Osteoporosis and The Effects of Caffeine

Several risk factors have been identified for the painful fractures that come with osteoporosis. While many of the factors such as age, gender and race cannot be controlled, there are some that involved lifestyle changes can. In fact, diet is one component that can help reduce the painful symptomsof the disease.

Today, the diet of an average person is pretty unhealthy. It is usually comprised of an excessive amount of sugar, salt or caffeine. Many degenerative diseases can be attributed to poor unhealthy choices. People are eating too much of certain types of foods and not enough of others. What is unfortunate is that the processing techniques used by the food industry cause chemical changes in our food that may adversely affect the health of the tissues in our bodies, including bone. Bone health is vital in the prevention of osteoporosis. The stronger the bones are, the less likely they are to break.

How caffeine affects osteoporosis is debateable. Some say that caffeinated drinks deplete the body’s fluid reserves and that caffeine increases urination. With an excessive amount of calcium lost in urine, what is reduced is bone mineral density, thereby increasing the risk of fracture. However, more recent research shows that a person’s fluid balance is not significantly affected by a moderate use of caffeine. Some say that caffeine is a diuretic, so therefore it can increase calcium loss in the urine.

There is not enough research at this point to know how much effect caffeine can have on bone health. Some studies indicate that caffeine intake is not a significant risk to osteoporosis in women who ingest consume adequate calcium. At the same time, earlier research seemed to show that caffeine increases the loss of calcium, raising the risk of osteoporosis. In a fairly recent study, women aged 65-77 who drank more than three cups of coffee, had greater bone loss over a three-year period than those who drank less. Risk factors can increase by as much as 82 percent. Then there are also other studies that showed that there is no link between moderate caffeine consumption and bone density.

With such controversial findings, it is best to err on the side of caution. Try having balance and practise common sense. It is always best to stay moderate in the consumption of drinks that can have the potential of producing adverse results.