
Can coffee be the cause of thinning bones?
Not exactly. It's not coffee per se. The risk is specifically caffeine. So if your doctor has banned you from drinking coffee because of osteoporosis - for therapeutic or preventative reasons - he has simplified the whole issue somewhat. You should avoid caffeine, i.e. other drinks and foods that contain it.
Why?
Caffeine has been shown to affect our body's use of calcium. And calcium is one of the key minerals whose deficiency is involved in the development of a disease known in medical circles as osteoporosis, popularly known as thinning of the bones.
Increased caffeine intake prevents the body from absorbing calcium. So although you take enough of this mineral in your diet or supplements, if it is not adequately absorbed, it cannot perform its functions, including ensuring bone strength. The valuable mineral is therefore excreted through the urine and you risk a number of health problems. Now, of course, the question must be asked...
What is increased caffeine intake
According to most studies, intake of up to 400 mg of caffeine per day is not risky in terms of health, and this includes a possible risk of osteoporosis. To give you a better idea, 400 mg of caffeine can be found in, for example, 3-4 cups of coffee, 10 cans of cola or five Red Bulls.
In 2022, a study was conducted to see to what extent a dose of 800 mg of caffeine consumed over nine hours would interfere with calcium absorption. In this case, there was already a 77% increase in the amount of calcium excreted in the urine. But we are talking about a dose of caffeine equivalent to about eight cups of coffee or 10 Red Bulls.
You don't have to say goodbye to coffee
So if you've been used to enjoying your two coffees a day, you most likely don't have to give it up because of osteoporosis. What you should definitely do, however, is to ensure you get enough of this important mineral (and a number of others that play a key role in the development of the disease - vitamin D and K), make sure you have a healthy lifestyle - regular exercise is very important in preventing osteoporosis, as is whether you are a smoker or not.
People with certain chronic diseases of the heart, liver or kidneys, diabetics and those with inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis etc. Similarly, those of you who take certain medications on a regular and long-term basis may be more susceptible to the disease. This is especially true of corticosteroids, thyroid disease medications, immunosuppressants, and some blood thinners (Warfarin).
They may also be more likely to be on medication for thyroid disease.
So coffee is okay?
In principle, no, but you should definitely not overdo it with your caffeine intake and if other risk factors are present, address the situation with a medical professional.
Choose a quality Sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1609631/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3912260/
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